Similar to Instagram Reels, Facebook is launching its own take on the feature first influenced by TikTok, outside of the USA from today (February 22), rolling out to 150 countries, including the UK.
In a blogpost, Facebook is also announcing features to help creators earn money from the reels that they create, alongside reels that can last for up to 60 seconds, and more features to come.
Facebook Reels launched in the USA back in September 2021, with users being able to access short videos from friends and pages, all in one section.
But the elephant in the room is to wonder where Instagram fits in this, and whether Facebook Reels has a place alongside TikTok, Snapchat and others.
New features also arrive
Alongside the ability to create 60-second reels, you can also create remixes of existing reels that others have created. This works similar to duets on TikTok, where you can use an existing video to showcase your reactions or respond to the original video.
If you’re midway through making a new Reel and you need to pause, a new ‘save to draft’ option can help you pick off where you left off later in the day.
There’s also going to be ways to share your Reels through Stories, alongside a dedicated Reels label at the top of the Facebook app to make it easier for users to find other videos.
Finally, ways to monetize Reels are slowly arriving, such as an upcoming feature called Stars, which is a way to ‘tip’ creators while a live Reel is ongoing.
Reels looks to mimic what’s made TikTok so successful so far. Instagram Reels has seemingly done well for Meta, but Instagram Stories is still its shining jewel.
Time will tell whether having two types of Reels from Meta will be worth having, but for now, better features with a worldwide rollout could help Facebook pivot to video in a better way, compared to its previous efforts of Facebook Live and Facebook Video feeds.
