A standalone short video sharing platform would have been a better strategy for Reels, say experts.
Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh recently took the internet by storm when he danced to a Govinda song for his Instagram Reels clip. The video received about 164,000 likes.
From celebrities, content creators to users, Instagram’s Reels has caught everyone’s attention. But will the new feature be a game changer for Instagram? Can Reels fill the gap that TikTok’s ban has created in the video sharing space?
While experts say that Reels is getting traction amid content creators, only time will tell whether the feature will be a game changer for Instagram.
According to Prashant Sharma, CMO, NOFILTR Social, “Reels is at very early stage of its launch. It is missing lot of things that TikTok as a short video sharing platform had in terms of culture, creating a sound that would trend. But influencers have taken to Reels to create content. But from a user’s perspective, Instagram has become a bit complicated. It is a little confusing with IGTV, Stories, Reels coming on your feed together.”
This is why he thinks a standalone short video sharing platform would have been a better strategy.
And Mohammed Salim Khan (MSK), a lifestyle, travel and motivational vlogger who has 264,000 followers on Instagram, concurs.
“I think Reels is a TikTok clone. In fact, TikTok had more features since it was a standalone app. Instagram is already crowded with pictures, live sessions, videos, stories, IGTVs, and now Reels. This makes Instagram messy. Also, the easier it is to create content, more number of people will create it, and we will have more pointless and unnecessary content like we had on TikTok. Reels could be more successful if it was a standalone app,” he said.
Even Harman Sidhu, who has 131,000 followers on Instagram and creates content around fitness thinks that a separate app would have been better. “Having Reels within Instagram is too much to process. And so much needs to improve like in-app editing.”
But is Reels finding traction in India?
Ankit Agarwal, Founder, Do Your Thng, an influencer marketing firm, said that Reels is getting traction because it’s a novelty feature on Instagram and that its launch time makes Reels a big draw.
“The ban on TikTok left a huge dent and Reels swooped right in. Think from the creator perspective. Here is an established platform giving them a reliable alternative to TikTok and not the half-baked Indian options,” he said.
Instagram leaving no stone unturned to promote Reels.
“Instagram has collaborated with various influencers to make sure that they are putting out Reels on a regular basis and especially during the launch. I have seen some influencers putting out great Reels and till now I never thought that a 15 second video can be so interesting,” said Neel Gogia, Co-founder, IPLIX Media.
But can Instagram through Reels be able to attract audience from smaller markets?
Not really, says Sharma. According to him, platforms that work in the smaller markets are usually platforms that are simpler to use. “Understanding Instagram in the smaller market will be difficult. So, don’t think it will create that big a dent in the smaller markets with Reels.”
Gogia thinks otherwise. “Most of the current users from TikTok are from tier II, III and IV cities and if we are expecting some diary direction from TikTok to other platforms, I feel Reels will be a good option because most of the TikTok creators are now active on Instagram and Instagram is their go to option,” he said.
Agarwal thinks that “with Reels, Instagram finally signals that it’s evolving from an aspirational platform to one meant for masses.”
What about content creators/ influencers? Is Reels exciting enough for them?
Sidhu who is still trying to understand Reels’ use for her said, “The audience is the same and there is so much already that Instagram offers -the stories, the feed the IGTV. So, I am still figuring out.”
Despite Instagram being Sidhu’s priority and TikTok her secondary focus area, Reels hasn’t caught her attention yet. For her, the only attractive part about Reels is “the fact that it's a part of Instagram.”
But can Reels help in better monetisation of content?
According to Gogia, brands have more options along with IGTV videos and stories.
“IGTV is most expensive followed by post on the story. Now, Reels can also fit somewhere between a post and a video giving brands more variety,” he said.
And it looks like brands are already interested in Reels’ content.
“Some of the creators are already able to monetise their content on Reels because some of the brands still want the short video content. Brands have started coming on board to use Instagram Reels to promote their brands," said Sharma.
But creators who were heavy on TikTok and did many brand collaborations will see a 60-70 percent drop in revenue on Instagram initially, he added.
Shlok Srivastava (Techburner), who has 238,000 followers on Instagram thinks that more than in-platform monetisation, brand collaborations will be beneficial for creators.
“If you're a big creator, you have direct contact with a lot of brands and you can go back and forth with them on brand deals. I think that helps a lot more than some random ads displaying on your videos,” he said.
Sidhu pointed out another aspect. “Currently, Reels only has a 15 second video limit. If you see, TikTok grew in popularity only after it increased the time limit to a minute. So, a video which was 30 to 40 seconds did the best. 15 seconds is very restrictive. If only the time limit is increased can the monetisation really help.”