By Phoebe Eileen
TikTok and Instagram reels are the current leading short-form video format social media platforms today. Combined, the two have birthed some of the most entertaining pieces of content that we have seen in recent years. What do they spell out for brands though? Today I attempt to dissect the differences and similarities between these two platforms and discover how each may benefit your business!
Understanding how TikTok works
Short-form videos are what TikTok is all about. You record short clips that you edit and share to people's feeds. You can even share them from the main menu in the app or outside of the app on other sites like WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and surprisingly, even Instagram!
What about Instagram reels?
Reels launched within the Instagram platform as a competitor to TikTok. On reels, you can similarly record and edit short videos before posting them on the main menu or sharing them on your Instagram story or home feed. Instagram's algorithm currently promotes reels to increase viewership, in a move designed to establish the platform as a worthy competitor to TikTok. Because of this promotion, now is a good time to be making reels; the increased push to popularize them in users' feeds could go a long way in netting views for your content!
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Pixabay and Chantelle van Heerden on Flickr
We're in the glorious age of video sharing
We were all there when Tiktok burst into the scene back in 2016, and we all watched as it blew up in just four short years. The video-sharing arena has gotten even better with the introduction of Instagram reels in 2019. The 60 second or less video format personally reminded me of Vine, the social media app that I believe was the predecessor to short-form video clip posts before it's unfortunate discontinuation in 2016. Both Tiktok and Instagram Reels have taken the reigns since then.
Each platform has been instrumental to the success of businesses that have mastered using videos for self-promotion and growth.
Both offer opportunities for businesses to grow their brand around a fun community. The more you share videos, the more people hear about your business.
Is your target demographic is a younger audience between the ages of 16 and 30? If you answered yes, then both of these platforms are perfect for your brand since these age groups make up the majority of users on both sites!
Both sites have their own copyright-free music libraries that users can sample from when adding tunes to their clips. Instagram Reels have their "Instagram Music Library" with over 9000 unique sounds, while TikTok has its own "Commercial Music Library" with over 7000. As a growing business, you never have to worry about copyright infringement when you use music from these libraries in your videos, which saves you a ton of potential legal trouble!
Photo by Malte Helmhold on Unsplash
What makes them so different?
At a glance, you can be forgiven for thinking Instagram Reels and TikToks are the same (Lord knows I did). I wouldn't blame you either because, on the surface, these are just short-form video sharing platforms. However, that's where the similarities end because a closer look reveals differences that could make or break a growing brand!
Instagram Reels are shorter than TikToks
Tiktok offers its users a time limit of 60 seconds to create their videos. On the other hand Instagram cuts that time down to only 30 seconds per reel. If yours is a business that markets itself most effectively via video content, 30 seconds can be a challenging amount of time to work with. However, it is still possible to shine with content on both platforms, despite the differences in time limits. Geniuses like the NBA continue to make it work with clips as short as fewer than 15 seconds, on TikTok itself, no less! The marketing team keeps users watching with regular clips showing big game moments or even antics during the halftime show. Sensational fashion brand Louis Vuitton has been having a blast in views and engagement keeping their clips short and sweet, featuring models showcasing their pieces in various creative ways on Instagram reels. It's all about the value you add to your videos rather than their length!
TikTok offers more in the way of editing features
I mention this cautiously, knowing that Instagram is very quickly catching up with TikTok. However, as it stands, TikTok offers way more variety in the different ways that its interface lets you edit your videos. Both sites offer pre and post-production editing features but TikTok's interface contains more tools where Instagram Reels' doesn't. On TikTok you get the standard timer, speed, and beautify settings, along with filters, stickers, text, voice and visual effects, templates, sounds, voice-over, voice effect settings, and adjustment features all neatly arranged across the screen so you can easily pick your poison. Instagram reels have the standard timer, speed, and touch-up settings along with effects, stickers, text, video layout settings, filters, and sounds.
TikTok has direct paid advertising while Instagram reels do not
For a growing business, social media is perhaps the most effective advertisement avenue that you have. Paid advertising makes it even better. It does not take much to get your content out there, and it is convenient in situations where you might not have much time on your hands. There are currently no paid advertising options on Instagram reels. Outside of it, however, the site lets you turn your posts into ads in the story, photo, carousel, video, and explore modes. Of course, this is all ineffective if the user spends most of their time on reels. TikTok, on the other hand, offers paid advertising in the form of brand takeovers, in-feed ads, sponsored hashtag challenges, and topview ads. TikTok is clearly the better option here for any brand that needs paid advertising for reel-type videos.
The difference in engagement rates is astounding
This one difference is why I would recommend TikTok for any business that is just starting up currently. TikTok has been around for longer than Instagram reels have, and the engagement rates between them are remarkable in their contrast. A study by creative agency Billion Dollar Boy found that the engagement rates for Instagram reels stand at 2.7%, just slightly higher than the conventional image or video post on the same site. TikTok's rates are comparatively higher, up to about 15% internationally for influencers. People are far more willing to interact with content on TikTok, which is why small growing businesses are likely to experience better results there.
Photo: Amanda Vick on Unsplash
Then which platform is best?
So what do all these differences and similarities mean for you and your growing brand? The truth is that TikTok has had a few years' head start on Instagram reels. Both are exceptional mediums for small and large businesses alike to promote their content.
However, spend enough time between the two platforms, and it is clear that TikTok is still the better alternative. Its range of paid advertising options and editing tools make it a one-stop shop for great promotional content that is easy to spread.
If you can, try making content that can go on both TikTok and Instagram reels to market your brand. Some creators even download their TikToks and post them on reels directly to save time!
Alternatively, if your business already has a following on one platform, it is worth it to focus on growth first instead of rushing to start a fresh account elsewhere. Multiple social media accounts may be more costly to maintain, requiring more time or more staff, especially if you are still a small business. It's not always easy building a following all over again, so if you already have one, focus on growing it first.
TikTok is a standalone, effective short-form video sharing platform, whereas reels are one of many other features that Instagram offers, just like live feeds, explore pages, and stories. The bar that TikTok has set is high, and the shoes that Instagram reels need to fill are big. However, audience response for them has been great, and its creators have surely noticed. It's not a matter of if Instagram reels will catch up to TikTok, but when.
PHOEBE EILEEN
Phoebe is a bit of a nerd who likes to write about both current events and history. Her love for the written word inspires her years of experiences as she turns her thoughts into blog posts that she shares with the world. When she's not crafting her next write-up, she is relaxing with a good book or a quick videogame with her friends.
Find her online:
Medium: @phoebeabongo
Twitter: @leeniephoebe