Once again Facebook has announced a new range of updates for its TikTok competitor, Reels.

The most eye-catching of these updates is the ability to create longer clips. Maximum length is being increased by 30 seconds, from one minute up to 90 seconds. Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has been testing this feature over the last few months and is ready for it to go global.

TikTok allows creators to make 10 minute long videos, and it’s safe to say it has abandoned the short and sweet ethos that made it so popular in the first place. But, as audiences don’t seem to mind, you can see it slowly broadening out its restrictions over time. It won’t be a huge surprise to see Reels go down the same path.

Longer stories and more engagement

Reels creators will now be able to tell slightly longer stories – and from a marketing perspective, there’s more chance to tell a brand story.

There will also be some new stickers added to Reels clips.

Meta for Creators

“We’re bringing some of your favorite Instagram Stories stickers to Reels: with poll, quiz and emoji slider stickers, you’ll have new ways to connect with people through your reels.”

Polls should help marketers improve engagement, although all of the tools should have a positive impact on how your community engages with you.

Marketers will also be able to import audio directly within Instagram Reels. You can use it to add a commentary or background sound to any video you want, although the sound has to be over five seconds long.

Additionally, templates should provide a welcome time-saver to marketers. 

“Templates let you easily and quickly create your own reel using the same structure as a reel you’ve watched. When you see a reel you’d like to recreate, tap ‘Use Template’ to pull in the audio and clip sequence. You can then customize it with your own content by adding and trimming.”

Better discovery

Meta is also looking to boost Reels discovery by putting them in more recommendation feeds across Facebook and Instagram. Basically, it’s trying to follow the template set down by TikTok – but it does mean that your chances of reaching a new audience is increased.

“On Facebook, we’re rolling out suggested Reels in Feed globally to help you get discovered by people around the world. We’ve also expanded Reels in Watch globally, so people can find Facebook Reels in Feed, Groups and Watch. On Instagram, creators have the option to recommend their reels on Facebook to expand the reach of their content.”

What new tools are coming to Facebook Reels?

Facebook Reels is also getting a bit of an update that should help save creators and marketers some time during the edit and upload phase.

Firstly, you’ll now be able to create, edit, publish and schedule Facebook Reels via Creator Studio. The move will remove the reliance on marketers to use their phones for all of the important creative steps, which should make jobs easier.

Talking about making jobs easier, clipping tools will be available via desktop.

“We’re starting to roll out video clipping tools on desktop that will make it easier for creators who publish long-form, recorded or live videos to test different formats. This feature will let you create clips from published, long-form videos and edit them seamlessly into a Facebook Reel via Creator Studio.”

Gaming brands can create Reels from Live content, with views for gameplay and creator cam. That should provide a big content boost, while ensuring that marketers don’t sink too much time into editing.

Finally, you’ll now be able to record voiceovers for your clip and make sure of Sound Sync, which automatically syncs video clips to the beat of your favorite song.

These updates should be positive for brands and marketers. They will help broaden discovery, provide additional avenues for content creation and help streamline the creation side of things. And, if you’re interesting in experimenting in shorter videos, it will now be easier than ever before to do so.

As always, experimentation is required, but the news is positive.