Technology

Memes May Come to Instagram Reels — Here’s What We Know

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5m ago

Jun 12, 2024 / 3242 Views

Evan Walker

Memes are popular on social networks, and they can be a real asset for attracting new followers or scoring a viral hit. Now, social networks like Instagram are focusing on these qualities to help their platforms stand out from the crowd by introducing memes to Reels. Read on to find out more.

Instagram, America’s second favourite social network, has understood the value of memes. The platform is currently testing a new feature to enable users to add memes directly to their Reels.

How to add memes to your Instagram Reels

A new “Memes” option is set to appear among the short video format’s editing tools, according to screenshots posted on Threads by social media expert, Radu Oncescu.

Post by @oncescuradu

View on Threads

Instagram is currently still testing the new memes functionality on Reels, so it’s only available to select users for now. If you’re among the lucky ones, you may follow these steps:

1) Open up Instagram and click on the + button. Select the option to upload a new Reel.
2) The Memes button should appear in the top menu alongside Camera and Drafts.
3) You can also find it in the “Edit” Reel section.
4) Choose your preferred meme. According to Oncescu, the meme has its own sound, which will continue to play even if you’ve already added music to the Reel.

Why is Instagram introducing memes to Reels?

The new tool would offer users a wide choice of elements from memes that are popular on the application to add to their Reels. Instagram’s aim is to appeal to young users by offering them content that appeals to them, and which is fresh and on trend. Memes are an effective way of achieving this, as they are often created and shared by communities of young people. By highlighting the most popular memes, Instagram may also hope to encourage users to create and share their own memes.

For the moment, the tool is still being tested with a handful of selected users.

This trend is already well underway on TikTok, as the Chinese giant has long been offering memes that can be reused and customised for its content. Some of them have even gone viral, like the Finn Wolfhard meme. The Stranger Things star became a meme in 2023 on TikTok, launching a new trend on the application.

@milorizzcombinns I do be like that #fyp #memes #finnwolfhard #snappingfingers #trend #handwriting ♬ original sound – .

Companies and brands have even gotten in on the act with the “meme marketing” trend. Faced with the craze for these quirky, humorous videos, some companies have been using memes to promote their products or services.

This new feature is part of Instagram’s strategy to set itself apart from other social networks by offering new tools and functionalities. The platform has already introduced features such as Reels to encourage the creation of video content. With this new Memes option on Reels, Instagram is seeking to go further in highlighting humorous and offbeat content to boost engagement and encourage shares.

This story was published via AFP Relaxnews

(Main and featured images: @Oncescuradu / Threads)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

How do you get memes on Instagram reels?

Instagram is currently testing the new memes functionality on Reels, so it’s only available to select users for now.