Meta announces changes to Reels on Instagram and Facebook

In a video posted to their Facebook page on July 16, Meta introduced just a few adjustments that may proceed to push the app towards turning into its largest competitor, TikTok. The adjustments embrace the ability to use the “Add Yours” stickers on Reels for Instagram and Fb; making extra insights and knowledge out there for Fb Reels creators; releasing a brand new manner for creators to earn cash on Fb Reels; the flexibility to remix Reels on each platform; crossposting your Instagram Reels onto Fb, and making it simpler to show your Fb recollections and tales into Fb Reels.

We have seen loads of these adjustments go into impact in a method or one other on Meta platforms. Final 12 months, Instagram rolled out “Add Yours” prompt stickers to Stories, which permits customers to answer different customers’ Tales by following an immediate; now you are able to do that for Reels, too. The Tales immediately introduced us to such (boring) hits as “we’ll plant 1 tree for every pet picture” and “show us your name in Urban Dictionary.” This tracks as a manner for Instagram to proceed to prioritize Reels, its short-form video characteristic designed to take over the app.

Meta additionally introduced brand new manner creators can earn cash on Fb Reels known as “Stars,” which are virtual items that followers may give to creators for precise help — principally like a tip jar for movies. Customers can cross-post their Reels from Instagram to Fb by means of the app, in the identical manner you may with Tales proper now. Double the content material. And Meta launched auto-created Fb Reels compiles out of your beforehand shared Fb stories and a brand new Fb Reels insights in Creator Studio which help creators see which Reels are performing nicely.

All of those adjustments come as no shock to anybody who’s paid any consideration to the way in which Meta — and significantly Instagram — has been morphing over the past few weeks. Not too long ago, the app began testing out a model of Instagram that included a full-screen feed, a pivot to video, and a rise of really helpful posts. It seemed like TikTok, however dangerous. It acquired an avalanche of criticism from a few of the platform’s strongest customers and was pressured to quickly stroll again just a few of the adjustments. However the pivot to video is inevitable, it appears.