Bite-sized video content is all the rage these days. Over 85% of marketers believe them to be the most impactful content format in 2024.
When we say short-form videos, the two apps that cross our minds are TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, both these platforms have gained significant traction via short-form video content.
TikTok became famous for its casual, entertainment-oriented videos focused on the Gen Z audience. At the same time, Reels became the go-to for brand promotions and professional videos.
But—the debate remains: which platform should your social media strategy focus on for marketing your products?
Choosing between them requires thoroughly exploring their strengths and weaknesses and understanding which individual platform’s audience fits into your business requirements.
In this article, we’ll compare TikTok vs. Reels in depth—their features, capabilities, and key deliverables that social media marketers can benefit from.
TikTok vs. Reels: A Comparison for Social Media Marketers
Summarize this article for me pleaseUnderstanding TikTok
TikTok is a social networking platform dedicated to short-form videos. It zeroes in on creating and distributing vertical video content.
Launched in August 2014 as Musical.ly and renamed in 2018, TikTok created a buzz in the already evolving video-sharing market and currently boasts over a billion monthly active users.
TikTok’s popularity dates back to the quarantine days of 2020. During that time, TikTok saw a massive surge in user base and became the most popular app on Android and iOS.
Since then, TikTok has kept leaping ahead.
In Q4 of 2023, TikTok witnessed 232 million downloads, making it a top choice for short-form video marketing.
TikTok videos range from 15 seconds to a minute in length and mostly contain casual content like easy-to-digest educational/informational videos, life hacks, popular dance moves, karaoke, and more.
TikTok’s latest update allows you to upload videos up to 10 minutes long. Not only can you share pre-recorded videos on TikTok, but you can also use its LIVE feature to engage in real-time interactions with your followers.
👀Note: TikTok LIVE is available for individuals aged 16+, and those above 18 can send and receive gifts during a LIVE broadcast.
To sum up, here are TikTok’s USPs (Unique Selling Propositions) that made it stand out from the competition:
- TikTok’s For You Page (FYP) works on a state-of-the-art algorithm that studies user intent and behavior to present them with tailored, personalized content
- The app has a library of creative tools built specifically to enhance your short-form videos
- TikTok boasts extensive music licensing agreements with major record labels, so you can easily incorporate popular songs into your videos without fear of copyright infringement
Summarize this article for me pleaseUnderstanding Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels lets users record or upload video clips lasting up to 90 seconds. You can edit, add background sounds, or incorporate special effects before posting on the platform.
This short-form video content allows Instagram users to express creativity, display personality, promote brands, or enjoy themselves.
Instagram Reels accounts for 30% of the time spent on Instagram and has a potential advertising audience of 758.5 million.
Instagram Reels have a dedicated section on user profiles. Plus, creators benefit from the cross-promotions within the Instagram app, making them easily discoverable while browsing through Feeds, Stories, or Explore sections.
Apart from these, here are some key USPs of Reels:
- Reels seamlessly integrate into the existing Instagram app ecosystem, including Facebook (now Meta), allowing cross-platform promotions
- Reels offers a range of advanced editing and customization options. For creators looking to produce polished and professional-looking content, Reels’ editing capabilities can be advantageous
- Instagram Reels offers built-in monetization opportunities for creators through features like Instagram Shopping and Branded Content
Now that we have a basic understanding of these video marketing platforms and their USPs let’s see their features and capabilities.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe Comparison: TikTok vs. Instagram Reels
If you’re here, you already know about the ongoing debate between TikTok vs. Reels. Although both social media platforms have a similar style and exposure window, there are features on both platforms that separate them by a huge margin.
Check out this table for a quick rundown of the main differences between the two:
| Parameters | TikTok | Instagram Reels |
| Video length (maximum) | 3 minutes | 90 seconds |
| Video editing capabilities | General video editing tools and elements with two unique features: Duet: Play video-side-side with another user’s video Stitch: Partner with other content creators | General video editing tools and elements with two unique features: Collab: Share a Reel from multiple accounts Remix: Re-create videos that contain somebody else’s photo or video |
| Music options | Extensive library of copyright-free music and sounds | Limited collection of music compared to TikTok’s vast library |
| Analytics and insights | Has in-app analytics with limited metrics to track | Has in-app analytics that comprehensively break down Reel insights |
| Advertisements | Offers multiple advertising options such as TopView and Infeed ads | Offers advertising opportunities with product tags, in-feed, and Explore page ads |
1. Video length
Video length determines the maximum size of videos that users can create or upload on a platform.
TikTok and Reel’s maximum allowed video length has been updated since their initial launch.
TikTok
Initially, TikTok allowed users to upload videos up to 60 seconds long. The length was increased to 10 minutes after a Feb 2022 update. But now it’s again trimmed down to 3 minutes.
Instagram Reels
Reels allow users to upload or create videos up to 90 seconds long. You’ll have to use TikTok to upload long videos to market your brand.
2. Video editing capability
Video editing enables users to tweak, trim, and enhance their recorded videos to deliver a better user experience and increase watch time.
Now, TikTok and Reels both offer a unique set of video editing tools. Basic features like filters, text, and stickers are available on both platforms. Both offer tools to upload pre-recorded videos and trim them to your liking.
However, when comparing TikTok and Reels side-by-side, we came across some distinct editing capabilities of both platforms.
TikTok
TikTok’s ‘Duet’ feature is wildly popular; it plays your video side-by-side with another user’s video.
Another TikTok exclusive feature, ‘Stitch,’ merges a video from a partnering creator with your video, resulting in some cool and creative duos that are a level above regular videos.
Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels ‘Collab’ feature enables users to collaborate on a video and simultaneously upload it from your and the collaborator’s accounts. The feature works like ‘Tags.’
Once the tagged account accepts the request, your post will be visible to followers on both profiles. It’s an easy way to collaborate and expand your reach!
Reels also offer a ‘Remix’ feature similar to TikTok’s ‘Duet’; it lets you recreate videos containing somebody else’s photo or video.
3. Music options
Getting to add good music to your short videos highly amplifies your short-form video reach and watch time.
In TikTok vs. Reels, both platforms bring abundant sounds and music, from viral memes to the latest chart-toppers.
Both have text-to-speech and voice effect features.
Doesn’t matter if you’re adding a quirky voiceover or spicing up your captions—there are plenty of creative possibilities. However, since it’s TikTok vs. Reels, we dug deep into this feature.
TikTok
TikTok boasts a more extensive music collection compared to Instagram Reels. The major difference is how you add audio to your content.
For TikTok, once you’re done recording your video, tap ‘Next’ and click the Sounds icon to add music and other effects. Trim the music according to your preference and use it in your videos.
Instagram Reels
Reels also have a vast selection of audio. However, it pales in comparison to TikTok’s music collection. The process of incorporating music is also slightly different.
While creating your reel, tap the Audio button at the top of your screen to access a huge music collection. You can search for a specific track as well. Once you pick a track, simply slide the timeline to find your desired part.
👀Note: Instagram business accounts often struggle with incorporating copyrighted music, making TikTok a clear winner.
4. Video analytics
For social media marketers and business accounts, in-app video analytics are crucial. They help in monitoring your branding and advertising efforts on TikTok and Instagram.
Whether you go with Reels or TikTok, you’ll have access to a suite of built-in analytics tools. Let’s take a closer look:
TikTok Analytics
TikTok Creator Portal shares the necessary TikTok engagement metrics such as total views, likes, shares, and more. You also get a breakdown of viewerships by—age, watch time, device used to access content, and where users first discovered your content.
Instagram Reels Analytics
Instagram analytics tools help track metrics such as likes, comments, saves, and shares on your Reels. You’ll also find other engagement metrics on the Instagram analytics dashboard, such as accounts reached, plays, watch time, average watch time, and more.
5. Advertising opportunities
Both platforms bring distinct advertising opportunities to amplify your brand’s reach and visibility.
TikTok
Businesses can go all in on TikTok marketing with paid advertising options. You have the option to choose from TopView ads and In-feed ads.
TopView ads are the first thing users see upon opening the app. In-feed ads highlight your content within users’ ‘For You’ feeds.
The Branded Hashtag Challenge and Branded Effects are also significant advertising advantages. These features encourage users to interact with your brand through specific hashtags.
Instagram Reels
For businesses using Reels, the spotlight is on shoppable ads featuring product tags. These tags let users directly perform actions on ads, whether it’s to purchase, save, or learn more. It’s a direct avenue to connect with customers and drive sales on Instagram.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe Verdict: TikTok or Instagram Reels?
So, who’s the victor? Let’s not jump to conclusions yet. The best way is to look at the defining parameters and KPIs of social media marketing and see who comes out on top.
TikTok vs. Reels: Engagement rate
TikTok is inches ahead of Reels with an engagement rate of 5.53%, compared to Reels’ 4.36%.
The deciding factor here is the audience. Only 21% of US Gen Z online adults use Reels weekly, whereas 53% engage with TikTok regularly.
This implies that the younger generation is more invested in TikTok than Reels. The adult audience, more of professional backgrounds, still comprises a massive segment of the Reels audience base.
Now, you must decide who your product is for and what audience you need to reach.
Winner: TikTok videos get higher engagement than Reels. However, the gap is closing rapidly, and you will soon find a more diverse audience on Reels.
TikTok vs. Reels: Comment rate
TikTok has a 0.09% comment rate compared to Reels’ 0.05%. On average, TikTok videos get 44% more comments than Instagram Reels.
Winner: TikTok takes the win here once more with a higher comment rate than Reels.
TikTok vs. Reels: Watch time
Watch time is the total amount of time viewers spend watching your videos. On average, 60% of short-form videos are watched for 41% to 80% of their length.
In TikTok vs. Reels, TikTok averages a watch rate of 9.06%, while Reels achieve an even more impressive average of 13.08%.
Winner: Although TikTok effectively draws user engagement, Reels dominate with the highest average watch rate.
TikTok vs. Reels: ROAS (Return on Ads Spend)
Let’s analyze how advertising on both platforms weighs on a social media marketer’s pocket and ROI.
TikTok ads are less commonly used than Instagram Reels ads, possibly due to higher associated costs.
Recently, Wordstream experimented with analyzing the ad effectiveness on TikTok compared to Reels.
As part of the experiment, they ran the same 15-second video on both platforms and added a custom frequency cap to avoid ad fatigue. Here’s the entire setup they used:
So, do we have a winner? Of course, YES! 👇
Winner: In this TikTok vs. Reels experiment, the advertisement run on Instagram Reels outnumbered TikTok considerably. Reel ads received three times more reach and impressions than TikTok. That, too, while keeping the CPC and CPM low. (Note: The effectiveness of the medium depends on your goals and what works for your business. Use this only as a guide.)
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow to Manage Social Media Campaigns with ClickUp
Irrespective of whether you decide to post your ads on TikTok or Reels, you need a social media campaign strategy and a reliable social media marketing platform.
One of the best and most organic ways to implement the said strategy is to use a competent project management and social media marketing tool like ClickUp’s Marketing features for teams.
Creating content
While it is an overarching project management tool, ClickUp can work wonders as a social media marketing management software.
Get your team together to brainstorm content ideas using the collaborative ClickUp Whiteboards. Note down finalized ideas, build content plans, organize schedules, and create a shared content library within one shared workspace using ClickUp Docs.
You can also use the generative power of AI for your social media campaigns with ClickUp Brain. Its AI Writer for Work helps you generate captivating captions and brainstorm ideas to help boost your social media marketing success. It also lets you manage your content calendar to plan releases and announcement dates.
Building and managing social media campaigns
ClickUp allows you to share all your campaign content, calendars, and plans among your team members so you can gain immediate feedback and easily notify members if any changes occur or progress is made in your social media campaigns. You can also use multiple views like Table or Calendar view to track the progress of all activities.
Famous for its pre-built templates, ClickUp delivers tons of templates for social media management that you can choose from. These are professionally created for the highest engagement rates and will help boost your visibility while saving you time.
ClickUp’s Social Media Post Template makes it easy to develop high-quality content quickly and efficiently. Use it to create and schedule posts on all your social media channels and organize all your content in one place.
You can also use ClickUp’s Social Media Content Plan Template to plan and organize your content for various social media channels stress-free. It helps you set your marketing objectives, create high-quality content, and organize and schedule posts across channels.
Tracking performance
Use ClickUp’s Campaign Tracking and Analytics templates to organize and manage various aspects of your marketing campaigns. Track budgets, performance, and creative assets to confidently launch your next campaign.
You can also use ClickUp Dashboards to get a bird’s eye view of all the metrics you want to measure during your campaigns.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWin the Social Media Game with ClickUp
We hope our breakdown of TikTok vs. Instagram Reels has helped you decide which social media marketing channel suits your marketing needs best. Use ClickUp to keep your social media management process streamlined and efficient regardless of your channels.
With its integrations with all your usual tools and apps, such as Slack, Hubspot, Zapier, Zoom, Figma, and many others, it is the only project management software you will ever need. Sign up to ClickUp for free today!
Summarize this article for me pleaseFAQs
1. Are Reels better than TikTok?
The context is paramount here. Instagram Reels can be better than TikTok if that’s the demographic you’re going for as your target audience. Moreover, Reels has simple and affordable advertising options compared to TikTok.
2. Which is better: TikTok or FB Reels?
Choosing between TikTok and Facebook Reels depends on your target audience and marketing goals.
TikTok excels in engaging younger demographics and offers diverse advertising options, while Reels on Facebook provides straightforward ad solutions. Multi-channel marketing might be the best approach to reach different audience segments effectively.
3. What is the downside of Reels?
The downside of Instagram Reels lies in its shorter maximum video length compared to TikTok, restricting the duration of content marketers can share.
Reels’ audience engagement and user base are comparatively lower, especially among younger demographics, impacting potential reach and brand exposure.
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