Short form video formats like TikTok and Instagram Reels are huge right now. Meta, the parent company for Facebook and Instagram, is making changes in an effort to compete. This week Meta announced some new creative tools and features are being added to Reels over the coming weeks. Speaking of TikTok, they have made news recently about some of their questionable data practices. We’re unpacking all this information in this week’s Tech News Tuesday.
What’s New to Facebook and Instagram
You may have noticed how prominent Reels are becoming in your Facebook feed. They’re really pushing these short videos! One of the more exciting features for business owners and marketers is the ability to schedule Facebook Reels from your desktop. The scheduling feature is welcome, because we know as business owners you don’t have time to be on social media all day. We recommend batching content creation as a way to save time and also get consistent content out there.
Meta announced that you will soon be able to schedule Reels on your desktop.
Another useful feature they are also rolling out is video clipping tools in Creator Studio on the desktop. These will make it easier for you to take a longer video you’ve already created and turn it into a Reel. You can also add voice overs to your videos. You know we also love repurposing content! These new features make it easier for you to get started on Reels.
Video Clipping feature lets you turn your existing video into Reels.
And not to be outdone by Facebook Reels, there are some new tools coming to Instagram Reels, as well. They’ve extended the video time to 90 seconds so you can pack in more content. They also introduced some of your favorite Stories stickers to Reels like polls, quizzes, and emoji sliders. Now you’re able to import your own audio directly into Reels as well as use trending audio.
Instagram extends Reels to 90 seconds and adds added stickers features that are already available in Stories.
What’s Up With TikTok?
TikTok is huge right now and Meta is working hard to keep up. But, recently they’re making headlines for more than just their popularity. The Federal Communications Commission or FCC, has sent a letter to Apple and Google asking them to remove the TikTok app from their app stores saying that the app has, “a pattern of surreptitious data practices,” because it harvests a lot of data about you while you are mindlessly watching videos. New reports show that your data is also being accessed in Beijing. Stay tuned to see what happens there.
The bottom line is this. Video is more important than ever, but make sure you have a holistic strategy and core messaging that is not platform dependent. Short form videos on social media apps are popular and can be a great way to promote your business, but remember what we always say, “Don’t build on rented land.” Make sure your core content is on the website domain you own, and that you have a way to convert your social media traffic to owned traffic – people you can directly contact.
