Grab your popcorn, the Meta VS TikTok battle is ON, with Meta fully launching Reels on Facebook to capitalise on the popularity of short-form video content. Already available to users in the USA, it is now available in more than 150 regions. If you see a new Reel display at the top of your feed, then you’re a lucky bean!
In addition to the features Facebook announced last year for US users, it is adding new creative features and tools to Reels, such as:
- Remix: Create your own reel alongside an existing, publicly-shared reel on Facebook. When you create a Remix, you can create a reel that includes all or part of another creator’s reel.
- 60-second Reels: Make reels up to 60 seconds long.
- Drafts: You will soon be able to create a reel and choose to “Save As Draft” below the Save button.
- Video Clipping: In the coming months, we’re planning to roll out video clipping tools that will make it easier for creators who publish live or long-form, recorded videos to test different formats.
Facebook will also roll out some updates such as Reels in Stories, Reels in Watch, Top of Feed, and Suggested Reels in Feed, to make it easier to create and discover Reels in new places. And hopefully soon, crossposting Reels on Facebook and Instagram will be easier for creators to share Reels with both audiences.
How do creators benefit from this?
Similar to YouTube, Facebook is preparing to use its Reels as a complementary tool, while also giving creators the opportunity to build a community and engage with them, which could be problematic for TikTok. Even with its Creator Fund and brand partnerships, creators are complaining about their not-so-satisfying payment models, and with other platforms already paying out billions to creators, TikTok doesn’t stand a chance! Which makes it a complementary channel with no opportunity for broader monetization. Because if these creators also use Reels and YouTube Shorts, why bother to post on TikTok at all? Let’s not forget that much of its success depends on big creators sharing clips, and if they stop doing so, you won’t be spending hours scrolling through the “For You” feed anymore, which eventually would lead to an existential crisis.
Facebook’s also testing more ways for creators to earn money from Reels, such as its Reels Play bonus program, part of their $1 billion creator investment, for top-performing Reels, in-stream ads and Stars which is based on fans buying and sending Stars while watching Reels to support creators.
“We’re expanding tests of Facebook Reels Overlay Ads to all creators in the US, Canada and Mexico, and to more countries in the coming weeks. We’re starting with two formats: banner ads that appear as a semi-transparent overlay at the bottom of a Facebook Reel, and sticker ads: a static image ad that can be placed by a creator anywhere within their reel. These non-interruptive ads enable creators to earn a portion of the ad revenue.”
Both overlay ads and Stars are designed so that as more people view and engage with Reels on Facebook, creator payouts can grow. *Ka-ching*
However, long-form content is where the real buck is! Which Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube already have, and TikTok doesn’t. Which is why TikTok is exploring long-form content, as well as live-streams to help push its own platform.
Money talks, and it will be screaming out loud into the ears of big creators once they reach a certain level that they’re hungry for more! Which is bad news for TikTok.
We hope you enjoyed your popcorn while reading this article. If you like this article, make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing related updates!
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