Why I Think Instagram Will Never Catch up to TikTok

The world has discovered what Instagram is missing— and they are going to TikTok for it.

[Note: I am not associated nor have a financial interest with Facebook nor TikTok — opinions are my own]

Despite its history in failing at it, Facebook is adamant: it continues to copy its competitors. Most recent copycat: Reels.

But why do they continue to fail? Because they fail to understand the reason those apps are successful.

In 2013, Mark Zuckerberg tried to buy Snapchat. They declined.

His solution? Launch a copy of Snapchat Stories: Instagram Stories.

In just 2 months after Instagram [which is owned by Facebook] launched its new feature, over 100 million people started posting and sharing stories. It worked. Facebook got validated.

Which explains why Facebook thought it could do this again.

This time, it did not work out as well.

In 2016, a new Chinese app was starting to gain attention and momentum. It had 9 million users. All in China. At the time, short videos were quite popular in China. They were mainly used for political reasons. This app was the first to use 60-second videos just for fun.

What took it viral was a woman posting a video dancing to the popular song from a few years ago: gingham style. It was then that users of this app saw the power of music and dance, and what took the app’s popularity to a new level.

Mark Zuckerberg, at the same time, had been trying to strengthen relationships with China [he was even learning Mandarin]. On hearing of this new app, he did what he knows to do best — offer to buy it. The deal did not go through. [although this time it was likely due to Mark’s hesitation to pull the trigger].

So Mark goes back to the US and uses the same tactic he used against Snapchat. He copied the app.

In November 2018, Facebook launched Lasso.

And Lasso failed, miserably.

The Chinese app was now ready to launch globally. They changed their name and invaded the US. TikTok has arrived.

3 months after the launch of Lasso in the US, 70,000 people had downloaded the app. During the same period for TikTok: over a million.

This was not looking good.

Facebook needed a new idea. So they used an old one — again. One more copy. Instagram Reels. A close replica of TikTok, at 30 seconds instead of 60.

Reel has just recently launched. Will it succeed?

My opinion: it is going to take the same route as Lasso. Unless something fundamental changes.

I get why Zuckerberg thinks this will succeed. They say good ideas are made, and great ones are stolen. I agree.

Where I think Facebook went wrong is: they stole the wrong idea.

Why? Facebook [and Instagram] are forgetting one key point: it is not only about the technology. It is about how the technology is used.

Insta stories and posts are successfully popular with a mass following. However, over the last few years, it has been accepted and acknowledged that ‘you can’t believe everything on Instagram’.

Instagram is viewed as ‘the highlight reel’; the best of your life, the top events — your bday party, your romantic dinner, your perfect-looking family, a gorgeous nature shot. And so on.

What looks like a spontaneous natural photo on Instagram usually takes more than a few minutes to shoot. In fact, a lot more than a few minutes.

This article shares stories of influencers who confess it takes some of them over 200 shots until they find the ‘perfect’ one, after over 20 minutes of editing.

One blogger’s estimate is, pictures posted on her Instagram profile make up about 10% of the time she spent ‘doing the work’. This means, if she spent 5 minutes to post, tag, and add commentary on the photo, she would have spent 45 minutes getting there.

The conclusion: Instagram photos can be gorgeous, heart-warming, and well-edited. They are also not real.

Millennials and Gen Zs value honesty, transparency, and just plain real talk.

Our value system has evolved. We are no longer as impressed with brands and influencers, and more focused on knowing what people are truly up to, what and how are they feeling. Put simply, all we want to know is: am I the only one feeling this way?

No time has highlighted this need for connection and company more than the last 11 months.

COVID has been a ‘blessing’ for TikTok. According to Wallaroo, in November 2018, TikTok had 680 million monthly users. Today, this figure is over 1 billion.

Why? Because while Instagram is a highlight reel, TikTok is real.

In 60 seconds, TikTok users can create an entertaining video, an entrancing dance, a funny skit, and, most importantly, a community.

If you are sitting alone in an apartment, feeling isolated, your anxiety or depression taking over, feeling lonely, and wondering if anyone else feels the same way, TikTok will tell you, you are not alone.

If you are feeling demotivated, lacking in energy, not sure what your goals are, or what your purpose in life is, and wondering if anyone else is in the same boat as you, TikTok will show you, you are not alone.

If your partner cheated on you, if you are having a hard time with your parents, if you are struggling at school, and wondering if something is wrong with you, TikTok will give you comfort that others are struggling with the same things.

TikTok’s tagline should be: you are not alone.

That is what it has given us during this time: solace.

And it is what Instagram has failed to provide, and why Reels is likely another ‘Lasso’ attempt. Unless users start using and viewing Instagram differently, and Instagram finds a way to get to the ‘reel’ stories, TikTok is in it for the win.