Reels vs TikTok - should you reshare your TikToks as Instagram Reels?

If Reels aren’t already a part of your Instagram strategy - it might be time to rethink your plan going into 2022. But, there is more to it than that … you can’t just post to post, beyond just having Reels in your overall strategy - you also need to create a strategy for the Reels themselves. We talk a lot about repurposing here - which includes reposting your TikToks to Instagram as Reels and visa vera. But is that actually the right call? Does reposting TikToks still work? Are Reels developing its own set of trends, strategies, etc. that we should consider when posting? Let’s find out!

First of all, if you are still a little unfamiliar with Reels and how they work, here are a few important details you need to know.

What are Reels? Reels are short-form videos, lasting anywhere from 15-60 seconds, that often follow trends, use popular audios, and share quick-wins or entertainment for new audiences.

Where do you watch Reels? You can find reels in the main feed or in the Reels explore page, which can be found at the bottom center of the app.

Who sees your Reels? The folks that will see your Reels are current followers and potential new followers, which is obviously super important when it comes to growth.

Reels and TikToks are similar when it comes to the type of video - they are both vertical, short-form videos that can be posted to a social platform, but today we really want to dig deep into what makes them different and how that applies to your strategy going forward.

Before determining if TikToks and Reels can be interchangeable, we probably need to ask ourselves ... is there a difference between Instagram Reels and TikTok?

The quick answer, yes. Here are a few:

The Difference Between Instagram Reels and TikTok:

Music and audio options: Reels has a wide variety of audio options, but in comparison to TikTok, it’s not an extensive library.

Video editing capabilities: Video editing with Reels is slowly developing to provide more and more options, but currently with TikTok - the possibilities to edit your video are almost endless.

The data to analyze: The analytics currently available for reels is very limited to impressions, likes, and comments. Wherewith a TikTok- there are more options to analyze the behavior of your audience to increase the performance of your content.

The target audience: TikTok is a dedicated video-only platform, which a lot of times attracts a younger crowd, whereas Reels is part of Instagram, which has other functions and content also aimed at a more professional audience.

Sharing possibilities: With TikTok, you post your video, and then it lives permanently in the main feed. Whereas with Reels, your video can live in the Reels tab, the main feed, and can even be shared on your stories.

Now that we have discovered a few differences between the two content types and platforms, let’s spill the tea on reposting TikToks to Reels.

Should I repost my TikToks to Instagram as Reels?

When it comes to reposting TikToks to Instagram as Reels, there are definitely a few things to keep in mind.

Instagram’s concern with watermarks.

Back in February 2021, Instagram made a post in their @creators account on Instagram - which if you’re not already following, make sure you do - as they will provide you the best information about the app. Anyway, they provided a few tips on getting discovered using Reels and one of the DO NOT’s was not to post a Reel that is visibly recycle from other apps (i.e. that contains logos or watermarks).

Don’t worry, there are a few ways around this …

You can edit the video in an app outside of the social media platforms, that way the video can be posted to both platforms without a watermark.

You can post the video to TikTok first and then use the website called SnapTik, which will allow you to download the video without the watermark using the TikTok link.

You can post the video to Instagram as a Reel and then use a similar website called SnapInsta, which will also allow you to download the video without the watermark using the Instagram link.

Different platforms can mean different trends.

There are a few different types of trends to look out for in these vertical videos.

Audio trends: This could be music or the audio clips we have all seen folks mimicking for their videos.

Movement trends: We have all seen a viral Reel or TikTok and then days later, you see everyone doing those same moves. Though a lot of times the movement trend and audio trend go hand and hand - occasionally, something like a dance trend can stand on its own.

Hashtag trends: Hashtags are a great way to reach folks outside of your current audience and on TikTok especially, using popular hashtags alongside smaller, lower-competition tags can help increase your reach.

Effects trends: Just like an audio trend, there might be a specific effect that is being used more often than others.

Now that we better understand the different types of trends. This makes it more clear that TikTok’s and Reels might not always line up. Everything that is trending on TikTok in the 4 categories above, won’t always be trending on Instagram Reels at that same time and vice versa.

Curating TikToks to share on your Instagram as Reels.

A strategy we are currently using on the Creatorly Media Instagram is a mixture of Memes, Tweets, and TikTok Reshares. And let me tell you, a lot of the TikTok’s we have been resharing have actually performed really well. We have also intentionally not used any hashtags, showing that the growth of our account and these Reels has nothing to do with hashtags. Each of these TikTok reshares includes a very brief caption and a shout-out to the original creator. For example, one of our reshared TikToks received over 4,000 impressions, and the caption consistent with this: Ending the week with some inspiration! 🎥 This just really proves that online growth is possible, just give it time and patience! And of course, tagging the creator.

The video itself was just a YouTube creator showing her success after finally taking her channel seriously, just a little dose of inspiration.

The point of telling you all of this is to say - if this creator did what we did; which was take the TikTok link, download the video with no watermark through SnapTik, and post it as a Reel on Instagram - they would have also had the potential to see those 4,971 impressions.

In my opinion, there is no reason not to repost your TikToks and here is why:

You’re already creating them. It can’t hurt to give your TikTok a second chance on Instagram as a Reel - it might tank or it might blow up. You just never know. We have a client currently, who recently started using the TikTok curating strategy - the TikTok she reshared has hit 4.5 million impressions and her follower count went from being in the 300s to now 1419. Always reshare your own TikToks, because you just truly never know how it will perform.

Trends start from somewhere. Do you think trends just develop on their own, nope! These trends are created because someone came up with this idea and created the video. If you notice something is trending on TikTok, but you haven’t seen it on Instagram as a Reel - don’t let that scare you from creating the content and posting it on both platforms. Maybe you will be the one who brings the trend over to the Instagram platform - maybe Instagram was just waiting on this trend and your Reel could be the first to blow up using it?

—

So, the answer to the big question is … yes, you should repost your TikToks as Reels on Instagram. Because … why not?

If you want some tips on finding trends on TikTok, that can be used to help grow on both platforms, make sure to check out our Creatorly Media YouTube video: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to TikTok!