Reels or TikTok’s - Which Should T&T Businesses Invest In?

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TikTok has become one of the most used social media applications online. Its immersive feed, short and quick content with a personalised user algorithm has contributed to its success. It has also pushed the social media industry toward video-first content—including Instagram.

Their recent updates to drive video content by using and prioritizing Reels on users’ feeds have resulted in some businesses completely re-working their Meta strategy.

Yet, in many of our conversations with clients about incorporating Reels and TikTok’s, they want to know which platform is worth investing their time and money into.

So, let's dive into this topic a bit more.

What are Reels?

Reels are Instagram's attempt at competing against TikTok’s tremendous success in the last 5 years. It creates portrait videos that can be up to 90 seconds long and users can customize the audio, editing, filters, icons and stickers.

They have recently announced that all videos in the app are going to become Reels. However, their recent trial for a more immersive feed and to push Reel content on the platform has received some backlash from users. Including some of the Kardashian sisters and others who want the platform to “stop trying to be like TikTok.”

What is the difference between Reels and TikTok?

There is little to no difference between the two. Both are short-form video content in portrait mode, however, the formats of each app and algorithm differ.

Should I be using TikTok or Reels?

Yes. TikTok’s short-form video content has revolutionized social media. Therefore, your social media strategy has to include this type of short form, phone filmed video content. Even if that is one video per month it should be seen as a core component of your strategy just as posts, stories or animations are.

Now, on to the question of the hour, which platform should you invest in?

Due to the similarity in the content of both platforms, you can and must invest in both. Like any new social media platform, it is worth investing in if your audience is on the platform and due to the high number of local users most industries will find their audience on both platforms.

More importantly, you have to try out both platforms to find out which one works best for you, your company and your audience. Some companies find success on one or the other or both. Thus, a trial period of 3 months is necessary to gauge which platform is worth incorporating into your social media strategy.

The best way to do this is to film and edit the content outside of both apps and then add them to the app. Ensure to place the relevant text and music. Using this strategy allows you to create one video and adjust it accordingly for each platform. This gives you the opportunity to compare and contrast the engagement and reach on each app.

Where do I begin?

It can be intimidating to start your TikTok or Reel strategy, however, it is important to remember that all businesses start small, even Netflix, Target and other mainstream companies began using these features with scale in mind.

Look through some content on both apps, follow companies, especially international competitors and see what they are doing. Create short videos showcasing your products or jump on an easy trend that fits your brand. Like many social media trends, the point is to start and soon you will find the strategy and content that works for you and your customers.

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