In this month’s social media roundup:

Instagram’s TikTok (Reels) is here
TikTok US is getting bought out, or banned, or something
Go Live to Facebook from Messenger Rooms
New details on Snapchat’s Brand Profiles

…and more!

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Reels is finally here – Instagram’s answer to TikTok

We first heard about Instagram’s TikTok clone back in December, when all we knew was that the short-form video app was being tested in Brazil. Now, it’s being released globally.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Basics

Allows you to create 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools.
Share on the standard IG Feed.
You can also make make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in the Explore tab.

How to Create a Reel

Audio: Search for a song or record your own original audio
Editing: There are many AR effects in the gallery. A timer can help you record hands-free. Clips can be fine-tuned for seamless transitions, and you can speed up or slow down parts of the video and audio to line them up perfectly.

For more information on how to use Reels, visit the Instagram Help Center.

Will Reels Take Over?

For now, who’s to say? TikTok style videos are extremely popular, so we can’t count Reels out. However, it feels like yet another type of post added to Instagram. Here’s the hot take from Dooley’s CEO, Matthew:

You've now got the original IG with photos/editing, Snapchat (Stories), YouTube (IGTV) and now TikTok (Reels). Original IG and Stories worked. But IGTV has been slow to take off and I think Reels will be, too.

The long-term success is TBD. Some brands are jumping in now, but some critics aren’t so sure about it. Time will tell!

So, is TikTok banned, or...?

TikTok’s ties (via its parent company ByteDance) to the Chinese communist party have been a concern to users and US government officials since the app first made its way to the States in 2018. These concerns have been focused on data privacy and national security.

In recent weeks, the TikTok saga has been a bit hard to keep track of. Here are the important points:

July 31: “News broke … that TikTok-owner ByteDance is being pressured by the Trump administration to divest its US business, and Microsoft was in the running to buy it up.” (Business Insider)
Aug. 6: President Trump issued an executive order “that will effectively ban any US company or individual from making transactions with ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of the TikTok app, after 45 days.” (Recode) The order also affects WeChat. The legality of this order is being debated.
Aug. 8: TikTok responds and then announces it is suing the Trump administration over the ban. (NPR)
Aug. 9: Talks of a Twitter + TikTok merger reported (Wall Street Journal) and speculation about other companies (like Netflix) also makes the rounds (CNBC)
Aug. 18: Oracle is now in talks to bid for TikTok, too (Forbes)

So things are definitely a little bit up in the air as far as TikTok is concerned. Which may play well for Instagram’s launch of Reels?! On the flipside, the intense corporate interest in buying up the US TikTok service may be a sign of its long term viability as a platform. Time will tell!

If you’d like more info, here are some additional resources:

Recode: Is TikTok getting banned in the US? The Trump-TikTok drama, explained
Bloomberg: TikTok Is the Superweapon in China's Cultural Warfare
The Verge: The US declared war on TikTok because it can’t handle the truth
The Verge: Why Microsoft wants TikTok
CNN: Is the TikTok security threat real?

Go live to Facebook from Messenger Rooms

In July, Facebook announced an interesting new way to broadcast a live video to Facebook from the Messenger Rooms. (If you don’t recall or haven’t tried it out, Messenger Rooms was announced in April and is basically a feature that allows users to have Zoom calls within Facebook’s apps.)

Here’s why it matters:

“Turning your room into a Facebook Live broadcast makes it easy to go live with up to 50 people. Whether you’re hosting a book club with friends, interviewing a panel of experts, teaching a fitness class, or broadcasting with your friends for fun, going live from a room lets you interact with audiences of any size. ”

— Facebook

In addition to typical Facebook users, this feature is available to Page admins and Group admins. So, this could be an attractive opportunity to broadcast a live community conversation with a diverse range of voices.

To learn more, visit the FB Help Center.

More details on Snapchat’s Brand Profiles now available

Last month, we gave you a rundown on the new business profiles feature on Snapchat that will display local business information within Snap maps. Now, we have a fresh look at the Brand Profiles that are going live now on the platform, and a much better understanding of the expanded functionality that will now be available to brands.

Key Features

Story posts: Brand profiles are now the home of Stories from brands on Snapchat.
Highlights: Showcase collections of your best Public Snaps, Stories, photos, and videos. (Permanently!)
AR Lenses: Brands can showcase all their AR experiences (called “Lenses”) on their profile.
Native Store: Browse and purchase items directly within the Snapchat app, powered by Shopify. An example is available on the Spectacles Brand Profile.

How to Get Started

Unfortunately, you probably can’t.

So far, Brand Profiles are only available for selected companies (Ben & Jerry’s, Candy Crush, Dior, Gucci, Headspace, Jordan Brand, Kylie Cosmetics, L’Oreal Paris, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Target, Tim Hortons, Too Faced, Universal Pictures, and VSCO) but this will be expanded “later this year” with the intention of eventually making these profiles available to “businesses of all sizes.”

August 2020 Social Media Updates You Need to Know