Instagram Has a Reel Problem
It's clear the platform is trying to position itself as a TikTok replacement—will it work?
Last year, during an interview on The Colin and Samir Show, the hosts asked Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram at Meta, "If Instagram in five years loses its relevance, what do you think went wrong?" Mosseri responded: "We probably moved too slow."
This week Instagram is moving fast. In response to the news of the TikTok ban, it announced a video creation app called "Edits", rolled out three-minute Reels, offered TikTok creators cash bonuses for exclusive content, changed the grid, and somehow lots more. I've never received so many PR emails from their team. It's clear Instagram is trying to position itself as a TikTok replacement—but will it work?
When you scroll on your For You Page, it’s like TikTok’s video algorithm knows you. This feeling is what made the platform so massively popular to begin with. It gets your sense of humor, the hobbies you want to learn more about, and the trends you want to participate in. It optimizes for engagement through deep personalization. When you comment or like a post on TikTok, it’s generally a pretty good indicator of content you’d like to see more of.
On the other hand, it feels like Instagram’s video algorithm mocks you. Your Reels tab feeds you rage bait, thinks you’ll be amused by AI slop, and refuses to understand your interests. It optimizes for engagement through divisive content. When you comment on or share a Reel with a friend, it might be out of disgust—and the algorithm doesn’t care to tell the difference.
If Instagram wants to fix Reels, its algorithm needs to better distinguish between rage engagement and real engagement. It must understand sentiment in comment sections—have you noticed how many “viral” creators have built their massive followings based on purposely upsetting people? Watch time doesn’t always equal enjoyment.
There’s also the opposing culture of the two platforms. When I speak with social media managers and creators, they tell me vague (but important) differences. To them, Instagram feels too “serious” and “curated” whereas TikTok feels “casual” and “genuine.” This culture also seeps into the comment sections—it’s widely understood that comments on Instagram are mean and unwelcoming compared to those on TikTok. A common refrain in the comments on a cringe TikTok video is “post this on Reels,” implying that people over on Instagram would say worse things than those on TikTok. Reels needs to solve for the feeling of posting and scrolling there if it wants to stand a chance.
Back in 2022, there was a clear moment where Instagram shifted their focus to Reels and discovery features. It was met with immediate backlash. Who else remembers Kylie Jenner reposting that image from photographer Tati Bruening demanding to “make Instagram Instagram again”? It was a stand against the app moving to algorithmic-based discovery and a call to re-prioritize community on the platform. Mosseri even made a video at the time responding to it. He said that the platform will need to “lean into” videos while still supporting the platform’s “heritage” of photos.
Today, more than two years later, Instagram still feels in limbo. A platform that’s trying to be everything to everybody. Photos and videos. Community and discovery. TikTok, despite its flaws, actually feels like a place where any user can find a space for themselves and where your For You Page really is for you. This begs the question: how can Reels know you if it doesn’t even know itself?
Let’s get into today’s newsletter:
Five post formats to try this week
10 ways Instagram can immediately improve Reels
Should your brand move TikTok influencer dollars to other platforms?
The docuseries that’s relevant to anyone working in social
How you can (sort of) fix your new 4x5 grid
The agency making some of my favorite short-form political videos
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