Social media is big money, and dominating the latest trends and innovation is key to staying relevant.
The only problem is that is pretty expensive by itself, not to mention risky to boot, hence why we get so many services that mimic one another rather than iterate in an entirely new direction.
Sure, that happens, but, inevitably, they either get swallowed up or transform into an all-in-one app along the lines of Meta’s Instagram or Facebook.
Long the crown jewel in the company’s corporate crown, Instagram’s intense competition with Chinese rival TikTok has radically changed the platform and what it offers in terms of features. And, like TikTok, Instagram is starting to really emphasize video above all else.
Reports indicate that this might become even more the case as Instagram is reportedly testing 10-minute-long Reels (its competitor with TikTok’s video format). If that sounds like a long time to you, you’re not the only one, but it seems to be the latest trend in social media video content, TechCrunch reports.
The website notes that TikTok extended its video length to ten minutes and, further, highlights that such a change on Instagram’s part would put it in direct competition with Google’s YouTube. But I wouldn’t worry about YouTube too much; TechCrunch reports that YouTube is also doubling down on its short-form effort, aptly named Shorts, to compete with…you guessed it…Instagram and TikTok. In a sign of the times, all three platforms offer large creators monetary incentives to post content and more than a few do just that for all three of them.
Is video the future? Or is Instagram losing its way with a decreased focus on photos in favor of video? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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