THE SUCCESS OF INSTAGRAM AND IMGUR
Ever since the invention of Facebook as a photo sharing site, other companies have grown into offering similar services and even improvising them. The most popular of them is Instagram which has been acquired by Facebook in 2012. Other competitors were Flickr, Pintrest and Snapchat. These other photo sharing apps provided some features that are not clearly available on Instagram.
Reddit and Imgur are similar platforms which have been the competitive sites for photo sharing but those did not really have a stable app for mobile device users until 2013 which is a way Instagram became more resourceful and gained more grounds at first launch. The readily available app on the app store was an irresistable way for users to test the platform on their phone using their camera capabilities. This gives users a reason why their phone camera could be of use to share what is of interest to them.
The ability for users to rate, like and comment on photos is one factor more people remained loyal to the service. This gives them freedom to show their expression on what they see and another reason to interact with any content that they have access to on the platform. Unlike Facebook that has the dislike button, there is only a like button on Instagram. There is some sort of pleasure when users like or double tap on content, an exciting animation displays as a heart that shows as the system status.
The easy sharing of content on other platforms in a clear intuitive way makes Instagram the leading image sharing platform in the market. In about two clicks, users can share their contents on favorite platforms like Facebook, twitter, reddit and website. Content embedded or shared to other platforms retains its originality and properties of the images.
IMGUR
Imgur is another successful image sharing platform significantly because it solved an issue for users who do not want to sign up before using a service. The social media platform got into mainstream through community sharing by photo enthusiasts who tested and liked it. Users have the freedom to remain anonymous while using this site but they will have to register if they want to vote or comment on an image. In short, users can decide to leave the site or app at any time without been tied down to any contract or subscription.
The site is not only limited to pictures, users are able to upload Gifs and videos on their profile. Ability to decide which graphical type of content users want to see and upload grants them flexibility to choose what suits them at any time. There is also a search and follow option for most people who are curios or want to learn more about a specific topic. They can also interact with other users with the use of the friendly chat function which is only available once signed up as a registered user.
Loyal users are rewarded for their content sharing by gaining points and evaluation from viewers that see their content. There is a competitive approach to every content and profile which gives users a reason to post something meaningful and helpful so as to gain more attention. This feature gives users insights on how their posts are doing on the site. They know immediately if their pictures are good or not based on viewers reactions when they come across it.