In 2023, there are an estimated 4.80 billion social media users globally, equating to nearly 60% of the total population. Two of the biggest contenders for social media marketing are Instagram and TikTok. Both of these social media platforms provide a place for brands to create short-form videos to share with followers.
Everyone dreams of achieving the ultimate online status of having a viral video on social media, especially growing brands. But the question is when it comes to short-form video platforms, which is the most effective method for your brand, Instagram or TikTok?
It’s necessary to compare Instagram Reels vs TikTok to see how they stack up. Doing so will allow you to make the best choices when it comes to your digital marketing efforts.
Interested in learning more? Then keep reading below to find out more helpful information on Instagram Reels vs TikTok for ways you can effectively manage your brand.
What Is Instagram Reels?
Instagram Reels is a central feature included within the Instagram app. Although Instagram’s creation happened in 2010, the Reels feature was not introduced as a part of Instagram until 2020. Instagram’s Reels was also created to compete with the popularity of TikTok.
Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 to incorporate the company into its suite of Metaverse offerings. Instagram Reels lets users create short-form videos of 15 to 60 seconds in length. Instagram Reels also allows users to utilize popular music and audio tracks within their video content.
With Instagram Reels, users can also add augmented reality effects to their videos, along with special timers, alignment guides, countdowns, and speed controls. The Duet or Remix feature lets users collaborate on videos with other users through split-screen creation. Some of the most popular viral video content on Instagram Reels includes:
- How-tos and Tutorials
- Choreography and Dance
- Lip-syncing and Comedy
- Fashion and Style
- Music Performances
- Product Reviews
Because Instagram Reels is built into the existing Instagram app infrastructure, it offers several ways for videos to be discovered and viewed by users. For example, these Reels can appear in the Reels tab under profiles, on the Explore page, and within regular Instagram feeds.
Instagram’s algorithm determines the content that appears on the Explore page. It then personalizes it based on user preferences and engagement patterns. Reels are also viewable within the Facebook app, giving brands another way to read potential consumers.
Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram
Every brand wants to know the secret of when to post content to get the best results. The general consensus with the best time to post Reels on Instagram is between 9 am to 12 pm Monday through Thursday. This can vary based on your business’s location and time zone.
What Is TikTok?
Like Instagram, TikTok is also a social media platform for sharing viral video content. It was launched in 2016 by the Chinese-based company ByteDance. It then quickly shot up the ranks in popularity for short-form video platforms.
TikTok became known for its ability to allow user-generated content of 15 to 60-second videos. TikTok also has an array of interactive features like Duets, which permits users to collaborate and connect through split-screen videos. TikTok helped set the stage for short-form viral video content, which has become one of the biggest digital marketing trends in recent years.
The TikTok app became widely known for its trendy yet sometimes controversial TikTok challenges. These challenges were created to encourage users to engage with other profiles by filming themselves taking part in new experiences. Some of its other most popular video types are:
- Lip-syncs
- Dance videos
- Skits and parodies
- Talent showcases
- Educational content
- Recipe sharing and cooking
What makes TikTok even more appealing to users is the ability to set videos to music and sound effects with a vast catalog of audio tracks. There are also a wide variety of editing tools, transitions, and filters available to accompany videos with creative effects. This allows users to personalize their content even further.
TikTok’s algorithm uses artificial intelligence to analyze user preferences and behavior. This lets it deliver personalized content tailored to individual interests, which makes it ideal for brands looking to target a set demographic.
Best Time to Post TikTok Video Content
Because TikTok is a massive worldwide platform, there really is no one size fits all formula for the best overall post times. However, some studies have shown that Tuesday and Thursday are the best days to post, with weekdays heavily favoring weekends in general. It’s also advised to post before the average workday starts or after typical working hours end.
Instagram Reels vs TikTok: Finding Your Target Audience
When it comes to Instagram Reels vs TikTok, finding your target audience is one of the biggest steps to take first. There is great importance associated with understanding your audience.
You need to make sure the short-form video platform you choose is the best one for your target demographic. While both short-form video platforms appear to be equal, they do have slightly different user demographics.
Instagram Reels’ Primary User Demographic
Instagram’s primary user demographic heavily favors Millennials and Gen Z’ers. Millennials would be roughly between 23 to 41 years old in 2023. Gen Z’ers in 2023, would range in age from about 11 to 26 years of age. This is a much broader age group to market to.
Interestingly enough, Instagram also skews mostly male, with around 54% listed as male users with a 46% female user ratio. Because Instagram Reels is also attached to the Facebook app, content could potentially reach an even older demographic among Facebook’s over 2 billion average daily users as well.
Data shows the most desirable demographics on Instagram are males aged 18-24 and females aged 25-34. Depending on your brand, these are the primary marketing areas you’ll want to target if you decide to use Instagram Reels.
Instagram is also the birthplace of influencer marketing between brands and social media users. This effective digital marketing strategy puts advertising in the hands of trusted users with a robust social media following. It’s a symbiotic relationship between brands and influencers that helps build up trust between consumers and brands.
TikTok’s Primary User Demographic
TikTok appeals to a much younger crowd. It falls between Generation Alpha and Gen Z.
Although it still appeals to a wide range of age groups, the 10 to 19-year demographic is the most frequent user group. This is followed by the 20-29-year-old age group in second place and the 30-39-year-old age group in third.
TikTok’s use also skews predominantly female. Around 43% of TikTok users are male, while the remaining 57% of users have a female majority. This makes females under 20 years old the most prominent marketing demographic on TikTok.
Instagram Reels vs TikTok: Average Engagement Rate
The engagement rate of Instagram Reels vs TikTok is another important element to consider. Engagement rates refer to the metrics used that track how well your content is doing with its chosen audience based on the interaction it receives.
This is often done through likes, comments, views, and shares on social media. The engagement rate is an important metric because it helps to analyze how effective your brand campaigns are.
You want to market where you know you’ll get the most views for your viral video content. This is the major difference for a lot of different brands when deciding where to focus their marketing efforts.
Let’s take a look at how Instagram Reels vs TikTok stack up in terms of their engagement rates.
Instagram Reels Engagement Rate
The average engagement rate on Instagram is around 4.5%. An engagement rate between 1-3% is considered generally good. However, this relies on the brand’s overall effectiveness of its content strategy.
Remember, Instagram Reels is part of the broader Instagram universe. It benefits greatly from being integrated into the larger Instagram platform umbrella and Facebook app, which potentially provides exposure to a wider audience base.
Because of this, its engagement rate can vary from user to user. It will depend on different factors such as the user’s unique content niche, the quality of the content produced, and their existing number of Instagram followers.
The engagement rates on Instagram Reels may also be influenced by factors such as content relevancy to the given audience.
TikTok Engagement Rate
On TikTok, a good engagement rate can fall anywhere between 4 to 18%. It can still go much higher, but this will depend on how large of a following the brand has. For example, TikTok content creator Mr. Beast has 84.1 million followers, which is an unprecedented engagement rate on the platform.
It’s important to note that TikTok’s algorithm is designed specifically to prioritize engagement and promote content discovery. This makes it easier for users to gain traction. It also allows them to generate high engagement rates.
Many factors contribute to TikTok’s high engagement potential. It includes elements like the platform’s focus on trends, new video challenges, and viral content.
TikTok’s overall engagement rate tends to be relatively high. This is especially true for content that tends to resonate and engage with its predominantly active and younger user demographic.
Elevate Your Digital Marketing Strategy With Trigger Digital Today
When it comes to Instagram Reels vs TikTok for effective branding, the choice is ultimately yours. Most brands opt for a duel approach to their branding efforts by utilizing multiple short-form video platforms. After all, this content can be shared across multiple channels in many ways already.
Trigger Digital believes in a multi-pronged approach to a digital marketing strategy. We work with companies of all shapes and sizes and strive to deliver all of our clients a high level of service. Let us help your business get the best solutions.
Contact us today to discuss your unique digital marketing needs.
