Struggling to pick between Instagram Reels and TikTok?
You aren’t alone; many major companies are putting significant resources on short videos.
Something to chew on: an astounding 89% of marketers intend to boost (or keep the same level of) spending in short-form video in 2022.
That’s because advertising your company and educating your audience using quick films is a surefire approach to keep their interest.
About TikTok
Nonetheless, the material you’ll see on Reels and TikTok is unlike anything else on social media.
TikTok? What is it?
TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users and is rapidly becoming the social media platform of choice for short-form video.
What is TikTok famous for? You and your mates make a loud repeating video and send it around.
The site is well-known for its impromptu, humorous videos that don’t take themselves too seriously. TikTok users are more likely to engage with raw, unrefined, and authentic content than with carefully produced videos shared on other social networks.
Some examples of the most watched videos on TikTok are as follows:
- Hashtag competitions
- Memes and skits
- Expositions, evaluations, and suggestions of products
- Guides and lessons
- Tutorial animations
Instagram reels: what are they?
With the release of Reels in 2020, Instagram will compete with TikTok in the short-form video market.
In terms of video content, Reels and TikTok are generally considered interchangeable because they have many of the same features and functionality.
Reels are commonly utilised by well-known e-commerce companies for:
- Demonstrate how the product works
- Promote your partners and key opinion leaders
- Promotional statements (product launches and drops, for example)
- Examining the similarities and differences between Instagram Reels and TikTok
Both Reels and TikTok promote video content, so it seems like they would be equally matched in a war.
Nonetheless, they are very different from one another.
Let’s delve even further into the parallels and divergences between the two systems.
Differences and similarities between reels and TikTok
The two platforms are quite similar. In any case, the rise in popularity of TikTok led directly to the development of Reels.
As a result, similar pieces of content will appear on other branded accounts with slight variations in the form of creatives, captions, and hashtags.
Other from the things we’ve already covered, here’s a quick breakdown of the similarities between Reels and TikTok:
The primary focus of both services is on shorter kinds of video.
TikTok and Reels are two more great platforms for making quick, entertaining videos. Perhaps no other setting better showcases the innovative spirit of today’s brands. You can promote products and endorse them if your content is funny and engaging enough.
Using a sound library that is available for use.
Sounds, music, and audio clips can be easily added to any post on either platform. Access to sound resources pushes marketers to develop videos that are “loud,” using anything from memes and original audio to what’s on the radio and beyond.
Visual modifications
Visual modifications such as filters In the realm of social media marketing, aesthetics are important for brands. Filters and effects can really make your videos stand out online and put your own stamp on anything you share.
Advertisements
As expected, commercials are increasingly being shown in the form of short videos. Although though TikTok commercials are still in their infancy, they are quickly becoming a mainstay of influencer marketing campaigns as producers use the platform to flaunt their latest purchases.
Possibilities for account connections. Users with multiple accounts can work side by side to produce original content using the “Collab” feature on Reels or the “Duet” feature on TikTok.
The distinction between reels and TikTok
TikTok and Reels are not the same, and we stress this point once more. Here are the most important distinctions that advertisers should be aware of:
Time of the video. The length of videos on both TikTok and Reels has increased since their respective releases. Originally only accepting films 15, 30, or 60 seconds in length, TikTok now accepts clips up to 10 minutes in length. You can choose from 15, 30, or 60 seconds when creating a video for Instagram Reels. Despite these new possibilities, statistics suggests that shorter videos are better suited to both platforms.
There are a variety of musical and auditory selections available. Users of TikTok have access to more licenced music than those with Instagram business accounts. With that in mind, the newest versions of Reels will have improved text-to-speech and voice-effect capabilities.
Audience. TikTok is more popular among teenagers and Generation Z, according to social media demographics, however both sites are quite popular with younger viewers.
Availability. You can use Reels if you have an Instagram account (which are available to access in 50 countries). However, censorship restrictions have led to TikTok being blocked in some places, and the app has come under scrutiny over privacy issues.
Analytics
Analytics on TikTok monitor activity on both user profiles and individual videos. A few examples of such aggregate statistics are total playtime, average watch time, and geographic location. In a similar vein to how users previously relied on generic Instagram analytics, the platform has just released granular data for Reels. Plays, interactions, reaches, “likes”, comments, and saves are all included in this category.
Possibilities to promote your brand. New advertising features are being introduced on both platforms, and rightly so. As contrast to Instagram’s standard, shoppable advertisements via Reels, TikTok places a far heavier focus on creator-based ads and campaigns.
Have trouble deciding between Reels and TikTok?
I don’t see any reason why either option wouldn’t work.
The success of Reels and the meteoric rise of TikTok both point to the future significance of short-form video.
While fields like fashion and beauty have extremely stiff levels of competition, opportunities for branded short-form videos are plentiful.
Whether you choose to focus on one network or both, you’ll want to plan out how to connect your social video efforts with measurable KPIs for your company.