Instagram Stories, similar to Snapchat, launched recently. (Photo : Carl Court/Getty Images)
All the Instagram users recently downloaded an update that gave them a feature that they all knew too well, Instagram Stories. Similar to Snapchat's My Story feature, users on Instagram will be able to show a series of photos and videos, strung together for a period of 24-hours.
These stories do not have as many filters as Snapchat but an easy to use interface, listing new stories on top of the user feed, make it highly visible; thus, increasing user engagement, reports Yahoo Finance.
Most users are no strangers to the concept of Stories. Snapchat, the pioneer of making short videos a thing before it became popular, has been doing and succeeding at it for the last two years.
Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom, in fact, does not even dispute that Instagram borrowed the design and the concept from Snapchat. In an interview, he told TechCrunch that the similarity between the two features is no accident and that Snapchat deserves "all the credit."
It is, however, important to note that Instagram users are at least five times more than Snapchat users. Which means, it is much easier for Instagram to gain popularity within in its ecosystem than for Snapchat to convert Instagram users to an entirely new platform.
Needless to say, Instagram has a better interface in terms of user experience. Instagrammers can see on top of their feed to catch up on new stories with a simple tap and swipe.
Even though Instagram Stories just launched a few days ago, many users are already claiming to use less Snapchat.
Will Instagram stories spell the end of Snapchat? To answer this question, Yahoo Finance connected with a third party app tracking company that monitors user engagement and download on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
According to the app, it is to soon for Instagram Stories to start predicting Snapchat's doom. Their conclusion about increased user engagement is based on first seven days of the launch.
However, App Annie spokesperson also added that the feature and its launch is still at its nascent stage and that the real usage pattern and impact on activity will emerge only after a period of time.
