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Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

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Re: Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

#281
post #39
post #9

Quoting from the excellent blog post[1] submitted here yesterday[0] that stole my morning workout time: " Instagram is some strange hybrid mix of social and interest graph, and now it’s also a jumble of formats, with a Stories feed relegated to a top bar in the app while the more stagnant and less active original feed continues to run vertically as the default. Messaging is pushed to a separate pane and also served b…

I think the trouble is that it's really hard to start a new social network from scratch, so when Facebook wants to compete in a new segment they just tack on the feature to one of their existing social products. However, as you pointed out this leads to feature creep and pushes users to simpler platforms. What I would do to solve this problem if I were at Facebook is to start new features out on an established platfo…

This is the strategy Facebook did with Messenger. Absolutely everyone complained when they tried to spin it out.

Re: Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

#282
post #143

Reels isn’t going to compete with TikTok in any real way for a few simple reasons. First and foremost, as a non-Instagram user, I flat-out can’t use it. A while back, when I was curious about TikTok, I downloaded it and was instantly swiping through a video feed that was already getting customized for me. I downloaded Instagram this morning and was presented with a wall to create an account. Nope. Second, TikTok is n…

> A while back, when I was curious about TikTok, I downloaded it and was instantly swiping through a video feed that was already getting customized for me. Has this been definitely proven though? I tried finding evidence of whether TikTok tailors content for unregistered users (based on their location/device for example), but so far, I could not find a page that would even clearly ask that question. Every article abo…

> Reels isn’t going to compete with TikTok in any real way for a few simple reasons. > First and foremost, as a non-Instagram user, I flat-out can’t use it

Huh – Reels isn't going to compete because you need to download Instagram?

Re: Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

#283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meanwhile snapchat pushed for weird tv shows and sponsored and featured stories, pushing friend stories to the tiny row on top. It's like they do it on purpose to alienate users in exchange for short time increase in "engagement".

Such an odd decision... they had an app for private communication (the value prop was "you can be yourself when your parents and boss aren't in the audience") and tacked on the supermarket tabloids and celebrity news.

> the value prop was "you can be yourself when your parents and boss aren't in the audience"

If that's the value prop, what were people willing to pay for that value?

I think, instead, getting sponsored stories in front of eyeballs is the service being provided to the paying customers.

Re: Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

#284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience, often people just double tap the photos to like them on instagram. And since most people hardly used the button for liking, it was a prime real estate for shops to move into.

I think you're confused. The "Likes" button on the tab bar wasn't to like a post. It was to basically see the list of all interactions on your posts or new followers/requests.

This hasn't rolled out to me yet (Canada). I'd be super annoyed about this.

Re: Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

#285
post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the issue that made Facebook to big to fail now. They got everybody and their mom on it and now even with all the security, tracking and countless competitors, its nearly impossible to get people off it because of this simple fact - its where everybody they know are now.

I don't know. In Facebooks case it might as well be hurting them with younger demographics. When everyones mom is there the younger people just might want to go someplace else. You don't necessarily care that everyone is at some place, just the group you are interested in keeping up with.

Young people just make secret accounts and don't tell their parents. My younger brother is 15 and reports him and his peers are on both Snapchat and Instagram in addition to the usual suspects like Twitch, Tiktok, and Discord. The main reason I've heard for not using Facebook is largely that it's redundant when Instagram provides most of the same features in a slicker package. A lot of fb features like the event planning and facebook market aren't relevant to them yet.

Re: Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

#286
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's like Facebook didn't learn their own lesson from... Facebook. The biggest reason I left Facebook was because the platform became a jumbled mess instead of its original clean interface. It's the reason why Facebook originally won out against Myspace and why Instagram won out against Facebook.

What lesson would that be? Facebook is hugely successful.

A lot of people I know switched to Instagram because it was so simple. Just post a picture.

Now they're Facebooking Instagram.

Re: Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

#287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used Instagram for the first time 6 months ago because I'm old, and I was shocked that an app with such a rep for elegance is such a hodge podge of features. It really feels like they just glued a bunch of 'me too' functions onto the original core app.

Once upon a time it was quite elegant. Then, like everything Facebook acquires, it grew into a bloated "why not?" monster.

Gotta keep busy adding features to justify that head count.

Re: Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

#288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A while back, when I was curious about TikTok, I downloaded it and was instantly swiping through a video feed that was already getting customized for me. Has this been definitely proven though? I tried finding evidence of whether TikTok tailors content for unregistered users (based on their location/device for example), but so far, I could not find a page that would even clearly ask that question. Every article abo…

> Reels isn’t going to compete with TikTok in any real way for a few simple reasons. > First and foremost, as a non-Instagram user, I flat-out can’t use it Huh – Reels isn't going to compete because you need to download Instagram?

[deleted]

Re: Facebook launches its TikTok rival, Instagram Reels

#290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're confused. The "Likes" button on the tab bar wasn't to like a post. It was to basically see the list of all interactions on your posts or new followers/requests.

This hasn't rolled out to me yet (Canada). I'd be super annoyed about this.

Makes sense. I assumed I was a part of some A/B testing group.

It's terrifically awful. If you do get a notification, then pressing the "Profile" tab button now brings you to the notifications list view.

But if you have "read" the new ones and want to go back to it you need to dig through for it like I mentioned in the OP.

It's ridiculous.

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