With the roll-out of Reels in August, the question whether it could replace TikTok pops up more and more as many users argue for the similarities. While these similarities are relevant, the success of a brand strategy relies on the well-thought adoption of the tone of voice and the channel’s creators.
We can say both tools can make an impact, as long as the authenticity or entertaining feature of the content attractive for the influencers’ followers. There are a few differences that can be considered when choosing your preference:
- length of videos
- editing features
- music integration
- demographics
- other engaging features (ie. duet, reaction & stich)
From the creators’ point of view
Reels is similar to Tiktok, apart from a few features. Reels allows creators to capture 15 or 30-sec videos, on TikTok this time can be anything up to 60 seconds.
The camera section comes with an assortment of tools that allow to temper with speed, apply special effects and add audio (however, using music is not possible for business accounts in Reels, brands need to develop their content with another tool before uploading). In TikTok, creators can use the ‘sound sync’ mode to ensure the sound matches the video, and for Reels, they can manually sync the song, taking more time to edit a video.
Both TikTok and Reels were designed with entertainment in mind, the question of separating their IG style content from TikTok style could be a barrier for adapting Reels, at least in the short-term. Creators can use the whole IG ecosystem with Reels (Stories, IGTV, and Instagram Shop), sending their content directly, using IG specific effects – everything that can be part of their already existing strategy, however, they won’t be able to duet with each other or stich other content into their videos.
Differences in usage and audience
Demographics of the followers is also something that brands should consider. TikTok is extremely appealing to gen Z (41% of the users are aged between 16 and 24), and the content can go viral easily. The app has its ForYou feed, that is tailored to show clips that suits the user the most. On Reels however, reels go to the Explore tab, a collage with photos, videos and sponsored posts, so they are distributed for a smaller audience.
The launch of Reels is still in an ongoing phase, and we are sure there will be improvements for both music features and editing options. If you are interested in how to plan your TikTok or Reels strategy, our experts would be happily at your service.