Remember when Instagram uploaded ‘tips‘ on how to create good Reels content? February feels so long ago… Anyway, contained within those helpful hints, the Meta-owned company suggested that it doesn’t feel that hot about Insta users re-posting TikTok clips to Stories and Reels.
Dos and Don’ts of Instagram
The platform’s ‘tips’ are basic dos and don’ts, according to the Instagram Creators page. Point three of the ‘dos’ suggests you use creative tools to enhance your content. It’s fairly clear that Insta means its creative tools and not those supplied by TikTok.
That was a bit too vague for some, so on the ‘don’ts’ list, it just came out and said not to use ‘visibly recycled content’. You know, like watermarked TikToks. Turns out, even that wasn’t firm enough.
Downranked in the deep
Instagram knows that, for some people, rules are just guidelines. So to firmly nudge creators in the right (read: its) direction, it has also updated its algorithm to downrank recycled posts in the Explore and Reels tab. The company also launched an “It pays to be you” campaign to share other non-TikTok-recycling creators’ tips and tricks.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, tweeted, “Creators are so important to the future of Instagram, and we want to make sure that they are successful and get all the credit they deserve.”
📣 New Features 📣
We’ve added new ways to tag and improved ranking:
– Product Tags
– Enhanced Tags
– Ranking for originalityCreators are so important to the future of Instagram, and we want to make sure that they are successful and get all the credit they deserve. pic.twitter.com/PP7Qa10oJr
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) April 20, 2022
Instagram is saying that it users don’t like all those TikTok re-shares, so it’s sending an algorithm to hunt them down and downrank ’em. You can still share them, of course, and they’ll still be seen by your followers. But if you want to reach a larger audience with your Reels, you’ll probably want to avoid recycling your TikTok clips.
It’s entirely possible that Meta has a point about how attractive its users find TikTok content on the platform. It’s also possible that Instagram would rather not promote TikTok, a competing platform, within its own app. Not that TikTok needs it, being the most downloaded app of 2021.
Source: The Verge