Instagram, an entity that appeared to rise from the ether, managed to garner unparalleled success; so much so that Facebook went over and bought them right out. Facebook positioned their Instagram purchase directly in line with Pintrest, but the two entities are entirely different. In fact, Instagram is an entirely different entity from its stepfather, Facebook, too. Smartphone users jumped onto Instagram in droves and it seems like they might actually like Instagram better than Facebook. Here is why some users find their social media allegiance leaning towards instagram.
1. Emotion Through Art
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Instagram doesn’t focus on words, in fact, few words are ever spoken on the social media platform. Instagram, instead, focuses on the creation of emotion through images; a truly powerful experience. The community can come together across language barriers and interests to share experiences through images and that is a powerful thing.
2. Focused Mobile Strategy
The users who are on Instagram think, breath and exist on their smartphones. The smartphone, in many cases, have become an extension of the person. With that passion being poured into a cellphone it would stand to reason that smartphone users enjoy applications that are focused 
entirely on the mobile world. Instagram has focused everything they do on the mobile sector and everything about the app revolves around that world. The app works flawlessly and that is what people love. Facebook, on the other hand, has a large reaching hand, but their mobile apps have been, lacking, to say the least as of late. Sure, you can update and check your feed but beyond that the app gets buggy and there is nothing a smartphone users likes less than a bug-laden application.
3. Captured Moments
Instagram is truly a start-up that began for the people and has since been expanded by the people. Sure, the photos taken for Instagram are mediocre at best, but they feed a connection between the user base. The users aren’t looking for high-quality professional photos. No, they are looking for photos taken by people just like them. Smartphone users are an interesting bunch and they value the community aspect that Instagram offers. It simply works.
4. The Filters
Instagram’s filters allow smartphone users to use filters to convey a certain message. Many of the truly vintage filters allow for people who never lived in vintage periods to give their photos a vintage-y feel. The nostalgia that these photos manage to evoke out of users brings them running to Instagram in droves.
5. The Niche Factor
Simply put, smartphone users really enjoy being at the cutting edge of technology. They buy the latest phones and they want to be the first to hope onto the more niche social media applications. Instagram started out as a niche network for people who liked pictures. It has grown exponentially but the early adapters were smartphone users and they are truly die-hard fans now. Simply put, Facebook has lost a bit of its shine as it has aged for smartphone users.
About Brandon Leibowitz
