Picture messaging apps are booming, with Snapchat leading the way amongst users. With Facebook launching Slingshot last month, and Instagram poised to launch Bolt, just why are these apps so popular, and how can we expect this market to grow?

As the leader amongst such apps, Snapchat offers users the chance to send short picture messages that disappear after several seconds. With around 26 million US users alone, 400 million snaps sent daily, and a reported worth of approximately $3 billion, the app dominates the sector. And now, in what seems like a natural move, Instagram is set to launch Bolt, an app of very similar characteristics, which also allows users to send edited picture messages and drawings. Unlike Snapchat though, which lets users add an unlimited amount of contacts, Bolt only enables users to add up to 20 friends, perhaps in an attempt to keep messaging within smaller groups.

So what makes these apps so popular with regular users? For one, we think it’s the fun of sending arbitrary snaps, captions and drawings. This, coupled with the ephemeral nature of each image, makes for an addictive and discreet experience between friends and larger groups. While Snapchat has been hugely successful however, Facebook’s newly launched Slingshot, has failed to make an impact. When it first launched back in June, it briefly appeared on Apple’s list of top 50 apps in the US, only to later disappear altogether out of the top 1000. One of the reasons for this decline might be to do with the fact that users can only view a message if they in turn send one back to the sender, making for a more time-consuming exchange. Perhaps Facebook has since turned their efforts to Bolt instead- after all, the platform owns Instagram, Bolt’s parent company. And with Facebook already the owner of several stand-alone messaging apps including WhatsApp, Paper, and Messenger, we imagine that Slingshot’s success, or lack of, hasn’t done much to tarnish the company’s reputation.

So where do we think the market is headed? With the number of video messaging and image messaging apps on the rise, demand is evident, amongst both users and businesses. For one, we’ve already seen brands increasingly using Snapchat to connect with fans, with companies including Taco Bell and MTV launching exclusive competitions, and revealing sneak peaks. As far as users are concerned, we can’t see image-sharing dying down any time soon, with each individual loyal to the apps they use. But how then, can each app ensure it stands out above the rest if it wants to draw its own following? Snapchat has already established itself as the most widely used, so apps such as Bolt, will have to offer something different if they wish to succeed. Luckily, Bolt has the marketing power of Instagram behind it, who will be soon be displaying in-app banners in an attempt to draw potential users. As far as the overall sector is concerned, brands will most certainly flock to the app that has the greatest user base for sharing product images, promo and QR codes, sneak peaks, and for launching competitions. At the moment, this most certainly means Snapchat, so it’s clear that other competitors will have to create their own selling point if they hope to make an impact.

Do you use picture messaging apps regularly for personal use or marketing purposes? Do you think there is potential for the market to grow even further? We’d love to hear your opinions as always, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.