Two of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram and Snapchat, have over one billion registered users combined and both offer very similar features. So naturally it can be quite tricky for journalists and public relations professionals to figure out which platform will better reach their intended audience. While Snapchat coined the infamous story feature, Instagram was not too far behind in making this a key feature on its media platform.
The main difference in the two social media platforms are the audiences on each platform; Snapchat tends to have a younger audience than Instagram, but more often than not there tends to be major overlap between the two.
Each platforms has its own advantages and disadvantages, but by utilizing both for any public relations campaign or journalism story, professionals in both fields are able to reach a larger target audience. As Neil Patel said, “If you’re not willing to to use both, you’re just lazy.” And ain’t that the truth! Being on one is just as important as being on the other because both are so vastly used by millennials today.
But in order to do well on either platform, there are some tricks to get users engaged with your brand. Whether you’re a photojournalist looking for people to like and promote your content or work, or even a PR professional looking to promote a brand (think the Bachelor as we go along with these tricks), the ways you get users to engage with your Instagram and Snapchat are similar.
By making sure everything you are posting ties together you create a story, allowing your viewers to follow along much easier. And in this story, you want to build anticipation. Tell viewers when to tune into your stories so they come to you, rather than putting them through the aimless scrolling most people only do when they’re bored. And because stories disappear within 24 hours, unlike a post you make on your Instagram feed, make sure you are continually adding to your story!
No one likes when they’re feed is blown up with the same picture twenty times, but think about how the Bachelor uses the same reel on commercial breaks several times a day… consistency is key! Not just in life, but in utilizing different features of social media platforms!
From Nicole's Perspective 