Reels vs. TikTok: Which Platform Works Best for Your Marketing Needs
After TikTok’s monumental takeover in 2019, platforms like Meta and YouTube have adapted to push short-form, scrollable video content feeds. Hosted on both Facebook and Instagram, Reels have quickly become a the most popular content format on platform, leading to a shift in content strategy for creators looking to make an impact on social media. When it comes to using short-form video on social media, Reels and TikTok videos each have advantages you should consider when deciding which platforms to use.
What Can My Business Get from Reels?
Reels give your business an efficient, high-impact way to increase visibility and stay competitive in a video-first social landscape. Inside Meta Business Suite, scheduling, boosting, and analytics all live in one place, making it easy to publish to both Facebook and Instagram at the same time while still customizing messaging for each platform. Beyond convenience, Reels are one of the strongest formats for organic reach. Short-form video is prioritized in feeds, meaning your content has a higher likelihood of being discovered by new audiences on Meta platforms.
What Can My Business Get from TikTok?
TikTok’s ultra-personalized algorithm excels at putting content in front of users who are most likely to engage, if your video captures attention quickly enough to earn that distribution. Like Instagram, TikTok offers in-platform shopping, but TikTok Shop is more deeply integrated into the user experience. Direct product links within videos and a personalized shopping tab make it easy for users to browse and purchase without leaving the app, making it especially strong for B2C brands. Businesses should stay aware of TikTok’s ongoing legal scrutiny in the U.S. Following concerns around data security and ownership, the platform has been required to transition U.S. operations to American investors, with Oracle set to manage U.S. data starting January 2026. As the situation evolves, brands should monitor how regulatory developments could impact users and advertising opportunities.
Using Reels and TikTok for Marketing
Both platforms feature personalized content for viewers, but just getting on feeds is half the battle. With short-form video, viewers are looking for a lot of quick and consecutive serotonin boosts, which ends up with users rapidly scrolling past anything that doesn’t grab their attention within a couple of seconds. Users on both Reels and TikTok need to be incentivized to stay within seconds, whether that’s with information or entertainment. If your company doesn’t have the means to prioritize both, consider your target audience and the demographics of each platform and choose which aligns better. With both platforms boasting billions of users, a test period of both platforms will give you better insights into which one work best for you and your brand.
Social media platforms are constantly changing and understanding each one can be overwhelming. AFFIRM and our dedicated social media team can help you develop a social media plan with strategies tailored to your business’s goals. Contact us at info@affirmagency.com to get started.
