Instagram Reels Launch Could Not Have Come at a Better Time
The pandemic has given modern technology another good run for its money.
The Facebook-owned Instagram knows how to spot a perfect time to go ahead with its prospects. In the middle of TikTok’s difficult time on the US ban concerns, the tech app launched Instagram Reels.
Reels is not a new app but an added feature to the existing IG platform. It allows users to create a 15-second short video and add a wide range of music genres into the content. It launched in more than 50 countries, signifying that Facebook is serious in building itself as a video entertainment platform.
The new feature aims to bring new users and lengthen the time spent of existing users in the Instagram app. It capitalizes on easy-to-use technology which allows users of all ages to enjoy creating content.
A majority of Reels’ offerings are believed to be very similar to the Beijing-based app’s attributes: speed adjustment, application of special effects, timer setting, and adding audio.
ByteDance accused that Reels is merely a plagiarized version of its TikTok app. But IG is quick to dismiss the backlash, adding that the new venture will increase choice for content creators.
Instagram is not entirely new to copycat accusations. Similar comparisons surrounded the technology news in 2016 after Instagram Stories launched. The online community criticized the then new feature to be a mere duplicate of Snapchat’s snaps. This delivered serious dents to Snapchat’s performance, driving the company to file for IPO in 2017.
Today, Instagram Stories emerged as a more popular choice for users, surpassing Snapchat’s number of daily users. Thus, TikTok may have done it first, but Reels can come out to be a better performer.
What Sets One Apart from the Other
Instagram and TikTok are more than camera products, but avenues for emerging creators, claims both.
The most significant difference may be content payment. TikTok announced that it would allocate $200 million funds to pay US creators. While Instagram creators still rely heavily on monetizing paid ads and partnerships with brands.
Reels will also launch in India. The country was TikTok’s biggest market before the Indian government issued a ban on the app after border tensions with China led to 20 Indian soldiers’ death.
The weight of existing Instagram users will have a big influence on the new feature’s success. Celebrity users have already started to use Reels to promote their causes, as soon as it launched.
A standalone app may not be Facebook’s ace to reposition itself as a video entertainment provider, learning from its failed video-sharing app, Lasso. The 20-month old app closed in July after not meeting expected traction.
Given, Reels’ direct competitor, TikTok, already boasts a massive following. Nevertheless, the new feature could leverage its access with existing Instagram users to make itself the ultimate choice for short-video content production.
