If you’re looking to update your content approach for 2024, you should probably consider adding more Reels video clips into your mix.
That’s the message of the latest video performance analysis from Emplifi, which conducted a review of thousands of posts across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to glean more insight into what’s working, what’s resonating with viewers, and what brands are currently posting.
And overall, Reels comes out on top.
First off, based on an analysis of more than 1,300 brand IG and TikTok sister profiles, Emplifi found that Instagram Reels drove far more views, with longer Reels clips performing best.
As you can see in this chart, longer Reels actually outperformed all other Reels lengths, with short Reels (under 30 seconds) earning 6,145 median views and medium-length Reels (30- to 90-second) earning a median of 7,830 views.
And overall, Reels clearly beat out TikTok for view counts, which is interesting considering that TikTok has been more hyped as a platform for some time.
This is for brand content specifically, so that may be a factor, and these are general numbers, so your specific audience may vary. But it is interesting to note the performance of Reels clips, and longer Reels in particular,
Over on Facebook, Emplifi’s data also shows that Reels are outperforming regular video uploads by a significant margin.
“Facebook Reels saw more than three times the number of median views as other video content on the platform.”
That reflects Meta’s broader emphasis on Reels clips, which have been a key engagement driver across its apps.
Which could play a part in your content planning, in driving more reach and engagement across Meta’s apps. Again, individual results will vary by audience, but it is worth noting the relative popularity of Reels, either because they’re favored by users, or the algorithms on each.
Finally, Emplifi notes that despite the popularity of Reels, brands still post way more Stories on Instagram.
That’s another consideration for your planning. At one stage, Stories had been the key emphasis for IG, and a key driver of engagement. But now, Reels has taken that crown, and many brand strategies are seemingly yet to catch up.
Maybe these findings factor into your planning, maybe not, and really, it should come down to your audience, not generic insights. But the data here could serve as a reminder to review your content approach, and to consider other, emerging formats.
Which, in this case, relates to Reels specifically, which is driving broad reach across Meta’s apps.
You can check out Emplifi’s full report here.