Make no mistake, video is rapidly becoming one of the most vital marketing tools for Australian small businesses looking to boost their brand, attract new customers, and build customer loyalty. And many are turning to TikTok and Instagram Reels. Why?

A recent study shows that:

• TikTok has over 7.38 million users over the age of 18 in Australia,
• Instagram has over 12.8 million monthly users,
• Over 24% of Australians aged between 16 and 64 admit they discover new brands and products on social media platforms, and
• TikTok and Instagram Reels have easy and robust in-app editing features.

So if you haven’t leveraged these platforms yet, you could be giving your competition an easy time to catch up, beat you, or even widen the gap. Fortunately, it’s not too late and you’re in luck today.

Here’s what you need to know to get started:

Instagram Reels vs TikToks: The Basics for Business Owners

In the last year, TikTok was the most downloaded app in the world, surpassing established platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. This remarkable growth in popularity forced Instagram to increase creator visibility via their competing Reels platform.

Reels are brief, entertaining videos enabling businesses to showcase their creative capabilities, participate in cultural developments, and collaborate with their communities. TikToks, on the other hand, are short videos that are mainly developed and designed for entertainment.

Although both platforms are video-based, they have notable differences that every business owner should know.

Video Duration

Both TikTok and Instagram Reel require short videos. However, video durations vary.

While TikTok limits the duration to 3 minutes (recently upped to 10 minutes as well for certain users!), Reels set the bar at 60 seconds. As a result, industry experts recommend using Reels for featuring simple tutorials and passing along concise messages.

Purpose

As mentioned earlier, TikTok was created as an entertainment platform that can connect creators or b