It’s a social media battle we’ve seen time and time again. A bold upstart, in this case TikTok, is introducing a new service to the world. In response, giants like Facebook are trying to either buy the new technology or bury it by introducing similar features with their legacy products.
As TikTok became a staple for younger audiences and entrepreneurs looking to connect with them, it wasn’t surprising that Instagram introduced Reels. Finally, TikTok had an exceptional engagement rate and managed to capture the zeitgeist.
But now that Reels has had the opportunity to refine its offering, it’s sleeker and more powerful. TikTok is aware of the increased threat and is striving to improve its offering accordingly. Reels has attracted many users back to the Facebook ecosystem as its videos perform almost as well as TikTok’s when compared to average views. Perhaps due to its pioneering status or the fact that it is designed to be more disruptive than Reels, TikTok still sees much higher average engagement per video.
The whole situation has a heightened sense of urgency because short videos are such a crucial format. With short running times and concise messages, these videos stand out from the crowd and attract attention. More importantly, their slim and medium size stimulates and encourages audience engagement more than almost any other format.
In other words, if you want to engage with your audience through video, short form should be part of your strategy. But which platform should you use for your company?
Review of Reels vs TikTok
So who will win the fight? More importantly, which platform should you use for your business? As usual, you will find that both platforms offer different benefits, share similar features, and have unique limitations.
First, let’s look at some factors that make these opponents similar:
- They are the outstanding platforms for creating short videos: Both TikTok and Reels are set up to allow you to edit videos using each platform’s tools. You can also choose sound effects, voiceover, or a music track to accompany the video. The audio element is by no means secondary, as the most popular videos on both platforms have achieved their status primarily through the strategic addition of songs.
- You have an e-commerce component: Both platforms allow you to share products and offer interested users the opportunity to make progress towards purchasing them. TikTok partners with Shopify to enable this functionality, while Reels leverages Instagram’s e-commerce capabilities.
- They offer an engaging way to discover videos: Just as Facebook, Instagram and other social platforms allow you to scroll down a feed and find new content, these short video platforms offer a stream of videos. You just keep scrolling and hope you come across the next diamond in the rough.
Don’t skip: How to use TikTok for your business in 2024
Reels vs TikTok Features
Now let’s look at some of the key differences between TikTok and Reels. Whether these factors are positive or negative depends on your business efforts. That’s why it’s important that you have an idea of your strategies and goals before comparing the two platforms. Here are some important factors to consider:
audience
- Roll: As you would probably expect, the audience for Instagram Reels is slightly older than the audience for TikTok. According to Shoo Social Media, about 22% of their audience is between 18 and 24 years old and 33% is between 25 and 34 years old.
- TikTok: In comparison, TikTok’s user base is made up of 60% 16-24 year olds, although that number is likely to get older as the platform becomes more widespread.
Discoverability
- Roll: As you scroll through Instagram, unless you’re on the discover page, you’ll likely come across most of your Reels from existing followers.
- TikTok: In comparison, the majority of TikTok content consumed comes through a discovery page, making it easier for marketers to reach new audiences.
Video duration
- Roll: While both platforms focus specifically on short content, Reels is limited to a maximum of 60 seconds. For longer videos, you’ll need to split them into different rolls to upload or make significant cuts.
- TikTok: Although TikTok videos are known as a go-to for short-form content, they can actually be up to three minutes long, giving users more leeway to post medium-form content.
Music options
- Roll: Instagram business accounts are not known for offering a wide range of music options, and the library is often criticized for being extremely limited.
- TikTok: It’s no secret that TikTok has had its fair share of problems with major record labels, which is why their rules around music usage are becoming increasingly strict. However, their copyright restrictions are not nearly as strict as Instagram, giving users more options.
engagement
- Roll: When it comes to engagement, Reels tend to prioritize new account content for organic traffic, likely to entice them to continue creating new content since apps like Instagram only work when there is a lot of new content being generated.
- TikTok: Interestingly, TikTok also promotes new account content to turn these users into regular posters. However, it is more difficult for established brands to engage with their audience on TikTok due to the discoverability format.
Editing options
- Roll: Reels has plenty of internal editing features that allow you to optimize content before publishing. There are also numerous free and paid apps you can use for more advanced options.
- TikTok: TikTok also has plenty of editing features, including an additional feature called Stitch that allows you to trim videos together, which is ideal for creating reaction-based content.
Stay up to date on TikTok’s legal battles
Reels’ biggest advantage over TikTok is that the platform’s parent company is based in the US, while TikTok is backed by China. American lawmakers are seeking to restrict or ban the use of TikTok. Therefore, read up on the legal disputes before investing too much energy in building your TikTok.
Keep learning: 14 Powerful TikTok Marketing Strategies to Boost Your Growth
Reels vs. TikTok: The verdict
Is Reels the official TikTok replacement? Or is TikTok still king of the hill? There is no doubt that TikTok is the best platform when it comes to creating content that capitalizes on the short-form craze. With its eye-catching style and design, it fits its target group perfectly.
But we’re certainly not saying that Reels don’t have a place in your video strategies. For example, if you have a short video that you want to protect from imitation or ridicule, you should use Reels as it prevents other users from merging your video with their own content.
If your target audience is older, Reels might be a better option. If you already have a large following on Instagram, you can also leverage that with your Reels content.
Many marketers use both platforms simultaneously because their different personalities and audiences allow for more effective targeting. So let’s put down the swords and just let these two platforms coexist. As long as your content is original and, most importantly, entertaining, it can find a welcome home on both Reels and TikTok.
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This article has been updated with assistance from Graeme Whiles.
