How to Make the Most Out of Instagram Reels and TikTok
A new era of emerging content is here. Short-form video has grown into a visual digital oasis for mobile marketers. In the past year alone, social media platforms like Instagram have integrated new video features like Reels, making it more accessible for small and big brands to use. Likewise, engagement in videos has increased significantly in rivaling platforms such as YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok.
No longer are companies promoting their brands through just photos and captions, brands are utilizing short-form video more than ever and intersecting the art of storytelling through broadcasting visual media. According to Keyhole, there are more than 800 million active users on TikTok and 113 million users on Instagram. Whether you’re using TikTok or Instagram Reels, here are three ways video is changing your digital strategy.
Consumers Crave More Digestible Content
The most popular social media platforms for teens and millennials are Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. All of which have a video component. A 10-second video can paint a picture so much more about a product or service than a traditional photo, especially if attention spans continue to diminish. Through these videos, creators don’t even need to execute a huge production.
The more relatable and authentic it feels to the brand and consumer the more it becomes shareable, which leads to higher visibility and engagement. TikTok’s success comes from how the app makes it easy for creators to make, edit in-app and upload videos. The video creator app also allows consumers to find them through the highly intuitive algorithm and hashtags.
While the Reels platform is fairly new as an emerging medium, and make a name for itself in the video app market, Instagram makes creating videos just as easy (just without a few of the bells and whistles TikTok provides). The most important thing to remember is that Instagram Reels works off your network and engagement, while TikTok’s highly intuitive algorithm shows you videos from creators across the world through your watching habits, engagement, followers, etc.
What the homepages for TikTok (left) and Instagram Reels (right) look like as of February 2021.
Short-Form Video Builds More Credibility IRL Vs. Traditional Ads
While traditional ads do target specific demographics with a strategic paid media plan, short-form videos from your average content creator can also attract specific demographics. In an article from the Harvard Business Review, it even stated that ads are “actually a relic of the mass media age that has been repackaged as a digital concept.”
A key element to consider while arguing credibility is the intention behind the type of content being created. It’s worth noting that TikTok is a platform where creators and consumers can come as they are and create whatever they want with little to no judgment. There’s no pressure to look perfect or be funny. While the creator culture of Instagram is generally based on idyllic visuals and followers. It’s important to ask yourself as a consumer or a brand how do I relate this message back to my target demographic through video?
Brands can even persuade consumers to create their own short-form videos for self-promotion, and platforms such as TikTok and Instagram thrive on the buzz of crowdculture to increase a community and stickiness. User-generated content (UGC) has also proven more valuable than traditional ads. This provides an opportunity to engage with the consumers and keep building on the existing emotional connection. Before you know it, you have a community of brand ambassadors.
An example of an Instagram Video ad (left) and TikTok ad (right).
Aggregates Awareness Faster than Ever Before
Shareability is crucial on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Personally, TikTok has the best sharing capabilities between Instagram and even Snapchat. For example, one tap takes you to an option to share with anyone on TikTok, through Instagram, or send a link through text message.
Instagram only allows sharing within the app and an automated link. Regardless, each app provides creators the tools that are built into the app (video editing, shopping feature, etc.) to produce short-form content. By utilizing the in-app tools, engagement and your content’s reach automatically increase through each respected algorithm.
Written for LRA PR