Hey, remember how a few weeks back Instagram posted some tips on how to create great Reels content, and within those tips, it sort of, kind of alluded to the fact that it didn’t really like users re-posting their TikTok clips to Reels?
See point 2 – ‘Do share original content created in the Reels camera’
Well, clearly that note was too subtle for some, as today, Instagram has issued some new Reels advice, which includes a more explicit warning on re-posts.
Yes, Instagram is not only now clearly advising against posting content that’s ‘visibly recycled from other apps’, but it has also updated its algorithm to downrank such posts within the Reels tab and Explore.
Instagram confirmed the change to The Verge, explaining that:
“We’re building on what we’ve learned from Explore to recommend fun and entertaining videos in places like the Reels tab, and personalize the experience. We are getting better at using ranking signals that help us predict whether people will find a reel entertaining and whether we should recommend it.”
So, Instagram’s saying that users don’t like all those TikTok re-shares, so it’s looking to eliminate them by detecting visible watermarks and poor quality (i.e. blurry) re-shares. You can still share them if you want, as Instagram notes, and they’ll still be seen by your followers. But if you want to reach a larger audience with your Reels, you’ll probably want to avoid duplicating your TikTok clips.
Of course, the most likely explanation here is that Instagram would prefer not to promote TikTok within its own app, as opposed to users complaining about, or engaging less with these re-shares. But maybe Instagram is right – TikTok re-shares do tend to be in lower video quality, and that could see people engaging with them less.
Either way, the advice is clear.
If you are looking to maximize your Reels clips, here’s what Instagram does recommend:
Just create entertaining and fun clips, it’s not that hard.
Yeah, it’s not always that easy, and it’s definitely a challenge to come up with ‘entertaining and fun’ content consistently. But if you are looking to utilize Reels in your approach, these tips and guidelines provide more parameters around what you should be focusing on, and how you should approach your efforts.
