Subject areaChannels and tools
Also known asInstagram Reels
A reel is the short vertical video format of Instagram and Facebook, the platforms of the Meta group.
It plays full screen, often with music and captions, and stays on the profile. This sets it apart from stories (content that disappears after a day).
Its usefulness for a brand lies in distribution: the platform suggests reels based on viewers' behaviour, including to people who do not follow the profile, so the format serves discovery more than the relationship with existing followers. The first seconds therefore carry a lot of weight, and the useful measure is how many people watch to the end, more than the view count.
An example
The case below is constructed, because the term does not yet appear in the articles. A paint manufacturer posts a reel in which a craftsman shows how to prepare a wall. The video also reaches people who do not follow the profile, so the marketing manager checks how many watch to the end and how many then open the product page.
Related entries
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Enrico Giubertoni. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0: you may quote, translate and adapt this entry with the author’s name and a link, stating any changes. For commercial use, write to info@enricogiubertoni.com
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