Facebook Reels: what you need to know about this new feature
March 15, 2022
Facebook will now pay users to create video via its new Reels Play programme. Find out how Facebook Reels could work for your business.
Last month, Instagram announced that Reels were being globally rolled out on Facebook.
In this episode of the Courageous Content Podcast, I share what you need to know about Facebook Reels and how it could help your business.
You can listen to the podcast or read the blog version below.
Here’s what I cover:
What are Facebook Reels?
Last month, Instagram announced that Reels were being globally rolled out on Facebook.
Reels are short videos – up to 60 seconds in length – that users can enhance with visual effects and music.
You can create Facebook Reels in the Facebook app itself – or you can share them to Facebook.
And, unlike on Instagram, sharing Reels to Facebook will also appear on a user’s News Feed – whether or not they follow your account.
Which is why, according to Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri – this can be a great way to increase your reach – and get discovered by new people.
How to get paid to create Facebook Reels
As ever, Meta seems to be following in the footsteps of TikTok – and has also announced plans to pay creators for Reels via its Reels Play bonus programme (which sounds similar to the TikTok Creator Fund).
To find out more about the TikTok Creator fund listen to: How TikTok blew up my creative business with wedding pianist Nicole Reynolds and Cheese toasties turned me into social media influencer where Elliot Bibby talked about being paid by the creator fund.
Creators who are part of the Reels Play programme get paid a bonus for Reels that get at least 1000 views over a 30 day period (which seems pretty low at the moment) and can pay up to $3500 a month. At the moment, this only seems to be available in the US and by invite only.
Another new development is ads. Prior to this announcement, content creators on the site could only include ads in their Facebook videos.
The new Facebook Reels overlay ads allow users to place marketing bumpers directly on top of their reels, like stickers. Banner ads, a semi-transparent overlay at the bottom of a Reel, and sticker ads are set to follow and can be placed anywhere on the Reel.
In another bid to follow TikTok’s footsteps, perhaps Instagram has removed Reels covers.
Should you share your Instagram Reels to Facebook?
As ever though, I would be careful about simply resharing your Instagram posts on Facebook.
It might feel like a timesaver, but it’s only worth doing if it works and here’s why.
The way the social media algorithm works on most platforms is: when you post a new piece of content, it gets shown to a percentage of your followers. If it gets a good amount of engagement in the first few hours, it will be shown to more people. If not, it won’t.
So if you hit the re-share button and your Facebook community loves your Reels – great. If they don’t really ‘land’ with that audience, resharing them could actually harm your reach.
There isn’t a ‘magic formula’ for marketing. Which is why getting the best results from your content isn’t about blindly following someone else’s strategy.
It’s about testing things out – then doing more of what works.
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