Facebook is showing more Reels and less original video lately for a few key reasons:
Trying to Compete with TikTok
The biggest reason Facebook is pushing Reels is to compete with TikTok. TikTok has exploded in popularity over the last few years, especially among younger audiences. Facebook sees TikTok eating into its market share, so it is trying to mimic TikTok’s successful short-form video format.
Some key questions around this:
- When did TikTok get popular? TikTok first got popular in 2018 and has grown exponentially since then.
- Who uses TikTok the most? TikTok is most popular among teens and young adults under 30.
- What makes TikTok stand out? Its algorithm is very good at recommending relevant videos quickly, and it provides easy video creation tools.
Facebook hopes it can siphon off some of TikTok’s users and appeal to young people again by prominently featuring Reels.
Trying to Get More Engagement
Facebook has found that Reels generate more engagement and sharing than many other types of posts. The short-form, entertaining videos tend to be quicker for users to consume and react to.
Some key questions around engagement:
- How much more engaging are Reels than regular videos? In some tests, Reels have generated 2-3x more engagement than regular videos.
- Why are Reels more engaging? Their short length makes them easy to watch and respond to. The scrolling feed also helps.
- What does engagement include? Likes, comments, shares, saves – everything that interacts with the post.
Facebook wants to highlight Reels front and center to keep users engaged on the platform as long as possible.
Monetization Potential
Lastly, Facebook sees strong money-making potential with Reels, especially as it finds ways to monetize Reels via advertising and creator payments.
Some key questions around monetization:
- How can Facebook monetize Reels? Video ads between Reels, sponsorships from brands, and potentially revenue sharing with creators.
- Will Reels be profitable for Facebook? Early signs point to yes – the potential ad revenue is significant.
- Do creators make money from Facebook Reels? Not yet, but Facebook is launching a $1 billion Creator Fund to pay creators through 2022.
Facebook is pushing Reels to capitalize on this new monetization stream as video continues to dominate social media.
Algorithm Favoring Reels
Beyond Facebook’s strategic business interests, part of the prominence of Reels is simply due to how Facebook’s algorithm works. The algorithm favors Reels in a few ways:
Recency Bias
Facebook’s algorithm is heavily recency-based, meaning recent posts get ranked higher. Because Reels are newer content, this gives them a boost over older posts in users’ feeds.
Engagement Signals
As mentioned earlier, Reels tend to garner stronger engagement. The algorithm picks up on these signals and ranks engaging Reels higher.
Promotional Placement
Facebook artificially places Reels higher in feeds through promotional channels like the Reels tab, regardless of their actual engagement or relevance.
So the algorithm both naturally favors Reels, and gets additional direction from Facebook to rank them higher. This one-two punch results in Reels dominating users’ feeds.
User Behavior Changes
It’s not just Facebook’s changes pushing Reels – user behavior is changing as well. Users are increasingly embracing short-form video content across platforms. A few key trends here:
- Shorter attention spans – Users have less patience for longer videos.
- Desire for entertainment – Fun Reels are enjoyable to watch.
- TikTok habit – Users trained on TikTok expect short videos.
Users are voluntarily watching more Reels as their tastes evolve, which certainly helps Facebook’s Reels push.
Statistics on Facebook Reels Growth
Here are some statistics showing the rapid rise of Reels:
| Date | Reels Milestone |
|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | Reels launches in 50+ countries |
| Dec 2020 | 150 million daily Reels users |
| Sept 2021 | 1 billion monthly Reels users |
| Feb 2022 | 140 billion Reels played per day |
This quick adoption shows that Facebook’s Reels push is working. Users are not only watching Reels, but creating them at high volumes across geographies.
The Future of Reels on Facebook
What does the future look like for Reels on Facebook? A few predictions:
- Reels will surpass videos in feed presence
- More ads will appear between Reels
- Facebook will develop more Reels creation tools
- The company will expand Reels monetization options
In summary, Reels will likely continue to dominate on Facebook. The short-form video format aligns perfectly with user trends and Facebook’s strategic goals. Readers can expect their feeds to feature many more Reels in the months and years to come.
Conclusion
Facebook is aggressively pushing Reels to compete with TikTok, increase engagement, generate revenue, and align with shifting user preferences for short-form video. Both Facebook’s algorithm and its promotional placement favor Reels over other content. While users are also voluntarily watching more Reels, Facebook’s strategic self-interest is the core driver of the Reels explosion. Reels will likely continue to dominate Facebook feeds as they pursue these goals into the future.