Social media platform Facebook today announced that it is testing the ability for Instagram creators to have their public Reels recommended on Facebook in India. In this test, when someone on Instagram with a public account shares their Reel, they’ll see an option to have their Reel recommended to people on Facebook. This will enable creators to expand the reach of their content to new audiences as well as for newer creators to be discovered.
“Over the past year, we have seen growing interest for fun, entertaining short videos in India with the launch of Reels on Instagram and testing short videos on Facebook. To further enhance the video experience for our users, we are now testing the ability for a limited set of Instagram creators in the country to choose to have their Reels recommended on Facebook and also launching the ability for people to create and watch Reels on Facebook,” it said in a statement.
“At the onset, we will have Reels from a diverse set of creators such as Pooja Dhingra, Ashish Chanchlani, Masterchef Pankaj Bhadouria, Awez Darbar, Bong Guy and key public figures such as Suresh Raina, Sanjeev Kapoor, Harbhajan Singh among others,” it added.
For creators to recommend a Reel from Instagram on Facebook
When a creator shares a Reel on Instagram, some will now see a prompt to also have that Reel recommended on Facebook; tap “allow” to opt-in. If the creator opts-in to the experience, their reel can be shown as recommended content to anyone on Facebook based on what may be relevant to them. Their reels will be shown with their Instagram username, not from their Facebook account if they have one.
To create a Reel on Facebook
Select Reels at the top of your Facebook News Feed. From the camera, you can choose to capture video clips with the camera, upload video clips from your camera roll, or both. With Reels you can inspect, trim, and edit multiple clips together to create a compelling video. In the camera you’ll see a variety of creative editing tools on the right side of your screen that you can use to create your reel, including:
Audio: Search for a song from the Facebook music library for your reel. You can also use your own original audio by simply recording a reel with it. You can add audio from the camera before you capture a clip, or you can add audio later after you have captured or uploaded a clip.
AR Effects: Select one of the many effects in our AR library, created by both Facebook, and creators, to record multiple clips with different effects.
Timer and Countdown: Set the timer to record any of your clips hands-free without having to manage the shutter button.
Speed: Choose to speed up or slow down part of the video or your original audio, which helps you stay on a beat or make slow-motion videos.
To share Reels
With Reels, you can share on your News Feed. You can select any of the same audience options that are available for News Feed, including Friends, Public, or a custom audience.