Introduced in August 2020, this feature has quickly become a cornerstone of digital interaction, especially among Millennials and Gen Z. With 17.6 million hours spent daily watching Reels and an active user base projected to rise to 2.5 billion by the end of 2023, the impact on digital marketing is substantial.
The recent rumours of Instagram testing longer 3 and 10-minute Reels signals a pivotal shift. Given the enduring popularity of short-form videos since Vine’s era, this move by Meta (Instagram’s parent company) prompts a reevaluation of content strategies. Notably, 73% of people learn about new products or services through short videos, a trend anticipated to persist.
This expansion into longer Reels may be a strategic response to TikTok’s extended video formats, reflecting the ongoing competition between these platforms. For your higher education institution, this could mean adapting strategies to maintain relevance among younger audiences increasingly drawn to innovative content forms.