In the not‑so‑distant past, social media platforms such as Snapchat were primarily energized by the constant stream of personal updates, casual photos, and short videos that users shared with their immediate circles of friends. Today, however, that habit of frequent posting has noticeably diminished, compelling Snapchat to rethink and fundamentally adjust its long‑term strategy in order to remain relevant and appealing. This was made clear in Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel’s most recent annual letter to employees, where he described the company as being significantly affected by a decline in what the platform calls “Friend Stories.” These stories, consisting of personal photos and clips intentionally shared with one’s friends, once served as one of Snapchat’s strongest pillars of engagement. They were not only a central feature of the app but also a vital tool that transformed casual interactions into meaningful conversations and, occasionally, into enduring bonds of friendship.
Spiegel emphasized that, historically, Friend Stories had functioned almost like social catalysts. By watching the brief updates that friends posted, users often felt prompted to respond with quick comments or compliments. These story replies seamlessly evolved into full chats, and those conversations, in turn, facilitated deeper, more lasting connections between people. However, the situation has begun to shift in a dramatic way. The role that Friend Stories once played in igniting communication is increasingly being replaced by Spotlight—a TikTok‑inspired feed of short, highly engaging, creator‑oriented videos integrated within Snapchat. Instead of primarily discussing the personal updates and daily snippets of their close friends, many Snapchatters now find themselves initiating conversations sparked by entertaining or thought‑provoking content created by influencers or ordinary users who gain sudden virality. These videos are becoming the new conversational springboards.
Recognizing this profound cultural and behavioral change, Spiegel argued that the company must not hesitate or attempt to resist but should rather “embrace this transition fully.” His vision is to make the sharing of Spotlight content with friends completely effortless—whether through incorporating clips into private chats or reposting them seamlessly into stories. The company clearly views Spotlight, first launched in 2020, as a potential growth engine of immense importance in its pursuit of a far larger audience. Indeed, by August of last year, Spotlight had already achieved impressive momentum, attracting more than 550 million monthly active users on average in the second quarter and accounting for more than 40 percent of the total time spent on content within Snapchat. This data underscores why the company believes the feature is central to reaching its ambitious milestone of one billion users.
Importantly, Snapchat is not navigating these transformations in isolation. Other platforms, most notably Instagram, are grappling with very similar shifts in user expectations and sharing habits. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, openly acknowledged earlier this year that his platform was experiencing what he framed as a “paradigm shift”: users now appear far more inclined to share posts privately—often through direct messages—rather than presenting them publicly on their feeds or in stories. Consequently, Instagram has redirected its development energies and product design strategy toward enhancing the messaging experience. This includes rolling out an extensive set of new features dedicated specifically to direct communication.
Looking ahead, it becomes evident that the overarching trend across major social platforms is an intentional prioritization of content that is easily shareable, highly engaging, and capable of sparking dialogues between close friends. Snapchat’s path forward, according to Spiegel, involves recalibrating its internal ranking systems so that the platform highlights material most likely to encourage conversations and interpersonal connections. Beyond that, the company is devoting resources to creating new socially interactive features, such as more immersive gaming experiences or innovative uses of its iconic augmented reality filters, known as Lenses. Additionally, Spiegel revealed that Snapchat is working on developing further “conversation starters,” including experimentation with new formats like status updates, which could serve as frictionless ways for friends to check in with one another and initiate chats.
Instagram, for its part, has been equally active in designing mechanisms to spark interpersonal exchanges. Responding to long‑standing user demands, the company recently introduced a repost feature that allows individuals to reshare content with their networks in a simple, recognizable manner. This was coupled with an expansion of its “friends tab,” a centralized hub that enables users to see in one place what their contacts have reposted, liked, or uploaded, while also offering immediate access to reply directly through a direct message. Moreover, Instagram has even borrowed certain design cues from Snapchat, including the unveiling of a map‑based social feature that makes it easier for people to keep up with their friends’ locations and activities.
Taken together, these strategic pivots by Snapchat and Instagram highlight a profound convergence: both platforms are steadily evolving away from being spaces defined solely by individual broadcasting. Instead, they are deliberately reconstructing themselves as dynamic environments where creator‑driven content, when shared and discussed within friendship circles, fuels genuine conversation and strengthens community engagement. By aligning their products more closely with contemporary user behavior, both companies aim not only to preserve relevance but also to lay the foundation for the next phase of social media growth—one centered less on unilateral sharing and more on interactive, community‑anchored exchanges.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-evan-spiegel-instagram-chasing-growth-strategy-dm-friend-conversations-2025-9
