You guys have probably heard that Twitter is adding an Instagram-like feature to their mobile app.  It hasn’t been confirmed by Twitter creator Jack Dorsey yet, but the rumor has already garnered mixed reactions.  Some say that Instagram is enough, while others say that there’s no harm in Twitter’s trying.  The real topic of discussion, however, is the message Twitter’s sending should it roll out its own Instagram-like photo filter.

Let’s look at the pros and cons of Twitter making a photo filtering tool like Instagram that’s dedicated to the microblogging service.

Why Twitter Should Compete with Instagram

Cost-effective

Before Facebook bought Instagram for $715 million, a price that was initially valued at  $1 billion, Twitter was eyeing other photo-sharing/filtering services to acquire.  But the pricetag on Instagram spiked the market value for photo filters.  Making their own service could, then, be cost-effective for Twitter.

However, Twitter’s been prone to acquire popular apps that have contributed to their ecosystem.  Facebook beat Twitter to Instagram, but an acquisition of another photo filtering app wouldn’t divert from their typical strategy for rolling in new functionality.

Streamlining services

People love Twitter because it allows them to quickly share thoughts, links and media.  Instagram is, in fact, much like Twitter but it’s all about adding photo effects then sharing and filtering hash-tagged photos quickly.  Twitter’s spent the last three years solidifying its on-site and in-app functionality, layering in more and more features to accomplish the bulk of which Twitter once relied on third party apps.  It’s been a cutthroat process for Twitter’s ecosystem, but has emboldened Twitter and established its value as a platform.

More users like visual appeal

Twitter already has a huge user base, more than 500 million users though only about 170 million are active.  So adding a photo filtering feature to their mobile app could possibly encourage users to tweet more often, and even entice others to sign up for the microblogging service.  Instagram has an edge over other social media services due to its popularity and image-centric layout, and Twitter recognizes the potential in making its own platform more visually appealing.

The Wannabe Factor

Gain an enemy

If Twitter does launch a service similar to Instagram, there’s the potential of angering Facebook.  This may not matter terribly to Facebook –  the microblog has burnt a few bridges in the past, but tends to prevail.  It’s pretty easy right now to connect your Twitter and Facebook accounts, but as each social network further establishes its platform identity and influence, the more these two are likely to clash.

Clutter

A lot of Instagram users weren’t happy when the then iOS-dedicated app opened its doors to Android users.  Some even threatened to boycott the service.  And even Android users threatened to leave the service when Facebook announced its intent to buy Instagram.  With the opening of the data stream, Instagram’s been flooded with noise.  Now, noise is nothing new to Twitter, so layering in more multimedia noise could hinder the true success of an Instagram-like tool.  However, Twitter could use this as an opportunity to build their data sets, a preemptive move Google made years ago that’s paid off in search and advertising.