Just days after TikTok announced that it had reached a billion active users, Facebook has today launched Reels on Facebook for all users in the US, bringing its short-form video competitor to many more people.
In all honesty, Facebook seems more excited about the addition than anybody else.
The Social Network has been testing Reels in its main app since March, starting in India, where TikTok is banned, giving Facebook more opportunity to capitalize on the popularity of the format.
And now, it’s bringing the option to its 250 Million+ US audience.
“Reels on Facebook can consist of music, audio, effects and more. You can find them in News Feed or in Groups, and when viewing a reel on Facebook, you can easily follow the creator directly from the video, like and comment on it, or share it with friends.”
The groups addition is the most interesting element – as you can see in the above video clip, along with the capacity to share your Reels to your News Feed, you’ll also be able to post your Reels direct to groups that you’re a member of, while Facebook’s also launching a new ‘Single Theme’ group setting “that makes it easy to prompt members to share their Reels”.
As you can see in this example, through themed Reels, you could prompt group members to, say, post videos of themselves blowing on their dogs’ ears to see their reaction, which could spark a new engagement trend in your group, and prompt further interaction within the community.
It’s a good angle for Facebook to take, especially considering that Facebook groups are used by more than 1.8 billion people every month. And much like its take on audio social, which is also being fed through groups, Facebook’s looking to use the advantage it has in hosting these dedicated communities to maximize Reels usage, and make it a bigger trend through more focused engagement.
