Facebook Reels are short form videos that live on both Facebook and Instagram. They allow creators to record multi-clip videos combined with audio, effects, and creative tools. Reels first launched on Instagram in August 2020 as a competitor to TikTok. In 2021, Reels started rolling out on Facebook as well. Since launch, Reels have quickly grown to become a major part of Facebook’s offering. But do Facebook Reels actually do well and deliver results for creators? Let’s take a look at the data and performance metrics around Facebook Reels to see how they stack up.
Do Reels Get Reach On Facebook?
One of the most important factors when considering creating any type of content on a platform is the potential reach it can achieve. For Reels specifically, there are a few key stats to look at:
- Over 140 billion Reels are played across Facebook and Instagram every day as of February 2022 (Source: Facebook Internal Data)
- Reels make up over 20% of the time people spend on Instagram (Source: Instagram)
- During testing, Facebook found that Reels generated 2.9x more comments and 2.5x more engagement vs regular videos (Source: Facebook)
So in terms of raw reach potential, Reels perform very well. Facebook is aggressively pushing Reels in the algorithm and across its platforms, so they deliver significant reach. The high level of daily plays shows that Reels have become deeply integrated into the Facebook ecosystem.
Additionally, their strong engagement rates versus regular videos demonstrate their ability to connect with viewers and stand out in the feed. Overall, the reach potential of Reels on Facebook is quite strong. They have quickly become a core part of the Facebook content experience.
How Does Facebook Reels Engagement Compare?
In addition to reach, engagement rate is a crucial metric for evaluating Reels performance. Engagement rate measures the amount of engagement a piece of content generates proportional to its reach. Do Reels actually engage viewers once they start watching?
Several data points indicate Reels have excellent engagement metrics:
- Instagram Reels see 30% higher engagement rates than photos (Source: Instagram)
- The most engaging Reels produce 4-10X higher engagement rates than videos on Facebook (Source: Facebook)
- Top Reels outperform leading feed videos at similar points in time after posting (Source: Facebook)
These benchmarks show that Reels engage users at very high levels compared to other content formats. On both Facebook and Instagram, they offer engagement rates significantly higher than regular videos and photos. The interactive nature of Reels with audio, effects, polls and other features helps drive this high level of engagement.
Surpassing similar videos at the same age is also an impressive engagement achievement. Overall, these metrics indicate Reels have excellent engagement potentials when they resonate with audiences.
How Much Reach Do Top Reels Accounts Get?
Looking at individual top creators on Reels can also give a sense of the potential reach. Some top benchmarks include:
- Top Instagram Reels creators average over 52 million views per month (Source: Instagram)
- Leading Facebook Reels publisher LadBible averages 150 million monthly views (Source: LadBible)
- Lifestyle creator Blossom has garnered 3.2 billion Facebook Reels views in 10 months (Source: Blossom)
These creators demonstrate the huge audiences Reels can achieve when content resonates. Monthly view counts in the tens or hundreds of millions highlight the format’s potential to achieve viral reach.
Individual Reels can also see astronomical numbers. For example, one LadBible Reel has earned 550 million views, showing how a single viral Reel can dominate feeds. Overall, top Reels creators and individual Reels demonstrate massive reach possibilities.
How Many Likes & Comments Do Top Reels Get?
Likes and comments are important Reels engagement metrics beyond just views. Looking at benchmarks can demonstrate how well they deliver results:
- Top Facebook Reels average 750,000 Likes per Reel (Source: Socialinsider)
- Viral Instagram Reels often exceed 3 million Likes (Source: Socialinsider)
- Leading Reels generate anywhere from 5,000 to 35,000 Comments each (Source: Socialinsider)
These benchmarks reveal high levels of engagement in terms of Likes and Comments. Hundreds of thousands or millions of Likes and thousands of Comments are common for viral Reels. This level of engagement outpaces most other content formats.
The interactive commenting nature of Reels in particular drives high Comment counts. And gaining millions of Likes shows content is resonating deeply with specific audiences. Overall, top-tier Reels achieve excellent Like and Comment engagement.
How Much Do Followers & Watch Time Grow With Reels?
For creators, Reels success should also translate into audience growth and increased watch time. Key benchmarks around these metrics include:
- Instagram creators see +21% follower growth within 6 months of adopting Reels (Source: Instagram)
- Leading publishers see 2-4X more watch time on Reels vs. feed videos (Source: Facebook)
- Facebook says adoption of Reels and Stories leads to +10% follower growth in 6 months (Source: Facebook)
These stats demonstrate Reels success translates into real channel growth, with double digit follower gains in many cases. The highly engaging format drives visibility in the algorithm, profile visits and attention that converts to follows.
Similarly, watch time metrics indicate Reels keep viewers glued to content and on profiles longer. Their vertical scroll, multi-clip nature drives increased watch time compared to more passive feed video viewing. This greater engagement leads to followers investing more time in creators.
Ultimately Reels sucess has a demonstrably positive impact on follower growth and watch time for savvy creators. Their growth trajectory steepens significantly once they begin effectively utilizing Reels.
How Does Reels Monetization & Revenue Compare?
While reach and engagement are crucial, bottom line revenue generation is a major goal for most creators. How do Reels stack up in terms of monetization potential?
Currently Reels monetization lags other formats, but is quickly growing:
- Instagram Reels don’t yet include advertising, limiting revenue for now
- Facebook Reels are monetized with ads at a 55% revenue share, lower than feed videos (Source: Facebook)
- But ad monetary tests show strong potential, with Reels generating 2x video ad revenue (Source: Facebook)
While Reels are still ramping up monetization efforts, early indicators are very positive. Their ability to double ad revenue versus normal video bodes well for their money-generating potential as programs expand.
And as Reels increasingly dominate feed content and watch time, not adopting them means leaving significant revenue on the table long term. While monetization lags for now, creators able to build audiences and drive engagement with Reels will be poised to capitalize as revenue programs grow.
Pros & Cons of Facebook Reels for Creators
Given the performance metrics covered, what are some key pros and cons of Reels that creators should consider when deciding to invest in the format?
Pros:
- Reach – Reels have enormous potential reach into the billions with a priority algorithm
- Engagement – Reels drive best-in-class engagement metrics, outperforming photos and videos
- Growth – Success with Reels boosts followers, watch time and funnel traffic
- Future revenue – Strong early ad results suggest significant future monetization potential
Cons:
- Limited monetization – For now, revenue lags other formats though programs are expanding
- More work – Reels take more effort than photos or basic videos
- Uncertain future – Algorithm changes may impact Reels’ priority
Overall, the pros of reach, engagement and growth indicate Reels are likely to be a smart investment for creators. And their monetization future is bright. The main cons come down to their revenue still ramping up and added work needed to make great Reels.
But their benefits likely outweigh those factors for most ambitious creators focused on growth and engagement. Reels are simply where your audience is spending their time and attention.
Conclusion
Analyzing key performance benchmarks makes a compelling case that Facebook Reels do deliver excellent results overall. They provide:
- Massive reach potential into the billions
- Best-in-class engagement metrics surpassing photos and videos
- Significant follower growth and watch time gains
- Major future monetization opportunities
For most creators, NOT adopting Reels poses the bigger risk by leaving reach, engagement and revenue on the table. Facebook is clearly prioritizing Reels now and for the foreseeable future.
Creators who can master Reels will gain an algorithm advantage and lay the foundation for monetization as programs expand. The necessary work to create great Reels is well worth the effort given their performance upside.
In summary, the key benchmarks and data clearly demonstrate that Facebook Reels do deliver excellent results overall. Smart creators will make Reels an essential part of their content strategy to reach the next level.