Released in 2020, the new “Reels” feature offered by Instagram has made a splash in the world of social networks. It is also the most important novelty released by Instagram since the “Stories” in 2016. A true copy, or almost, of TikTok, this feature allows a user to create funny 15-second videos and share them to its subscriber network.
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TikTok vs Reels: what are the features and benefits of each platform? Here is the answer !
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Introducing TikTok
Launched in 2016, TikTok is a mobile application developed by the Chinese company ByteDance, which allows its users to view and publish short, often original videos. A fun platform, posting on TikTok offers a real opportunity to develop your sense of creativity.
The main features of TikTok
TikTok offers the possibility of viewing very short videos ranging from 15 to 60 seconds which can be scanned (“swiped”) to go to the next video. Each user has their own profile which allows them to like videos, comment on publications or follow other accounts. The app has a strong addictive impact and is popular with young people and celebrities.
TikTok provides its users with comprehensive editing tools, namely:
- A camera integrated into the application.
- The ability to change the speed of your video.
- A function to add filters, text or music.
Everything is thought out so as not to have to exit the application. A wide choice of music and sounds is, for example, available in the application library (bank of humorous sounds, famous songs, extracts from sketches, etc.).
The advantages of TikTok
TikTok has many benefits which is why more than 800 million people use it. Users can, for example:
- Seeing any of their content more easily go viral thanks to the “For you” algorithm on the home page.
- Get paid for the content they create.
A company also has an interest in being present on TikTok for three main reasons:
- Trends are born there.
- It’s easy to bond with users if your target audience is young. Indeed, although there is significant growth among 25-44 year olds, the majority of users are under 25.
- Few professionals use TikTok today. There is therefore a place to be made on this social network.
The disadvantages of TikTok
If the application has many advantages, it is also currently facing a real problem. Indeed, threatened with a ban in the United States in early August, TikTok is at the heart of the USA / China conflict. Although no evidence has been provided to this effect, the app is accused of spying on US users on behalf of China.
TikTok has other disadvantages more specific to marketing such as:
- Lack of performance indicators and effective analysis tools.
- The high cost of advertising.
Introducing Instagram Reels
What is Instagram Reels?
“Reels” is a new feature offered by the Instagram app since June 2020 that allows users to discover and create short and entertaining videos. You can like these videos, comment on them and share them with your friends. When a new Reel is created, it can be posted on the News Feed or in the Instagram “Explore” space for larger-scale viewing.
The main features of Reels
With its new Reels feature, Instagram offers its users the possibility of creating short videos and then posting them on their news feed or in the “Explore” tab.
Reels allows Internet users in particular:
- Access a catalog of sounds, effects, as well as many creation tools.
- To reach a new audience thanks to the “Explore” tab.
- Save sounds for later.
- To share content pages that have been created with the same sound file.
- To like, to comment and to share a Real with his friends.
The advantages of Reels
Reels benefits from the notoriety of Instagram and Facebook and, at the same time, their 3.7 billion users worldwide. More than 600 million people use Stories on Instagram, so it’s a safe bet that the Reels will enjoy the same enthusiasm because of the similarity of these two concepts.
In particular, Reels allow a company to expand its current community, especially since this feature is heavily promoted by Instagram.
Good to know : The conflict between the USA and China at the heart of which TikTok is located bodes well for the Reels.
The disadvantages of Reels
Unlike TikTok, Reels are a feature of Instagram, not a specific app.
With Reels, users cannot post videos longer than 15 seconds. Likewise, the range of sounds is less important on Instagram than on TikTok.
The short format of videos is the raison d’être of TikTok. This is not the case with Instagram Reels. TikTok vs Reels, who’s the winner? It is still difficult to say. However, Stories were called into question a lot when they were released and yet it is today a staple feature of Instagram. Will the Reels meet the same fate?
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