Information for this blog post was obtained from Hubspot, Neil Patel, and Social Media Today.
The world of social media changes around us every single day, and one of the biggest changes has been the usage of video content. As TikTok changed the way people create content on social media, other social sites began to create new ways to compete. For Instagram and Facebook, it was in the form of reels. The question a lot of people have is, if they're both named reels, then what is the difference?
What are Reels?
Reels are short-form videos, very similar to those created and shared on TikTok. Reels were initially introduced in early 2021, with both Facebook and Instagram creating their own version. Instagram was the first to create a reel feature, with Facebook following soon after. Both of the two sites found incredible success in the launch of their new reel feature, which prompted both sites to implement a new tab solely for reels.
How to Create Reels
Both Facebook and Instagram have created very unique ways for their creators to create reels. Both sites allow users to film and edit their videos directly on the site, which saves time as well as money for creators. While both sites have similar ways of creating reels, there are a few very distinct differences.
Instagram and Facebook both feature a long list of tools to help creators. These consist of editing tools, audio attribution, multiple takes, and multiple ways to share. Creating a reel is as simple as creating any other post on Instagram or Facebook. When creating a reel you can either prerecord your clips or simply film them as you create. This allows creators the flexibility to be able to have the best of both worlds when creating content. Instagram also features effects for their video creation process, with filters being available for both prerecorded and live footage. This feature also allows users to edit videos in ways that before needed editing software. Once a creator has finished shooting and editing their video they also have the ability to add other audio aspects to their reel, such as music or other users shared sounds.
Key Features
One of the biggest things that set Instagram and Facebook reels apart from one another are the features that Facebook lacks. While some view this loss of features as minimal, others prefer Instagram solely because of Facebook's lack of every feature.
Remix
Instagram features a remix tool, very similar to TikTok's duet feature. This feature allows Instagram users to create content alongside other creators. This has become very popular on the site, with remixes taking up a large portion of Instagram reels. Remix allows creators to "react" to other videos, which has helped many creators grow a large number of followers.
Video Rotation
Instagram's reel creation allows users to shoot videos either vertically or horizontally. This feature allows creators to alter the alignment of their video even after it is filmed. This is a feature that many creators believe sets Instagram apart from Facebook.
Desktop Upload
Instagram allows its creators to film, edit, and upload videos through a desktop computer. Facebook is mobile-only, which means its creators do not have the option to create their reels on a computer. Many creators find it much easier to edit their videos on a computer as opposed to a phone, which makes this yet another feature that Facebook is lacking.
How Reels Perform on Facebook
Facebook is considered one of the pioneers when it comes to social media, for this reason, Facebook reels have yet to find their place in the Facebook World. Since Facebook has been around for so long, its audience has not been as receptive to the idea of reels as opposed to Instagram. This does not mean, however, that reels are not doing well on the site. Since their launch in 2021, Facebook reels have steadily grown and are on track to continue growing in the coming years. With Facebook recently updating their app to include a separate tab for reels, there is a very positive outlook for Facebook reels in the future. Since the creation of Facebook reels, they have outperformed every other video-based content site aside from Instagram, keeping in very close competition with TikTok for the number two spot in the video-based content world. Trending audio and sounds play a big role in the performance of reels regardless of what site a creator chooses to create them on. With Facebook lacking a remix feature, it is no surprise that they do not perform quite as well as Instagram. This is something that Facebook has addressed and is looking to change in the future. When this feature is added, look for Facebook to begin seriously competing with Instagram when it comes to reels.
How Reels Perform on Instagram
Instagram reels have performed at a very high level ever since their introduction in 2021. As sites such as TikTok began to gain popularity Instagram chose a perfect time to introduce their reel feature. Since the reel introduction, Instagram has gone above and beyond to showcase reels and influence people to begin creating this type of video-based content. Soon after Instagram reels were created Instagram created a tab solely for creating and viewing reels, this showed their consumers that reels were here to stay. When reels were first introduced a viewer would only see reels that were created by accounts that they followed, this has been changed with the Discover page, which showcases trending videos regardless of whether or not the viewer follows the account. Much like TikTok, Instagram has two separate pages of reels that a viewer can interact with -- Following and Discovered. Instagram has seen great performance and interest from reels, with a lot of influencers leaning into the idea of video-based Instagram content. Instagram has maintained the highest global average of viewers on reels since almost the beginning, overtaking TikTok only five months after introduced.
Monetization From Reels
Monetization plays a very pivotal role in why a creator may choose Instagram over Facebook, or vice versa. Monetization is also a great example of why reels are effective for marketing, with ads being very prevalent in video-based content. Whether it be sponsored videos or ads placed over a video, the world of marketing is very prevalent in the question of Instagram versus Facebook reels.
Facebook Reel Monetization
Facebook reels provide creators with several ways to monetize their content with in-stream ad programs. This program focuses on two main types of overlay ads, which gives creators the choice of how they wish to monetize their content. Banner ads are the first type of ads that the in-stream ad program focuses on. Banner ads are present throughout the entirety of a creator's video, typically being placed at the bottom of the video in a banner format. The second type of ad is a sticker ad. A sticker ad allows the creator to showcase the sticker whenever they choose throughout the video. A sticker ad can also be used as a "shoutout" during the video, where a creator pauses the video for a moment to take the time to talk about the ad.
Instagram Reel Monetization
Monetization on reels is much more popular on Instagram reels than on Facebook. Instagram features several ways for its user to monetize their content. The first step is for a user to create a creator account, which automatically qualifies the creator to be eligible for monetization. Ads look different on Instagram, as more companies have begun using Instagram to promote products through sponsorships and influencers. Instagram also offers its users an affiliate program, which puts creators into direct contact with companies that wish to advertise their products or services through the site. Instagram reels must be at least sixty seconds long to be ad-eligible. Another feature that is unique to Instagram is the ability for viewers to send "gifts" to content creators. These gifts are a great way for content creators to monetize their product, as well as communicate with their audience.
For more information about video content, read my colleague Nicholas's blog here.
Resources
Dennis, F. (2022, December 9). How to make Instagram reels and use them to your advantage. HubSpot Blog. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/instagram-reels
Hutchinson, A. (2023, December 19). Report finds Facebook and Ig reels outperform TikTok clips in driving views. Social Media Today. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/new-report-finds-facebook-ig-reels-outperform-tiktok-clips/702993/
10 actionable tips to use Instagram reels for your brand. (n.d.). https://neilpatel.com/blog/instagram-reels/
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