The battle between SnapChat and Instagram is starting to heat up but the ultimate question is who will be the victor. For those of you that don’t know, today, Instagram rolled out a new update to the app. This update includes two important changes: 1) disappearing photos and videos for groups and friends and 2) live video on stories.
What exactly does this mean though?
Back in 2013 Facebook (who owns Instagram) tried to buy Snapchat for $3 billion and since then it’s been a back and forth battle for market share and attention. With this new update for IG they have essentially narrowed the gap between what differentiates the two apps, IG and Snap. Social media is such an integral part of our days and has changed how we communicate substantially in the past decade. The ability to stream LIVE content puts the power of the media directly in the hands of the consumer/user. No longer do we have to wait for a news van to show up to cover a story, if someone is there when an event is taking place it can be broadcast instantaneously. Since Facebook LIVE rolled out last year there has been countless LIVE videos streamed and it was just a matter of time before they extended it to Instagram.
Now with IG having the ability to LIVE stream it gives people options to play with. But let’s talk about a few of the key differences and limitations. Any great app should always have some form of a limitation like Vine’s 6 sec videos or Twitter’s 140 characters. Below are a few of the key features with the new update. Keep in mind the LIVE feature is not available yet but at least you will be prepared for when it is.
LIVE
1) 1 hour streaming time limit.
2) You’ll be able to search for other live stories that are taking place.
3) Live streaming will appear where the stories appear currently.
4) You can pin a comment to the broadcast that will stay the duration of the stream.
5) People can comment while streaming. This feature renders Periscope completely obsolete if it hasn’t already lost any market share.
6) Tap to add a flow of hearts just like Periscope.
Photos
1) Send photos to individuals or groups that disappear after they view them.
2) You can see if someone has viewed your photos, screenshot them, or replied.
3) A photo can be sent to up to 15 people at once.
SnapChat probably won’t be disappearing anytime soon even with these new updates added to IG but it will definitely force SnapChat to innovate. It will be interesting to see what actually happens when the LIVE feature is available on IG but for now we will just have to wait until then.
