Instagram is starting to look a lot more like its competitor Snapchat. The popular photo-sharing app just debuted its Instagram Stories feature, where users can post photos and videos that self-destruct after 24 hours.
The Stories feature will offer real estate pros more options when it comes to marketing themselves and their listings on Instagram, since users can share their content with specific groups of people. Whereas before, a photo of a new listing would be seen by all Instagram followers, now users can only target the people who live in a specific area, for example.
Many are pointing out the similarity to Snapchat’s popular Stories feature, which lets its users post photos and videos that also disappear after 24 hours.
According to The New York Times, Instagram’s Stories feature is already available in its own section on the photo-sharing app, giving users the ability to draw and add text over photos and combine multiple photos into a narrative story that can be seen by their followers for up to 24 hours before it disappears.
Instagram users can make these stories public or private, and can also choose specific groups of followers that can see a story.
Stories also sets out to make sharing on the photo app a bit more casual and personal. “Our mission has always been to capture and share the world’s moments, not just the world’s most beautiful moments,” says Kevin Systrom, co-founder and chief executive of Instagram. “Stories will alleviate a ton of the pressure people have to post their absolute best stuff.”
Source: “Instagram Debuts New Stories Feature,” (REALTOR®mag, Aug. 2, 2016)