Does short-form video outperform photos in creator marketing?

For reach, yes; for engagement, no — so for a brand the answer depends on what you're buying. Socialinsider analysed 35 million Instagram posts: Reels get 125% more reach than a single photo, because the algorithm actively pushes video to non-followers. But on engagement per viewer reached, photos and carousels simply win: ZoomSphere measured 6.2% engagement on static Instagram images across 5 million posts, versus 3.5% on Reels.

Translated to a campaign: if you want to reach a new audience, video is the right vehicle. If you want the existing following of a sportfluencer to respond — which is where the buying decision happens — a good photo or carousel does at least as well. A mediocre video loses to a good photo, any day of the week.

With a squad activation, that works in your favour: 25 sportfluencers don't publish in one format. You get Reels from those who make Reels and carousels from those who make carousels, and the mix covers both goals at once — new reach and response from the existing following. That's why we don't fix the format in the briefing; nor the length, for that matter — whoever knows their audience knows how long it keeps watching.