Maybe you have noticed in the past few months, major social media players have all jumped into, purchased or revamped their instant messaging service. Facebook tries to purchase Snapchat for $2 billion a few months ago. Tried being the keyword. Instead, they remodeled their instant messenger to try to compete with the likes of Kik. Try to compete being the key phrase.
From Kik, to Facebook, to Instagram, to What’s App, instant messenger solutions are fetching large sums of money from major industry players all in the hopes that they finally do what the digital age has promised all of us: human to human connection.
As mentioned, Snapchat turned down $2 billion. Why? What makes Snapchat so special that a $2 billion Facebook buy out didn’t fly?
Snapchat Updates Its Image
Snapchat was founded on the simple basis of self-destroying photos with captions. A user sends another user a photo which, set to a time limit, self destructs never to be seen again. The first evolution of Snapchat came with a user’s ability to replay and screenshot snaps. The second evolution saw filters (hello Instagram) and different text captions capabilities. Now, the most recent evolution of Snapchat allows users to have video conversations with one another, trade text messages without snaps and easily switch between various modes inside the Snapchat graphic interface.
The question is, with the new Snapchat coming on the market as of May 1, 2014, will the updated software serve the brand well or will it, as Instagram has proved, become a proving ground for corporations, branded content and more sophisticated human conversations?
Instagram Splices Consumer and Corporate
Instagram has already been where Snapchat is aiming to move. Minus the self-destructing photos, the brand updated its software offering to provide clients with in service instant messaging, group instant messaging and sponsored corporate ads. While the instant messaging service played well for a while, it hasn’t done well when compared with Kik or What’s App. The biggest overall impact of the update has been sponsored corporate Instagram ads. Like its parent company Facebook, Instagram has transformed into a video/photo content stream ripe with user content next to corporate content.
More than anything, Instagram is suffering from Facebook’s need to prove to their investors on the public exchange that the company is a smart bet. If you can’t turn a profit, why invest?
Snapchat Loses Self-Destructing Charm
The reason Snapchat grew to current heights is due to its self-destructing nature. Acting as almost an anonymous photo sharing app, users had the ability to send content to a friend or stranger with the confidence it will never been seen again. Not as anonymous as Secret yet also not as permanent as Instagram. That was its charm. With the most recent update, Snapchat now offers text, photo and video instant messaging with permanence. You can almost here the worry now, “will permanent conversation avenues spell the end of snapping?”
While we don’t know for sure Snapchat is clearly making moves to join the corporate world. Part combination Skype, Instagram, Kik and the old Snapchat, the new Snapchat is now clearly choosing to build a base of consumer and corporate supporters in the hopes that corporate money will follow. In combination with $50 million in December 2013 venture capitol funding, the instant messaging brand is in the process of changing the integral meaning of their service – snaps which go away.
The only question now is with the recent update, will Snapchat stay or self-destruct?