As social media is continuously evolving, changing, and adding new ways to create and share ideas, it seems like fixing the traditional format of marketing is no longer a thing that you can tout. It is kind of impossible for many noob marketers to keep up with the changing, or more precisely, evolving formats of interaction with customers. However, there should not be any room for failure.
With the introduction of Instagram reels recently, every marketer braced up to use them for sales. Not only marketers, social media influencers, and content creators showed extreme interest in using them and soon the brand new concept started blooming. Aren’t we right?
While Instagram’s platform already had its regular video format feed, stories concept, and (loved by all!) IGTV, its move of bringing on Reels right after the Tiktok ban (In India) was a cool tactic. So, as it’s already here, it’s time to learn more about what Instagram reels have to offer and how new and old brands can take advantage of this new feature. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide just for you. Don’t wait to read it afterward.
So, are you ready to dig in?
What are Instagram Reels?
Instagram reels are just like what we used to do on Tiktok. It is an attempt to create a similar platform like that of tiktok where you can publish micro-videos. Similar to other recent features, Instagram has also added reels which you can use to publish content that may not fit perfectly or are not suitable for the IGTV format. As compared to the IGTV ones, reels are short-form videos that are more polished and to the point. IGTV videos are a bit detailed, however, reels are casual, highly explorable, and discoverable.
Similar to those in Tiktok videos, reels are of 15 to 30 seconds each, in which you can add background audio. These audios can be picked from the list of inbuilt music directories. You can do Voiceover as well. You can add music and other popular sound bytes which are incredibly digestible. So, with Instagram reels, rather than showcasing more preplanned and scripted content like full tutorial videos that we used to do in IGTV video, you can create short creative bit size videos that allow your viewers to quickly scroll through and find new content within 15 seconds.
How to access Instagram Reels
Aren’t you wondering what other brands, influencers, and users are doing with this new feature of Instagram reels? Be prepared because we are going to explain it all. It’s an endless creative loop that will need a lot of practice.
Instagram has recently renovated its navigation tabs by relocating notifications to the top right corner next to your direct messages section. This has added more area for reels separately from the rest of your feed’s content.
How to create an Instagram Reel
If you are interested in learning how to use reels, you’re at the right place. You can try this out for your brand or yourself and create short, engaging videos instantly.
To get started, you need to click the plus sign available at the top right corner of the app. Here, you will be able to scroll through the type of content you’re planning to develop. Suppose you have already pre-recorded and edited the video. In that case, you can just upload it by clicking on the square button available on the bottom left corner and accessing your camera roll.
However, if you have to record, you have to use the record button to start the video recording feature in the app. You need to select between 15 and 30-second reel format. Once set, this will limit the time of your video. You can even stop the recording and start again; can switch camera direction during filming, recording different subjects. You can delete or edit a snippet and re-record or trim any last part in case of any error. In fact, you can click the Align button before recording the next section. This will make sure your camera focuses on the exact part you left off to produce a smoother transition.
During production, you can increase or decrease the speed up or slow down and add effect to your video content. You can also set a countdown before recording starts to be on point every time. Once you are done recording, you can add music to the background, add effects. Finally, press the forward arrow to take a look at your Reel, add a caption and publish it.
How to use Instagram Reels for business
Now that you are aware of creating your own Instagram Reels, it’s time to look for ideas by which you can promote your brand using this feature. There are a variety of ways in which you can create fun and engaging video content. We have five ideas to get you started with it.
- Create fun content for your audience: It is not imperative to consistently promote your products through reels. You have a perfect opportunity to create and share simple content with your audience that they can enjoy, and you can use it as a relationship and trust builder. By creating visually appealing content, you can easily engage your audience. However, don’t miss out on showcasing your product and service authentically. You can add unique content with exciting background music. Through this, you can excite your audience and urge them to follow along for more great content, becoming more familiar with your business and what you sell.
- Share Tutorials: Instagram reel is an excellent place to create mini, easy-to-follow, DIY tutorial clips. Through this, you can easily showcase how to use your product or services, or anything relevant to your industry. You can brainstorm a list of useful tutorials for your audience, through which they can learn something. This will indirectly promote your business.
- Behind the scenes videos: Another, most thoughtful way to engage your audience through reels is by sharing your behind the scene videos. You can introduce your workplace and employees by creating snippets of their work. This is an amazing tactic for new entrepreneurs or people running a small business. However, this works well for big brands too. The majority of the audience loves watching how you run your business and who are the people behind those videos. Try this and you’ll see the difference.
- Show your products: With the introduction of new graphic designing tools, you can create numerous videos to show off your product. Take videos of new products, using your photographic talent, and make your audience purchase your product right after coming across your aesthetically pleasing video creations. The best example of these types of reels is the brand Nike. They do well in photography. They use Instagram reels to display their appealing products and how comfortable and attractive they are. Once anyone comes across those reels, they will surely visit their page.
- Repurpose your old TikTok videos: Do people know your brand through Tiktok? If yes, then why aren’t you uploading those videos to your Instagram reels? It’s time to repurpose your videos. This is the most prevalent way to collect more content for your page. This will help you put less effort into your promotion as you’ll be able to target different audiences with the same clips. For small businesses, it’s the perfect way to expand your bandwidth and create something different while you are posting the old ones. So, even if you are putting old Tiktok content, it’s nothing wrong. In fact, it’s a great way to make your audience aware of the multiple platforms you are at, so that they can follow you at other platforms as well.
- Promote sales: Let your audience be aware of when you’re offering different discount offers by communicating announcements through your Instagram Reel. This doesn’t need to be anything incredibly complicated. Just simply show what you got for them.
Now that you are an expert at using Instagram reels, show us what you can do with them. Create your first-ever reel and tag us in the caption section. We’ll be happy to know your progress.
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