What are Instagram Reels?
Instagram Reels are short, 15-60 second multi-clip videos that can be created and shared directly on the Instagram app. Reels allow users to record multiple clips one after the other and combine them into a single Reel video. Users can add audio, effects, filters, and more to enhance their Reels.
Reels gained huge popularity after launching in 2020 as Instagram’s version of the short-form video format pioneered by TikTok. Within just a few months, Reels surpassed 88 million daily users (Source: VidClip). Now, Reels is a core part of the Instagram experience.
Like TikTok videos, Reels are designed for quick and entertaining consumption. They allow creators to showcase their talents, get discovered, and go viral. For businesses, Reels present opportunities for visually engaging social media marketing.
Why Cross-Post Reels to TikTok?
Cross-posting your Instagram Reels to TikTok is an excellent way to expand your reach and grow your audience across multiple platforms.
TikTok now has over 1 billion monthly active users, presenting a massive potential audience for your content. By sharing your Reels natively on TikTok, you give yourself the opportunity to reach an entirely new portion of your target demographic.
Additionally, cross-posting content saves you time creating original content for each platform. You can reuse engaging Reels and maximize your time investment in creating them. [1]
Cross-promoting your content and channels helps build awareness between audiences. Fans on Instagram can become followers on TikTok and vice versa through discovering your consistent content. Building your brand across multiple platforms is an important social media strategy.
How to Cross-Post Reels to TikTok
There are a couple main ways to cross-post Reels from Instagram to TikTok:
Use a Social Media Management Platform
A third-party social media management platform like Plann can help streamline cross-posting between Instagram and TikTok. These tools allow you to easily re-purpose Reels content directly to TikTok with just a few clicks. They can save time compared to manually uploading videos across each platform.
Upload Directly to TikTok
You can also download your Reels videos from Instagram and manually re-upload them natively through TikTok’s mobile app. This takes more effort than using a management platform, but allows you to customize and tailor the video specifically for TikTok before posting.
When re-uploading, be sure to edit or reformat the video as needed to optimize it for TikTok’s vertical video format. You’ll also want to add relevant TikTok hashtags and captions to help the video be discovered.
Best Practices for Cross-Posting
When cross-posting Reels from Instagram to TikTok, it’s important to follow best practices to get the most out of each platform. Here are some top tips:
Optimize captions for each platform – Tailor your captions for TikTok vs Instagram. Use platform-specific features like hashtags on TikTok and tagged accounts on Instagram.
Post at optimal times – Research when your target audiences are most active on each platform and stagger your posting times. Morning might work best on Instagram, while TikTok skews later in the day.
Use relevant hashtags – Include a mix of popular and niche hashtags. Check out what’s trending in your topic on each platform and incorporate the most relevant tags.
According to Buffer, optimizing your content for each platform is key for effective cross-posting and engagement.
Tools to Cross-Post Reels
Several platforms offer tools to easily cross-post Instagram Reels to TikTok:
Reddit users discuss using VidIQ’s scheduling and analytics tools to manage cross-posting and track performance. VidIQ helps optimize uploads for each platform’s algorithm.
Hootsuite lets you schedule Reels and other content to TikTok, along with other social platforms. You can draft, preview, and schedule posts in bulk.
Buffer is another social media management platform where you can plan and schedule Reels for auto-posting to TikTok.
Planoly offers an Instagram-to-TikTok cross-posting feature to post your Reels natively to TikTok with their scheduling tool.
Hopper HQ’s scheduling dashboard allows cross-posting Reels to TikTok and analyzing engagement data to optimize your strategy.
These platforms provide different options and features to fit various needs for scheduling and posting Reels across Instagram and TikTok.
Optimizing Reels for TikTok
When cross-posting Reels from Instagram to TikTok, it’s important to optimize your video content for the TikTok platform. Here are some key tips:
Use vertical orientation. TikTok videos are vertical, so make sure to export your Instagram Reels vertically before uploading to TikTok. Landscape orientation won’t fit the TikTok dimensions properly.
Craft catchy text and captions. The text overlays are a big part of TikTok. Make your captions short, punchy and engaging. Use strategic hashtag placement as well.
Leverage popular music. Music is integral to TikTok. Use trending sound bites to increase visibility. You can browse TikTok’s music library to find what’s popular.
Keep the video itself high quality. TikTok compresses less than Instagram, so higher resolution video will look better.
In summary, tailoring your Instagram Reels specifically for TikTok can help them gain traction. Structure the content for a vertical orientation, strengthen the captions, and use music strategically.
TikTok Algorithm Basics
The TikTok algorithm aims to show users the most relevant and engaging content for them. According to TikTok’s own explanation of their algorithm, it prioritizes four key factors:
Engagement – Content that receives more likes, comments, shares and overall engagement is shown to more users. TikTok wants to surface videos that people actually enjoy watching and interacting with.
Video Completion Rate – If users are watching a video all the way to the end, it’s a signal that they found it interesting. Videos that hold viewer attention are promoted by the algorithm.
Account Followings – Content from accounts you follow tends to be shown higher in your feed, especially upon first posting. The algorithm wants to show you updates from creators you actively follow.
Device Settings – The algorithm personalizes results based on factors like device type, language settings, country, etc. This localization aims to make content most relevant for each user.https://medium.com/@erik1315_36727/from-views-to-victory-mastering-the-tiktok-algorithm-like-a-pro-3bdb5f710b07
Promoting Your Reels on TikTok
Once you’ve cross-posted your Reels from Instagram to TikTok, there are several ways you can promote them to reach new audiences and get more views:
Leverage hashtags: Use relevant hashtags in your Reel’s caption to make it more discoverable. Check out trending and popular hashtags in your niche and include a mix of broader and more targeted ones.
Collaborate with creators: Consider reaching out to influential creators in your niche and proposing collaborations, like duets or stitching their content. This can expose your Reels to their existing audience.
Use trending sounds: Hop on viral sounds and songs by using them in your Reels. TikTok’s discovery page surfaces Reels using top trending sounds.
Interact with your audience: Like, comment and follow other users to get on their radar. Engaging directly with audiences on TikTok can garner interest in your Reels.
Analyze performance: Use TikTok Analytics to see which Reels are resonating best and double down on that type of content.
Check out this guide for more tips on promoting your Reels on TikTok.
Analytics for Cross-Posted Reels
Tracking analytics for your cross-posted Reels is crucial to understanding how your content is performing across platforms. Key metrics to analyze include:
- Views – Compare view counts on Instagram vs TikTok to see which platform drives more traffic.
- Likes and comments – Gauge audience engagement levels on each platform.
- Follows – See if cross-posting is helping you gain followers organically.
- Engagement rate – Divide engagement (likes + comments) by views to calculate and contrast ER between platforms.
Tools like Buffer and Sprout Social provide consolidated analytics across multiple networks so you can easily track key metrics. You can also view platform-specific analytics in Instagram Insights and TikTok Analytics. Regularly analyzing performance data will reveal how well your Reels resonate with each audience.
Optimizing your approach based on analytics can help boost visibility and engagement across Instagram and TikTok. Focus on tailoring content to each platform while leveraging cross-posting to maximize reach.
Key Takeaways
Here are the most important tips to remember when cross-posting Reels from Instagram to TikTok:
– Optimize your Reels for the TikTok audience by ensuring they are under 60 seconds long and entertaining before posting on TikTok.
– Use relevant hashtags on both platforms and tag creators featured in your Reels to increase discoverability.
– Engage with your TikTok audience by liking and commenting on other videos to boost impressions.
– Use TikTok analytics to identify your best-performing Reels for continued optimization.
– Cross-posting diversifies your audience reach and provides more opportunities for your content to be seen.
– With some adaptation for each platform’s algorithm, cross-posting can significantly expand your brand’s visibility.
