By Moon Baz, Head of Creator Partnerships, Middle East, Africa and Turkey, Meta

As cultural and societal trends change, social media is helping creators make a living through the engaging content they create. Individual creators are leading the shift toward a more open entertainment and education landscape, shaping culture along the way. These creators are constantly looking for new ways to make their imagination and ideas come to life, searching for new tools to help them make and promote their content. That’s where Facebook and Instagram come in.

Across Facebook and Instagram, people are discovering and watching video in diverse formats from Stories and Facebook Watch to Facebook Live and Reels. Reels is one of many tools we’re investing in to support creators’ various needs to help them create engaging video content and foster a sustainable business, whether they’re just getting started or already have an established brand. We’re seeing that short form video is an increasing part of how people consume content.

Let’s dive into some of the benefits of the new collection of short-form video and audio editing tools now available to creators on Facebook and Instagram, and how easy it is for you to create your next short-form masterpiece.

A convenient way to post 

We are almost always on the go. For those of us who don’t spend our days working in an office or at home, it’s essential that platforms give us the option to schedule and upload posts wherever we are and on whatever device we use.

That’s why, in addition to Android and iOS smartphones, users can now create, edit, and publish Facebook Reels via the Creator Studio on their web browsers. The studio lets users schedule when their Reels go live, giving them the chance to coordinate and manage their content at any time.

Flex your creative muscles

A creator’s work is only as good as the tools they have to work with. And, in the case of digital content, people are always coming up with new and exciting ways to make their work unique. New video clipping tools for Facebook Reels on desktop can help with that. Users can take existing long-form videos and cut them into short-form versions.

You should also never have to stifle your creativity or try to jam it into a less-than-ideal timeframe. Over on Instagram Reels, creators can now publish videos of up to 90 seconds, giving videos more breathing space and users the opportunity to show off awesome content.

Find inspiration

Sometimes we need a little help to get our creative juices flowing, which is where Templates come in.

If you’re struggling to come up with a new idea for a Reel, you can create one by preloading visual and audio placeholders and then replacing them with the photos and videos you want to include. When you explore Templates, you’ll discover the latest trending audio and transitions that are resonating with people around the world, all of which can help you create some of your most original and inspiring content yet. You can also create new Reels from the ground up using the template of another Reel you've just watched, right down to the same video and audio sequences.

Entice and engage your audience

Instagram has come a long way in enabling users to engage and interact with audiences. And it only makes sense that the way content is created reflects our growing levels of digital immersion. 

Reels now feature the ever-changing library of stickers from Instagram Stories, including polls, quizzes, and emojis. There’s something for everyone, and thanks to stickers, users can personalise their Reels and make them more unique than ever before. 

Make it sound as good as it looks

Many of us watch videos with the sound off. Maybe it’s because we’re around other people and we don’t have earphones, or because we’re not that engaged with what we’re seeing. Because of that, content creators face a tough challenge incorporating sound into their content that’s both complementary and manages to show off their creative abilities.

Sound Sync is a way for creators to match their Facebook video clips to the beat of a song or piece of audio, giving them the chance to publish content that pops out the speakers as much as it does off the screen. The feature is also available to Instagram users. When they choose the  Superbeat effect, the app will apply visual effects to the music that’s playing and match its rhythm. Users can also apply 2D and 3D lyric effects that let your followers sing along to the music while they’re watching.

Facebook Reels also now support recording voiceovers, which means you can narrate your videos, share more insight, and engage with your followers. Meanwhile, creators on Instagram Reels can import audio directly from outside the app. This is for those spur-of-the-moment posts, or when you want to access audio that’s special to you.

All these features and more are what make Facebook and Instagram the go-to places to create and publish engaging, quality digital content.