Now more than ever the overlapping functions within Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are a gray area. The nature of social media platforms lends itself to constant evolution. While social media powerhouses like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are not becoming obsolete anytime soon, the purpose these platforms serve for users may be shifting. Remember when posting on your best friends Facebook wall was the first thing you did on their birthday? With similar nostalgia, you can remember a time when the function of posting “stories” belonged exclusively to Snapchat. Now that different platforms serve the same capacity, the user must align their social media priorities accordingly to adapt.

How do you choose between Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat?

This environment leaves these platforms questioning what exactly affects the decision-making process for users. Why would a user post a story to Instagram over Snapchat? Functionality and credibility. Users find themselves concerned with these two factors when deciding whether or not to engage new features. While functionality becomes apparent to users immediately, a platform’s credibility must build over time. As a result, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat must use different tactics to monopolize their shared user base.

Navigating the road to market domination makes taking concepts from the competition necessary. However, platforms then face the challenge of doing what their competitors do better. When Instagram gave users the ability to stream live video directly to their followers, Facebook’s identical feature suddenly seemed outdated. While competition characterizes much of the ingenuity social media platforms display, it can also set these platforms below their competitors.

Similarly to Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat’s service to you, the user experience always changes. Users become smarter and more observant with every post or like they give. Continuous growth and learning from users push platforms toward innovation. In turn, unceasing change keeps users using. This cycle, while never-ending, propels the user experience forward.