TikTok vs. Instagram Reels

ikTok. You may have heard this more often than not in the past few years, especially with the global pandemic that we are all living in. As a result, more and more people have turned to the social media platform to keep themselves entertained and occupied when there has been nothing else to do but isolate themselves (Gosh, how many times have we heard that word recently?!) But, you may be wondering what TikTok is and what all the hype is all about. Well lucky for you, here at The Launch Agency we love making TikToks! Not just because it gives us an excuse to have a break from work, but because of how beneficial they can be to boost your business’s social media presence. This platform is now ranked the third-largest social media platform worldwide, with 755 million monthly users, sitting behind Instagram and Facebook.  

Instagram on the other hand is a platform that people are more common and comfortable with. Launched in 2010, it has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with 1.28 billion monthly users, it sure is the perfect platform to get your business across the world. As of 2020, Instagram has released a new feature called ‘ reels’. Like TikTok, it gives users the chance to publish short & sharp videos that leave their audience wondering where the time went after being caught in the trap that is scrolling through your phone!

Video length:

TikToks have varied video lengths that allow the user to record videos that are either 15 seconds, 60 seconds or 3-minute intervals. Of course, the videos can be in between any of these timeframes, however, the user cannot record for more than 3 minutes. This is a new video length added by tik tok in mid-2021. The highest performing TikTok videos however are under 30 seconds in length, showing that short and sharp videos tend to do the best. The option to publish Tik Tok 3 minutes in length allows for users to have greater storytelling capabilities as opposed to reels. At this moment in time, Instagram reels only let you post videos up to 60 seconds in length, which means a shorter form of content.

Features:

In terms of features, TikTok has a lot more that can be added to their videos as opposed to Instagram reels. TikTok gives users the chance to add their own ‘sound’ (audio) to their videos which means that there is a chance for their sounds to go viral. An example of this is a teenage kiwi producer’s music being used by Jason Derlou on the app. TikTok also allows sounds from your favourite music artists too. In terms of other features, Tik Tok has a vast range of different filters and effects as well as sounds to create fun and engaging content. Instagram on the other hand does not offer these same features. Instagram reels have their own version of duets, this being called ‘remix’. Remixing Instagram reels is very similar to Tik Toks ‘duet’ feature. It allows users the chance to remix any Instagram reel, meaning the screen splits and on one side is the original video and the other is your new remixed version. However, this feature is only available if the remix feature is enabled on your reels, this can be easily turned on or off in your Instagrams settings.

Analytics:

In terms of analytics, both platforms offer a great insight into how your audience is reacting to your reel, TikTok or even both!. Both Tik Tok and Instagram reels allow you to see how many views, likes, comments & shares you have received on the content that you have published, not only that but there are some more in-depth insights that both platforms offer too. For example, you can see where your audience is based which is a handy tool when it comes to marketing and specific content while also trying to grow your page to your target audience!

Audience:

In terms of audience. 31% of Instagram reels users worldwide are between the ages of 18 and 24 compared to 43% of Tik Tok’s global audience between the same ages. 32% of Instagram reels and tik tok users globally are in the 25-34-year-old age range bracket. These statistics suggest that the younger generation tends to use tik tok more than Instagram reels and vice versa. This is very valuable knowledge when it comes to creating content to catch the eye of the hundreds of millions of people who use these social platforms.

Wrap Up:

Overall there are many differences and similarities between both Instagram reels and Tik Tok. Both apps have many similar features as well as having features that are only offered exclusively by each platform. There are benefits of using both platforms when it comes to content creation for your business. Both have good analytics statistics to benefit from, while the main audiences of each platform are slightly different in the younger age ranges but tend to be similar towards the other end of the spectrum. As a whole, both Instagram reels and TikTok are fantastic applications to show off your business and what you can offer as a product or service, but also as a Brand too which is key in today’s society.