A few years ago when I was in DC for work, I bought a fancy Madewell dress. It's a fantastic dress that I still wear. It's white with navy stripes that alternate between horizontal and vertical, a zipper that runs the length of the dress, and pockets. It is a great dress that I have worn a million times.

Last summer, both Target and Old Navy made knock-offs of this dress. They used a cheaper material, left out the pockets and the zipper, but to the untrained eye, it looks like the same dress.

I am continually frustrated with Old Navy's blatant reproduction of Madewell products, but this dress was especially frustrating because most of the people I saw wearing it could have bought the Madewell dress. Every time I saw someone in the knock-off dress I wanted to scream, "There is a better version of this dress available to you!"

This is how I feel about Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories is the

Merona

of Snapchat.

While Snapchat has been around since 2012, I didn't start using it until earlier this year. Like everyone else, I thought it was for ::eggplant emoji:: pics and I didn't have a need for those in my life. But then two things happened, I started getting into Periscope, and I got invited to a Snapchat webinar for political consultants.

I loved Periscope, but it drained my phone battery and no one I know used it, so I switched to Snapchat. Because I am a forty year old woman, I had to teach myself how to use Snapchat. I read a bunch of how-to articles and watched tutorials (hosted by eleven year olds). Once I figured out how to turn my face into a dog, I was hooked. And don't even get me started on that one day you could turn yourself into a taco. Some of my best work to date is a product of that illustrious Taco Bell filter.

By the time I attended the Snapchat webinar, I had been a user for about two months, so I had gotten my feet wet, but still had a lot to learn. Granted, this info and these stats pre-date Instagram Stories, but here is what I learned about Snapchat:

audience:  100 million+  daily active users

8 billion+ daily videos

41% average daily reach with 18-34 year olds (TV is 6%)

50% of new users are 25+

I'm curious how these stats have changed since the launch of Instagram Stories. A large percentage of the people I follow on Snapchat have left for Instagram Stories, which is frustrating because: A) I understand their decision, but B) I'm disappointed in them for not sticking with the better app.

Here's the thing, Instagram Stories is better if you're a brand or a blogger with a large audience. Snapchat just can't compete with Instagram's reach. Again, I get it, it's a legit marketing decision, but it's hard to swallow because Snapchat is a superior app. To go back to my dress analogy, not everyone is going to drive to the mall for a $70-$100 dress when they could go down the street and get a good enough version for $20. At the end of the day, you've got a new dress either way.

I posted the same video on Snapchat and Instagram Stories to compare reach. On Snapchat, I tap out at about 22 views. The same video on Instagram Stories will garner 70-100 views.

What I like about Snapchat is it's funny. If you know me, and like me, you will probably love me on Snapchat. It's the most "me" I am on any social media platform. Snapchat is meant to be self-expressive and ephemeral, e.g. real life in the moment. And Snapchat provides you a real funny way to do that.

When I joined Snapchat, my favorite user was Birchbox. They snapped all day from their office, showing everyone's desks and what their favorite makeup products are. And they would give the account over to different employees for the day to show how they got ready at home and what products they used, etc. It was genius. I bought so much makeup during this time. But they've left Snapchat for Facebook Live and Instagram Stories. And it makes me very sad.

Same with artist, Dallas Clayton. I LOVED his Snaps, but he moved to Instagram Stories. I've watched both Dallas and Birchbox's Stories, but it's just not the same. For one, Instagram Stories eats up my phone battery, and two, the videos pause to load a lot (A LOT) and it's aggravating. Also, there are no filters or geotags, which is the piece de resistance of Snapchat. What are you even doing if you can't turn your face into a vomiting edamame?

Here are some current Snapchat users I enjoy following:

Aidy Bryant

Username:  

@AIDYBRYANT

Andy Cohen

Username:  

@AndyCohen

Birchbox

Username:  

@Birchbox

Franchesca Ramsey

Username:  

@chescaleigh

Chrissy Teigen

Username:  

@ChrissyTeigen

Cory Booker

Username:  

@CoryBooker

Dj Khaled

Username:  

@DjKhaled

Hillary Clinton

Username:  

@HillaryClinton

Jen Gotch

Username:  

@JenGotch

Jeni Britton Bauer

Username:  

@jenibrittonbauer

Joel Strong

Username:  

@joelstrong

Joy the Baker

Username:  

@joythebaker

Kim Kardashian

Username:  

@KimKardashian

Laverne Cox

Username:  

@LaverneCox

Leslie Jones

Username:  

@LesDogggg

Michelle Obama

Username:  

@michelleobama

Paris Hilton

Username:  

@ParisHilton

Retta

Username:  

@Retta

Smitten Kitchen

Username:  

@SmittenKitchen

The New York Times

Username:  

@TheNewYorkTimes

The White House

Username:  

@TheWhiteHouse

Warby Parker

Username:  

@WarbyParker

My fear is that I'm on the wrong side of this argument and will have to begrudgingly make the switch to Instagram Stories - a cheap knock-off of a quality app. But for now, I remain a Snapchat loyalist. Follow me at:  theblondemule.

To be begrudgingly continued. Probably.

P.S. I've noticed (no judgment) that a lot of you have forgotten

how to repost pictures in Instagram

.

P.P.S. Don't forget, you can

hire me

if you need helping managing your social media.