Active Instagram users have noticed that in addition to regular IGTV videos and stories, there is a new category of short videos called Reels. It is a local equivalent of another popular platform – TikTok, where users create short music videos and share them with their followers. Reels videos are highlighted in a separate video category.
Everyone who manages an Instagram page should know how to use all of its tools, including understanding the differences between Reels and stories.
What is Reels?
Adapting to modern trends, Instagram has created a separate section for short clips.
Reels are 15, 30, or 60-second videos that users film and post on Instagram. This new format of content allows users to showcase their creative ideas in clips. The videos are also convenient for advertising purposes – in a minute, you can briefly talk about products or services. Instagram has special tools built-in that allow users to apply various effects, crop the video, make edits, and more.
The platform creators have supported the trend of short videos (shorts on YouTube, videos on TikTok) by creating their own user-friendly version.
What are Stories?
Stories is another convenient tool for Instagram that allows you to increase audience reach. These are short videos – “stories” that can be seen by visiting users’ pages. Users can post photos, videos (with a duration of 15 seconds), advertise their services, and attract attention to their profile.
Stories are an effective tool for attracting attention. They are prominently displayed and are often viewed.
Important! Stories differ from Reels in that they are not saved in the feed – they are deleted after 24 hours.
Similarities and Differences
Despite the fact that Stories and Reels have many similarities, there are several differences between them.
Similarities:
- Both formats are designed to expand audience reach.
- Both Stories and Reels last for several seconds (Stories – 15, Reels – up to 60 seconds).
- They are convenient for sharing information, advertising products or services, and so on.
Differences:
- The main difference is that Stories is a social function. With it, users share news and moments from their lives, invite others to live streams, advertise something, and so on. Reels mostly consists of entertaining or promotional videos.
- Storage time. All stories will be deleted after 24 hours, while Reels videos remain until the user deletes them.
- In Stories, targeted advertising was available, while in Reels it appeared not so long ago and is not available in all countries.
The formats of the sections are similar, but some differences determine their tasks.
Tools for installation
Instagram has a number of built-in tools that allow users to edit content directly in the app without using third-party programs. This mostly applies to Reels videos.
By shooting short clips, users can apply effects, retouch and trim videos directly in the app. The user only needs to shoot the clip, edit it, and post it for public access. If necessary, videos can be saved in a special section called “Drafts”.
With Stories, it’s a bit more complicated. The app has filters and masks, but for high-quality editing, additional programs will be required.
Coverage and audience
Stories is still considered one of the most effective ways to reach an audience and attract new subscribers. Thanks to it, many bloggers manage not only to increase the number of subscribers, but also to maintain high activity on the channel. It is the views of stories that are one of the main criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of page promotion.
Reels videos have a slightly different reach and audience. This section appeared relatively recently and still lags behind traditional stories. However, on the wave of the popularity of short videos, users should pay due attention to shooting in this format – in the near future it will only become more popular and increase audience engagement and reach.
Where is the best place to upload videos?
Where is it better to post videos – in Stories or Reels? It all depends on the theme and duration of the video. For example, if a user calls on their followers to visit a live broadcast or posts a short relevant news, then the video should be posted in Stories.
However, if the user has filmed an entertaining video longer than 15 seconds, then preference should be given to Reels. In this section, the video will be saved for a long time and will become part of the content appearing on the page.
How to create content for Reels and Stories
Creating content for reels or stories depends on what the user wants.
If they want to share a photo or short video from their life, discuss some news, or promote a brand, it’s better to upload these materials to stories. This will allow you to reach a larger audience of subscribers.
If the user creates entertaining content with music and various effects, it should be posted in reels. This section is specifically designed for such content.
Reels and stories are two similar but completely different tools in Instagram. By using them, you can significantly increase activity and the number of subscribers.