If you can’t ban them, destroy them. That’s the vibe over at Facebook HQ, where I can only imagine old mate Zucks sits in his Voice-like turning chair, thinking about what else can be done to take over the world. And you best believe TikTok is the next target.
Launched today in Australia, Instagram ‘Reels’ is basically the 2020 version of when the Facebook-owned company launched Stories as a direct competitor to Snapchat.
And I mean honestly between IG Stories and TikTok, does anyone actually use Snapchat anymore? It was a pretty swift and dominant foot-on-throat moment, and made Snapchat look less desirable than Cass on Bachie In Paradise.
According to their official press release, Reels is a new format on IG “that gives anyone the ability to create and discover short form, edited videos with audio and music”. Guys, just say this is you’re attempt at demolishing TikTok, it’ll come across a lot more authentic, trust.
It turns out that a lot of TikTok content has been making it’s way onto Instagram in the past month, or people are just changing up the way they use video right now. With 45% of all videos post to Instagram Feed in the last month being short form, under 15 seconds.
Reels basically brings you a bunch of exactly the same TikTok ~new and exclusive~ editing tools, a timer, speed controls, AR effects, countdown and a new align tool. Wow! So edgy! So unique! So innovative!
The head of creative at Instagram after coming up with “reels” pic.twitter.com/9RdZ5FmHRd
— laughcable (@laughcable) August 5, 2020
And although Instagram Stories had a sharp, clean feel about it – I feel the beauty of TikTok is the the low-brow, off-cuts and not-super-professional feel.
Instagram feels like a more polished social media channel, you know? I don’t want to watch zooo zoo zoooos on Insta, Zucks.
And as you can imagine, Twitter was lit up with rage.
I don’t understand why @instagram as a platform doesn’t listen to its users and gives it functions that nobody asked for. Like reels ?!?!! Insta your not tik tok, how about fixing things users actually want like your shit crop ratio, or your dump algorithm
— Camila Saldarriaga (@perolykecami) August 6, 2020
instagram really has a self esteem issue. that bitch added stories because of snap and now reels????? pic.twitter.com/xHE198WDFI
— philip??♂️ (@ichbineinphilip) August 6, 2020
Reels is not gonna work like tik tok bc people aren’t willing to be strange and out of the box on Instagram. The whole app rewards conformist behavior, the complete opposite of tik tok’s culture
— SAD GIRL T (@torimumtaz) August 6, 2020
Hot take: Instagram Reels won’t be able to touch TikTok without creating something that can compete with the algorithm of the FYP. Until then, it’s just TikTok editing tools slapped onto the IG app ??♀️
— paddington stan account (@Adriyoung) August 5, 2020
instagram really said “introducing tik t- i mean Reels! ??”
— bro, what? | BLM DUM DUM (@danielkiMesz) August 5, 2020
When you accidently watch Instagram Reels pic.twitter.com/DRiIU0Ec6G
— Miss Pututu (@misspututu) August 6, 2020
Between Reels, Stories, Live & IGTV, god it feels crowded. But hey, they’ve crushed big viral brands before and you better believe they’re stocking up to do it all again.
I mean I’m certain people would have said Stories wouldn’t last when Snap was at it’s peak, but here we are. And with all the drama about TikTok being banned in the States, the potential Microsoft buyout, and just general political fights with China – you can’t rule out TikTok somehow being obsolete in a few years.
