Instagram Reels has been one of the most successful experiments since the platform’s launch in 2010. The new segment was lapped up by Instagram users as soon as it was launched in 2020. In fact, in Brazil, where Instagram Reels was launched first, Instagram’s user count grew by 4.34%.
Nike is one of the most famous names on Instagram Reels. Each of its videos gets about 4.6 million views. Not only Nike, but also countless other brands, businesses, sports teams, and the likes experience similar success on Instagram Reels.
Instagram Reels can be accessed from many places on Instagram, such as the Home page, Explore page, and Account page, making it even more popular. Also, the phrase ‘Instagram Reels’ generates over 1.69 lakh Google searches every month. And, research shows that viewer engagement on Reels is about 22% higher than regular video content.
No wonder marketers have become super excited to launch their campaign through Instagram Reels, and it’s high time for you to feel the same. Now, the question is not why you need Instagram Reels to promote your brand but how you can ace it. The following sections contain the answer to this question and many more. Read on to find out.
Instagram Reels – The Basics
Instagram Reels, a.k.a. IG Reels, is Instagram’s answer to TikTok. You can shoot and upload videos of up to 60 seconds. Since IG Reels is also available on the Explore page, its visibility and reach are often considerably higher than Instagram Stories. Many users feel that Instagram Reels is easier to understand than TikTok.
So, are you ready to focus on Instagram Reels while overlooking other formats like Instagram Stories and video? If you said Yes, wait for a little. While displaying your profile to the world, Instagram looks at all content you have shared across the platform. If you share nothing but Reels, your popularity might be subdued. Hence, if you plan to use IG Reels to grow your business, it is also imperative to make Instagram photo and video posts, along with stories.
While Instagram users often use video editing platforms, such as Invideo, to edit their videos before posting on Instagram Reels, you can also get some fabulous editing tools inside IG Reels. Move to IG Reels from Stories, and you can get better tools, effects, transitions, options, and speed controls. However, since Reels only support videos, Instagram users often head to Stories to upload static photo content.
Instagram Reels – Play With The Tools
If you want to create a great marketing campaign, you need to move beyond the ordinary. Look around the popular IG reels, and you can quickly understand why editing is essential. Shoddy editing repels the viewers. Fortunately, IG Reels lets you access the editing tools within the app and tidy up your video before posting.
The following is a list of the standard IG Reels tools you can work with while uploading videos:
Audio – Use Instagram’s spectacular music library to fetch some quality and relevant music and add them to your video. What’s more! You can also put your creativity to use and record live audio with the video.
Augmented Reality (AR) Effects – Head to the Instagram effect gallery to load your videos with fascinating effects. While some effects are created by Instagram, others are created by creative users. The good news here is that you can use both effect types.
Align – Use the ‘Align’ feature to streamline all your clips by making each video clip follow the same set of rules you specified.
Timer – The ‘Timer’ option allows you to record videos without holding your phone. You can press ‘Timer’ and take three seconds to get ready before IG Reels start shooting. You can also set the recording length.
Speed – How good would it be if you could increase or decrease the speed of a video to get added exposure? Thanks to the ‘Speed’ feature of IG Reels, you can modulate the video as well as the audio speed.
Now that you know what IG Reels is and how to work or play with the tools, let’s head to the section where you will discover what top brands do with IG Reels to market their products or services better.
Top Tips to Market Your Products and Services With Instagram Reels
The top brands on IG Reels have one thing in common – they arouse customers’ curiosity and engage with the viewers. Here is how you can use IG Reels to amp up your marketing efforts:
- Shoot Behind-The-Scenes Videos
If your business is into production, you can strike gold by sharing behind-the-scenes stories through IG Reels. For example, if you operate a fast-food restaurant, you can show the behind-the-curtain activities of the chef and kitchen staff. You may picture these videos in a way to titillate viewers’ taste buds. Since these videos are concise, you do not need any special training or preparation to shoot them. And, on the positive side, these videos allow your followers to empathize with your brand due to your honesty.
- Make Some Room For UGC (User-Generated Content)
Instagram Reels users are not there to see overt brand ads. They might turn their back if you do that. Instead, try to be creative and honest while promoting your brand subtly. User-generated content is one of the most elegant ways to promote your brand subtly. You may scour for genuine and authentic user reviews of your products or services and share them on your Reels. And since the chances are high that the user will also reshare the content, thereby increasing your brand’s reach even further.
A good way to produce UGC is by associating with micro-influencers who can rate and comment on your product or service. Alternatively, if your customers have sent you some images, you can create a slideshow with Invideo and post them on IG Reels. Yet another incredible way to get UGC is by running hashtag content. You may ask the viewers to participate in the hashtag contest in exchange for some rewards.
- Educate Viewers
Viewers will most likely come to your IG account if you offer something substantial. And, what is better than educating your audience. Try shooting a step-by-step guide or how-to video with your product. For example, if you operate a pizza store, you can show a quick recipe to make special pizzas at home. You may also search for common user questions and answer them on your video. A good way to get questions is by inserting the Q&A sticker in your Instagram Story and encouraging visitors to ask questions.
The EndNote
Instagram Reels can offer you everything you need from a result-driven marketing campaign. Use the tips mentioned in this article to create excellent marketing campaigns using IG Reels and drive home organic traffic.
