Another new headline feature is coming to Reels – but before you roll your eyes and start thinking about what else Meta could have duped from TikTok this time around, this time it may be different.

Because the feature is something, you may have seen on Instagram before.

Before we get to that, there is also a range of other updates that should help make marketers’ and creators’ lives easier, such as enhanced insights, Remix in Sequence, and the ability to crosspost and auto-generated Reels.

The net result is that Reels should get easier to create at scale, with richer insights for optimisation. Something which Meta recently acknowledged if the feature is to reach its full potential with businesses, creators and users alike.

Sheryl Sandberg, former Meta COO, July 2022

“Video is harder than photos, than static photos. Small businesses are better at static photos than they are at video. So this is a new format that we have to help them use.

I think we have a number of tools that are working. We have a number of tools in development. But the idea is to help businesses really easily create those Reels ads, really easily test them so they can iterate and keep improving as we do this.”

The Add Yours sticker is coming to Reels

The most notable of the recent Reels updates is the addition of an ‘Add Yours’ sticker for Facebook and Instagram.

First introduced for Insta Stories in 2021, the sticker is a popular feature, and it’s no surprise to learn that it’s coming to Reels as well.

With content collaboration being a key content marketing theme for 2022, ‘Add Yours’ offers another creative tool to drive audience engagement, with the potential for viral reach. The ‘Add Yours’ sticker encourages people to post their own Reels in response to an original one. It’s a great way to prompt engagement from other users and could lead to more branded content being accessible to Reels watchers.

If that’s all a little unclear, ‘Add Yours’ works like this. You’re a pizza company, and you post a Reel of a delicious pizza being eaten – but you also use the ‘Add Yours’ sticker to say something like ‘show us what made you happy today.’ Your audience may post plenty of responses, including ones that feature your product. The result? Heaps of engagement and user-generated content that show the world how great your pizza is.

Or, obviously, trolling if your pizzas are pretty average…

The popularity of the ‘Add Yours’ sticker for Stories means that Meta was always going to look to get more bang for their buck, and to be fair to them, it’s exactly the sort of feature that’s brilliant for Reels. It will spark engagement, create a sense of community and basically do all the good stuff that people love TikTok for. While not being a TikTok rip-off for change.

Easier Reels creation + amplification

Crossposting is getting an upgrade as all users can post Reels from Instagram to Facebook.

Crossposting should help marketers build an engaged audience across Facebook and Instagram, provided the Reels are high-quality. It will also save time, which could be deployed into other useful areas.

Speaking of which, another potential time-saver is auto-generated Reels.

The auto-generated Reels are made from previously shared Stories, making it easy to share past posts as Reels, but you may have to jazz them up a little to make sure they work as engaging, short-form videos.

In the Reels creation screen, you should see a ‘Create from Your Story Archive’ prompt.

However, this may not be ideal for brands – especially those that don’t post a lot of Stories. But if you do, it could help you create some easy-win content.

You can also convert your video assets into Reels within Creator Studio, which would be more helpful to marketers moving forward.

Creator Studio analytics

Creator Studio analytics is being updated to include insights on Reach, Minutes Viewed and Average Watch Time.

It will give marketers increased data on what’s working and what isn’t, which will help everyone make more informed content decisions. With Black Friday, the football World Cup and Holiday Season ensuring a bumper fourth quarter, marketers will need to bring their A-Game in the coming months.

Reels Remix expansion

Our last update is Reels Remix, which will now include Facebook Reels.

Remix works across Meta and allows users to record a video in response to an existing Reel, akin to TikTok’s  Duets.

With the old remix, you can take an original and add your twist to it – but the catch is that it will play side-by-side with the original. Now, you have the option to show your remix after the original.

Again, this will give brands another way to connect with their audience, especially on Facebook. For example, marketers could create content that encourages users to remix, potentially creating organic engagement and extra exposure.