Instagram is moving in on territory dominated by TikTok. The social network most used by content creators is strengthening its value proposition with a new feature called Reels, which allows users to create short 15-second videos.
Originally focused on photography, Instagram has added several features over time to compete with rivals, including Stories, initially popularized by Snapchat. Instagram knows the playbook well, and today, after an initial test in Brazil, Reels is available in France and Germany. The American social network is determined to take on the Chinese platform, which has racked up more than 2 billion downloads, using a concept borrowed from Vine: sharing short, creative, and often humorous videos.
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Reels offers greater visibility through dedicated new spaces
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With 45% of videos posted in recent months lasting under 15 seconds, Instagram has decided to lean into this trend and now offers a dedicated Reels tab that includes audio content, augmented reality effects, and new creative tools. According to Instagram, the goal of Reels is to "reveal a new generation of talent."
To achieve this, the platform is betting on maximum visibility for its new format. Reels created by users can be shared in the feed, in Stories, via direct message, or sent to friends. If shared as standard content (outside of Stories), they are grouped together in a new tab on the user's profile, similar to how IGTV videos are organized.
A dedicated space in the Explore section also lets users discover a curated selection of Reels, drawing inspiration from content posted by other members while also making it possible to be found by the broader Instagram community.
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A new opportunity for brands?
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With Reels, Instagram continues to reinvent itself and maintain a wide user base. This new feature brings a more entertaining, raw, and unfiltered universe, similar to TikTok, which is primarily used by teenagers and Gen Z. Thanks to Facebook Ads, Instagram already has a highly developed advertising network. Brands therefore see Reels as a new opportunity to communicate differently and reach a specific type of audience.
Generation Z has claimed TikTok as a space for unrestrained entertainment, self-expression, and humor. This is partly why brands need to think differently about their content approach on Reels, which calls for original, spontaneous, and ephemeral formats.
The essential element of TikTok is undoubtedly its audience. Users are young, but they want an authentic, local, and entertaining digital experience. Today, image-based advertising and product promotion are not enough on TikTok. That is partly why reaction videos and challenges took off at lightning speed.
This is why Reels represents a major opportunity for advertisers: this new feature enables a different kind of communication while leveraging the ecosystem that Facebook Ads provides.
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