The recent unveiling of Instagram Reels has created opportunities for you to create entertaining and informative short videos with your followers. Instagram already comes with filters and effects that allow you to create your own audience capturing content. It is an exciting way to get visibility and to reach a larger audience.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of this exciting new trend.
First things first: Understanding Reels
Instagram Reels is available in over 50 countries, and you can create video clips of up to 30 seconds. The clips can be recorded, edited, and shared by Instagram users on the Reels tab on their profile, on Stories or, News Feed.
Browsing and sharing Reels became much easier with the new Instagram update because it is on the main navigation bar. Besides finding Reels from the Reels tab, you can also find it on the Instagram home screen and from the Stories camera.
One of the great advantages of the Reels tab is that videos are not only available to followers, you can scroll and see Reels from trending accounts on Instagram.
Create the Perfect Instagram Reel to Share
Creating an Instagram Reel is easy. Access Reels from the home screen, stories, or the navigation bar and tap on it.
An attention-grabbing reel needs music and you can choose from hundreds of the clips from the Music icon found in the Browse menu. It is best to use this music because of IP laws. You can record original audio too.
You can add effects, align your videos, and add text. With speed control, you can make your clips speed up or slow down, and there is even a convenient recording timer.
Your reels can be saved as a draft and you can add hashtags and captions. You can also tag friends and change the cover image.
Share your Instagram Reels on Explore so that they are available for longer. If you share Reels on Stories, they disappear within 24 hours.
How to Use Instagram Reels to Your Advantage
1. Offer something unique
Instagram has many people offering similar things so don’t just rely on your physical skills and personality. Use these, but also look for things that make you unique, so you can attract viewers to your Reels clips. Your friends or family can help you here by telling you what they like most about you.
2. Give yourself the chance to go viral by producing content
Produce as much content as you can. This does not always have to be creative or fun content, because we all understand how difficult that is. Create quick updates in between your other videos that don’t need any editing. The more content you have on Instagram, the better your chances are of going viral and the more people become aware of you.
3. Look for cross-promotional opportunities
Collaborations on Instagram allow you to share your brand with a broader audience. However, when you decide to reach out to another brand or influencer, make sure that you have similar target audiences and share ideas that align. This is essential because it is more beneficial to both parties within the collaboration and will maximize both efforts.
4. Challenges increase followers
TikTok has proven that people love challenges and there is no reason why they can’t have the same success on Instagram Reels. You will notice that influencers and brands use challenges to get people to start creating content. Take part in trending challenges and get your Instagram Reels out there.
5. Include hashtags
This one can be tricky but can work if you use the appropriate hashtags for your content. When you look for hashtags, you will be given a huge choice. Don’t include them all in your caption because you will end up looking like someone who is using them for exposure. Pick the most appropriate to your search term and only use that for your Instagram Reels where you add it to the caption.
6. Give existing content a new purpose
If you have put creative effort and time into older content, you can refresh it and give it new potential. Resharing fresh repurposed content with your followers will save you from having to constantly create new videos. Content created for other social media will need to be edited to the appropriate dimensions for Instagram Reels.
Some more Reels tips to remember
- Always have a pretty and tranquil background
- Audios and AR effects make your Reels more fun
- Tripods help you shoot more professional Reels
- Sharing in Explore make your Reels more discoverable
- Text and stickers make your reels more exciting
- Stand out by creating your own original audios
