Instagram Stories has pulled a lot of people away from Snapchat, but the app knows hot to draw them back. Snapchat filters. The app is positioning itself as a content creation platform, and people are using it appropriately; like a tool to make their photos more engaging that they can later share elsewhere.
According to web analytics company Similar Web, Snapchat has jumped in daily download rankings ever since the gender swap and baby filters took off. Of course, celebrities who shared their Snapchat photos on Twitter and Instagram (like Miley Cyrus and Sarah Silverman) helped as well. Interestingly, people posting their photo editing gems will write that they're on Snapchat only to post their photos elsewhere. For example, YouTuber Roly West tweeted, "I love that Snapchat comes out with these new gender/baby face filters and everyone just downloads it again to just upload the pics to Instagram.”
While its user growth has stalled, the Verge argues out that Snapchat is by no means dead. The app is relying on moments like these to get people using it instead of trying to compete with the nearly-identical features offered across every Facebook property. The question that remains, however, is how long people will stick around after a novel face filter hooks them back in.
There are quite a few reasons why people might want to share photos of themselves on Instagram rather than Snapchat, but the main one is probably that the Facebook-owned platform's user interface is far more enjoyable. It's easier to use and navigate, and it makes it simpler to follow friends, influencers, and celebrities.
But Snapchat still has 186 million daily users, many of whom are teenagers.
