In the ever-evolving world of social media, piggy-backing off the innovations of competitors is nothing new. Once a feature explodes on the scene, other platforms watch closely … and pivot quickly.
Some call them copycats, but most consider this the name of the social media game.
The latest case-in-point: Instagram’s Live Rooms, which was unveiled on March 1 to a world of quarantine-fatigued users seeking all the social interaction they can get. The new feature clearly takes cues from Clubhouse, the buzzy new social audio app that lets up to 10 people go live in moderators-led chatrooms to audiences of up to 8,000 members.
Much like its newbie competitor, Instagram’s goal, according to its recent announcement, is to encourage people to start a “talk show or a podcast,” host a “jam session,” or collaborate with other creators.
While the intent is the same, the similarities stop there … at least for now.
Surpassing the whopping one-billion-user mark at the close of 2020, Instagram has a clear advantage over Clubhouse’s invite-only user base of 10 million in terms of reach—which is definitely enticing for influencers and brands. Further, unlike Clubhouse, Live Rooms allows viewers to buy badges for the hosts and use other interactive features like Shopping and Live Fundraisers.
But will it conquer the influencer / e-commerce space with Clubhouse looming in the background?
While a big leap for Instagram (Live Rooms now allows four people to video chat in a live broadcast, compared to the previous limit of two), there are a few key strengths to Clubhouse.
For starters, unlike Instagram (at least for now), Clubhouse is audio-only, an appealing feature for speakers who prefer to hide behind the lens (and even seemingly always-camera-ready influencers). What’s more, the invite-only component adds an element of exclusivity, which makes the walled garden platform attractive, especially to bonafide industry insiders.
Despite the pros and cons of each platform, in terms of influencers, Instagram is likely going to continue to be the platform of choice for these internet stars, with 67% of brands using it for influencer marketing.
How Clubhouse and Live Rooms continue to evolve remains a mystery, but we can expect to see innovation from both … and some healthy competition to boot.
If you’re a D2C brand wondering how best to leverage Instagram’s promising new platform, turn to the Influencer Marketing experts at MuteSix!