Have you ever wondered how some people create engaging content on Instagram while others seem to struggle? Believe it or not, there is a tactic behind creating such viral content. Using Instagram Reels is one of the tricks to grow your business or platform. It allows you to create short videos to appeal to your target audience.
Let's check out how you can grow your business using Instagram Reels in today's blog!
Introducing Instagram Reels
In the year 2020, Instagram launched a new feature Reels in response to the widely popular short video app TikTok. The average human attention span is decreasing as social media platforms such as Instagram are increasingly dominating our daily lives. These platforms favor visual content over text, and 'reels' are the perfect way to deliver this.
With Reels, you can record, edit and share videos of up to 90 seconds. Reels offers anyone the chance to create content and reach out to their target audience. Now you might wonder how are Reels different from Instagram stories and feed posts so here's the comparison:
- Stories vanish after 24 hours. However, you can save them in Highlights to show on your profile as long as you want, but it is difficult to discover.
- Posts reach most viewers within a day.
- But reels stay discoverable for weeks based on popularity.
How to create Instagram Reels
Step 1: To create Reels on Instagram, you can either click the plus button at the top of the home feed or select Reels at the bottom of the page and open the Instagram camera. You will see a variety of editing tools on the left side of the screen which you can utilize to create your content more creatively. Let us see how you can use it.
- Audio: You can either search for a song from the Instagram music library or use your own original audio by simply recording a reel with it, and if you have a public account, people can make Instagram reels video using your audio by selecting "Use Audio" from your reels. It is recommended to save audios which you would like to use in your content and this can save a lot of time while creating content. You can do this while you are scrolling the reels and click on the audio and save it for later use.
- Length: By tapping on this feature you can create a reel video of 15s, the 30s, or 60s. It is typically safe to select a bit long because it will prevent your video from getting cut off in the middle of shooting.
- AR Effects: You can record multiple clips with different effects from the effect gallery.
- Timer and Countdown: To record a clip hands-free, set the timer and press record. A 3-2-1 countdown will begin before recording starts for the chosen amount of time.
- Align: To help with transitions such as outfit changes or adding new people to your reel, line up objects from your previous clip before filming your next.
- Speed: You can change the speed of the video or audio you selected to make it faster or slower as shown below. You can even upload your video directly from your camera roll if you didn't use the Instagram app to create it.
Step 2: Once you are done with the creation of the reels, you can share them with your followers and get going. If you have a public account, it can be discovered by the diverse Instagram community. In case you have a private account, it will remain limited to your followers. People will not be able to use original audio from your reels nor can they share it with those who don't follow you.
How to succeed on Instagram Reels?
There is no particular algorithm to be successful on Instagram, there are a lot of factors which one needs to consider while creating content on such platforms. Here are some cool tips on how to use Instagram reels to reach new followers.
- Use the Trends to appeal to your target audience: Using the ongoing trends is very important as it is easier to get discovered. These can be audio clips, or trending dances or moves. Following Instagram's official @creators account is a great way to stay up to date with the latest trends. Including trending audios in your Reels can help capture your audience’s attention. But just because a specific audio has been heavily used doesn’t mean it’s trending. The key to finding trending audio is to identify which audio is trending, you need to look at how often it's being used, if people are creating reels with it, and if people are saving it for later. Another cool tip to find out audios which have a good chance of getting viral is finding audios that have a low Reel count but a trending symbol.
- Create Authentic & Engaging Content: To keep your Reels engaging try to find a balance between making your Reels look professional and having an X factor. The Instagram algorithm favors Reels that it believes people will enjoy, such as content that is funny or interesting. This is not something which we are guessing but Instagram has clearly mentioned in one of their posts.
- Avoid reposting TikToks: Low-quality video reels or content that is visibly recycled from other apps (contains logos or watermarks) are made less discoverable by the Instagram reels algorithm. Hence it is recommended to avoid reposting TikTok videos on Instagram.
- Balance Entertainment with education: Most Instagram followers scroll their feed to be entertained, not necessarily to buy. To get views and increase brand exposure, consider educational videos related to the product which includes some entertainment factor.
- Reels hook ideas: Since people scroll through videos quickly, you need to start your videos with something that will grab their attention. They need to know within a few seconds if a video is interesting enough for them to keep watching till the end. It is great to have a call to action in your video so that your audience is kept engaged with the content.
- Remix Reels: “Remix Reels” feature allows users to respond to Reels by appearing next to the original reel video. This feature is available to any Instagram user as long as the original creator has enabled Remix access on their Reels. Businesses can take advantage of it by including customer reactions, interviews, reactions, testimonials, etc.
- Make your Reels visually appealing: Everyone prefers good quality videos with beautiful backgrounds. Videos made with the app’s camera effects and filters tend to be more engaging and get a boost from the algorithm as a result.
- Feature people in your Reels: Showing your face on Instagram can help you and your business in many ways. People are more likely to remember things when they can see them, so having strong brand recognition is very valuable. This is a great way for your brand to stand out from the crowd. As humans, we are driven by emotions. When trying to understand how your prospective customer or client will make a purchase, it is essential to consider the emotional factors involved. Showing a face behind the brand helps your community see that you are human too, just like them.
- New Launch or announcement: Use Instagram Reels to promote the new launches of products that can benefit brands. By adding descriptions about the product through text, you can effectively reach out to a million customers in a short period of time.
- Promotions/Offers/ Event promotion: Reels can also communicate your brand’s available offers and promotions. This can be especially lucrative during seasonal sales, encouraging potential buyers to shop after seeing your message. Tag Instagram reels with products to make them shoppable.
- Go behind the scenes: Reels can help you connect with your target audience on a more personal level. Showing them a sneak peek behind the scenes can make them feel more attached to your brand.
- Best time to post Instagram Reels: It is not recommended to post reels at random times if you want to increase engagement on Instagram. Finding the best time to post on Instagram is not hard at all. You can easily find “most active times” in your Instagram Insights, it may differ from account to account. It is recommended to post when your followers are coming online and traffic is rising.
Final Thoughts
Reels are a great way for businesses to get creative, explore new strategies, and increase brand awareness. If you’re looking to spice up your Instagram strategy, Reels is a great place to start. Additionally, Instagram has the highest average engagement rate of all the social media platforms, so if you ask us, Reels is like a golden opportunity that doesn’t come by often!
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