TikTok has become the dominant player in the short-form video content space, with Instagram Reels not far behind. A recent study found that TikTok outperforms Reels and YouTube Shorts in user engagement and content frequency, while Reels leads in watch time.

TikTok achieved the highest user engagement, with an average engagement rate of 5.53%. Reels followed closely with an average engagement rate of 4.36%, while YouTube Shorts averaged around 3.80%.

TikTok also outperformed Reels and YouTube Shorts in content frequency, with brands posting twice as frequently on TikTok as on the other two platforms.

However, Reels led in watch time, with users spending an average of 33 minutes per day watching Reels, compared to 23 minutes on TikTok and 16 minutes on YouTube Shorts.

The study's findings suggest that TikTok is the best platform for brands that want to reach a highly engaged audience with short-form video content. Reels is a good option for brands that want to reach a wider audience and tap into the existing Instagram user base. YouTube Shorts is still a relatively new platform, but it is worth considering for brands that want to reach a younger audience and leverage their existing YouTube presence.

Some reasons why TikTok is so popular:

• It has a wide variety of content, from comedy and dance to education and social commentary.
• It is easy to use, even for people who are not tech-savvy.
• It has a powerful algorithm that recommends videos to users based on their interests.
• It has a strong community of creators and users who are constantly engaging with each other.

Instagram Reels has become a popular alternative to TikTok because it is integrated with the existing Instagram platform. This means that users can create and share Reels with their existing Instagram followers. Reels also has a number of features that TikTok does not, such as the ability to add music from Instagram's music library and the ability to save Reels as drafts.

Overall, TikTok and Instagram Reels are the two most popular platforms for short-form video content. Brands should choose the platform that is best suited for their target audience and marketing goals.