Tell me if this sounds familiar. You’re scrolling through your feed on Instagram when you come across a hilarious video that leads you to the Reels section. 

An hour later, you realize you’ve done nothing but watch funny cat videos, memes and recipes without noticing the minutes tick by. 

It’s no wonder that Instagram started heavily prioritizing video with the introduction of Reels in August of 2020.  

With everyone in the world in varying degrees of lockdown, Reels brought a little light to everyone’s lives as TikTok users flocked to the platform with their fun dances and cute memes. Reels quickly provided business owners with massive opportunities to reach whole new audiences as well.

What’s a Reel? 

If you’re not sure what a Reel is, no judgement. Reels are wildly popular but still require a bit of a learning curve to get started. 

This feature was developed to compete with TikTok’s easy-to-use video editing platform, offering users the ability to create pre-recorded videos between 15-30 seconds. It has its own designated spot on Instagram and can also be used on your feed or stories. 

What type of content works best for reels: 

Video clips set to music or sound clips with special effects and captions are best for Reels. They can be shared as a Reel on it’s own or by sharing it to your feed and story as well. 

With a business or public account, your reel will be available in Explore, offering anyone the chance to reach a new audience on a larger stage.

How to make a Reel

There are a couple of ways you can prepare for your Reels. You can take video directly in Reels, or you can pre-record a series of videos ahead of time. 

Step 1: Start a new post and select ‘Reels’ at the bottom of your Instagram camera. 

You’ll have access to the following tools: 

Set Time: Choose between 15 and 30 seconds.

Audio: Search for a song from the Instagram music library. You can also use your own original audio by simply recording a reel with it. When you share a reel with original audio, your audio will be attributed to you, and if you have a public account, people can create reels with your audio by selecting “Use Audio” from your reel.

Speed: Choose to speed up or slow down part of the video or audio you selected. This can help you stay on a beat or make slow-motion videos.

AR Effects: Select one of the many effects in our effect gallery, created both by Instagram and creators all over the world, to record multiple clips with different effects.

Timer and Countdown: Set the timer to record any of your clips hands-free. Once you press record, you’ll see a 3-2-1 countdown, before recording begins for the amount of time you selected.

Align: Line up objects from your previous clip before recording your next to help create seamless transitions for moments like outfit changes or adding new friends into your reel.

It’ll take some playing around to figure out how to use this feature and there are many tutorials available to get the look and style you want. 

Step 3: Publish. You don’t have to worry about the reel posting accidentally, as you’ll be prompted to write a caption and choose a cover photo from your Reel before it goes to publish. 

Step 4: Share your Reel. You can share it exclusively to ‘Explore’, you can share with your community or in your feed/story. Your reach will depend on the song, hashtag, and effects you used.

If you do not have a business or public account, your reel will not be available to share.

Here are 5 ways you can use reels for your business

Inspirational Content

Inspirational content can be anything from quotes to short videos sharing what you find inspirational.

Educational Content

If sharing educational content is part of your overall strategy then it could work with reels! Think about what tips, how-tos, hacks, or resources you can share in the form of a 15 to 30-second video.

Reverie Moncton does an incredible job with her Reels, dedicating time to educating her clients with entertaining content that takes advantage of trends without drifting too far from her purpose.

Your Products

People love to learn more and see more about your products and what problems it actually solves. Demo your products especially different ways they can be used. Show the features and benefits.

Showcase Your Community or Support Local

Do you love a local restaurant? Love bath bombs? Have a client that would love more views? Support a charity? Showcase that to your fans and make sure to tag that local business so they can benefit from your love.

Show The Real YOU!

People are following you for a reason, show them the real you! Do you like to dance? Sing? Cook? Show that to your fans and make it entertaining. Reels are a great way to show your personality and the things you like that you may not showcase elsewhere.

Where are they after posting?

Once you’ve posted your Reel and shared it to your feed and your stories, you can find an archive of all of your past Reels and see their views under the ‘Reels’ tab on your profile.

If growing your business/brand and increasing your following on Instagram is part of your 2021 strategy and plans then Reels should definitely be on your radar.

Start small and don’t make it any more complicated than it needs to be! Start with pre-existing videos on your phone or introduce yourself to your fans and then have fun with it!

Not sure how to get started? Book a consulting session so we can brainstorm how to use this feature for your business and get you started.