Why Instagram’s New 90-Second Reels, Reel Stickers & Pinned Posts Matter to Your Social Media Plan

Credit: Instagram

Instagram took another step toward replicating TikTok when it announced the release of four new Reels features. In a tweet by CEO Adam Mosseri, it was revealed that the platform would soon roll out 90-second Reels, pinned posts, interactive stickers, and allow users to import original audio. A tweet by Instagram further reveals that users can pin up to three posts, including Reels, on their profiles. The company aims to make sharing content and drawing engagements easier with these new features.

To pin posts, users can tap on a photo or reel on their account, go to the three dots atop the post, and then select “Pin to your profile.” Meanwhile, the interactive stickers will function like those on Instagram Stories. This means users can incorporate polls, quizzes, and emoji sliders, among many others, into their reels. As for the original audio, Instagram accepts songs and sound files from smartphone galleries.

“Now your profile is your space, so we’re looking for more ways to give you control over that experience,” Mosseri said in his video post. He also added that he’s open to suggestions on succeeding features for creators.

Interestingly, all four features are found on rival platform Tiktok. The extension of Reels from 60 to 90 seconds also follows TikTok’s maximum video length expansion, from 3 minutes to 10 minutes, in February. This is a clear sign that Instagram is threatened by TikTok’s meteoric rise over the past couple of years. But beyond competition, these features potentially enhance the experience for creators and business users. The latest social media statistics will shed some light on the matter.

The Numbers Behind the Features

Instagram introduced Reels in 2020 to counter TikTok in the same manner as when it launched Stories to strike down then-rival Snapchat in 2016. Although TikTok only grew more popular, the hype surrounding Reels prior to its launch increased the number of users by 4.34% and it has been a stiff battle between the two platforms since.

As the fastest rising content format of Meta, reels draw 22% higher engagement than Instagram video posts, which was experienced by the NBA teams that leveraged the feature in 2020. In addition, visual marketing platform Later reported a staggering 280% increase in engagements on Instagram since leveraging Reels.

While marketers suggest the same ideal length for reels as Tiktok videos—7 to 15 seconds—creators and business users that cater to niche markets are advised to mix in longer, more immersive content from time to time. And the extended Reels afford more flexibility in this regard.

Moreover, 91% of users view Instagram videos weekly, and the share of those who watch reels is likely higher since the latter receives higher engagement. Stickers are also useful tools to increase reel engagement as seen on Instagram Stories. Posting around five stories a day merits an impressive retention rate of 70%, with stickers playing a large role in holding the attention of viewers. The same is likely to occur on Reels when the stickers are rolled out.

Meanwhile, pinned posts tend to receive higher engagement since these are the most visible content on one’s account, so they are best leveraged for promos, reminders, invites, and evergreen content. Music is just as important as seen on TikTok. After all, sponsored ads on the platform that include audio have a clickthrough rate of 12% to 16%. Reels users will likely experience a similar effect should they leverage captivating music, with the ability to add original audio expanding their horizons, especially for those who are or partnered with musical artists.