TikTok v. Reels: Which Is The Best For Video Marketing?

When it comes to video marketing, which platform is better to use – Instagram Reels, or TikTok?

It’s a question that has currently come into play, ever since America announced its short-term ban on TikTok, and Instagram introduced its solution to the problem: Reels.

The first perceptions of the new micro-video platform were that it was a cheap TikTok knock-off. It didn’t seem as developed, or as creative. And why would people use it anyway if TikTok was still up and running?

Well, a few weeks after its grand debut in the UK, it seems that there are a few benefits to the app which people hadn’t before anticipated.

Whilst the similarities between TikTok and Reels are noticeable, there are some striking differences also. And, these differences have a huge impact on how brands and businesses will be able to use video marketing.

So, which one is better?

It’s not a simple question, but continue reading to see the pros and cons of both so you can make your own decision.

The first major difference between TikTok and Reels is that TikTok videos are longer.

Much longer.

TikTok videos can last up to a whole minute, compared to Reels’ videos capping out at a tiny 15 seconds. It seems that Instagram was really putting the ‘micro’ in ‘micro-videos’.

And whilst some may try and argue the benefits of this – Reels videos are more concise, they appeal to some people’s shorter attention spans – you can’t deny that they are limiting.

It can be difficult to try and sell your product, promote your brand, and do a behind the scenes of your company if you only have 15 seconds to do it. Sure, you can split the content into separate video parts. But will your audience really go out of their way to search for all the videos?

TikTok, on the other hand, allows for longer video time. You don’t have to rush to get all your words out, and you can really go into more depth than with Reels.

Meaning, you have more freedom.

Because of this, it seems that TikTok may take the lead when it comes to flexibility and time.

When it comes to Instagram reels, there are lots more ways to share your content.

TikTok videos can only be viewed either on the ‘For You’ page or on your own profile. Meaning that you only have the option for your videos to be seen if someone actively searches for them, or if they happen upon someone’s ‘For You’ page.

And whilst the latter is possible thanks to TikTok’s algorithm, your ability to share and promote your video on Reels is much better.

Thanks to Instagram’s design, they have created a specific ‘Reels’ section on your page.

Meaning, that even if you don’t post any Reels into your main feed, they’ll still be able to be viewed by potential consumers on your page.

What’s more, Instagram is a much more social platform. Because of this, you have the ability to share your videos on your stories and highlights.

This increases the ways people get to see them, and thus the success of your videos.

Even if you’re wanting to get your videos seen by those who aren’t following you, there’s still a way. Much like TikTok’s algorithm, Instagram’s Explore Page can promote your videos too.

So, it seems the ways you can share your Instagram Reels are endless!

What’s probably one of the most persuasive reasons as to why you should stick to TikTok video marketing is because of their Insights feature.

This feature allows you to gain an understanding of how successful your content is based on who views it, likes it, and shares it.

And, it’s this very feature that is so sorely missing from Instagram Reels.

Unless you were to post your Reel to your page’s story or as a main post, you won’t be able to see the statistics for it. And, even if you did, it would be limited to how many people have seen it.

Not very in-depth.

TikTok, on the other hand, provides you with an overall summary for not just all your videos together, but individual ones too. The app allows you to see who specifically is watching your video and from what region – meaning that you can track how successful your video marketing campaign is globally.

What’s more, they also have a very handy tool that shows you how people found your video.

Do you want to know how it is people stumble across your content? Were they already scrolling through your equal parts exciting and informative page? Or were they recommended your content on their ‘For You’ page, thanks to TikTok’s handly algorithm? You get an insight into this and thus can control how and when you promote your videos.

However, what is probably their most useful feature, is the tool that shows your average watch time.

This feature, in essence, undoes the argument about Reels’ shorter video times. Thanks to this insight, you get to know the optimum length of time your videos should be based on how long people are watching them.

Making for perfectly curated video marketing content.

If you’re a brand or company that heavily relies on the usage of influencer marketing, then Instagram is a treasure trove.

According to a survey carried out by MediaKix, 89% of marketers considered Instagram to be “the most strategically important social channel for influencer marketing.”

But what does this mean?

Essentially, if you’re getting a sponsored post or ad from a celebrity or influencer – it best be on Instagram.

Instagram is the number 1 social platform for social media influencers, as it is often the platform where said influencers have the most followers.

Because of this, Reels becomes the perfect accompaniment.

With Reels, you’re more likely to get an influencer to create a micro-video and share it with their platform than you are for them to download TikTok and share it with their smaller amount of followers.

Need the stats to back this up?

According to The Digital Marketing Institute, some of the most popular social media followers are Huda Kattan, Cameron Dallas, and Nash Grier.

Their respective follower ratio, as of October 2020, is as follows:

Huda Kattan – 47.9m followers on Instagram, 2.5m on TikTok

Cameron Dallas – 21.4m followers on Instagram, 17.9m on TikTok

Nash Grier – 10.6m followers on Instagram, 559k on TikTok

Ultimately, if you’re a brand that’s looking to use an influencer for micro-video marketing – Instagram is the platform to do it on.

Again, what is probably one of the biggest hang-ups about Reels is that, unlike TikTok, you don’t have a wide range of music.

That’s right. Given that Instagram is owned by Facebook, and Facebook currently has a different music license to TikTok, the music is different.

Sure, much of the same music that’s available on your Instagram story will be available on Reels. But when we compare that to the millions of sounds on TikTok – it falls short.

As well as this, TikTok is the only platform that allows you to use other people’s sounds and share by sounds.

Are you looking for a specific video, and you know what sound it uses? Just click the bottom right-hand corner and scroll through the videos using this sound. It’s a handy feature that doesn’t appear on Instagram (yet.)

But how does this relate to video marketing?

Well, say that your video marketing campaign sees you wanting to create your own sound to use. You’ll make a sound for all of your videos, a distinct type of music that will become characteristic of your brand. This way, if someone wants to find your videos, they can do so through the individual sound you used.

Sadly, however, this is only a feature available on TikTok.

Instagram doesn’t allow you to recreate the sounds you have created. Meaning, that your desire for all videos in your marketing campaign to remain cohesive will be a little more difficult to achieve.

Everyone uses Instagram. That’s not an exaggeration. It has a monthly user base of 1 billion. So, chances are that your content is going to get seen if you’re posting here.

But what about TikTok? Well, according to Forbes, it’s not got such a diverse audience.

Forbes claims that the Instagram follower breakdown by age is as follows:

13-17: 72%

18-29: 67%

30-49: 47%

TikTok, on the other hand, is predominantly used by people aged 16-24, who make up 42% of the app’s users.

Whilst this may work for your brand if this is your niche, otherwise, it can be somewhat restricting.

A social media platform like Instagram will mean that your video marketing content will be able to be viewed by a wider range of people. For the average brand or company, this is a factor that cannot be overlooked.

It’s clear from this article that there are pros and cons to both TikTok and Reels when it comes to video marketing.

And, whilst Reels certainly does have some benefits, it seems that TikTok is taking the lead… for now.

From it’s rapidly growing userbase, to its more creative feature, TikTok seems to be the better app to launch your video marketing campaigns.

However, that does not mean that Reels won’t surpass it.

We have to remember that Reels is only in its infancy, and, given time, may very easily surpass TikTok and become the next platform on which video marketing thrives.