Instagram takes on TikTok
Last week Instagram dropped Reels, its TikTok competitor, live in over 50 countries including in the US.
Last month we wrote about Facebook’s upcoming play for TikTok which has recently dominated the headlines with speculation of a US ban or sell off to Microsoft. Naturally, many creators are nervous which makes now the best time for Reels to launch.
With Reels you can create short videos to share with friends directly on Instagram. Record and edit 15 second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. Anyone can create a video to share with friends, and for public profiles these will be discoverable in the Explore section within the app.
Unlike some of its previous expansions, Threads and Direct, Instagram decided to bundle Reels into its main app. This means creators don’t need to rebuild a new following to reach their audience and consumers don’t need to try to fit yet another app on their homescreen. We’ve seen Instagram use this strategy before when they introduced Stories – clearly inspired by Snapchat – four years ago.
Are you team Instagram or team TikTok? Can you be both?
Last month we wrote about Facebook’s upcoming play for TikTok which has recently dominated the headlines with speculation of a US ban or sell off to Microsoft. Naturally, many creators are nervous which makes now the best time for Reels to launch.
With Reels you can create short videos to share with friends directly on Instagram. Record and edit 15 second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. Anyone can create a video to share with friends, and for public profiles these will be discoverable in the Explore section within the app.
Unlike some of its previous expansions, Threads and Direct, Instagram decided to bundle Reels into its main app. This means creators don’t need to rebuild a new following to reach their audience and consumers don’t need to try to fit yet another app on their homescreen. We’ve seen Instagram use this strategy before when they introduced Stories – clearly inspired by Snapchat – four years ago.
Are you team Instagram or team TikTok? Can you be both?
Highlight
Ad
As a creator or marketer, you know how hard it is to build simple solutions with a clean UI.
At MailerLite, they painstakingly design their email marketing and website tools so that anyone of any skill level can easily create amazing marketing campaigns on their own. 💪
- Visual drag & drop editors and templates make it easy to build newsletters, websites, landing pages and pop-ups—all without coding!
- Advanced marketing features like automation, segmentation and custom surveys help you connect with your audiences and find new customers.
- All the tools you need to get your project off the ground fast, along with 24/7 live support from a team that’s always happy to help you.
Weekly
Leaderboard highlights
Webflow University 2.0Learn web design, development & time travel - visually
Unscreen ProRemove video backgrounds in full HD 🎬
FounderpathRaise $10k-$1m in 72 hours, free revenue analytics
IsoflowCreate beautiful cloud diagrams in minutes
TrickleMake learning a daily habit
Calendar.AIDiscover everything about the people and companies you meet
Filter OffVideo speed dating. Get to know the person, not the profile.
Instagram ReelsA new way to create and discover short videos on Instagram
Unicorn Platform v3.0ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ simple landing page builder
ReAimPlatform to make sending push-notifications easier
The Roundup
Every Sunday
Everything you missed this past week on Product Hunt: Top products, spicy community discourse, key trends on the site, and long-form pieces we’ve recently published.