What’s the difference between Instagram Reels vs IGTV? It’s no secret video content has taken the internet world by storm. Social media users are thinking outside of the box more than ever before and using humor, inspiration and more to create one of a kind video content. This is done primarily on two apps: Instagram and TikTok. In August of 2020 Instagram launched “Reels.” Reels differ from the previous video aspect of Instagram, IGTV.
What Is IGTV?
Let’s start with the part of Instagram that was launched first, IGTV. In June of 2018, Instagram announced that they were rolling out a “New Video App” within the widely used social media platform. On their website, Instagram stated, “IGTV, [is] a new app for watching long-form, vertical video from your favorite Instagram creators.” At the time, this idea was new to creators. Unlike YouTube, this was made specifically for your phone. Videos were filmed vertically to fit your phone screen and were conveniently available to all 1 billion users of Instagram.
Influencers and brands could use IGTV to share longer videos. Rather than a short clip shared on a feed or story, an IGTV could be up to one hour long. For the first time, creators had the ability to share videos of them telling stories, performing music, comedy sketches and more all through their screens. Today, IGTV videos are found under the video tab of a user’s account.
What are Instagram Reels?
Instagram Reels joined the app in August of 2020. Reels are short, 15-30 second videos, that oftentimes bring comical relief to consumers. TikTok pioneered this concept when it came out in 2016. However, in the social media world, it felt like TikTok didn’t gain its popularity until 2020. Soon after, Instagram joined in with a similar feature allowing creators to share these short clips with followers they already had on Instagram. Reels allow brands to showcase parts of their business in very short clips. While TikTok allows videos up to 3-minutes in length, Instagram Reels keeps them shorter with that 15-30 second window.
What does this mean for you?
While both are stored within the app and can be shared and sent to other creators, they have some major differences. IGTV’s longer videos lead users to share more raw, unedited content. The short length of Reels don’t allow for as much information to be shared in one video. Users edit the content to fit within thaat 30 second time frame. On the other hand, IGTV is essentially the “YouTube” part of Instagram. You can showcase a more unedited version of your life or brand through IGTV.
In order to get the most out of the Instagram App, we recommend using all features. It can’t hurt to create content through all parts of the app. Additionally, the algorithm favors creators who use all features. However, we all know that time is so precious! So if you are deciding between the two, Reels are the way to go. These are far more popular than IGTV right now and seem to be shared more frequently. Using Reels is also a wonderful way to show the personality behind your brand!
If you’re seeking social media services, contact us today to learn how Katryna Creative can help create content for you.
