[FAQ]

I’ve been creating a lot of content for TikTok and want to start posting on Reels to grow there too, but I honestly don’t have the time to make unique videos for both platforms. I know the obvious first step is to remove the TikTok watermark, but I’m curious about the deeper strategy.

What are the best practices for making a repurposed video feel native to Instagram? Does the algorithm penalize you for using a sound that was trending on TikTok a week ago? Should I be changing the on-screen text style, the caption, or the hashtags?

I want to be efficient, but I also want the content to actually perform well on Reels. I’m just trying to figure out the best workflow to make the content look like it was made for Instagram in the first place.

[Jeff Bullas]

Repurposing your content is one of the smartest ways to maximise the return on your creation time.

Short Answer: You must remove the TikTok watermark from your video, and you should always try to replace any trending audio with a similar sound from Instagram’s own library to please the algorithm.

The goal isn’t just to cross-post your video content; it’s to adapt it so that it feels completely native to the Reels environment.

The first step, as you noted, is to download a clean, watermark-free version of your video. The Instagram algorithm actively deprioritises content that contains the watermark of a rival platform, so this is a non-negotiable step.

The most important strategic step is to then handle the audio. Even if a sound is trending on both platforms, you should always upload your clean video to the Reels editor without sound and add the trending audio or music natively within Instagram. The algorithm heavily favours content that uses audio from its own library.

Beyond that, you should also consider the smaller details. Take the extra minute to re-do your on-screen text using Instagram’s native fonts to make the video feel more authentic. The caption text on Reels can also be a bit longer and more in-depth than on TikTok, so use that space to add more value, and be sure to use hashtags that are relevant to the Instagram ecosystem, not just copied over from your original post.

Cheers,
Jeff

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