For those of you who are active on social media, the potential of Instagram reels should be completely clear to you by now. As social media continues to grow as the largest and most efficient channel of communication globally, the importance of using trending features like ‘reels’ also continues to grow. Since its launch about 3 years ago, the feature has invited millions of creators to create short, entertaining videos including celebrities like Justin Bieber, Lizzo and Stanley Tucci.
And while Instagram has always been a major platform to conduct business on, the added traffic that the Reels feature has brought to the space has almost completely propelled marketing opportunities within it. This means when you enter the Metaverse via Instagram, there is a lot to gain as a business. This, however, means the concept is a bit complicated to grasp for a lot of us. This article is going to highlight all of the key features of Instagram reels, their importance in business and added tips on how to make engaging reels to find the right audience for your business.
What are Instagram Reels?
Instagram Reels is just like any other feature on Instagram’s already expansive app. It allows basically anyone the ability to create a short and vertical video clip. Sounds simple, right? But it is so much more than that.
Since its launch, the Reels section in the IG app has gotten so much heavier and offers more flexibility now than ever before. You can obviously crop and reposition videos within the tab, but new features and visual upgrades have turned the IG app into an all out creator tool. With hundreds of thousands of pre-made audio clips, interactive backgrounds, stickers, video effects and endless filters- reels have all but taken over the market.
This video format however, is hardly new. Applications like “Vine” first popularized the idea of short format videos. But ever since the demise of Vine, Tiktok has racked up millions of users using this format and Instagram Reels is its only real competitor. Reels videos look a lot like Instagram stories, but they do not disappear over 24 hours. But the biggest selling point for Reels is the fact that the IG algorithm favors content in this section. This allows creators to take advantage of Instagram’s expansive user base and find the right audience for their content.
The dedicated Reels section in the IG app allows users to continuously discover new content and trending reels. The algorithm also places famous reels in the explore tab, making them even more discoverable.
This discoverability makes Instagram Reels a powerful tool to effectively market your business. We will discuss more about the endless business potential of this feature further into this article.
How to Make an IG Reel?
Instagram reels can help you build the social proof of your business. For those of you who are somewhat regular on any form of social media, figuring out reel work should be as easy as A B C. There are also thousands of videos on Youtube which will easily teach you how to make your very own Instagram reel. But, if you want to quickly skim over the process, follow these steps:
Step 1: Tap the ‘+’ icon:
The + icon on Instagram allows you to post content on the platform. Once you click the icon, you will be faced with a drawer menu with options as to what type of content you can post. This choice can also be accessed directly by accessing the IG camera by swiping right from the platform’s homepage. Once you figure out how to get to this page, choose Reel.
Step 2: Upload or record footage
You can create content for your reel by either choosing an existing video clip from your gallery or by accessing your story highlights. You can also use Instagram’s native camera to instantly create footage. You can also edit the footage to apply filters or any other video effects. Also remember to quickly re-organize your footages and synchronize them to your audio if possible.
Step 3: Add audio:
Icons on the screen will allow you to add in an audio to your video clip. Choose trending audio or record your very own audio clip from the app.
Step 4: Add a caption:
One of the two primary differentiators between IG story and reel is the fact that you can add full length captions to every Reel you post. You can use this caption to add in hashtags and product links.
Before you post, you can also tag participants and add partnerships to your reel.
Maximize the Potential of Reels for Business
Now obviously, access to Instagram’s massive user base is an upside to any business. However, using Instagram Reels for business is all about figuring out the best strategies to increase engagement and visibility. Here are a few tips on how to do that:
Keep upto date with trends:
This suggestion is pretty easy to pull off. Audiences on Instagram usually keep looking for trending content and a quick scroll on the explore page will help you figure out what’s hot at any given moment. Jump on the trend train and leverage it to make engaging content for your own business.
Keep it entertaining:
It’s easy to get carried away while making a Reel with the amount of trends and funky features that pop up on a day to day basis. And it might be enticing to tell your audience more about your product, but finding the right balance between informing and entertaining your audience is essential to maximizing your business potential.
Create challenges, rewards and promotion campaigns:
One of the easiest ways to go trending is to create your own trend or rewards campaigns. Not only do these formats encourage your audience to participate, but also significantly increase your reach.
Final Words
Instagram Reels launched 2 years ago, and ever since the feature has continued to grow in popularity. With modern audiences constantly looking for content, marketing strategies based on the feature have almost always been a success. With built in features and tutorials, Reels is here to stay and create space for businesses worldwide!
