Instagram testing full-screen ads in Reels, Sticker ads coming to Facebook Stories

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar
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In a move that is not surprising at all, Facebook is going to milk yet another avenue that is getting popular these days. We’re talking about Reels here, the TikTok-copycat that was recently released on Instagram. The social media giant has today announced that it will start testing Reels ads in India, Germany, and Australia, and will expand to other markets in the coming months. 

You can reply, like, save, and skip these Reels ads

Just like the Reels themselves, these ads will be full-screen and will last up to 30 seconds. Instagram says that Reel ads will also be immersive, and they will also allow viewers to like, share as well as comment on them just like a regular Reel video. Moreover, these ads can also be skipped and saved too. Here’s the official explanation behind the idea of ads in Reels:

“90% of people follow a business on Instagram, and people are already embracing Reels to discover new creators and businesses.5 This discovery mindset makes it a natural place for businesses to express themselves creatively and find deeper connections with the audiences that matter to them.”
sticker ad in facebook stories
This is how sticker ads in Facebook Stories will look

But Facebook is not just stopping at exploiting Reels for some ad money on Instagram. The social media behemoth has revealed that in the coming weeks, it will start testing custom sticker ads on Facebook Stories among a handful of creators and advertising partners. These stickers will allow creators to monetize their Stories as they will get a cut of revenue from sales generated by them. These stickers will be designed by brands and creators will have the freedom to use them in their stories howsoever they like for maximum engagement.

Facebook is also kicking off a global test of what it calls In-Stream Video Topics. Essentially, these are in-stream ads that have generated video topics to assist businesses in finding the right video for advertising their products and services. Initially, Facebook will offer 20 topics and 700 sub-topics, making it easier for businesses to pinpoint the right videos that can generate maximum revenue and engagement.

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Instagram clones another viral TikTok feature for Reels, which itself is a copycat

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar
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Irrespective of whether you’re a TikTok stan or an Instagram fan from its early days, there is something that users of both platforms can agree upon – Instagram has been ripping off TikTok and its popular features for a while now. Instagram recently mimicked TikTok’s short-form video format and created Reels. And now, Instagram is copying the Duet feature from TikTok and is adding it to Reels under a different name. Instagram is calling this ‘new’ feature Remix.

Say hello to Remix

If you’re unfamiliar, Duet allows users to react to another video by posting their own video side-by-side. Instagram is replicating the same formula with Remix for Reels. “Now you can use the Remix feature in Reels to create your own reel next to one that already exists,” says the Facebook-owned company.

In order to create a Remix, open on a Reels video, tap on the menu (three-dot icon in the top-right corner) and then select Remix This Reel option from the window that pops up. Now, you’ll see a vertical side-by-side layout of the original Reel and your own view on the right to record your reaction. You can add background audio, use creative effects and alter the playback speed among other things while creating a Remix.

Rules for Remixing a Reel are Really Weird

Users can Remix their own Reels, but they can’t remix a remixed Reel.

However, a creator has to allow remixing their Reels for others to create a Remix of it. Users can Remix their own Reels, but they can’t do the same with a video that is already a Remix. In case someone creates a Remix of your Reel, Instagram will notify you about the same. Moreover, Remixes of your Reels will get deleted if you set your account to Private type for more than 24 hours.

A weird caveat is that if someone has created a Remix of your Reel, they can download the video. However, you can’t download that Remix video. Also, if you disable remixing of your Reels, all remixes created before you changed the settings will continue to exist on Instagram, unless you delete your original Reel. You can check out the detailed instruction on how you can enable or disable remixing of your Reels on the official support page.

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Instagram will now show more Reels and shopping posts with new update

Posted on by Samuel Martinez
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Instagram is definitely not the app we all used to know and love some time ago. The social media app has been undergoing a couple of changes since it was acquired by Facebook back in 2012. These changes made Instagram co-founders leave the company back in 2018, but the latest changes may be worse than everything we’ve seen so far.

Instagram has announced today that its new update will feature a revamped app layout that will prioritize Reels and shopping posts instead of traditional posts. The app’s home screen layout will be rearranged, meaning that the navigation bar and the top bar will now show what Instagram wants users to use the most. And two of the most important buttons for Instagram, Create and Activity, will be moved from the bottom bar, and they are now going to be placed at the top of the user interface, alongside the DM/Messenger buttons. In their place, we will find the new shortcuts for Reels, Instagram’s TikTok competitor, and Shopping.

“Today we’re announcing some big changes to Instagram – a Reels tab and a Shop tab. The Reels tab makes it easier for you to discover short, fun videos from creators all over the world and people just like you. The Shop tab gives you a better way to connect with brands and creators and discover products you love.”

This is maybe, the most annoying update the app has received in the past few months. We can understand the ‘Suggested Pots’ added to the feed to help discover content from accounts we don’t follow. However, the recent integration of DM’s and Facebook Messenger isn’t something I personally love. And now, users have to put up with the latest changes that clearly push content consumption products over the traditional posts that made us love Instagram.

Source 9to5Google

The post Instagram will now show more Reels and shopping posts with new update appeared first on Pocketnow.

It's only fair to share...Share on RedditShare on FacebookShare on Google+Tweet about this on TwitterPin on PinterestShare on Tumblr

Instagram will now show more Reels and shopping posts with new update

Posted on by Samuel Martinez
It's only fair to share...Share on RedditShare on FacebookShare on Google+Tweet about this on TwitterPin on PinterestShare on Tumblr

Instagram is definitely not the app we all used to know and love some time ago. The social media app has been undergoing a couple of changes since it was acquired by Facebook back in 2012. These changes made Instagram co-founders leave the company back in 2018, but the latest changes may be worse than everything we’ve seen so far.

Instagram has announced today that its new update will feature a revamped app layout that will prioritize Reels and shopping posts instead of traditional posts. The app’s home screen layout will be rearranged, meaning that the navigation bar and the top bar will now show what Instagram wants users to use the most. And two of the most important buttons for Instagram, Create and Activity, will be moved from the bottom bar, and they are now going to be placed at the top of the user interface, alongside the DM/Messenger buttons. In their place, we will find the new shortcuts for Reels, Instagram’s TikTok competitor, and Shopping.

“Today we’re announcing some big changes to Instagram – a Reels tab and a Shop tab. The Reels tab makes it easier for you to discover short, fun videos from creators all over the world and people just like you. The Shop tab gives you a better way to connect with brands and creators and discover products you love.”

This is maybe, the most annoying update the app has received in the past few months. We can understand the ‘Suggested Pots’ added to the feed to help discover content from accounts we don’t follow. However, the recent integration of DM’s and Facebook Messenger isn’t something I personally love. And now, users have to put up with the latest changes that clearly push content consumption products over the traditional posts that made us love Instagram.

Source 9to5Google

The post Instagram will now show more Reels and shopping posts with new update appeared first on Pocketnow.

It's only fair to share...Share on RedditShare on FacebookShare on Google+Tweet about this on TwitterPin on PinterestShare on Tumblr

Instagram will now show more Reels and shopping posts with new update

Posted on by Samuel Martinez
It's only fair to share...Share on RedditShare on FacebookShare on Google+Tweet about this on TwitterPin on PinterestShare on Tumblr

Instagram is definitely not the app we all used to know and love some time ago. The social media app has been undergoing a couple of changes since it was acquired by Facebook back in 2012. These changes made Instagram co-founders leave the company back in 2018, but the latest changes may be worse than everything we’ve seen so far.

Instagram has announced today that its new update will feature a revamped app layout that will prioritize Reels and shopping posts instead of traditional posts. The app’s home screen layout will be rearranged, meaning that the navigation bar and the top bar will now show what Instagram wants users to use the most. And two of the most important buttons for Instagram, Create and Activity, will be moved from the bottom bar, and they are now going to be placed at the top of the user interface, alongside the DM/Messenger buttons. In their place, we will find the new shortcuts for Reels, Instagram’s TikTok competitor, and Shopping.

“Today we’re announcing some big changes to Instagram – a Reels tab and a Shop tab. The Reels tab makes it easier for you to discover short, fun videos from creators all over the world and people just like you. The Shop tab gives you a better way to connect with brands and creators and discover products you love.”

This is maybe, the most annoying update the app has received in the past few months. We can understand the ‘Suggested Pots’ added to the feed to help discover content from accounts we don’t follow. However, the recent integration of DM’s and Facebook Messenger isn’t something I personally love. And now, users have to put up with the latest changes that clearly push content consumption products over the traditional posts that made us love Instagram.

Source 9to5Google

The post Instagram will now show more Reels and shopping posts with new update appeared first on Pocketnow.

It's only fair to share...Share on RedditShare on FacebookShare on Google+Tweet about this on TwitterPin on PinterestShare on Tumblr

Reels, Instagram’s own TikTok rival, is set to launch in the US next month

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

Reels, a new short-form video-sharing feature in Instagram that aims to rival TikTok, has so far been released in a handful of markets such as Brazil, France and Germany, and most recently, in India. Now, the Facebook-owned company is ready to launch Reels in the US and many other markets in a bid to capitalize on the recent misfortunes of TikTok.

As per a CNBC report, Instagram will debut Reels in the United States and more than 50 other countries in August. “We’re excited to bring Reels to more countries, including the U.S., in early August,” a Facebook spokesperson was quoted as saying by TechCrunch.

Reels will allow users to create and share 15-second video clips set against the backdrop of music, which can be both unique or borrowed from other people’s videos. Reels will be accessible via a dedicated icon at the bottom and can be posted to the main Instagram feed or the Explore section.

The post Reels, Instagram’s own TikTok rival, is set to launch in the US next month appeared first on Pocketnow.