Instagram Reels vs TikTok: Which Is Better For Your Business

TikTok has seen a massive influx of users, especially those in the millennial and Gen Z demographics, and it’s clear that other, more established social media platforms have taken notice. Here are some mind-blowing TikTok usage numbers to back up this assertion:

Between 2020 and 2024, the number of TikTok users is expected to increase from 65.9 million to 88.7 million, a year-over-year increase of 22 percent (Statista)
TikTok, which only officially launched in 2018 after being rebranded from musical.ly, has quickly become the seventh most popular social media network, surpassing even Twitter and Snapchat in terms of user engagement.

This year, users younger than 30 made up more than half of TikTok’s audience (Statista)
TikTok surpassed Instagram and Facebook in popularity among American adolescents as of the autumn of 2020. (Statista)

Analyzing the TikTok Service in Great Detail

To begin, let’s define TikTok videos

Short-form videos shared on the video sharing platform TikTok, or “TikToks,” are typically comprised of humorous content such as users dancing while lip-syncing to music, actors performing sketches, or creators talking to the camera in an edited video. TikTok content makers are used by companies to interact with and educate their target audiences.

Just how long do videos uploaded to TikTok typically remain viewable?
In total, a TikTok video can be up to 60 seconds long if multiple clips are joined together. The platform now allows videos up to 180 seconds in length, up from 60 seconds (3 minutes).

Functions for Editing Videos in TikTok

The platform offers a wide variety of options for customising and editing videos. For example:

The process of adding videos from other sources to the system.
Editing and trimming videos outside of TikTok as well as inside of it.
To add variety and interest to the content, there is a large collection of sound effects, music, filters, and snippets to choose from.
Smooth cuts that work wonders for reveals and transformations thanks to the seamless transitions they provide.
Easy-to-use text tools like text-to-speech (to have the text read aloud by an automated voice), set duration (to determine how long the text appears on screen), and editable text (for different colours, fonts, and outlines).
To make better, more viral content, use the duet feature to directly reply to specific videos, which creates a split-screen and can alter the context of the original video.
Summary of the TikTok Community Profile

Key TikTok user demographics

  • TikTok has 698 million monthly active users around the world (Data Reportal)
  • TikTok has seen a 60% increase in its user base from Generation Z in the past year (Forbes)
  • Over two billion people have downloaded the TikTok app (SensorTower)
  • In 2020, TikTok reportedly made over $1 billion (Reuters)
  • Most users are on the lookout for humorous or entertaining videos when they visit TikTok (Global Web Index)
  • In a recent article, we discussed the most effective strategies for reaching millennials in 2022 and beyond.

Use of the TikTok App

Some data on app popularity:

  • Daily average time spent on TikTok by users is 52 minutes (Business Of Apps).
  • TikTok is used for an average of 80 minutes per day by children and teenagers (The Verge).
  • On average, users launch TikTok eight times per day (Backlinko).
  • One-third of TikTok users log in at least once per week, with 11% logging in between 5 and 10 hours and 6% logging in for more than 10 hours (Statista)
  • TikTok’s Most Popular Content Types
  • TikTok’s most popular content types are:

  • Cultural phenomena are reenacted
  • Competitons based on recognisable brands
  • Entertainment
  • News
  • Dance
  • Pranks
  • Activity and health
  • Fashion
  • Apps
  • DIY

Use of TikTok – TikTok is dominated by content from a single beverage brand.
Ocean Spray is a great example of a company that has successfully used TikTok to promote their brand. Without lifting a finger, the soon-to-be 100-year-old beverage company used TikTok to generate 15 billion media impressions in a month. Juice company profits skyrocketed after creator of the video sharing app TikTok, Nathan Apodaca (@420doggface208), posted a video of himself drinking the company’s cranberry-flavored juice while skating to work.

TikTok Participation Rate

TikTok’s global influencer engagement rate of 15.86% in July 2020 was the highest of all major social media apps. With TikTok, businesses can better connect with the world’s youth, which is why so many have flocked to the app.

In-Depth Analysis of Instagram Highlight Reels

Instagram reels: what are they?

Instagram Reels is a dedicated section of the Instagram app that lets users make and share fun, short-form videos. While Instagram Reels and Instagram Stories share many similarities, they also have important distinctions. Instagram Reels has a wider variety of video filters, transitions, and speed controls than the original app. Unlike Stories, however, photos are not permitted in Instagram Reels. Also, unlike Stories, which can only be shared with followers, Reels can be shared on Instagram’s Explore page for everyone to see (if the user account is public).

The Declining Instagram Engagement Rate

Hootsuite claims there is some evidence that Instagram Reels contribute to a slight uptick in engagement rates. Different sources report vastly different engagement rates for Instagram Reels, making it tough to draw conclusions. In contrast, a recent study found that Reels typically have a 2.7% engagement rate. Despite this, a different study found that influencers on TikTok typically have engagement rates between 5.3% and 9.4%. Average Instagram engagement was 1.42 percent, another study found.

Which System Is the Best? Reels from TikTok vs. Instagram

TikTok dominates as the best platform for short-form videos, especially among the youth of Generation Z. Compared to other social media platforms, TikTok’s high engagement rates and wide variety of editing tools make it the pioneer of the popular short-form vertical video format. These are just some of the considerations that led to House of Marketers, an influencer marketing firm, deciding to concentrate its efforts on the TikTok platform. There isn’t a more underappreciated or interesting social media site out there.