Facebook is making its Facebook Reels product available to all users worldwide, bringing the short video format to its iOS and Android apps in over 150 countries.
It comes more than a year after Facebook’s parent company, Meta, launched Reels on Instagram, and several months after the format was added to Facebook’s US apps.
Facebook also added new editing options for short videos, as well as new monetization tools such as overlay ads.
According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Reels is the company’s fastest growing content format.
“We want Facebook Reels to be the best place for creators to connect with their community and make a living,” he said. “We’re also launching new monetisation tools.”
“In order to increase their visibility and reach, creators can share their Instagram Reels as recommended content on Facebook.” We’re also rolling out Reels in Facebook Watch and letting people share public reels to stories.”
EDITING
Facebook is also introducing new editing features for Reels, such as Remix, which allows content creators to create their own reel alongside an existing public reel, and the ability to create reels up to 60 seconds long. Drafts and video clipping will be added in the future to allow creators to experiment with different formats.
The company is going all-in on video, which has emerged as some of the most engaging content on its platform and a major draw for TikTok’s rival. According to Facebook, video accounts for nearly half of the time people spend on Facebook and Instagram.
ADVERTISING
Banner ads, which appear as a semi-transparent overlay at the bottom of a Facebook Reel, and sticker ads, which are static image ads that can be placed anywhere within a creator’s reel, are among the new monetisation options. Facebook also stated that it intends to roll out full-screen and immersive ads between Reels. Overlay ad tests will be available to all creators in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with more countries to be added in the coming weeks.
Through publisher lists, blocklists, inventory filters, and delivery reports for banner and sticker ads, brands will have tools to ensure they have control over how and where their ads appear.
Facebook also has a bonus program called Reels Play, which pays eligible creators based on the views of their qualifying reels, allowing them to fund content creation.
