Instagram borrows TikTok's linked-series format for Reels

Instagram now lets users link multiple Reels into a series, a feature borrowed directly from TikTok, where multi-part short video has proven its pull.

The format's potential was demonstrated earlier this year when a TikTok series spread across dozens of short videos drew 80 million views and single-handedly revived the long-dormant web series format. Linked Reels help audiences keep up with and find related episodes more easily, and gives creators a way to build serialized storytelling into a feed that has historically rewarded standalone clips.

Separately, a widely shared guide of 16 Facebook posting tips has been making the rounds among social media managers. The most-endorsed tactics: ask questions, create more video, and test different posting frequencies rather than accepting a universal rule. One tip carries a caveat: when sharing links, put the link in the first comment rather than the post itself, because link posts earn the lowest reach on Facebook, a practice even Facebook has started recommending to marketers.

The data behind that advice is stark: according to Facebook's own Widely Viewed Content Report, 97.8 percent of viewed content carried no outbound link at all.

The common thread is a platform economy that increasingly rewards keeping users inside the app, through native video, serialized formats and link-free posts, while external clicks get quietly deprioritized.