Reels is now available to all Facebook users in America, both on Android and iOS. This feature is Facebook's answer to TikTok. It allows creators to create and share short-form video content with a variety editing tools including audio and music, AR effects, countdowns, timers, and countdowns. The public launch will allow creators to make their Reels on Facebook and also share their Instagram Reels to Facebook, helping them to build a following.
Facebook also shared more information about its plans for fuelling Reels creation.
A new bonus program will be introduced by the company that pays creators for people viewing their Reels. This program is part of Facebook's commitment to invest more than $1 billion in creators by 2022. It also pays creators to run certain types ads and receive Stars (virtual tips) payments.
Reels Play, an expansion of Instagrams Reels Summer bonus bonus, will pay eligible creators according to the performance and engagement of their Reels on Facebook and Instagram. Reels that receive at least 1,000 views in a 30-day period will be paid out. However, Facebook did not specify how much the payments would be.
This new program is only open to U.S. creators and will remain invite-only for the foreseeable future. It will eventually be expanded to other global markets.
Facebook claims it is also developing new ways for creators of Reels to make money. It plans to experiment with different ad formats such as Banner Ads and Sticker Ads in Reels. Facebook is also exploring the integration of Stars, its virtual tipping platform, into Reels. This would allow fans to directly pay their favorite Reels creators.
Reels will also be monetized by the company. The company plans to test immersive and full-screen ads in between Reels similar to those on TikTok. Facebook claims that these ads will enable users to connect with small businesses and brands. These ads are available on Instagram Reels, and viewers can comment, like or view them.
Reels can be created in several ways by Facebook users. Users can also view Reels in the News Feed, where they will be joined by Reels that have been shared via Instagram, and in selected Pages and Groups.
Reels was launched over a year ago to worldwide audiences as a TikTok-clone. Today, the product offers similar features to TikTok. It includes access to audio and music as well as tools to edit videos using timers, countdowns, AR effects and other tools for speed adjustments. Reels has a much larger selection of editing tools than TikToks. However, creators can upload their videos from third-party editing applications to Reels. Reels with the TikTok watermark on them will be ranked lower by the algorithm. However, Reels does not penalize content that is cross-posted to multiple sites.
Facebook is very open about its concern that TikTok's rise could be a threat to the business. Although some companies don't address their competitors directly, Instagram head Adam Mosseri highlighted TikTok in June as one reason why Instagram was expanding to include video. Users were warned by him that Instagram was no longer a photo sharing app.
TikToks has seen a significant increase in its popularity. It was the most downloaded app in 2020. It became the first non-Facebook application to reach 3 Billion global downloads in July. TikTok just announced that it now has 1 billion monthly active users. Comparatively, Facebook's app family now has 3.51 billion active monthly users.
Reels on Facebook are now available to U.S. Facebook users via the mobile app.
