Snapchat vs. Instagram: Pros and Cons for Marketing & PR

Snapchat and Instagram bear remarkable similarities. Both are extremely popular among teens and college-aged users. Both emphasize photo sharing. With limited time and resources, brands may wish to concentrate on just one. Marketers can determine where to invest their resources by understanding the unique features of the two social media platforms.  

Demographic Differences

Although the platforms have similar demographics, a quarter of Instagram users are between ages 30 to 49, despite its reputation as a youth haven, inbound marketing specialist Dominique Jackson points out, citing data from Refuel Agency. Older users became more interested in Instagram, the older of the two platforms, as it became more popular.

Snapchat’s users are 70 percent female, Instagram has a more even split between males and females, Jackson writes in SproutSocial. That doesn’t necessarily mean brands that target men shouldn’t use Snapchat. However, Instagram might allow brands to reach a wider audience.

Instagram enjoys a 4.21% engagement rate per follower, according to Forrester Research. That’s an exceptional level, much higher than other platforms. Determining Snapchat’s engagement rate is difficult since it lacks likes, shares or other common types of engagement metrics. Instead, you need to rely on manually tracking stats like views and screenshots taken.  In addition, you must manually record metrics at least daily since Snaps or stories expire in 24 hours.

“For broadcasting content, Snapchat is great. But if your goal is to engage and interact with your audience and community, Instagram has more options right now,” Jackson concludes.

Urgency or Permanence?

Snaps, the images and videos shared on Snapchat, can be viewed for only 10 seconds and disappear from the network after 24 hours (although you can save screenshots.) Snapchat stories are composed of 24 hours of the image or video snaps you’ve shared. That temporary nature of snaps could be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your goal and whom you ask.

If people aren’t paying enough attention, or if they want to show your friends their Snap, or if they accidentally open it without realizing it, your message will be lost and the marketing potential for that particular Snap is gone, warns Ana Gotter in an AdEspresso post.

On the other hand, the disappearing images means Snapchat offers greater urgency that can motivate customers to take action, as in “this coupon expires today.”

While Instagram posts shared on feeds are permanent, Instagram stories have a 24-hour shelf life, notes Rachel Moore in a recent Social Media Examiner article. “By combining the longevity of your feed posts with the 24-hour duration of your story segments, you can generate urgency while providing consistent and engaging content for your Instagram followers,” she says.

Photo-Editing Capabilities

Marketers have different preferences for the apps’ photo-editing capabilities and filters.

Snapchat’s geofilters, face-mapping filters and motion filters provide important advantages, Moore says. “When you want a customized geofilter to reflect an event or location, Snapchat geofilters will frame your image or video snaps with branding and themes,” she explains. “For more casual or personal filters, you can design and submit a community geofilter that highlights a local event or date. For events or locations that feature a brand and prompt awareness or deals, on-demand geofilters can include logos.”

Gotto believes Instagram’s many editing features, including filters and photo editing encourages more artistic and higher-quality images.

Another consideration: Although more marketers now prefer Instagram, perhaps due to its analytical capabilities and integration with Facebook, marketers enjoy less competition on Snapchat.

The two platforms offer an overlapping user base – and it may not be cost-effective for businesses or brands to participate on both platforms. While very similar, each platform offers distinctive advantages. PR and marketing must thoroughly assess those features to determine which platform better meets the goals of the company or brand. Alternatively, you can fully participate on both platforms, capitalize on the distinctive features of each, and accept that there will be some overlap and cost inefficiencies.

Bottom Line: Which is better Snapchat or Instagram? Obvious similarities of Snapchat and Instagram combined with important differences have created a Snapchat vs Instagram debate among social media marketers. By analyzing key but sometimes subtle differences, marketers can reach a sound decision on which is better for their needs.