The news: In Q4 2025, more than half (53%) of all Instagram ads ran on Reels, marking Meta’s growing reliance on short-form video content for engagement and ad revenues. That’s up from 35% in Q4 2024, per Sensor Tower.

Reels now drives 46% of all time spent on Instagram in the US, up from 37% in 2024.

Meta’s broader social portfolio is also gaining ground—Threads recently overtook X in mobile users, with 141.5 million daily active iOS users compared with X’s 125 million mobile users, per Similarweb data cited by TechCrunch.

The challenge: Despite rising Reels engagement, it hasn’t been as efficient of a moneymaker for Meta as the Instagram Feed. However, the popularity of short-form video could help make Reels a more profitable product.

You've read 0 of 2 free articles this month.

Get more articles - create your free account today!

Products

Events & Resources

Topics

Latest Articles

Shoppers hate paying for return shipping more than any other part of the process

Doctors expect longer visits as parents seek clarity about pediatric vaccine guidelines

Lowe’s reaches out to Gen Alpha with new rewards program for kids

Meta faces critical questions as AI spending and regulatory scrutiny intensify

J&J launches direct-to-consumer prescription drug site with lower cash prices

The health and fitness industry’s future is subscription-first, not hardware-led

Scam exposure on social platforms threatens brands

Email is consumers’ top marketing channel, but inbox fatigue threatens ROI

For SMBs, the killer app for LLMs is speed

Discovery, agentic assistance, and retail media: What matters most to early ChatGPT advertisers

About

Reels carries over half of all Instagram ad load, but monetization could lag

Coverage Areas →

Coverage Areas →

Advertising & Marketing

Health

Ecommerce & Retail

Technology

Financial Services

More Topics

Geographies

EMARKETER

Media Services

Free Content

Contact Us →

Worldwide HQ

Sales Inquiries