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 engage your target audience.
Let’s see how you can grow your business using Instagram Reels in today’s blog!
In 2020, Instagram launched a new Reels feature in response to the widely popular short video app TikTok. The average human attention span is shrinking as social media platforms like Instagram increasingly dominate our daily lives. These platforms prefer visual content over text, and “reels” are the perfect way to achieve this.
With Reels, you can record, edit and share videos up to 90 seconds. Reels offers anyone the opportunity to create content and reach their target audience. Now you might be wondering how Reels differ from Instagram Stories and Feed Posts, so here’s the comparison:
- Stories disappear after 24 hours. However, you can save them to Highlights to appear on your profile as much as you want, but it’s hard to discover.
- Posts reach the most viewers within a day.
- But the reels stay trackable for weeks based on their popularity.
Step 1: To create Reels in 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 that you can use to create your content more creatively. Let’s see how you can use it.
- Sound: You can either search for a song from Instagram’s music library or use your own original sound by simply recording a reel with it, and if you have a public account, users can make Instagram reel videos using your sound by selecting “Use Sound ” from your rolls. It is recommended to save audio that you would like to use in your content and this can save a lot of time when creating content. You can do this while scrolling the reels and click on the sound and save it for later use.
- Length: By tapping this mode, you can create a video with 15, 30, or 60 reels. It’s usually safe to choose a slightly long length because it will prevent your video from cutting off in the middle of shooting.
- AR Effects: You can record multiple clips with different effects from the effects gallery.
- Timer and Countdown: To record a hands-free clip, set the timer and press record. A 3-2-1 countdown will start before recording begins for the selected time slot.
- Align: To help with transitions, such as outfit changes or adding new people to your reel, align objects from your previous clip before shooting the next video.
- Speed: You can change the speed of your selected video or audio 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’re done creating your reels, you can share them with your followers and get started. If you have a public account, it can be discovered by Instagram’s diverse community. In case you have a private account, it will remain limited to your followers. Users won’t be able to use the original audio from your reels, nor can they share it with those who don’t follow you.
There is no specific algorithm to be successful on Instagram, there are many factors to consider when creating content on such platforms. Here are some cool tips on how to use Instagram reels to reach new followers.
- Use trends to attract your target audience: Using ongoing trends is very important as they make it easier for you to be discovered. These can be sound clips, or modern dances or movements. Following the official Instagram @creators The account is a great way to stay up to date with the latest trends. Including trendy sounds in your reels can help you grab your audience’s attention. But just because a certain sound has been widely used doesn’t mean it’s a trend. The key to finding the trending sound is to determine what sound is trending, you need to look at how often it is used, if people are creating reels with it and if people are saving it for later. Another nice tip to discover sounds that have a good chance of going viral is to find sounds that have a low reel count but a trendy symbol.
- Create authentic and engaging content: To keep your reels interesting, try to find a balance between making your reels look professional and have an X-factor. Instagram algorithm favors Reels that it thinks people will enjoy, such as content that is funny or interesting. This is not something we assume, but Instagram has clearly mentioned in one of its posts.
- Avoid reposting TikToks: Low-quality video reels or content that is obviously recycled from other apps (contains logos or watermarks) are made less detectable by Instagram Reel Algorithm. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid reposting TikTok videos on Instagram.
- Balance entertainment with education: Most Instagram followers scroll through their feed to be entertained, not necessarily to buy. To get views and increase brand exposure, consider product-related instructional videos that include some entertainment factor.
- Ideas for reel hooks: Since people scroll through videos quickly, you need to start your videos with something that will grab their attention. They need to know within seconds if a video is interesting enough to keep watching until the end. It’s great to have a call to action in your video so your audience stays engaged with the content.
- Remix Reels: The 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 access to Remix on their reels. Businesses can take advantage of this by including customer reactions, interviews, reactions, testimonials, etc.
- Make your Reels visually appealing: Everyone prefers good quality videos with beautiful backgrounds. Videos created with the app’s camera effects and filters tend to be more engaging and, as a result, get a boost from the algorithm.
- Get people on your feeds: Getting 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 strong brand recognition is valuable. This is a great way to make your brand stand out from the crowd. As humans, we are driven by emotions. When trying to understand how your prospect or customer will make a purchase, it’s important to consider the emotional factors involved. Putting a face behind the brand helps your community see that you’re human, just like them.
- New Release or Announcement: Use Instagram Reels to promote new product releases that can benefit brands. By adding text-based product descriptions, you can effectively reach a million customers in a short period of time.
- Deals/Offers/Event Promotion: Wheels can also communicate your brand’s available offers and promotions. This can be especially profitable during seasonal sales, encouraging potential buyers to shop after seeing your message. Tag Instagram reels with products to get them to buy.
- Go behind the scenes: Casters can help you connect with your target audience on a more personal level. Giving them a sneak peek behind the scenes can make them feel more connected 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 difficult at all. You can easily find the “most active times” in Instagram Insights, it may differ from account to account. It is recommended that you post when your followers are coming online and traffic is increasing.
Wheels are a great way for businesses to get creative, explore new strategies and increase brand awareness. If you’re looking to improve your Instagram strategy, Reels is a great place to start. Plus, Instagram has the highest average engagement rate of all social media platforms, so if you ask us, Reels is like a golden opportunity that doesn’t come around often!
Also read Top Lash Business Marketing Resources