INSTAGRAM REELS VS. TIKTOK VIDEOS: A COMPARISON FOR 2023

It’s no secret that short-form videos have taken center stage in the world of social media. Users are captivated by these bite-sized, visually appealing videos that pack a punch in just a few seconds.

It’s a way for users to express their creativity, engage with their audience, and even go viral if they’re lucky! When it comes to these trendy methods of sharing content, two platforms are the obvious frontrunners of short-form video content that you are likely already familiar with. Instagram and TikTok. But what’s the difference between the two?

LET’S COMPARE…

Key similarities:

• Vertical video format: Both platforms are optimized for vertical video. This is a user-friendly layout that maximizes screen space and allows for an overall better viewing experience as content can be seen quickly and easily without having to rotate the screen.

• Features: Both platforms offer numerous creative tools. From adding music and special effects to stitching videos together. The sky's the limit when it comes to being able to edit and create captivating content.

• Use by influencers and businesses for promotion: Influencers and businesses both know the potential of Instagram reels and TikTok for promoting their brands, products, and services. These platforms have become hugely popular and are great tools for being able to reach a wide audience.

Key differences:

• Algorithm: TikTok’s algorithm favors originality. It leans more towards rewarding users who create unique and entertaining content. Instagram Reels tend to highlight videos featuring trending sounds. This blog post dives into the different algorithms a bit more and can help you figure out how to make them work in your favor.

• Video duration: Great news! Neither Instagram nor TikTok require you to stick to a window of time. However, I would suggest using Instagram Reels for shorter content, and TikTok for a longer story-telling type video. The difference in time allows for a more varied type and style of content.

• Effects and filters: TikTok offers a broader range of video effects and filters giving users more ways to use their imagination and creativity.

• Focus: TikTok focuses on virality and does a good job of propelling lesser-known creators to popularity overnight. Reels has more of a focus on driving follower growth and does this more consistently.

BEST PRACTICES FOR EACH PLATFORM

Here are some things to keep in mind while using either platform…

• Optimal video length: On Instagram Reels, keep it concise and engaging and stick to a shorter window. People have less attention spans with Instagram. TikTok is where you have the option to do more storytelling, and it is suggested you stick to a 5-10 minute window.

• Ways to maximize reach and engagement: For both platforms, make sure to captivate your audience in the first few seconds. Use an attention-grabbing intro to hook them right away, and always include a Call To Action.

• Leveraging hashtags and sounds: Use relevant hashtags and trending sounds to increase your chance of being discovered and to increase engagement for both platforms.

• Promoting videos outside of the platform: Both Instagram Reels and TikTok allow you to share your videos across other social media channels in order to make the most of promoting to your audience and to reach more people. So take advantage of it! But make sure you always remove the watermark before posting a video on another platform. Snapinsta.app and Snaptik are great tools to download and re-purpose your videos while removing the watermark.

METRICS TO TRACK

Whether you are using TikTok or Instagram Reels, there are some key metrics you’ll want to track for both platforms to see how well your content is doing. These are great indicators to tell you if you need to change up your content or strategy…

• View: Monitor the number of views your videos receive. The higher the views, the more opportunities you have to be seen by your ideal client or customer.

• Likes/Comments: Measuring engagement metrics like your likes and comments is a good indicator of how well the content you are putting out there is resonating with your audience.

• Shares: Track how often your videos are shared. This shows that your content is coming across as relevant to your audience and that they are seeing it as valuable information.

• Follower growth: Measure how your content impacts your number of followers. Consistent growth in followers means you are doing something right.

• Traffic driven: If you’re linking to external websites or to other social media profiles, make sure to track the traffic that is being sent there from your videos.

• My favorite metric to track? PROFILE VIEWS. If people are going to your profile, it means they are interested in learning more about you and your business. This is why it is so important to make sure your Instagram profile is optimized.

Clearly, Instagram Reels and TikTok are both powerful platforms when it comes to short-form video content. Both have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, so make sure you choose the one that is right for your goals and target audience. So which aligns better with what it is you want to achieve in 2023?

Still not sure how to figure out your goals? This podcast episode might help you get on the right track nailing down what it is you want to achieve. And if you could still use some help on figuring out your goals, or the right platform for the job, reach out!