Instagram’s “Reels” Attempts to Catch Up to the Popularity of TikTok…

On August 5, 2020, Instagram introduced Reels. For those of you who don’t know, Reels is basically their copycat version of TikTok, as users are able to create a very familiar 15-second video with audio, effects, and other creative tools. Users complain that in comparison to TikTok, the tools for editing are limited, especially with the number of effects that are available to creators. It’s pretty apparent that they lost a significant amount of the younger generation to TikTok and are trying to regain traction through this new feature.

I think that upon the news that TikTok would be banned due to security threats, Instagram though that it would be their time to shine if that actually fell through. However, we now know that the platform was bought by Oracle and that it is supposedly going nowhere, and Instagrams chances of becoming the next big thing are pretty much down the toilet. Analysts say that it is too early to discount Reels. But I don’t know about you all, but it’s been almost two months since the feature first came out, and when I (rarely) go on Instagram Reels, all I see are reposts of TikToks, which I feel is defeating the purpose of Instagram having its own short video platform.

Reporters from the New York Times wrote an article titled “We Tested Instagram Reels, the TikTok Clone. What a Dud.” I’ve seen countless articles about how confusing Reels is and how it pales in comparison to the original 15-second video social media platform. I’m curious as to your guys’ thoughts on Intagram’s Reels. Do you think that Reels will ever catch up to TikTok? If there isn’t enough traction, do you think Instagram will get rid of the feature?

Source: https://fortune.com/2020/09/22/instagram-reels-tiktok-facebook-hype-competition/

19 thoughts on “Instagram’s “Reels” Attempts to Catch Up to the Popularity of TikTok…

  1. I have always been a frequent user of Instagram and TikTok. My sister introduced me to the new feature on Instagram– “Reels.” She would share funny cat videos with me on Instagram. At first, I literally thought I was using Tiktok. From a user viewpoint, they look exactly the same and also share similar functions. Each video wouldn’t be longer than a minute. It gives users the option to like or comment on the video. Both of the apps use vertical scrolling to get to the next video. I don’t think Instagram reels would ever catch up to the popularity of TikTok. Tiktok was first launched in 2016 and became really popular in the year 2019. Now Tiktok has 800 million active users worldwide. It has gained so many users in such a short period. Everyone I’ve known was hooked on Tiktok. Tiktok only provides video content to users, and it has more pertinence than Instagram. When I browse on Instagram, I could be looking for pictures, memes, shopping, designs, stories, or videos. But instead, I would only use Tiktok for entertainment purposes.

    Source: https://time.com/5875788/instagram-reels-tiktok/

  2. I am a huge fan of TikTok while I acknowledge that the app is perfect, personally, I think I can learn a lot through TikTok especially from cooking videos, life hack videos, therapist videos, and shopping recommendation videos. I think that the uniqueness and popularity of TikTok are totally different from that of Instagram’s. I go on TikTok to learn and to laugh, to me TikTok is more so a source of information rather than social networking. I go on Instagram mostly to look at the posts of my friends and stories of my friends. The public accounts I follow on Instagram are the only ones that post “Reels”, none of my Instagram friends post them. Only businesses such as Netflix, celebrities, and influencers post using the Reels function. When I go watch these Reels videos on my Instagram discover page almost all of these videos are from TikTok because it has the TikTok watermarks on these videos, it is a huge turnoff because I personally do not enjoy seeing the TikTok videos I saw a few days ago repeated on Instagram. I also don’t think Reels is as userfriendly as TikTok because I have to click on someone’s profile, click on Reels and then click on the video whereas TikTok is a constant stream of videos with a simple swipe up motion.

  3. When I initially saw Instagram had taken Reels on their platform I immediately thought of the platform TikTok. As I was scrolling, I did notice that most of the content that was posted was a repost from TikTok. I felt that Reels on Instagram was unnecessary as most users already repost TikTok videos as a normal post or through their IG TV. It was rare to come across new content that was made through Instagram or Reels. I don’t believe that Reels will catch up to TikTok, as it was stated Reels has been out for a couple months – not many seem to be very into it or developing brand new content from it. There could be a possibility that Instagram could take Reels down if it doesn’t gain enough attention, but it is doubtful as many are only using Reels to repost content from TikTok.

  4. As a very active Instagram and Tik Tok user I do not think Reels will get anywhere. I think on Instagrams end I can see why they would think this would work but clearly there has not been enough thought put in. Instagram is one of the most popular branding apps and people make a living on this, I do not think these people would want to post their videos and or “Tik Tok content” on an app like this. I think this is why Tik Tok does so well to be honest, it’s a different app with a different atmosphere and if users wanted to do this they would’ve already. They are completely two different apps that do completely different things. Another issue with this is that Instagram will be able to provide the constant random feed the way Tik Tok does, on Instagram you see the content from people you follow with a small for you page with similar people to follow. Whereas on Tik Tok you have a completely random for you page from people from all over the world and also a page just for people you want to follow. The only competitor that has a chance is Triller, which is highly sponsored and endorsed by huge influencers on Tik Tok. If Tik Tok does end up getting banned I think we can all agree Triller will be the next option. Instagram had a good idea with this feature but it is more likely this will be nothing but unsuccessful.

    source:
    https://influencermarketinghub.com/instagram-reels-stats/#:~:text=Instagram%20averages%20100%20million%20daily,as%20of%20August%205%2C%202020

    https://www.bustle.com/life/triller-app-tiktok-competitor

  5. As someone who goes on Instagram daily, I never really notice the “Reels” feature. I also never post videos on Instagram, so I have never tested it out. Similar to you, when I have seen Reels, it is usually on my explorer page with re-uploaded TikToks. At first, I never really thought of it as a competitor with TikTok. Instagram has allowed users to post minute-long videos way before TikTok came out. They even have IGTV, where people can post longer videos. According to this one article that I found, this isn’t the first time social media apps have tried to replicate TikTok. Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, also came out with an app called, Lasso. Even though Lasso never took off, I think Instagram is more likely to be successful because it is just an add on to an already popular app. However, I don’t think anything will be able to compete with how popular TikTok is.

    source: https://later.com/blog/instagram-reels/

  6. Being an active user of Instagram, I was not even aware of this feature called reels. So, I gave it a shot and to my knowledge this feature is by far the worst feature that Instagram has provided to its users. The compatibility for using this app is far from what TikTok provides its users. Not only does it fails in every way as a TikTok clone, but it’s confusing, frustrating and impossible to navigate. It’s like Instagram took all the current functionality on Stories and just jammed them into a separate, new complicated interface for no reason. TikTok by far remains on the top for short entertainment clips. But, I do think with TikTok on the verge of getting banned, Reels will definitely take over. According to Marion, the life of Instagram Reels depends on it’s diversification that’s currently saving it today and discovery that’ll make it survive until tomorrow.
    Sources: https://time.com/5875788/instagram-reels-tiktok/
    https://medium.com/el-dorado-digital/will-instagram-reels-replace-tiktok-dac278416408

  7. Instagram is one of the social media platforms that I use the most. Every once in a while I will see an Instagram reels video when I am on the app. I usually don’t watch them though as I am not really interested in them. I think that the reels was definitely a good addition as it will help bring more users to Instagram. However, I do not think that it will overtake Tik Tok. Unless Tik Tok gets taken down then I don’t see another app overtaking it. I know that there is another platform similar to Tik Tok called Triller. Many famous Tik Tok stars are switching over to Triller. However, most of the famous Tik Tokers are still on the app so I definitely think Tik Tok will reign supreme as long as it isn’t banned.

    Like I previously mentioned, I think that Instagram was smart in introducing their own Tik Tok like feature. It will definitely help them gain more attention, and if Tik Tok ever does get banned, then Instagram reels may be able to take over as the #1 platform for making short videos. Additionally, some individuals may be more inclined to use Instagram reels over Tik Tok due to their privacy concerns with what Tik Tok. Users may be scared about what is happening with the data that Tik Tok collects which will cause them to stay away from it and stick with a US based app like Instagram.

    Article: https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-reels-tiktok-competitor-short-video-us-launch-explainer-2020-7#how-will-i-know-which-posts-on-instagram-are-reels-2

  8. I think Reels is good approach to compete against TikTok. It is only been two months since Instagram introduced Reels. TikTok has been in our social media for four years now. There is no way that Reels can catch up to popularity of TikTok in that short time period. However, I would say Reels have advantage over TikTok because it is connected to Instagram. Instagram has over 850 million users worldwide. As Reels become more familiar to TikTok users, there is high chance of them using both Reels and TikToks. Instagram is updating and making changes in Reels to make easier approach for users. Reels recently updated new features. The updates able users to make longer length and easier to edit the videos. Instagram is trying out new things. By keep updating and making changes, Reels will become a better app and have good competition against TikTok in later days.
    Article: https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/23/21452278/instagram-reels-update-longer-videos-length-trim-edit

  9. I am a very avid Instagram user, and did not even know Reels was a thing before seeing your post. I went onto my phone and went to the explore page and saw it and scrolled through. It was pretty much a bunch of reposted Tik Toks. Instagram seems to be following a pattern of copying other social medias. For example, Snapchat allows users to send pictures, messages and videos back and forth between each other. Then, in 2017 Instagrams direct messaging changed, and started allowing users to send photos and videos back and forth over the app. I do not think Reels will ever catch up or live up the hype of Tik Tok as it already has so many users with huge platforms.

    https://www.cnet.com/news/instagram-direct-disappearing-photos-videos-messages-snapchat/

  10. I use Instagram every day. Within the past week I have spent 3 hours on the app. Me and my friends often sent each other funny posts we see, but we never send reels to each other. Honestly, I never even heard of the reels until reading this post then looking it up on my phone. I don’t think that Instagram will ever be the top app for funny quick videos. With TikTok being a global phenomenon, Instagram won’t be able to get enough traction. The most uptick in usage from Instagram reels occurred in India. According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, “The average time spent on Instagram in India increased by 3.5% since the launch of Instagram Reels”. This is not a significant enough increase to make a difference. Instagram needs to accept their place in the social media world as a stage to post pictures and videos. They will not find success in trying to copy other apps and do other tasks better.

    Source:https://influencermarketinghub.com/instagram-reels-stats/#:~:text=Instagram%20averages%20100%20million%20daily,as%20of%20August%205%2C%202020.

  11. I use instagram a lot and i am starting to see more and more reels being posted which i see a lot of benefit from. Number 1, i believe instagram started to use reels because of the data that shows how many people continue to watch a video once the “keep watching” pops up. And i believe that data shows that not a lot of people press “keep watching” and continue scrolling to another post. Reels don’t have this option as it just shows the video on a “reel”. I am a fan of reels because if i am interested in something, it doesn’t involve a 15 min video. I was never a tik tok user and i never trusted it, especially as a platform to get news and sports update. I viewed tik tok as a vine 2.0. However, i view instagram as a source of news information, and a 15 sec news reel can be very beneficial.

    Additionally, because of the uncertainty of Tik Tok and if it will be banned or not, i believe this was a great move by instagram to attack on this popular social media concept early. I think Instagram has much more to offer than Tik Tok, especially as a more news outlet and as well as entertainment as Tik Tok mostly aims at entertainment.

  12. As a heavy user of both Instagram and TikTok, I do not think that reels will ever catch up to the popularity of TikTok. In the first place, before this post I didn’t even know reels were a thing. Also, I think it is just a better idea to have a separate app for these short videos, like vine was. Another disadvantage of reels is their time limit. Reels can be up to 15 seconds long where TikToks can be a minute long. The versatility in TikToks are just much better than that of Instagram reels.

    Sources:
    https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/instagram-reels-vs-tiktok/#:~:text=There%20are%20some%20notable%20differences,TikTok's%20limit%20is%201%20minute.

  13. I have only noticed Instagram reels being posted by big platforms social media accounts, and usually it is just a short message or sports highlight that you see. I think the feature is good for this because if it doesn’t have to be a post or isn’t significant enough for a post, it can just be a reel. I feel like most brands haven’t tried this feature out because they can see from the analytics that they are not used that much, and people don’t click on them. However, I don’t think they are trying to copy Tik Tok because it is not used the same way as Tik Tok. On Tik Tok you see people dancing and making memes most of the time. When I see reels it is just a highlight or a funny video that is being posted. If Instagram wanted to make it similar to Tik Tok I am sure they could, but I don’t think that is that is the aim with the reels.

  14. As an active user of Instagram I was shocked to see the new feature of “Reels”. I always looked at Instagram as a place to post photos and sometimes videos. For me however, I never use Instagram for videos. When I first saw this I thought they were copying Tik Tok a little too much. I think they had a good idea to do something like this, when all the talk about Tik Tok being banned. But I think their idea did not go as planned. It is as if the application Instagram has too many features now. When I saw them in a way copy Tik Tok, I immediately thought about when they launched Instagram Stories. This was a replica of Snapchat Stories, so in a way I feel as though they copied Snapchat in that aspect.
    After looking into topic, I now see that Instagram ‘Reels’ are missing features that Tik Tok has. One common feature that I found was not being able to adjust your clips on Reels. I think that this process was rushed. I think if it was more slowly brought to Instagram it would have been more of a success. As of now I have not seen any people I personally know make an Instagram Reel. I have only seen famous people post Reels. In the article I will attach to this reply it discusses the differences between Instagram and Tik Tok. I think it is definitely a good read.
    Article: https://seaofblush.com/instagram-reels-vs-tiktok/

  15. We have talked about security and privacy a lot in class and in these discussions. It is a huge concern in our current election (with mail-in voting, advertising, etc.) and is appearing in our social media too. We all know that Tik Tok has had its fair share of accusations when it comes to security and privacy. They have been caught taking information from phones, data-mining, etc. So this is where Instagram comes in.
    Most people trust Instagram, and have been using the application for 10+ years. The problem with Instagram creating “Reels” is that it is a very risky move. According to Gary Vaynerchuck, a self-proclaimed social media expert, Instagram Reels aren’t available in a large number of countries. This means that the actual number of users who have access to posting and viewing the material is a small fraction of that of Tik Tok.
    This is where the difference starts to eat away at Instagram. Part of the reason Tik Tok was so successful was because of how popular it was. The endless scroll of entertainment appealed to the bored quarantine-minded high schooler. But Instagram Reels don’t have the same number of videos, or quality. So I think unless Instagram Reels gets much more popular, it could end up suffering and falling back into the graveyard with Vine. RIP vine.

  16. When I was first introduced to “Instagram Reels”, I was extremely happy. During this time, I convinced, just like everyone else, that TikTok was going to be banned in the U.S. So, I saw Instagram Reels as a way to watch content similar to TikTok’s content.
    Now, fast forward a few months, it is evident that TikTok is going no where. User’s are still creating videos and viewers and still being sucked into the “addicting” world of TikTok. Personally, I find Reels to be a failure. It was created on the basis that TikTok would be banned, and thrived on the idea that users had no where else to watch these clips. Instagram completely copied the layout of TikTok through the quick and easy scrolling, and the way to create these videos. I believe that many other people would agree with this statement. I have talked to my friends about Reels and they have all said that it is simply a copied version of TikTok and it is not worth watching.
    As an avid TikTok fan myself, I can confidently say that TikTok remains at the top of the totem pole when it comes to these short clips that creators produce.

  17. I have noticed the new Instagram-reels feature but thought it was just a feature so you can read comments as the video plays, but never really looked into what the feature actually is. I’ve seen Instagram reels used on accounts such as Bleacher Report or ESPN showing sports highlights or clips from the shows “Get Up” and “First Take” (two very popular shows on ESPN). I have never thought of it as a knock-off TikTok feature because I do not think that was their intention. If it was supposed to be a competitor I believe Instagram would have had a huge marketing campaign if they added this feature as a true competitor to TikTok.
    But let’s say to your point it was supposed to be a true competitor. If it does not gain any traction compared to TikTok level I do not think they will get rid of this feature. People such as myself enjoy this feature because I can have the video play as I read the comments which is something I believe is a positive.

  18. I am on Instagram A LOT, and I have never heard of Instagram Reels. When going on the explore page on the app, I noticed that various videos were playing, but I never got curious enough to click on them. Similar to you, most of the Reels that have appeared on my explore page I have already seen on TikTok.
    I am also a frequent user of TikTok (probably more than Instagram). In my opinion, these two apps are so different and it really is hard to compare them. I use these apps for completely different reasons. I go on Instagram to keep up with what my friends are doing, and I go on TikTok to see funny videos and interesting DIY crafts. For this reason, I don’t think that Instagram Reels will ever catch up to TikTok. If I want to see videos of that nature, I will just open the TikTok app.
    If there is not enough traction, I do think that Instagram will get rid of Reels. I understand their reasoning for making Reels in the first place, because we all thought TikTok was getting banned. Now that it’s not, I feel as though it would be pointless for Instagram to keep these. The videos that appear are ones that are on TikTok anyways, so I do not see a purpose.
    I have included this article written by a reporter for Vox.com. As we all know, Facebook now owns Instagram. This article discusses how Facebook has a history of creating knockoffs similar to this Instagram Reels and TikTok debacle. It is very interesting to see the differing opinions of Instagram Reels through this article
    Article: https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/8/5/21354975/tiktok-clone-instagram-reels-facebook-copycat

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