Meta Platfrom's (META  ) Instagram recently announced it will make videos that are less than 15 minutes in length more readily able to be shared as Reels.

Videos that have been made before this official change will stay as videos and will not yet turn into Reels. This new feature means that if the Instagram account is set to public and a video is posted that turns into a Reel, any user will be able to search for the Reel and potentially use the sounds from public Reels on their own Reels. The Reels that are set to private, however, will only be able to be observed by followers.

In addition to this feature, Instagram is also introducing a new feature that will offer businesses the opportunity to turn their Reels into advertisements that will gain new audiences or viewers. These types of "Boosted Reels" will show up in the feed, Stories, the Reels tab, and the explore page. In order to boost their Reels, businesses can locate the Reel on their profiles and then tap or click the "Boost Post" button.

"Keep boosting your reels to connect with your audience and attract potential new customers," Instagram wrote in a blog post. "Instagram Reels are a fun, entertaining way to tell your brand story and get discovered by new audiences. Reels is our fastest-growing format and an important part of Instagram, as more people watch Reels to be entertained, go deeper with their interests or discover new businesses."

One reason that Instagram is making this shift is that it is trying to create competition with other platforms like TikTok. According to sources such as The Verge, Facebook is attempting to shift the algorithm to become more similar to TikTok's, including elements such as new and recommended content (like Reels).

Although this change might seem sudden, it has been in the works since 2021, when Instagram head Adam Mosseri made known its intentions of focusing more on Reels. He has also hinted that he hopes to help users discover ways of making and sharing Reels even further.

"We're always working on ways to improve your Instagram experience," Instagram wrote in another blog post. "We'll continue to build features that make it easier and more fun to create and share reels on Instagram."