Instagram Stories Pros and Cons

Last week Instagram introduced Instagram Stories, and like most new digital things, the Internet erupted into the usual yelling debate about new things: "Instagram ripped off Snapchat!" "Instagram Stories is waaaaay better designed than Snapchat!" "Ugh. Another feature." And so on. Oh, and Facebook is now testing selfie filters, à la Snapchat. Snapchat's like the sister with all the good clothes that keep getting filched. I may be only 34, but there are days when I feel like I'm 82 in regard to new features on things I already use, and feel like I use pretty well. And originally, this post was titled "Instagram Stories, Get Off My Lawn." No, really: But then, like a good blogger, I took a little time to do some reading, and, well, my opinion — much like the Battering Ram ride at Busch Gardens — has swung to and fro a bit. So here are my thoughts, in a classic Pros and Cons list. Because if a P&C list can help me determine if I should date someone who loves Phil Collins and owns a lot of plastic sheeting, it should help me come to a conclusion about Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories Pros • Marketers have been using Instagram successfully for awhile now, and it has a wider reach than Snapchat. • It is way easier to find and follow people on Instagram, compared to Snapchat. • I personally use Instagram constantly, and I could set up another account professionally for Sass Marketing with ease. Snapchat? Not so much. • The design is cleaner and easier to understand, which means there will be fewer people saying they're afraid to use it (unlike Snapchat). • The stories won't be in your Instagram feed. Instead, when someone you follow posts a story, a ring will appear around their profile photo. You can then either check it out, or ignore it. • You can hide a story from anyone you don't want to see it, without having to make your account private. You can even hide stories from people who actually follow you (Whoo-hoo! You can keep your aunt from creeping on you!) • I always wanted to be able to draw laser beams coming out of my cat's eyes. Instagram Stories Cons • Seriously, what is the deal with people wanting stuff to disappear after 24 hours? Is there something about hour 24 when you realize, "Oh god ... I have made a MISTAKE!"? • Even though Instagram didn't do anything wrong (you can't copyright an idea), it still comes off as a little lame to not only use almost exactly the same idea, but to not even bother renaming it. Or as Jack Brody, a product designer at Snapchat put it: https://twitter.com/jackdbrody/status/760533680750071808 Wow ... I can't think of any other cons, aside from my general crankiness over new features that I don't feel like using, but with Instagram Stories, you don't HAVE to use it. You can completely ignore it, as well as the stories of other. All right, fine. With my Pros and Cons list being a solid 7 to 2, I get the picture. Though I'm reserving the right to claim "cool" or "lame" until I actually have access to Instagram Stories. In related news ... dang Hubspot ... you released a guide on how to use Instagram Stories TWO DAYS after the feature's launch. It's taken me this long to get cranky enough to write this post (mind you, I publish every Tuesday). Teach me your ways, oh Orange and Sassy One.

Social Commerce

Instagram Stories Pros and Cons

Melissa Ward

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Melissa Ward