Instagram boss says he’s not happy with Reels yet and could ‘consolidate’ video formats



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Instagram director Adam Mosseri is not thrilled with the platform’s competitor TikTok’s Reels. He touched on the format, which launched in the United States in August, in an interview with The edgeof Decoder podcast today.

“I’m not satisfied with it yet,” he said. “We are growing both in terms of sharing and consumption, but we still have a long way to go. And we have to be honest that TikTok is ahead. “

He went on to say that the team is primarily focused on “table stakes” right now, not on how to differentiate themselves. Specifically, he calls TikTok’s innovative creative tools, such as filters and effects that spur new formats of video memes, as something Instagram isn’t yet doing on its own but eventually needs to do.

“I think we need to get better at creating more powerful and creative tools that aren’t necessarily a meme or some sort of moment in a package, but that give people more creative than us and that create content to live on. the ability to earn something that’s going to explode, ”he says.

Instagram also sees a conflict between its many different video formats. Mosseri says “most people” probably don’t know the difference between videos posted to Instagram and IGTV, the app’s format for longer videos that’s been around since 2018.

“It’s probably too nuanced a distinction to resonate with anyone, so we’re looking at how we can – not just with IGTV, but across Instagram – simplify and consolidate ideas, because last year we placed a lot of new bets, “he says. “I think this year we need to get back to our focus on simplicity and craftsmanship.

It’s a very different tone from when Instagram launched the format and called it “the future of video”. But that’s a testament to the rapid success of TikTok which in 2018 was not fully known in mainstream culture but is now a driver of conversation, memes, and viral dancing. Mosseri is hinting that IGTV and Reels, as well as general videos posted to the Instagram grid, need some sort of consolidation and clarity, which makes sense, especially when the app is trying to do it all at once.



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