Facebook has launched Reels, its short video feature, globally.
Meta, the social media brand’s parent company, announced the new feature in a statement on Tuesday.
With Reels, Meta appears to be intensifying its battle with TikTok, which was the most-downloaded app of 2021 and very popular among young users.
Prior to the launch, Reels was available on Facebook in India, Mexico, Canada, the U.S.
Now, it is available across sub-Saharan Africa, including countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Swaziland, South Africa, Seychelles, Senegal, and Rwanda.
Others are Nigeria, Namibia, Mali, Malawi, Lesotho, Kenya, Guinea, Ghana, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Burkina Faso.
Commenting on the launch, Nunu Ntshingila, the regional director for sub-Saharan Africa at Meta, said: “We’ve seen that video now accounts for almost all of the time people spend on Facebook and Instagram.
“And Reels is our fastest-growing content format by far.
“This is why we’re focused on making Reels the best way for creators to get discovered, connect with their audience, and earn money. We want to make it fun and easy for people to find and share relevant and entertaining content.”
Meta said it is also creating a variety of opportunities for creators to earn money for their reels.
The Reels play bonus programme, part of Meta’s $1 billion creator investment, pays eligible creators up to $35,000 a month based on the views of their qualifying reels.
In the coming months, it said the bonus programme will be extended to more countries, so more creators can get rewarded for creating reels that their communities love.
As part of the launch, Meta is also debuting brand suitability controls like publisher lists, blocklists, inventory filters, and delivery reports for banner and sticker ads in Facebook Reels in every region they are available.
This gives advertisers more control over how their ads appear in places they don’t consider suitable for their brand.
In addition to the editing features announced in 2021, Meta said creators around the world will now be able to access a remix feature, 60-second reels, drafts, and video clipping.
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