YouTube, the video giant from the house of Google, is planning to incorporate Snapchat’s popular story feature which has already seen the likes of Instagram and Facebook. Tagging it with an interesting name called ‘Reels’, YouTube intends to bring a slight variation in the feature by changing its position on the app. Viewers will be able to locate Reels inside a separate tab as opposed to the conventional top of the app position. ‘Reels’ comes as a response to the increasing popularity of Facebook as a platform for posting videos and engaging audience, a domain where YouTube once enjoyed the monopoly.
The most distinct aspect of Reels is that the videos made via this feature will not vanish away after a set period of time, as is the case in other applications. It will offer interesting customization tools such as the addition of music, stickers, filters, and others to the Reel. More clips can be added to an already existing set of Reels while the old ones can be edited or even removed in an uncomplicated manner. Links to other videos can also be strategically placed inside these clips to divert traffic towards content the creator specifically wants his subscribers to see.
It has been made clear by YouTube that creators will be allowed to be a part of the ‘Community’ network only if they enjoy a fan following of at least 10,000 subscribers. Also, viewers’ homepage will not be bombarded with recommendations of these Reels if they do not show interest in them – a major relief from forced content. On the other hand, viewers who haven’t subscribed to the channel, but are regular visitors are more likely to receive the latest notifications.
YouTube Reels will present an opportunity to creators to offer a sneak peak in their lives and ask subscribers to suggest ideas for making the next video. YouTube wants to make it easier for the channel owners to communicate with the subscribers on a regular basis, which, we believe, makes absolute sense. However, Reels is currently undergoing beta testing and will be rolled out soon after the improvements are made. Subscribers and creators will have to wait for the final version of this feature, whose date of launch has yet not been revealed.
