TikTok is easily the most-talked about social media platform of the moment. However, with the idea of a TikTok ban being floated around, there is potential for a significant vacuum to open up soon in the social sphere. And should this happen, the big question will be: who is going to fill it?

Mark Zuckerberg is placing his bets on Instagram.

Already Making a Move

In fact, Facebook Inc is already launching their competitor—Instagram Reels, a platform that allows users to create 15-second video clips set to music. Not only that, but they have been offering lucrative contracts to TikTok influencers in order to get them to jump ship. While the details are not fully public, it seems the company is targeting TikTokers with over a million followers and offering them hundreds of thousands of dollars to be part of their launch.

Clearly, the goal is to launch with an already established and invested audience while simultaneously lowering engagement on TikTok. 

Instagram isn’t shy about this fact, either. The platform openly acknowledges that Reels is based on TikTok and claims that it will offer a more stable home for influencers worried about upcoming bans or who are already hurt by those that have gone into effect in countries like India. So far, Reels has been launched in India, Brazil, France & Germany and set to launch in 50 more countries in the coming weeks!

Facebook previously launched a short-form standalone app Lasso, but it failed to take off.  Reels, however, could have a much higher chance of success thanks to its prime positioning in the Instagram app — and the familiarity that comes with Instagram use.  We feel there is a space for this type of user generated content on Instagram - it’s not as long as IGTV but longer than Stories.

There are over 1 billion active users already on Instagram — and if we’ve learned anything from the introduction of Instagram Stories, we know that Instagram knows how to replicate a tried-and-tested format with success.

Instagram Reels is a new way to build your community and grow your reach on Instagram. It’s a fun and engaging way to share viral (and creative!) snippets with your audience.

Even in its early stages, Instagram Reels is proving to be a space where both brands and creators can make waves.

The Basics of Reels

Similar to TikTok, Instagram users can record and edit together 15-second video clips set to music and share them to their Stories, Explore Feed, and to a new Reels tab on your profile.  This tab will showcase all the Reels in one place and live alongside the tabs of IGTV and recent posts.

Users will be able to tell which posts are Reel clips by a clapperboard icon in the bottom left corner.  Reels can be found in the traditional IG feed or the Explore Page (which is similar to TikTok’s FYP).

It has been suggested that creating Reels will be similar to that of creating a TikTok video, selecting music/sounds, creating and editing clips & tools.

Instagram Reels for Business

Instagram Reels is a new way to build your community and grow your reach on Instagram. It’s a fun and engaging way to share viral (and creative!) snippets with your audience.

Create Authentic Content

When Instagram Stories first entered the space, few could have predicted just how successful the informal & ephemeral format would be.

If Instagram Stories is anything to go off of, Reels could be even bigger.

 Just like TikTok, Instagram Reels are designed to be quick snippets, and are packed full of special effects that make creating captivating content easy.  This is a great opportunity for a brand to build more genuine relationships with consumers.

Showcase products

We feel Instagram Reels could be an opportunity for brands looking to drive awareness and sales from the platform.  Reels will be pushed out to the Explore Page, so users that don’t follow you, will now see your content.  We think the Instagram Reels algorithm will work just as the TikTok algorithm by delivering you content that you have in the past interacted with.

There is no way to say with certainty that Reels will be successful, just like TikTok’s future is very much up in the air. However, we feel it makes sense for TikTok influencers to consider creating a presence on Reels and maintaining their TikTok as well.  Additionally, we feel once Reels gets established brands should try it out!

Contact us to learn more or to schedule a strategy session: hello@blissfulmediagroup.com