Instagram chief Adam Mosseri shares his take on what TikTok currently does best for creators and everyday users.
This is discussed as part of a Creators Week Q&A session that touches on a number of different topics relevant to content creators.
Mosseri answers questions about engagement and reach, monetization, the dangers of fake followers, launching Reels in other countries, and more.
It’s not common for a business leader to praise their competition, so let’s jump right to this part.
What does TikTok do better than Instagram?
Mosseri credits TikTok’s ability to create social media stars, which he wishes Instagram was more capable of doing.
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He recognizes that Instagram is effective in helping creators stay in touch with their established audience, but it falls short when it comes to helping new creators build that audience in the first place.
“TikTok does two things really well, and better than Instagram, that I want us to catch up with but we haven’t done it yet. One is, from a creator’s point of view, that he does a much better job of discovering new talent.
Instagram is much better at helping creators who have already made their name do more online. TikTok is better at identifying new and young talent and helping them stand out in the first place.
And we want to be really good at it. Historically, we have focused less on this, but I push my teams to improve myself to do well with the little guy.
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The second thing TikTok does better than Instagram, according to Mosseri, is to provide a reliable source of entertainment for users.
Instagram is trying to catch up with TikTok with Reels, but Mosseri says the business has a long way to go.
« [TikTok is] much more reliable in terms of just being a really entertaining thing. You know you can tap TikTok and you will immediately smile and be entertained.
We are improving. Reels’ growth has been very strong, but we are still much smaller than TikTok and still have a long way to go to catch up with the competition. But these are the two things that I think they do best.
Mosseri concludes his thoughts on this topic by stating that he believes Instagram ultimately has more to offer creators.
TikTok only has video, while Instagram allows creators to express themselves through different formats.
This is what makes Instagram unique compared to other platforms, says Mosseri:
“From a designer’s perspective, overall I feel like we have more to offer. And I think what we have to offer is relatively unique.
A unique combination of a whole suite of different formats because you might not be a video maker. Global reach and a product very designed for an individual or even a designer.
Most other platforms, and there is a lot of competition, focus more on one type of scenario.
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Other highlights from Mosseri’s Q&A
Instagram reach
Every creator wants to know how to increase their reach on Instagram, but Mosseri says there is no quick fix.
Additionally, stability cannot be guaranteed once a creator’s reach has reached a level they are happy with.
Even though Instagram’s algorithms have never changed the way they categorize content, people’s interests do. What they want to see today may not be what they are interested in seeing next week.
Mosseri does offer a few tips, however, including:
- Experiment and try new things
- Use video
- Capture viewers’ attention from the first seconds of a video
- Use hashtags
- Post multiple times a day in different formats
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Various highlights
Here are some highlights from other topics covered during the question-and-answer session:
- If a creator is denied verification, it’s likely because they lack awareness.
- The only thing limiting Reels’ expansion to other countries are music rights.
- Instagram is exploring more monetization features, which may include ways for users to pay creators directly.
- Buying fake subscribers is strongly discouraged and could result in users losing their accounts.
To learn more about the Instagram manager, see the full Q&A.
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