The Instagram Bolt messaging app has currently debuted as a soft launch in New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. It provides an instant way for people to share private images to a small group of friends with the tap of a finger. Like Snapchat, once the image is viewed it disappears right after. Yet Instagram Bolt has more similarities to Taptalk and Slingshot, Facebook's own answer to this messaging craze.
The main difference is that Instagram Bolt focuses on sending photo and video messages to one person at a time. Of course, it boasts a favorites bar so that users can potentially send an image to up to 20 people at a time. Hopefully Instagram Bolt comes overseas sooner rather than later to see what all the fuss is about.
Ephermeral Messaging Apps
Instagram Bolt Shares Images Instantly to Smaller Groups of People
Trend Themes
1. Ephemeral Messaging - Businesses in the social media industry can capitalize on the trend of ephemeral messaging apps like Instagram Bolt to create alternatives to traditional messaging platforms.
2. Private Group Sharing - Industries like social media and communications can explore private group sharing features like those in Instagram Bolt to offer more secure and exclusive communication channels for users.
3. One-on-one Photo Messaging - Entrepreneurs in the messaging industry can develop solutions like Instagram Bolt to cater to users who prefer one-on-one photo messaging with the option to share with a small group of people.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media - Social media platforms can incorporate features similar to those of Instagram Bolt to provide users with an ephemeral and private means of sharing images with a select group of people.
2. Communications - The communications industry can leverage the trend of private group sharing found in apps like Instagram Bolt to provide more secure and controlled communication channels for businesses and individuals alike.
3. Messaging - Startups in the messaging space can adopt the one-on-one photo messaging approach of apps like Instagram Bolt to offer a unique and personalized messaging experience for their users.