Reels, TikTok’s competitor, becomes more appealing thanks to new Instagram Insights

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Instagram Shop and Shopping in Reels are two new features that have been added to the platform. Both of these tools were created within the last year to help independent creators make a living. With this in mind, Instagram has added additional Reels and Lives insights to its Professional Dashboard. These new metrics will aid businesses and content creators in better understanding how far their work reaches. All of these tools will help Reels catch up to TikTok, which already offers users thorough analytics. With Instagram and TikTok constantly competing, it can only be good for influencers and small companies who rely on these networks to boost their income.

Previously, Instagram creators could only access data on a Reel that was publicly visible, such as views, likes, or comments. They will now be able to see more about their Reels, such as the number of accounts they have reached, saves, and shares. Instagram will also show how many Peak Concurrent Viewers are watching their live streams. Not only that, but the Instagram app’s account metrics section will have breakdowns that show users which accounts they’re visiting and which content formats are generating the most engagement.

The game as we know it might not alter as a result of these analytics. However, it will certainly make it easier for entrepreneurs and content creators whose firms rely on social commerce to play. Shopping in Reels makes in-app purchases more convenient. Until now, there was little data available to assist firms in customizing their Reels to reach out to potential clients.

TikTok’s competition

The inventors of these Instagram insights can’t celebrate just yet. This is thanks to TikTok’s analytics, which has long provided creators with information on average watch time, traffic sources, and geographic performance. Earlier this month, TikTok said that it would test in-app sales with a few stores, including Hype streetwear. This will give it an advantage on Instagram, though it is unclear when the feature will be made public. As a result, the combination of Instagram’s insights with in-app commerce could be the perfect storm for content creators looking to reach and ensure the monetization of their target audiences.

This function couldn’t have come at a better time, as insights will certainly be important in the future. Currently, determining the true effective reach of your films is tough, and seeing insights means getting more feedback to help enhance content.

Influencers can use these metrics to work with brands on sponsored content. Brands have been asking creators to make videos for Reels since Instagram updated its interfaces to put short videos in the premium position.

Instagram analytics are already available, and the social media platform plans to roll out more tools to help creators monitor engagement in the coming months, as well as provide insights on desktop.

Learn more about TikTok’s most recent endeavours, including its expansion into live sports

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A NEW WAY TO VIEW INSTAGRAM STORIES IS ON ITS WAY

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Instagram is continuing its line of creativity with by going back to what Facebook does best, and copy their rivals, with vertical Instagram stories feed. This concept would make Instagram resemble that infamous app known as TikTok.

We can currently view Instagram stories by the constant tapping of our screens or through horizontal swiping. Now, Instagram wants to swap this horizontal feature, which was first inspired by Snapchat.

The increase in popularity of TikTok has led to a wave of influence over other social networking apps. Not only is Instagram following TikTok’s lead, but Snapchat is not far behind. Snapchat has launched their ‘Spotlight’ segment, identical to TikTok in order to remain popular with a similar audience.

The battle between vertical and horizontal

Constant horizontal swiping and tapping through Instagram stories can easily become repetitive. The idea of vertical swiping through stories follows the essence of Instagram’s current feed. Switching to a vertical feed for Instagram stories could be a significant change for loyal users.

However, this shift could generate more opportunities for the development of the conventional Instagram layout that we have come to know and love. The sudden change in direction for Instagram stories may create a hierarchy, where videos are more relevant than images. This adjustment would match improvements to the TikTok algorithm to position the reels at the top of the food chain.

Alessandro Paluzzi, a successful mobile developer and leaker of all social media related material, uncovered this advancement and shared posted the following tweet:

So, when can we use this feature?

Alessandro’s tweet highlighted a sleek design with Instagram instructions that would allow him to swipe down to see his stories. Sad to say, this exciting new feature is not yet accessible to the public. Paluzzi was able to obtain this feature by accessing Instagram’s code. The update is at the primary level of development.

This feature is just a concept, meaning we may never see this vertical swipe move in action. However, all hope is not lost. The prototype demonstrates that Instagram is actively innovating in order to contend with one of its major rivals, TikTok.

What else is new to Instagram?

This is not the only feature that Instagram has adopted from its rival. Reels have also launched on Instagram’s explorer tab. We can see these Reels at the top of the explorer page. They have contributed to the development of a new framework that enables us to vertically swipe from video to video. Vertical swiping appears to be a new way forward for social networking apps!

On the other hand, some criticism has been directed at these consistent changes to make Instagram more or less similar to TikTok. These added features make the site look chaotic and unorganised, which isn’t the message that Instagram would like to convey. The news feed looks overwhelming due to the number of feeds, stories, IGTVs and Reels. Instagram has forgotten that less is more!

“We’re looking about how we can – not just with IGTV, but across all of Instagram- simplify and consolidate ideas, because last year we placed a lot of new bets. I think this year we have to go back to our focus on simplicity and craft”

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram

Adams statement above confirms Instagram’s recognition that it is quality over quantity and has pledged to improve this busy feed. Also, the misunderstanding between IGTV content and video posts will be vanquished. We’ll also get clarification regarding vertical stories and Reels.

The use of vertical swiping is to provoke a positive response from the target audience who are dedicated to TikTok. This is due to the declining popularity of the style that stories are currently presented.

What the creative minds at Instagram are going to develop to create a clean interface has yet to be revealed. We’re going to have to wait to see what these social media moguls create…

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Samba’s Weekly Trends in LatAm & The US (09/10/20)

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It’s NBA Finals time in the US, so there’s been plenty of basketball related content coming out of the US in recent days. And football’s national teams have also been doubling down as players head from their clubs back to their home countries as International Week gets started, with Argentina utilising Leo Messi in their latest video. Lots to get through so here they are…

Great Content from LatAm & The US

For World Bird Day the team here at Samba created a post that linked it to Everton’s Brazilian star Richarlison and his ‘pigeon celebration’. The tweet was soon spreading around the country and caught the attention of the player himself, leading to the most engaged post in the account’s short history

And it not only caused a stir on Twitter but also got journalists talking as it made it into a discussion on SporTV in Brazil – the below clip shows the tweet from approx 30 seconds in.

https://streamable.com/31kinz

Tampa Bay Buccaneers put together this epic cinematic promo video in the lead up to their game with Los Angeles Chargers, a game they came back from 24-7 down to win 38-31. With veteran Tom Brady throwing five touchdown passes in the win.

For the international window we saw this “Ready for Sport” video by Argentina NT x adidas…. featuring Messi as narrator!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGFWLwlBMh3/?igshid=b51rzcok6nan

“La Chica SuperPodoroska” from Ovación 24 in Argentina changed the name of the cartoon “Superpower girls” to “SuperPodoroska” in Spanish after Nadia Podoroska, the Argentinian tennis player who reached the semi-finals in Roland Garros.

The Mexico National Team created a “virtual honor box” to let some of their fans enjoy the match against Netherlands in an innovative way. It also saw the participation of Mexican legend Luis Hernandez.

And finally, it is NBA Finals time with the LA Lakers now only a game away from their first title in ten years. With fans not being able to there with the ‘King’, Instagram used their new Reels platform to bring LeBron James into the rooms of the fans. A fun idea for one of the highlights in the US sporting calendar.

Sports Business Headlines

Eintracht Frankfurt have developed a subsidiary called EintrachtTech GmbH. Board member Axel Hellmann summed up the idea behind it – Eintracht Frankfurt.

“Not much needs to be said about the importance of digitization for the future competitiveness of Eintracht Frankfurt. The most important thing, however, is the ‘how’ and the philosophy behind it. We decided to develop all relevant digital systems ourselves, to become almost completely independent of external systems and thus to remain true to our approach of growing on our own.”

Globo have announced the sponsorship fee for Brazilian football transmission packages, with them looking for 2021R$ 311M = £43,86M – propmark

ESPN and Fox Sports saw a 72% increase in audience in comparison between the months of August and September.
Sportv was the general leader with 0,18%. Fox had 0.13% and ESPN Brasil 0.07% in closed tv channels audience. – UOL.com

And O Globo posted about the race from Betting houses looking for visibility in Brazilian Market. In the article he mentioned Samba Digital and our Webinar using quotes from guest Aurelién Lohrer – O Globo

Social Media Platforms

A US judge is to hold a hearing on the proposed TikTok ban by the government on 4th November, the day after the Presidential election – Gadgets360

A new report finds that Snapchat, and TikTok outpaces Instagram in teen popularity – SocialMediaToday

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👉 BRASILEIRÃO STARTS TO BUILD AN INTERNATIONAL IMAGE, WHILE “GRINGOS” COLONIZE FANS AT HOME

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One week in, so how are clubs using Instagram Reels?

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After the much talked about and sudden dropping of Instagram Reels on over 50 countries last week, sports has had time now to take a look and start to test how to use this new function.

So are they creating new content for it or are they utilising TikTok content that was already available?

As you’d expect during this early phase, the adoption of Reels and creativity we’re seeing has been quite low key. There has been no mad rush to explore this amazing new function within Instagram, because it is that… a new function within a platform.

This will never have the same hype behind as an entirely new platform that breaks the mold, as TikTok did. And even compared to when Stories came out during the rise of Snapchat this feels low key.

So what have we seen so far?

KIT LAUNCHES

PSG opted to use Reels to help in the recent launch of their new kit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDgyrNOKnsf/

ATHLETES HAVING FUN

The NBA has been getting underway in their lockdown facility in Florida, providing plenty of opportunity to spend time with players and work as a team on new creative opportunities.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDfZ-ccgdxV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

SOME GREAT SKILLS

Great skills and goals will always have a place on every video based platform. Something we see no matter what the country or the sport, these videos always do well and fans enjoy a few seconds appreciating them.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDq5OVLlZPU/

GAME FOOTAGE

Taking game footage that is readily available and providing it to fans is a great way to get the action they crave into their hands. They could be showcasing a certain player or time, or could be highlights posted in almost real time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDtuk7SHmQM/

AND PLENTY OF BEHIND-THE-SCENES COVERAGE

No matter when it is in the year, behind the scenes content is one way of creating a unique perspective for the fans and showcasing the personalities of the athletes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDmxxvrlSSZ/

So far the response from sports organisations has been restrained. With some leagues still waiting to start and social teams already stretched with the numbers of platforms to post on, adding another format could take some time to get through.

Much of the content will already be in the format for TikTok or Stories, so repurposing for Reels is not too much of a problem. The proof will be shown in the uptake from other creators and perhaps, most importantly from sports point of view, the athletes.

So far the likes of Neymar Jr have yet to make the transition, preferring to keep his presence on TikTok separate from Instagram. With 140 million followers on the platform he is one of the biggest, and if he switches then we could see others follow.

@jstustiop

Eu me divirto 🤣

♬ original sound – filmpawis – น้องฟิมสวัสดีจ้าาา

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Samba’s Weekly Trends in LatAm and the US (06/08/20)

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This week there is plenty to go through with some superb content from teams based in the US, Brazil, Germany (with Mexico) and Uruguay. This month has seen many kit launches as clubs ramp up delayed new seasons and find news ways in which to bring fans closer to them whilst the stadiums remain empty.

GREAT CONTENT FROM LATAM AND US

We enjoyed this very creative video from Peñarol to celebrate the restart of football in Uruguay. It’s only 10 seconds long but brings the home/live match experience together in a fun way.

FC Bayern will be doing the virtual FCB Audi Tour in Mexico, and as part of it they produced an interview with the world class goalkeepers, Ochoa and Neuer, with a TUDN TV presenter moderating.

Vasco da Gama in Brazil announced it’s new Kappa shirt via YouTube Live. An event that garnered half a million of views and will no doubt have served to increase the excitement around the new shirt.

Flamengo reactivated the Spanish account, and with their first tweet they used it to announce their new Spanish coach, Domenec Torrent. An activation you usually see around player announcements and a great way in which to bring new Spanish fans into the Brazilian club.

This fantastic behind-the-scenes style video from Phoenix Suns shows what is possible with some access, game footage and a tight edit. It takes you from the hotel in the NBA Bubble in Orlando, into the dressing room and then through the game…all in just over 2 minutes.

PLATFORM UPDATES

Instagram launched Reels to over 50 regions this week as it builds on the testing it’s been doing in Brazil, India, France and Germany over the last few months. The TikTok copycat could be primed to take advantage of the troubles the Chinese company is going through especially in the US, though not everyone is convinced it will have what it takes to become a TikTok killer. (Instagram)

Another TikTok competitor to keep an eye on is Triller. They have spent a rumoured $50million on rights for the upcoming Mike Tyson Vs Roy Jones Jnr boxing match. They are seeing sport as a way to increase their user base, one that already stands at over 120 million. A platform to watch. (Sportbible)

WeChat, the Chinese messaging platform, has pulled out of India in the face of the ongoing disputes between the countries, and in response to the recent ban of Chinese apps in the country. (The Drum)

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Who will win the great TikTok battle?

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In the ever changing world of social media, one story has been dominating the headlines in recent weeks…. TikTok’s potential ban in the United States. As China-US relations continue to deteriorate, what this could mean for content creators/businesses? And what are the alternative platforms out there?

This battle for the fastest growing area within our industry is a unique one. The US has long held sway on social media with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and Twitter all growing out from the US before going on to world domination.

China in that time has resisted those platforms, instead developing its own, sometimes clone, platforms that have had unique access to the almost 1.5 billion people who live within its borders.

But what happens when these two paths cross?

TikTok is that breakout company, and become a political football between Washington and Beijing in doing so. With talk now of a Microsoft purchase of the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand parts of the business to allow operations to continue in those territories. An approach backed by the US government.

What TikTok has done over the last 18 months is show a new way in which to engage with the ever-sought-after 13-24 year old category. A group that is quite happy to skip onto the ‘next big thing’ once it becomes too advert heavy or business driven… too mainstream.

So whilst the China-owned company has been occupying itself with these battles, others have been making moves to step into their shoes if something does happen.

Instagram has its own clone product in Reels, one which was originally tested in Brazil before launching today (5th August) to over 50 markets including the UK and US.

Just like TikTok, Reels allows users to make and share 15-second video clips that are set to a choice of music tracks. They can also borrow and remix audio from other people’s videos and the ‘Featured Reels’ section can help new stars to be found.

Is this going to be another Instagram Stories moment for the platform, or more of a Facebook Lasso (a little known TikTok clone app that launched in 2018 and was shut down last month after failing to take off, and with the imminent arrival of Reels).

So is Instagram going to be the only one to take advantage? Or are they already too slow off the mark to make any real inroads?

Instagram certainly won’t have it all their own way as several rivals are already seeing greater traction.

Snapchat…. only this week it was announced that Snapchat are testing a new feature that allows users to set their ‘Snaps’ to music. This comes about after deals were made with Warner Music, Universal Music, Merlin and others.

This could be a smart move by the AR-driven app as they allow people to mix together what they love about the platform with the best of what TikTok is offering.

Triller…. a new name for most people, but Triller climbed to no.1 on the iOS free app charts in over 50 countries recently as news about the potential ban began to spread.

The app also caused a stir in the sports world recently after it was announced they had paid “north of $50 million” to gain the exclusive streaming rights for the upcoming (and controversial) Mike Tyson v Roy Jones Jnr boxing match on 12th September. Showing that it both has the budget to make a big push for new users, and sees sport as a way of doing it.

They are also taking advantage of concerns by some of the biggest TikTok stars with the LA-based company attracting a number of TikTokers to the platform. And with 120million+ downloads so far, it’s one that could find itself in prime position in the coming weeks.

Byte…. this app was only launched in January of this year and is another US service that allows users to create 15-second looping videos (sound familiar?). It has some pedigree as it was created by Dom Hofmann, one of the original co-founders of Vine – an app that was bought Twitter shortly after being founded and was shuttered by the company in 2017.

Byte app also climbed the charts on the TikTok news, reaching number 2 behind Triller. Add this to its ties with the much-missed Vine app, and there is a strong chance this platform could take off in the coming months.

As well as these main players you also have the choice of Dubsmash, Likee and others. All of which have climbed the app charts in the last few days.

So as a marketer it is certainly a confusing time and will no doubt have many questions. Such as; I’m already on TikTok, should I carry on investing in it? I’ve been looking at launching on TikTok but wonder if now is a good time? Or should I be looking at one of the alternatives?

There is no right or wrong answer to these at the moment, but it has long been the role of those working in social media to ensure that the team, organisation or brand is bigger than any one platform. Having the ability to move to where the fans are, learning about the platform quickly, and creating compelling content to engage with those fans.

We’ve seen people jump from Facebook to Instagram, Twitter to TikTok… and this will always happen. Whilst TikTok remains the right platform for where your audience is now, then that is where you should be.

But it is also our job to test these new platforms and learn about them. Ensuring that if the time comes, we are ready to move.

The battle is very much on!

Instagram Reels in India as TikTok ban continues

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How big can Instagram Reels become? And will TikTok continue its unabated global rise?

Both are questions that we’ve been asking a lot recently, and even more so since India announced a ban on Chinese-owned apps. A ban that included the world’s most downloaded app of 2020.

Last week we asked if Reels could be a genuine threat to them, and with this news it could well happen sooner than many, including Instagram, expected.

For many people this may not sound like a big deal. TikTok is amongst the most popular apps in many countries around the world, including the US and UK, so what does it have to fear? But it is in India where it has its biggest audience.

To put it into context, May saw 13.19m downloads on Google Play in India. The next most was 5.48m in Brazil. That is how much of a deal it is for the company and why it will try its best to see the ban lifted as soon as possible.

In the short-term there will certainly be an interest in Reels and it will be interesting to see if a TikTok starved audience moves over to a new platform. This test could be the make or break for Instagram’s newest big copycat feature, as it will show for sure whether people use it in the numbers they hope will.

So will Reels end up being the next Bonfire, the first Houseparty clone that closed in 2019, or Stories, which effectively halted the growth of Snapchat? The next few weeks will be very telling. 

If you’d like to talk to us about your social media strategy, get in touch with via our Contacts Page.

Is Instagram’s New ‘Reels’ A Genuine Threat To TikTok?

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What are ‘Reels’?

Back in November last year Instagram started testing the latest clone from a rival app, with TikTok this time firmly in its sights. ‘Reels’ let you make 15-second video clips set to music, which might sound familiar, and initially the plan was to share them to Stories.

Brazil was chosen as the first country to launch it in and the new feature went under the name ‘Cenas’, starting the process of gaining valuable feedback from users what works for them, and didn’t doesn’t. A process that has been ongoing until the recent announcement of the program’s expansion. 

Why Brazil?

Brazil is one of the main testing countries for most of the US-based social media companies due to the popularity of both Twitter and Instagram amongst the population. For Instagram this was key, and tied in with an established creator community, it made it for the perfect market to go to first. Brazil has an estimated 82 million Instagram users, though TikTok is pressing them heavily and Brazil is seen as a key market for them. According to *Statista there were 10.9m downloads in January alone, double that of the previous month. 

Expanding to new markets and making changes

Instagram has taken much of the feedback on board during its test phase and made changes accordingly. Originally Reels were only meant to be shared within Stories, but the community wanted to share them with followers and friends in a more permanent way, and be able to expand their broadcast abilities more broadly if desired.

Also they wanted a specific place in which they could easily compile Reels and watch other peoples. So for this next phase they have moved the feature to a dedicated space in users Profiles and in Explore. 

These features and how it works have been nicely summarised in this video..

https://twitter.com/herr_eisenbrand/status/1275907343591641088

Phase two takes place in Germany and France as the social media giant looks to the European market, one where sports are particularly important (and profitable) to them.

So is it a genuine threat to TikTok?

Whenever Instagram (and Facebook generally) takes on a direct competitor by cloning pretty much all of its key features, there is always cause for concern. By all accounts it is very much a simplified version of TikTok but with additional releases to come that will no doubt take on their competitors most popular features very soon. 

Though there have been some false starts, you only have to look at Snapchat and how much the launch of Instagram Stories impacted them in 2016. Surpassing their use in record time and stunting their own growth for much of the following three years.

There is a one main difference between the two platforms though, and that is how the algorithms work within them. 

On TikTok you see most of the content on the ‘For You’ tab and the content shown is based on your behaviour rather than who you follow. This provides the opportunity for any piece of content by anyone to ‘go viral’, but one of the frustrations we have heard from creators/brands is the lack of reliability on what will work and when.

Instagram has that reliability and this is understood by those who use it. Some TikTok users even post calls-to-action at the end of their videos saying things like “get more videos like this on my Instagram feed”. 

At the end of the day the key decider will be where the brand money ends up, whether that be via advertising or influencer marketing. This will take longer to play out due to the recent pausing of social media ad spend by the likes of Ford, Unilever, Coca-Cola and many more in recent days.

How will sports react?

Of course it is easier to test out a new feature on a platform they know, e.g. Instagram, than it is to go into the unknown and start from scratch. This may mean that some pause for thought before going ahead on TikTok, seeing if Reels gives them what they want (reach and new followers).

In the end they will go where the fans are, and especially young fans, as they look for new new audiences and markets. Will it mean the end for TikTok? No! But it’s phenomenal recent growth may flatten when Reels becomes available to all… whenever that might be.

If you’d like to talk to us about your TikTok strategy, get in touch with us via our Contacts Page. 

*https://www.statista.com/statistics/1103503/tiktok-brazil/

Samba’s Weekly Trends in LatAm and the US (24/6/20)

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In this week’s look at the latest social media and sport updates from LatAm and the US we cover WhatsApp payments, La Liga urban art, Twitter Audio and Instagram ‘Reels’. 

WhatsApp payments in Brazil suspended a week after launching

According to Techcrunch, the newly launched service in WhatsApp’s second largest market has been suspended by the country’s central bank, saying they “hadn’t had the opportunity to analyze WhatsApp’s payment service prior to its rollout”. This is a blow to the Facebook-owned service, and was backed up by The General Superintendence of Cade who suspended the agreement between WhatsApp, Cielo and other financial institutions.

Twitter Audio tested out in sports

The new tool launched recently by Twitter has been tested out by many of those organisations who have access to it. Some have used the service to share match updates, whilst others to engage fans with quizzes and mystery voices. You can read more about it in our latest article.

How to do an athlete Q&A on Twitter

This fun Q&A from Miami Dolphins is a great example of producing an engaging video that mixes in the players responses with relevant and fun memes. 

https://twitter.com/MiamiDolphins/status/1273660946880139264

Instagram expands Tik Tok-esque ‘Reels’ feature

Initially tested in Brazil, the new feature will become available to users in Germany and France as the Facebook-owned social network turns its attention to Tik Tok and aims to capitalise on the extraordinary growth its counterpart has enjoyed this year. 

Racing Club become the first Argentine club to join the Sports Innovation Alliance 

Racing Club join the likes of Vasco de Gama, Los Angeles FC, Celtic FC and Feyenoord as a member of the Sports Innovation Alliance (SIA), a group that brings together clubs from different origins and aims to exchange information, use technological advances and shared knowledge.

La Liga celebrates the return of football with urban art project on five continents

To coincide with the relaunch of the La Liga season, one of the activations used by the governing body was an urban artwork project. It took place in 12 cities including São Paulo (Brazil), Bogota (Columbia) and Mexico City with the works available for all to see on the La Liga’s social channels. Below is the Brazil example.

Club America from Mexico join Nike’s LGTB support campaign “Be True” by changing the color of its logo.

And finally, happy birthday to Juan Román Riquelme…

For more information on how these sports brands are utilizing their social media, contact us via our contacts page now.