THE DEBATE: Which App is Best for Your Business, Instagram or Snapchat?

A recent survey carried out shows that both Instagram and Snapchat collectively attract at least 687 million daily active users worldwide. With such a large audience, these two platforms strike a great opportunity to market your brand and grow your business online. However, the question is, which one should you choose if your budget cannot sustain the two platforms?

Since both platforms increasingly overlap in features, function, and advertising components, it can be hard to distinguish the unique elements that make one a better fit for your business. If you are looking to use these apps to boost your brand or business, you need to know which one is more effective in different aspects. Let’s zoom in on each of their capabilities. 

In this article, we look at the distinct features between Snapchat and Instagram apps so you can decide which one is the best fit to market your business.

Instagram

Instagram, a photosharing app boasts of over 1 billion active monthly users. The Facebook-owned company has a bit more sophistication than its counterpart. Except for the “Stories” feature, there is no expiration time, so images remain indefinitely unless deleted. It offers several filters and editing options, encouraging better quality. Users include descriptions and hashtags with their posts.

Benefits of using Instagram for your business:

• The use of instagram #hashtags and links allows you to connect images to your website, blog, and other social media pages.
• With Instagram’s seamless integration with Facebook, you can easily share an image from this app to the other, including tags.
• Encourages interaction and engagement between users via private and public comment options; allows business to communicate directly with followers.

Drawbacks:

• No sense of urgency like with Snapchat, particularly since recent changes mean users no longer even see posts in their feed in chronological order. This can be tough for markets since many users won’t even see a pic until it is too late.
• Best for visual products, such as retail items, can be a more difficult medium for selling services or the technology industry, such as software as a service (SaaS).

Snapchat

As of now, Snapchat has over 530 million users globally. But does that give it the competitive edge a business owner needs for their brand?

When you share a story on Snapchat, it only stays active for 24 hours and when you share a chat, it’s deleted after it’s viewed by all recipients. You can take a screenshot of the “snap,” but the original poster will be notified if you do.

While this app is known for being popular among youths and those who enjoy rainbow-coloured filters, its popularity is growing thanks to Facebook’s interest in it.

Benefits:

• Snapchat boasts up to 400 million daily users. Therefore, the chances to increase your brand awareness and exposure is pretty high. It’s great for short attention spans and for creating a sense of urgency—this message will self-destruct in 10 seconds—ideal for time-sensitive promotions and pop-up sales.
• Encourages interaction between users via private messaging options; allows users to send a story posted by a brand to a friend via direct message.

Cons:

• Very limited audience compared to other platforms. Unless you are targeting tweens and college kids, it won’t help you.
• The quick-view feature has downsides; once a post is gone, users can swiftly forget about you. And if they weren’t paying attention, they probably never got your message in the first place.

So, Which is the better app for my business?

According to AdAge, Instagram is a better choice for brands.

No doubt, both apps have their appeal and core audience. But, there is a distinct difference in who is using each photo-sharing tool. While Snapchat caters to a much younger audience, Instagram is trying to compete with similar 24-hour viewing period features, its core user group tends to be slightly older and less fickle.

When you’re deciding between the two apps, discuss with your team what type of content you want to produce. If you’re struggling to appear accessible and “down-to-earth” to your demographic, perhaps creating authentic Snapchats is the way to go. If you’re attempting to establish a more well-known and established brand identity, it’s inarguable that Instagram can help you more.

Depending on your content goals and audience’s preferences, you might want to try both for a little while before making a final decision: using Instagram to create a professional and sleek brand image, and using Snapchat to showcase a more authentic, goofier side to your brand.

Ultimately, you’ll want to choose the app that makes the most sense for your audience and your brand.

Lastly, remember why you’re doing this. Sure, it’s fun to reach a lot of people, but it’s more important to create engaging content that resonates with your ideal audience and establishes deep relationships with potential customers, long-term.