Snapchat might seem like it’s having trouble keeping up with Instagram – especially due to the latter’s new features – but a new comScore report finds that it is actually more popular than Instagram among younger millennials in the U.S.
We have often read about Snap’s inability to shake off Instagram’s Instagram Stories Already Count More Users Than Snapchat – especially in Stories, its main and most characteristic feature. We have also often read often about Snap’s stock struggling because of the competition with Facebook and its other owned platforms. These – and other facts – paint a picture of Snapchat as a platform that will soon be consigned to the waste bin. Sure, it’s finding it hard to grow. Sure, it’s finding it hard to make money. But in one key area, Snapchat is still dominant.
A new comScore report released last week, and covered by Recode’s Kurt Wagner, shows that Snapchat is still ahead of Instagram in terms of its popularity among the younger 18-24 age group in the United States. In fact, it is “two spots ahead of Instagram” as Wagner points out. Facebook and YouTube come in at first and second places. And despite Instagram still being significantly bigger and more engaging to users, Snapchat can still brag that it’s more popular among younger users.
In his analysis, Wagner explains that these numbers come “just a few days after an eMarketer report predicted Snapchat will be bigger than Facebook and Instagram in the U.S. by the end of 2017 among 12- to 17-year-olds and 18- to 24-year-olds.” The comScore report can back up this claim, yet Snapchat is not growing as fast as it would like.
Also, Facebook and the other apps it owns are still dominating overall. Facebook in particular is still the most popular app in the U.S. for 18+ users. It is also currently used by 81% of mobile app users in the country. Messenger comes in third after YouTube (71%), at 68% penetration. Instagram and Snapchat share a space at 50% each.
Yet, Snapchat’s popularity among the commercially important younger demographics may offer a glimpse of hope for the platform. What do you think?
You might also like
More from Instagram
Instagram Introduces Search Ads Via Its Marketing API
Instagram Search Ads are now available to all advertisers via the Instagram marketing API. Just two months after it began to …
Instagram’s New Twitter Competitor Revealed
Instagram's rumored text-based Twitter competitor still does not have a name, but now we know what it might look like. The …
Instagram Now Lets Everyone Use GIFs In Comments
Instagram is now letting every user comment on posts and Reels with GIFs. I think we can all agree that if …
You Can Now Add Songs To Your Instagram Photo Carousels
Instagram says it is testing a new feature that lets users add songs to the photo carousels they share on …
Instagram Now Lets You Add Up To 5 ‘Links In Bio’
Instagram is rolling out a new feature for adding up to 5 'links in bio' - a feature doomed to …
Instagram Collaborative Collections Are The New Way To Save And Share Content With Your Friends
Instagram is introducing a new 'Save posts with friends' that lets you create a collaborative collection for you and your …
Meta Verified Service Goes Live In The US
Want to get the coveted blue verification checkmark on Facebook and Instagram? If you're in the US, now you can. …
Instagram Is Testing A ‘Top 3’ Sticker To Boost Engagement
According to reports, Instagram is testing a new Top 3 sticker for Stories, allowing users to highlight favorite accounts, places, …
Facebook And Instagram Start Selling Blue Checks With Meta Verified
Meta Verified will give you a blue check badge on both Facebook and Instagram, along with other benefits for $12 …
