The main point of Instagram Reels is to allow users to create fun, short videos set to music or audio that can be shared with friends and the Instagram community. Reels provides a new way for people to express themselves creatively and be entertained on Instagram.
Reels Allow Self-Expression Through Short Video
One of the key appeals of Reels is the ability to create 15-second videos using various creative tools and features within the Instagram camera. Like TikTok and other similar apps, Reels lets you film short video clips and spice them up with audio, AR effects, green screen effects, text overlays, timers, and more. This makes it easy for anyone to make engaging short videos without advanced editing skills or expensive equipment.
Instagram designed Reels to be a fun and accessible way for people to showcase their personality. Users can make lip-sync videos, comedy skits, how-to tutorials, dance videos, and any other short-form video content they dream up. The creative options are wide open. Reels caters to anyone who wants to express themselves through video, show off their creativity, or just have fun making content to share.
Reels Facilitate Video-Based Entertainment
Beyond self-expression, Reels also aims to boost the entertainment value of Instagram as a whole. The vertical video format makes it easy to film and upload casual, in-the-moment videos. And the 15-second time limit encourages punchy, engaging clips that quickly capture a viewer’s attention.
Instagram designed the Reels experience to facilitate fast-paced browsing. The swipe interface allows seamlessly flipping from one fun video to the next. Instagram also incorporates algorithms to recommend trending Reels based on your interests, ensuring a constant stream of fresh content.
For individual users, Reels provides a video-centric feed of entertainment. And for content creators, it offers a way to produce fun content that spreads quickly and gets them discovered by new audiences. Overall, Reels creates a new form of visual entertainment native to the Instagram ecosystem.
Reels Integrate With Instagram to Reach New Audiences
A major advantage of Reels is its deep integration with Instagram at large. Reels videos appear right in the main Instagram feed, seamlessly mixed with photos and other videos. Reels also get their own dedicated tab within Explore, creating a concentrated place to find top Reels.
This integration means Reels creators can access the entire Instagram user base. Their videos can take off with the help of hashtags and be surfaced to new viewers through Explore and recommended content. In essence, Reels allows harnessing Instagram’s massive reach for short-form video.
For individual users, coming across entertaining Reels in their feeds and Explore introduces them to new creators to follow. The integration creates a symbiotic relationship – Reels creators can gain more followers, while viewers can find new accounts to watch and enjoy through Reels.
Reels Support New Types of Creators & Content
Historically, Instagram has been a place to share glossy, carefully-crafted photos. But Reels opens the door for more casual, authentic content. The lowered production barrier allows creators to film spontaneous moments throughout their day and gives a platform to users who want to post fun videos without pressure to be overly polished.
This greater accessibility enables entirely new types of creators and content to thrive on Instagram. Reels is a place for up-and-coming creators to get started and bring unconventional content to the platform. Dancers, cooks, artists, comedians, and more can find an audience and build a following posting Reels videos.
For Instagram, embracing short-form amateur video represents a shift toward the future of social media entertainment. Reels accelerates this transition, catering to mobile-oriented users who want bite-sized video content.
Reels Can Be Monetized Like Other Instagram Content
Like other parts of Instagram, Reels incorporates opportunities for monetization. Accounts with access can monetize Reels by displaying ads that run between loops. This gives popular Reels creators a way to earn revenue from viral videos.
Reels with public access also count toward requirements for other monetization programs like Instagram shopping and badges. Meeting these requirements can unlock additional earning opportunities for Reels creators.
While Reels started out more focused on entertainment than monetization, Instagram has increasingly added money-making options. They want to incentivize top creators to invest time in producing compelling Reels content.
Reels Competes With Other Social Video Platforms
The launch of Reels can also be seen in the context of competition with other social video apps. In particular, the short-form video format mimics the central appeal of TikTok and Snapchat.
By incorporating elements of these platforms, Instagram created a way to cater to users who want bite-sized video content while keeping them within the Instagram ecosystem. While competitors gained traction through short video, Reels is Instagram’s answer.
Reels also incorporates TikTok-style remixes, which allow using existing videos to create your own Reel. This makes it easy to collaborate with and riff off top creators – a key driver of content on other platforms.
Reels Evolved as a More Social Video Experience
When Reels first launched, some criticized that it felt like a purely individual video consumption experience. But Instagram has pushed Reels to be more collaborative and conversational over time.
They added features like Remix and Save Audio to facilitate community interaction. Dual recording allows creating Reels with friends. Commenting and sharing add social engagement layers onto Reels videos.
Instagram wants Reels not just to be a place to broadcast video, but for creators and viewers to interact around shared content. More social features aim to differentiate Reels as a video platform.
Key Takeaways
The core purposes of Reels can be summed up as:
- Giving Instagram users a fun new way to create short, entertaining video content.
- Helping Instagram compete with other social video apps through a similar vertical video experience.
- Providing creators an easily accessible way to produce content, get discovered, and potentially earn money.
- Adding a more video-centric, casual, collaborative consumption experience to Instagram.
In short, Reels makes Instagram more creator-friendly while also evolving the app into a destination for mobile video entertainment. It strikes a balance between self-expression, community, and competition – key components of social media success.