One of Instagram’s biggest features, Reels, has been sweeping the social media platform and taking over everyone’s feeds since its roll-out in August last year. It’s easy to get sucked into a black hole of watching the 15-second videos and before you know it, two hours have passed (or is that just us?). Entertainment value aside, Reels can also significantly boost your following and your reach on Instagram. While it may seem daunting to start creating Reels, the value they can add to your social media marketing strategy shouldn’t be overlooked.
We’ve broken down the things you should know about Reels, what they can do for your business and how to overcome your fear of creating them.
Instagram will reward you for creating Reels
Instagram loves when its users hop on board with its latest features. Any time Instagram rolls out something new on the app, it’s a safe bet that using the feature will win you favours with the algorithm. Reels are a great example of this. When you post a Reel, Instagram will push it to the top of your followers’ feeds, making it the first thing they see when they open the app. This will work to boost your engagement, which will prompt Instagram to push more of your content to the top of your followers’ feeds.
Nervous? Start out slow
Although Reels that feature a person tend to have higher engagement, the idea of putting yourself out there can trigger anxiety. Ease into the world of Reels by focusing on something else for your first couple of videos, such as a product you sell or a service you offer. Alternatively, ask your employees or co-workers if they would be willing to be featured in your Reel. You might be surprised by how keen they are to participate! The more you post, the more confident you’ll become with Reels, so go on, face your fear!
Create content that answers your followers’ questions
To help you overcome Reels anxiety, start by creating content that you know your audience wants to see. Do you get a lot of DMs about a certain topic? Is there a question your followers have that you keep seeing in the comments section of your posts? Use Reels to share that information with your followers. Add in a call to action at the end of the video asking your followers for more questions that they want answered – not only will this boost your engagement, but it will also give you ideas for future Reels content.
Utilise Instagram’s editing features
As more users post Reels, Instagram is getting better at sorting the good from the bad and recommending high-quality videos to the right audiences. When you’re creating a Reel, Instagram has a tonne of great features to help you with editing: you can add things like audio, filters, text, and gifs to make your content more engaging. Utilising those editing tools will make your Reel more captivating and Instagram will be more likely to bump it to the top of the Reels feed. Pro tip: use audio that’s trending on Instagram – this will make it easier for users to find your Reel and engage with it.
Boost your own content
There are a couple of ways to manually boost your Reel. Adding hashtags to your content is a tried-and-true method, so pop some relevant ones into your caption. Sharing your Reel to your Instagram Story also increases views and engagement and helps your content to perform better overall. Plus, for businesses with 10,000 or more followers, you can drive traffic and conversions by adding a swipe-up link to your Story – something you can’t add to a Reel itself. This is especially handy if you’re promoting a product or service, as it allows you to take viewers directly to the product page on your website.
Trying out a new marketing tactic can be intimidating, especially when it requires you to put yourself out there on such a public platform. Push through the awkwardness you feel at first and you might be amazed at how many new followers and customers Reels can attract to your business.
Zib Digital is a leading specialist in SEO, website development and digital marketing work. Get in touch to learn what we can do to enhance your digital presence, including mobile optimisation and responsive web design.
Leave a Reply