Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – formally known as Facebook) is expanding Facebook Reels to more than 150 countries and adding numerous features to compete with ever-growing TikTok.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated in a recent interview that “TikTok is unprecedented competition” which has ignited the decision for Facebook Reels now expanding to the entire world. Reels have been existing on Facebook’s sister platform, Instagram, for a while now and Reels have also been available on Facebook in the US, Mexico, Canada and India since 2021. Meta usually tests features like this with a few countries initially so they can test and learn their approach before sharing it with all, and they’ve now decided it’s ready to be rolled out worldwide, on Android and iOS.
What does this mean for Instagram creators?
This is great news for Instagram creators as you can now decide if you would like to share your Reels from Instagram on to Facebook, which in effect should enable creators to hit more reach and gain higher levels of engagement.
Meta is aware of the increasing popularity of short form videos due to the success of TikTok and the company now hosts a competitive Reels Play bonus programme as part of their $1 billion commitment to creators they pledged last July, where it pays eligible creators up to $35,000 per month based on the views of their qualifying Reels.
What does this mean for advertising?
Facebook Reels ads are potentially on the cards. Meta is expanding its test of Facebook Reels overlay ads to Canada, Mexico and the U.S., with more countries to be added in the coming months. Any creator in the three countries mentioned above that belongs to the company’s in-stream ads programme is automatically eligible to monetise their publicly shared Reels with ads.
It starts off with two formats: banner ads that appear as semi-transparent overlays at the bottom of Reels, or sticker ads, which are static images that creators can place anywhere within a Reel.
Finally, Meta has also been testing full-screen and immersive ads between Facebook Reels since last October with plans to make them available globally over the coming months. The company has stated that just like with organic content on the social platform, users can comment, like, save, share, skip and view them.
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