Status: 02/23/2022 11:05 a.m
The Facebook group Meta will focus more on video functions in the future. To this end, the group is now introducing Facebook Reels worldwide. The tool works like TikTok.
Meta expands the video function on Facebook. The group announced today. After the so-called reels had already been introduced in the USA in September last year, the meta is now also making the function for the social media platform available worldwide. This means that users in more than 150 countries worldwide can now also create and consume mini videos on Facebook.
This is Meta’s response to the rapidly growing demand for short entertainment videos: “Half the time users spend on Instagram and Facebook are watching videos. Reels are by far our fastest growing content format,” says Meta. That’s why the group now wants to introduce new functions for creating reels. In the future, users will be able to create remixes from publicly shared reels and save their clips as drafts.
What are reels?
Reels are short videos with a length of 15 to a maximum of 60 seconds. The video platform TikTok became extremely successful thanks to the mini videos that you can record, edit and post on your smartphone in a very short time. The short clips show everyday tips, dance challenges or funny mishaps. In response to the success of TikTok, Meta subsidiary launched Instagram Reels back in August 2020. Due to the fact that they can be consumed quickly, the mini videos reach a large audience, especially among young users of the social media platforms, without the need for complex production. This makes them very interesting for advertising companies.
Facebook sees TikTok as a key competitor
In addition, the Internet company from Silicon Valley plans to improve brand control. There should be publisher lists, blacklists, inventory filters, and delivery reports for banner and sticker ads on Facebook Reels in every available region. This gives advertisers more control over their ads.
Facebook had barely grown in the past quarter, and company founder Zuckerberg specifically referred to competition from TikTok. The video app belongs to the Chinese group Bytedance, making it the only globally successful social media app that does not come from the USA. TikTok’s algorithm automatically suggests videos to users that match their interests based, among other things, on how long a video is watched before scrolling to the next.
TikTokers reach large audiences
Younes Zarou from Frankfurt has become known with the mini videos on TikTok. With the reel function, Facebook now wants to give artists the opportunity to be successful with the mini videos. Because TikTokers like Zarou, who have more than 42 million followers, reach a large audience. This reach is also relevant to the success of the platform. In the US, Facebook has already had success with its Reels: Niana Guerrero performs trending dances like the #ZooChallenge on Facebook Reels, and author Andrea Gibson gave a reading of her published poetry.