Instagram Edits: Meta’s New Tool Is a Game-Changer
Social media marketers are about to get a new tool for their box – Instagram Edits. Due for release on April 30th, Edits is a standalone, mobile-only video editing suite.
Filling something of a gap in the market for a high-powered video editing package built exclusively for mobile, Edits is aimed squarely at the content creator crowd. And while influencers who are used to shooting content on the go on their smartphones will get obvious benefits, there’s plenty about this innovative new app that should grab the attention of marketers in general.
After all, if you’re running campaigns on Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube Shorts, you should be mobile-first in everything you do. Including how you shoot and edit your content.
As a leading social media agency in London, we’re excited to get our hands on this new toy to try it out. As a sneak preview, here’s what we know about it so far.
What is Instagram Edits?
Instagram Edits falls under the category of an integrated content creation tool – that is, a platform designed to let you build content in your chosen distribution channel. This is a big deal in mobile at the moment because, despite having been the dominant source of internet traffic for years now, content production operations haven’t kept up. Most mobile sites, apps and the content you see on them is still made on desktop, then shipped onto mobile for publication. This isn’t just inefficient. It also causes poor performance and harms the mobile experience.
The fact that Edits zones in on video and social media is also significant because, well, video and social media are taking over the content marketing world. People are 52% more likely to share video than any other type of content. Video has also been found to drive a 300% uplift in click-through rates. And an 80% rise in conversions.
So you could say Edits is responding to the marketing zeitgeist. It’s taking the professional creative capabilities usually associated with platforms like Adobe Express and packaging them in a UI designed for your smartphone, to be used exclusively for crafting high-quality short videos for social feeds.
Edits isn’t the first to do this. TikTok’s parent company ByteDance already has the popular CapCut app, which includes a mobile video editor but also has desktop and generative AI tools. But even that is part of the Edits story. It seems Meta decided to push ahead with a mobile video editing suite after CapCut was caught up in ByteDance’s privacy wrangle with US authorities.
What are Instagram Edits’ Key Features?
Anyone who has used Instagram Reels will already know you can perform basic editing tasks like cutting, trimming and intertwining video clips in the app. And there are countless other apps you can download to do the same on mobile.
Edits goes way beyond this. The depth and range of its features put it firmly in the professional creative suite category, not just a tool for casual users to tinker with their home videos.
The difference is probably best underlined by the app’s ideation and collaboration features. It’s got a full tab set aside for inspiration, including the option to record and save voice notes on the fly whenever a great idea strikes. Then there’s a full draft system for managing and saving different versions as they evolve. And you can share these through the app for colleagues to add their contributions, or for review and approvals.
Then there’s the pro-quality editing tools. In fact, the quality enhancement features start before the editing stage. Edits will include a whole host of advanced camera options to boost the quality of what you shoot. Then when it comes to editing, you’re definitely not limited to trimming and merging clips to create a finished piece (although you can do this with frame-by-frame precision). You can create cinematic transitions between frames, overlay filters and special effects, and add text, audio tracks and voice-overs.
One of Edits’ stand-out features is built-in AI recommendations about what features to use, effects to apply, and when to do it. Meta has teased that a lot more AI features are on the way, possibly including agentic workflow optimisation to make the whole creation and publishing process even smoother.
How will Instagram Edits benefit social marketers?
With short-form video content driving engagement and discoverability across social media, marketers are under pressure to produce high-quality, on-trend video content quickly, regularly and reliably. Any tools that streamline video production effectively are therefore very welcome. And Edits ticks all the right boxes.
We’ve mentioned the mobile-first (well, mobile-only) approach. Smartphones are pretty unique devices in the sense that they are built to both create and consume media. In some ways, certainly on the production side in any kind of professional sense, we’re still getting to grips with that. Part of the issue is changing attitudes. Edits could be a big step forward in making marketers believe that pro-quality, on-mobile creative is possible.
It’s not just that shooting video for mobile using mobile tools makes sense from the perspective of how the final product will function on that channel. It’s about efficiency as well. By consolidating content ideation, editing, collaboration and publishing in one place, Edits represents a one-stop content production workflow. One that you can use on the move with the explicit intention of making great content for a mobile audience. This translates into saved time, a reduced need for third-party software (so lower costs), and more agility.
These benefits will be most obvious in the relationship between Edits and Instagram Reels. Edits will offer seamless publishing to Instagram Reels, allowing marketers to create, edit, and publish without needing to export or re-upload between apps. Meta has also indicated that it will look to test features in Edits with a view to later adding them natively into Reels. So in the long term, general users will get the benefits. And marketers using Edits have the chance to shape the future functionality of Reels.
Finally, Edits also includes built-in analytics tailored to Instagram’s metrics. This means marketers can track important KPIs like views, engagement, and reach without leaving the app, supporting faster optimisation and more responsive campaign iteration.
If you’d like to talk more about how Instagram Edits could benefit your business, or have any questions about any aspects of video, social, mobile or general content strategy, please feel free to get in touch with us. As a leading digital marketing agency based in London, we have extensive expertise in all aspects of digital marketing strategy, and we’d be delighted to help your business take its next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Instagram Edits be free?
Instagram Edits will be free to use. In the future, we may introduce some paid features to help cover costs for things like advanced AI-powered tools.
How is Edits different from Instagram’s built-in editor?
Instagram Edits is Meta’s built-in alternative to third-party apps like CapCut, VN, and Adobe Express, offering advanced video editing tools without leaving the Instagram app. While CapCut and VN offer powerful features like AI effects and multi-layer editing, they require exporting before posting. Adobe Express is great for design but less focused on video. What sets Instagram Edits apart is its seamless integration, AI-powered suggestions, and tools optimised for Reels and Stories, all designed to streamline content creation directly within the Instagram ecosystem.
Can you use Edits for Instagram Stories and Reels?
Yes, Instagram Edits is built specifically for Reels, Stories, and Feed posts, offering seamless integration with Instagram’s content formats.
Is Edits available for businesses and brands?
Yes, businesses and brands can use Instagram Edits to simplify content creation, enhance video quality, and boost engagement. It’s shaping up to be a game-changer, offering creators, influencers, and brands a powerful, all-in-one editing tool built for Instagram.
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