If you are an Instagram user, the platform continues to get better and better with the entry of Instagram Reel. The new Instagram content platform in the market, which directly rivals the controversial TikTok social media app, is a game-changer for business and socializers.
The new Instagram Reel is taking generation Z crazy just like TikTok; however, we are yet to see how things pun out for this one. In a nutshell, it is a content format that allows you to create short videos of about 15 seconds and share them with your fans, friends, consumers, plus others on a dedicated Feed.
Instagram released Reel in Brazil at the end of 2019; it has spread to over 50 countries for Android & iOS users. Many labeled Instagram Reel as a TikTok imitator after the release, but many brands and influencers have taken it to the next level.
The platform is getting lots of love from top brands though still experimenting to see if it can meet their needs than TikTok.
Should You Jump to Instagram Reel Yet?
Well, it’s a matter of experiment and committing your time and money to the new Instagram content platform. Instagram has four content platforms, and Reel will make it the 5th. That is Instagram posts, stories, Live, IGTV, and Reel. You have to warm your audience until they fall in love with your content, which may take time.
Like other brands, spend some time to test the waters because if you are getting results from other marketing platforms, it’s advisable not to dip your both feet yet. By the time it gains traction, you’ll have adopted all the needed aspects, which may help you stay ahead of your competitors.
The other advantage you may have for pioneering Instagram Reel is Facebook exposure to early entrants’ to users of the new function. For instance, many brands experience a high level of engagement and traffic than other Instagram content platforms. Therefore, don’t be left out when things still look green on Reel.
Related: How To Become Top Instagram Influencer
How Reel Works
Source: Instagram
If you have been using Instagram stories, your understanding of Reel is easy because it has similarities. The latter has more features such as speed controls, more editing tools, AR effects, and gives you the ability to bring multiple videos together.
Instagram Reel is easy to use for those that have interacted with TikTok. But, if you are starting, Reel can be a great platform to build solid connections and understand the dos and dont’s.
How to Create Reels
The creation of Instagram Reel is easy, even for the first-timer. After you launch your app, proceed to your camera located in your device’s top left corner. You’ll see several camera features at the bottom of your screen in the menu. Swipe over the features to Instagram Reels, and you will see icons placed on the left side of your device screen, namely:
Source: Later
Remember you can create Reel in 3-ways, the Instagram home screen, the Instagram stories camera, or the Reels tab.
Music – Search for a song to play over your clip or use your original audio to record Reel
AR Effects: Check what you want from the gallery designed by Instagram and different creators with games, effects, and filters.
Timer: Decide the length of your video and set the timer to record handsfree.
Align – For a seamless transition, organize your clips before recording another one.
Speed: You can decide to speed up or slow down your video/ audio that you choose.
The process is easy, and you can record using uploads from the library, all at once, or series of clips.
How to Share Reel
You share your Reel video content by tapping the next button after you are satisfied with your clip. The following step is to tap Cover to edit your cover photo with a thumbnail, and alternatively, you can use a cover from the camera roll. The next step is to save your Reel into a draft if you want to revisit your work, or you can add a caption and finalize by tapping publish.
Instagram Reel allows you to share your video to a dedicated space in Explore and an alternative option is to post to the Reel tab Feed in case your account is public. You should note that sometimes if you share effects, songs, or hashtags, it may appear on dedicated pages when others click your share.
If you are using an Instagram private account, Reel follows your privacy settings, only your followers can see what you share, and your followers cannot use your original audio. Also, they cannot share your Reel with people that don’t follow you.
Instagram Reel VS TikTok
Source: Hootsuite
It’s clear Instagram Reel is TikTok’s rival; however, let’s dive deeper to see whether both platforms differ. The focus of both Reel and TikTok is to allow users to create short videos and share them with others. Both provide users with features to enhance their created videos in whichever way they like.
Here is the difference between Reel & TikTok
Instagram Reel TikTok
- It is a feature under the Instagram umbrella – It’s an application/Platform
- Only videos of up to 15 seconds are allowed – Videos can go up to 1 minute
- Reel videos shared to Instagram stories last for – All Video Content stays on the platform for 24 hours
- Currently does not support duet & local file upload – Duet and songs upload are allowed
What should you do as a marketer? Statistics don’t lie, and probably that will help you choose where to solidify your investment. TikTok is about to hit 1 billion users; over 40 percent is aged between 16 and 24. So, if that is your target customer, then you can stick to TikTok.
On the other hand, Instagram has over 1 billion active users, and a third of those are aged between 18 and 24. While you should pay more attention to your audience’s platform, do not out rule Instagram Reel yet. If you remember, Instagram stories started in 2016, and everyone labeled it as Snapchat Copycat. After a short while, Instagram stories amassed lots of users and surpassed Snapchat by far.
Even though Instagram Reel is yet to build good momentum, position your business early because it has features and promising opportunities not yet realized on TikTok. So, it’s your choice to balance which platform favors you depending on your needs.
Conclusion
They say the early bird catches the worm, and timely entry to Instagram can do you no harm. Social media is like a bonfire; when it goes into flames, no one can quench it; therefore, since you never know what tomorrow holds, start building an Instagram Reel base as early as possible.
Even though TikTok has some traction and analytics to learn about the business wave, Instagram is encouraging because you have the advantage to play from one content platform to another. Also, Reel may easily attract over a billion users on Instagram to flow in the coming months.
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