Instagram Is Going To Bury Snapchat Very Soon, We Tell You Why!

Facebook vs Google Plus was the defining battle of social media¡¯s past, one that Facebook won fair and square. However, there¡¯s trouble brewing once again.

Instagram and Snapchat are locking horns, fighting for coveted social territory. Both want to be the ¡°moments¡± app, for the lack of a better word. Broadcasting short live videos, capturing stories and sharing it with your followers is something that only one of these apps will do in the near future. Why? Because no one wants two apps to do the same thing. For if you capture the moment with any of the two -- Instagram or Snapchat -- that moment has passed, making the second capture pretty much pointless.

The fight between Instagram and Snapchat is really intense. At stake are millions upon millions of followers and billions of dollars in revenue, not to mention the opportunity to define what¡¯s hot and what¡¯s not in popular digital culture. This fight will shape not only the present of social media but also its future.

Who will win?

Easy answer. Instagram.

Here¡¯s why¡­

1) Number of followers

Instagram had over 500 million monthly active users till June 16

There¡¯s no competition here. None whatsoever. As of June 2016, Instagram had over 500 million monthly active users, according to Statista, whereas Snapchat only had over 150 million monthly active users. In fact even as far back as March 2014, Instagram still had over 50 million more active users than Snapchat¡¯s total current active user base. WOW! Someone isn¡¯t taking the hint, I mean seriously.

Snapchat had just over 150 million monthly active users till June 16

Instagram 1, Snapchat 0

2) Ease of use

Snapchat came into being because kids didn¡¯t want to be online on Facebook all the time. They wanted their own space, where they could interact with other like-minded kids. Do stuff that kids do, away from prying parents¡¯ eyes. You know, sexting, and other PG-13 stuff.

Yes, we all get it. Snapchat is a pure millennial-driven app, with a substantial number of its audience being between the age of 12 and 25 years of age. And a few exceptional adults that prefer to behave like kids!

Part of the reason why it¡¯s so popular with only kids is because of its unique swipe-focused user interface. It¡¯s easy for kids to master but the rest of the grown up Internet struggles with it. True story. This is probably the biggest hindrance to Snapchat¡¯s popularity, the fact that it has levelled off with kids and millennials. But they, too, soon will grow up. And everyone that grows out of Snapchat, aches for a saner user interface with some similarity to traditional web apps. Something that Instagram readily provides.

Instagram just had a big redesign, making it even simpler to use than before

Not only is Instagram¡¯s native image-sharing, rating, commenting layout is intuitive, but also with some of the newer features that it¡¯s introduced -- like Instagram Stories -- you still know what¡¯s what and get around the app¡¯s features without feeling overwhelmed. That¡¯s the hallmark of great design, and Instagram trumps Snapchat in this department fair and square.

Instagram 2, Snapchat 0

3) Insta copy Snap features. And then some. Genius!

After Instagram Stories launched earlier this year in August, it gave the photo and video-sharing service a fresh new glitter. While Instagram Stories is very similar to Snapchat Stories in terms of appeal, it allowed Instagram a much needed feature that allowed users to capture unpolished, extremely casual video which self-releases within 24 hours of usage. And if you compare the two features on Instagram and Snapchat, you¡¯d be hard pressed not to like Instagram¡¯s implementation of the short, 10-second video Stories, as it were.

With Instagram Stories and Live broadcast, Instagram is offering more than Snapchat

And that¡¯s not all. Out-innovating Snapchat, Instagram Stories is rolling out a Live video feature (similar to Facebook Live) where users can broadcast an Instagram Live video to their followers. This is a great signal of intent, showing off Instagram¡¯s aggressiveness in dealing a decisive punch to Snapchat¡¯s fortunes. For Snapchat¡¯s case, hopefully the bout ends soon without too much pain.

Instagram 3, Snapchat 0

4) Big Zuck vs Young Spiegel (Facebook vs The World)

Yeah, I mean we can shit-talk all we want, but when push comes to shove, we all know who¡¯s really going down if Facebook and Instagram¡¯s Mark Zuckerberg decided to take on Snapchat¡¯s Evan Spiegel.

Evan Spiegel vs Mark Zuckerberg. Who will win? (Image courtesy Sydney Morning Herald)

Granted Spiegel¡¯s Snapchat became insanely popular as a Facebook alternative, making him the youngest billionaire in tech, and his spiffy new Snapchat Glasses are selling faster than Google Glass, but come on, this is Mark Zuckerberg we¡¯re talking about. In his early 30s now, Zuckerberg is in no mood to play second fiddle to anyone in the social space, and he¡¯s vastly consolidated Facebook¡¯s empire with strategic acquisitions of Instagram and Whatsapp. He¡¯s infused Instagram with some much needed oomph just at the right time, keeping Instagram centre-stage in the fastly evolving digital social consciousness.

Instagram 4, Snapchat 0

So, very soon¡­ RIP Snapchat?