What does Reels mean?
Reels are Instagram’s short vertical video format, and its main way of reaching people who do not follow you.
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Platform term. Also written reel, ig reels, instagram reels.
Where it comes from
Launched by Instagram in 2020 as a direct response to TikTok. Meta pushed distribution toward Reels aggressively for several years, which is why the format reaches non-followers far more readily than a feed post.
How it is actually used
The important thing about Reels is not the format but the distribution: feed posts are shown mostly to existing followers, while Reels are pushed into a recommendation surface. That makes Reels the growth format and the feed the retention format. Reels also appear on Facebook where cross-posting is enabled, which roughly doubles the surface for the same asset. The specs matter: 1080x1920, and anything with text near the edges gets cropped in the grid preview.
Examples
- "the reel did 40x what the carousel did"
- "posting a reel every weekday this month"
- "it only performed as a reel, not in feed"
Can a brand use it? Safe for brands
Plain platform vocabulary, entirely safe.
Related terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Instagram Reels?
Short vertical videos on Instagram, shown in a dedicated recommendation feed as well as in the main feed. They are the format most likely to reach people who do not already follow you.
Do Reels get more reach than posts?
Usually to non-followers, yes, because Reels are distributed through recommendation while feed posts are shown mainly to existing followers. For engagement from people who already follow you, a carousel often performs better.
What size should a Reel be?
1080x1920 pixels, a 9:16 ratio. Keep important text away from the edges, because the grid preview crops to a square and the interface overlays the bottom.
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