Step by Step Guide to Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels are taking over Instagram and they are the perfect new creative opportunity for your brand or business.
What are Instagram reels?
15-30 second clips used to promote, inspire, educate, or entertain audiences on Instagram.
Reels are essentially TikTok videos for the Instagram platform. The short videos can be put to music, used for helpful tips & tricks, or perfect for refreshing comedic content on your feed. However you use reels, make sure to take advantage of their potential and incorporate them into your content plan.
Watch some of our Instagram Reels here!
How do Instagram reels help Your Business?
With Instagram constantly changing the algorithm and undergoing updates to the app, it’s important to get in on the action and stay up to date with ways brands can grow and increase their reach. Reels are the perfect way to achieve that. Right now, this is the only type of content on Instagram that will be automatically placed in front of people who are not following you, so it’s a great way to gain organic exposure.
Instagram reels allow you to connect with audiences in a unique and trendy way. Building your community and increasing exposure is all possible for your business with Instagram reels. As you continue to use reels, it’s an effective marketing tool that can successfully grow your reach and be fun to use along the way.
Let's talk about some important things to take into account when viewing and making reels:
What to Post on IG Reels:
Keep it fun and exciting - make sure your reel is fun to watch and captivating. It can be easy to just talk on a video, but make sure you're grabbing peoples’ attention with the first few seconds so they’ll keep viewing and hopefully continue engaging with your content and account. You can change the speed and add effects to help make it more fun to watch and boost the overall engagement. There are so many ways to make your reel fresh and stand out from the rest.
For brands to better connect with audiences, it’s important to create relatable content that people can resonate with and find genuine. Strive to inspire, educate and entertain with your content, while showing an authentic perspective. It shows a less curated and more down to earth glimpse into the brand and shows the human side, which can help with community engagement and overall sales.
Reels help make educational content more fun and instead of reading a long caption with tips and tricks, you can make a reel using that content and it’ll keep more people engaged. Whether you’re educating your audience on a new product, or giving some background on the business, reels can elevate that content into a fun and exciting way to reach people.
How to Post + Watch Reels:
There are 3 ways to create Instagram reels, making it easily accessible wherever you are on the app. Either the plus icon on the Instagram home screen, the camera icon on the reels tab and the plus icon on your profile are the ways you can create reels.
Choose a trending song - your reel will be more likely to be seen to new accounts if you pair your video with a trending sound or song. If your goal is to reach new people and increase engagement, trending songs are a great way to get there.
Utilize the cover photo feature. You can upload a photo from your camera roll that way your reel fits in with your feed or you can choose from the automated cover options on the video. Either way, make sure to capture a cover photo that fits in with your look and feel for your account.
The reels tab on profiles is convenient for checking reels on your own account and others. It also gives you the ability to see how many views are on each reel, as well.
Reels are incredible for featuring your product or service in a way that pictures can’t do justice. The movement adds a different look at what’s being advertised, giving consumers a better idea of what it’s like and more of an inclination to check out your website or even purchase what’s being promoted. With reels being shoppable (meaning you can add a link to your item), it’s an effective marketing tool.
After speaking with a couple people who have started using reels for their businesses, here are some takeaways:
Reels have the ability to give a relevant and relatable look into your business or service in a fast and fresh way. For example, a calligrapher is able to showcase her writing examples in a reel to a trending song rather than simply making static posts showing her beautiful signs. Her audience is now able to see her art in action and watching along allows her consumers to feel apart of her lettering process. With the pandemic eliminating in-person workshops, she’s taken advantage of Instagram's tools such as Live and Reels to better connect with her followers.
An up and coming influencer can make reels to help boost followers and engagement. A blogger can utilize the trending song feature and gain more exposure to her account, therefore, gaining more followers and even landing more collaboration opportunities. After posting a few reels, she has received more engagement with her posts, since participating in the trending challenges and ideas that come with reels.
Since it’s a TikTok alternative, it can be easy to get addicted to scrolling on the tab and watching reels for hours. What’s even better is that reels are all on the same app so if you’re anything like me, it’s helpful to find it all in one place which means less switching apps, and allows for more time to discover and interact with new videos.
We’ll leave you with 3 tips to help you with making your first reel:
Follow the trends + do what others are doing. Don’t stress about making all-new, original content.
Preparation makes everything easier. Plan the content beforehand and have what you need before filming the video.
Reels are all about being real! Be yourself, show your personality, and have fun!
Have fun with this new video feature and be sure to add this into your marketing strategies for the new year!
What are you waiting for? Start making those reels today! Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!