Yep. This is the same strategy Instagram used a few years ago in copying Snapchat's Stories format, and likely has the same goal. The idea is not that Instagram can take back TikTok's audience — those users are well and truly lost — but rather that it can deny existing Insta users any reason to even try TikTok in the first place. (Because they can get the same form factor without downloading a new app.)
From what I've heard, the Stories copying strategy did successfully contain (but did not roll back) the Snapchat threat to Insta. So there's some reason to believe they can hold the line against TikTok with this approach too, even absent the possibility of a government ban.
I expect this sort of convergence will continue in the future. Whatever one might think of fast-following as a strategy, scale plus rapid copying of features does seem to work.
Stories definitely stopped Snap's potential in it's tracks. I'd consider that a completely successful bootleg. Well successful if we only consider the goal to be stopping Snap, unfortunately in the process there was one casualty, we lost Instagram.
How so? The only thing Instagram sacrificed to add Stories was some real estate at the top of the screen for the Stories bar. I would say adding Reels has been more invasive because those show up in your feed.
Not only does it keep users, but it allows producers to put the same stuff on Instagram, thus Insta users don't have the need to go to TikTok to see the hyped content. (While people say TikTok has the better suggestion algorithm, I never used either)
Perhaps. Or they have A/B tested the new alternative and found it superior (e.g. Instagram users exposed to that new experience come to the app more often, stay for longer).
I usually stop scrolling after I see the check-mark which indicates I'm up to date. Below that there are TikTok-type short reels with all sorts of stupid things.
lol insta reels suck. it's almost exactly a month behind tiktok on trends etc. i'm not a big user of either and even i known this, facebook has to be aware and just not care. everyone kinda just laughs at reels so i can only assume it's targeted at old millennials?
From what I've heard, the Stories copying strategy did successfully contain (but did not roll back) the Snapchat threat to Insta. So there's some reason to believe they can hold the line against TikTok with this approach too, even absent the possibility of a government ban.
I expect this sort of convergence will continue in the future. Whatever one might think of fast-following as a strategy, scale plus rapid copying of features does seem to work.