If there is one thing that can’t be said enough it’s: start creating Reels! (and yes, that’s coming from me) Trust me, I am not jumping from excitement every time Raquel comes up with another Reel idea, but I have to admit they are the best way to expand your organic reach and get your content in front of new, potential followers!
You might be wondering, “what’s so special about Instagram Reels?”, “how can you use them?”, and what we think about them. Well, luckily for you that’s exactly what I will be talking about in this blog post!
What are Instagram Reels?
As an answer to the rising popularity of TikTok, in 2020 Instagram launched its new feature, Reels, taking the world by storm. The app offered something which Instagram lost over the years; virality! The TikTok algorithm gave anyone the opportunity to go viral, regardless of whether they had 1 million followers or 10 followers. The reach, plus the growth people were experiencing on TikTok, was exciting and addictive, so Instagram had to step up their game - and they did!
Reels were introduced and Insta users got a new way to gain exposure and reach that hadn’t been available since the early years of Instagram. With the use of Reels you can now create multi-clip videos by using audio, different effects and various tools to make them creative and appealing.
They can be shared with your followers by uploading them to your feed. If your account is public, they might even be featured on the explore page, which has a dedicated new space to showcase popular Reels!
Why you should create Reels
We started using Reels as soon as they came out and since then we've been consistently creating new Reels content (in other words Marie and Raquel have managed to convince or rather force Jake and me to create Reels with them 🙃).
Instagram is pumping out high quality Reel content, making it the perfect chance for your market audience to find and follow you. And no - Reels are not just for TikTok-loving millennials. While Instagram Reels may have an extra appeal to the younger crowd, don’t underestimate the power of these short videos. No matter the age, Reels can easily grab the viewers’ attention and help you to quickly convey the message you’re sending. Its short framework makes it easily digestible and highly addictive. I’m sure there has been a moment where you have opened Reels or TikTok and ended up watching them for hours on end.
Reels are a fun and creative way to make content that doesn't take a lot of time. With the right ideas we get incredible reach and engagement, allowing for unprecedented growth!
In the last year we grew around 400k and 80% of these new followers came from Reels. Some of our Reels get more organic reach than what we actually have follower-wise, which is pretty awesome! And let’s not forget the success our students @allaboutwanderlust have seen since utilizing the power of Reels! They grew from 40k to 300k followers in less than one month. (If you want to find out more about them you can read their story here.)
Our top tips for getting started with Instagram Reels
When we first started posting Reels we had no clue what we were doing and no idea what worked. But, as with pretty much anything in the social media world you just need to try! Over time you will learn and improve. One thing we can guarantee is, if you create 100 Reels over the next year, you will learn what works, you will develop new skills and you will grow your audience! To help you get started, I want to share my 8 top tips for your Reels, so that you can create the best content for your next Instagram post:
- Think about the value you can give your audience by utilizing Reels: Even though Reels are supposed to be fun, they should also provide value to your audience. That can be educational, motivational or entertaining but your viewers need to get something out of it.
- Use old content to get started: If you’re not sure where to start, reuse some content you have already created. Maybe some short videos from last summer? Some memories of your past vacation? Go through your camera roll and check if there is anything that you can make use of.
- Re-use content you’ve created for TikTok: Many of the trends in music and themes from TikTok have made their way to Instagram Reels so why not post the content you’ve already created for TikTok onto Instagram too! Just make sure that your video does not have the TikTok watermark - that will decrease your chances of going viral since Instagram detects them.
- Utilize the full range of tools to go viral: As well as publishing your Reels to your feed and the explore page you should share them to Stories, use related hashtags and tag appropriate accounts, use popular music and follow current trends. Keep making more Reels, or even play around with creating new versions of your existing Reels by using the same audio or style.
- Stay genuine:You don’t need to be perfect all the time, show you’re human by sharing behind-the-scenes, how-to’s and other authentic content. Maintaining a good level of authenticity will lead to high engagement.
- Make a plan: Reels do require a bit more creative input, time and management and sometimes it pays to have a strategy in place. Collect some ideas, watch other Reels and make it yours! There are endless opportunities, you just need to make a plan on what you want to show or convey with your Reel.
- Create as much content as possible: The more you post the better you're going to get and the more you will grow. We try to post at least 3 Reels every week!
- Have fun with it: You don't have to be perfect. You can literally create anything you want and edit it with your phone. If you think you created something fun, funny, entertaining, cool - just post it!
And that’s it for this blog post!
It is no wonder why Reels have taken over Instagram and has become the number one way to reach a wider audience. They present a huge opportunity for you to go viral and increase your brand awareness. It’s also a great creative way that is more light hearted and fun than other forms of content!
Now that you know that we are loving Reels but what about you - what do you think about Instagrams Reels feature? Are you already using it?
