9 Tips to Up Your Instagram Reels Game
Chris Mulvaney is the CEO of CMDS. I make things... I’m the creative entrepreneur with passion for (re)making brands and inventing solutions to problems no one knows exist.
Do you know that Reels are the hottest thing on Instagram right now? If not, you may just be behind the curve. And that’s a place where no business wants to be.
In this article, we’re going to explain why you should be taking advantage of Reels right now. Moreover, we’re going to show you how you can leverage this for business growth.
Recent Trends
Recent Trends
The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, announced in December of 2021 that the platform would move away from being a photo-sharing app in order to actively promote Reels. Their greatest competition, TikTok, has dominated the social media landscape since first appearing in 2015 and will likely do so for years to come. In response to this, Instagram has been trying to step up its game. That’s when Reels — short, entertaining videos that encourage creativity — were born.
About 90% of Instagrammers follow a business, and 2 in 3 users interact with those businesses. With the way that the current trends are going, the Instagram algorithms are more aggressively promoting Reels content. This means that more users are seeing reels on a daily basis. According to Instagram, there are 500 million users who are on the app daily. And if you combine that with the fact that 95 million photos and videos are shared in a day, that means you’ve got nothing to lose by investing in Reels. If anything, it proves why you need to give this a try.
Who knows? It just might be a game changer you need for your business to succeed!
Reels vs. Video
Reels vs. Video
Now let’s take a moment to talk about the difference between Reels and Instagram Videos.
Instagram Videos
Instagram Videos
Instagram Videos, as we know it today, is a tool for users to create long-form videos. The videos can range from 15 seconds to 60 minutes, just like YouTube. When IGTV flopped, Instagram scrapped the idea and combined IGTV with feed videos. From that, Instagram Videos had its beginning.
One of the benefits is that you as a business can talk about your brand, product or service in more detail. You can share with followers the story about how your business got started. You can host an industry-related discussion, interview a client for a testimonial, or showcase a demonstration of your product in action. Two important things to note: Instagram Videos can be archived under the “Instagram Live” tab and you can create an “Instagram Series” where you have videos that are connected to one another.
Tip: Do you know that adding a video preview can bring value to your brand? By using this feature, brands saw views increase by more than 300%.
Reels
Reels
Do you know that viewers who are hooked in the first 3 seconds of a video are more likely to watch all of it? Reels, Instagram’s short-form videos, operate off of this principle.
Inspired by the success of TikTok, Instagram wanted to join the craze by creating their own version: Reels. When creating a reel, you can do 60 seconds or less.
The beauty of Reels is that they’re bite-sized clips with expression and creativity in mind. They can be as light, funny, and entertaining as you want them to be. As a creator, you’ve got a number of options to choose from: filters, sounds, music, text, and stickers provided by Instagram. You can really create a special, personalized reel for your followers.
In the “Reels” tab, viewers have the ability to scroll through numerous reels. What’s neat about this feature is people can see your reels regardless of whether they follow you or not. What this really does is increase your discoverability.
Reels Algorithms
Reels Algorithms
Now let’s explore how the Reels algorithm works. You’ll see content from those you follow and others you may not be familiar with. The purpose is for Instagram to deliver content that is entertaining and fun. The algorithms make educated guesses about what reels might appeal to you. They are then arranged in perceived order of interest.
After you view a reel, they’ll give you a survey to figure out if you thought the reel was entertaining and funny. They also look to see if you watched the reel the entire way through, liked it, commented, and if you visited the audio page.
Here is a breakdown of the algorithm:
- Your activity. What reels did you like, comment on, or interact with recently? This way they can figure out what is interesting to you.
- Your history of interacting with the person who posted. If you interact with a reel from someone you don’t know, they pay attention to that so they can figure out your level of interest.
- Information about the reel. What is the content of the reel? What is in the audio track? What are the pixels and whole frames?
- Information about the person who posted. Popularity plays a role in finding interesting content from a diverse group of sources. This way people can find their ideal audience.
We’ve explored why you should be taking advantage of Reels. Now we’re going to share how you can make Reels work for your business growth.
1. Find your niche
1. Find your niche
The first question you want to ask yourself is: Do you know your niche? If not, you probably should find out. A great way to find this is by doing a hashtag search on Instagram. Say, for example, that you’re in the furniture business. You can do a search for #furniture, #furnituredesign, or #trendyfurniture. By doing this, you can see what other people are posting in your industry or niche.
Tip: We recommend creating a list of the most popular hashtags for your niche. Try to come up with at least 20. Although, it doesn’t hurt to have more.
2. Capitalize on the latest trends
2. Capitalize on the latest trends
This leads us to our next point. After you’ve done a hashtag search, check out what the latest trends are in your niche or industry. What you should do is start by locating the top hashtags in your niche and go into the “Reels” section. Locate the top reels and spend some time watching them and interacting with the creators. Pay attention to what works and start recreating that. Consider: the content, the length, format, and description. What way do they hook the viewer?
Tip: Avoid trying to create the next best thing. This is important especially if you’re a smaller business or new to Instagram. Do what’s trendy but add your own personality and voice. Make it better. Make it your own!
3. Use the right hashtags
3. Use the right hashtags
Your hashtags can make or break your reel’s chances. That’s why you’ve got to know the right hashtags to use. All this requires is just a little bit of research. Use the most popular hashtags in your niche. It’s really as easy as that. If the hashtag is working, use it.
There’s a lot of information out there on the best amount of hashtags to use. However, you’re probably wondering, how many should you use on reels?
That answer isn’t as black and white as you may think. In fact, if you do a search, you’re likely to find hundreds of opinions. We recommend between 3 – 5 hashtags for reels. That’s a good starting point.
Tip: Instagram is using your hashtags to determine who your reel will be shown to. So, make sure you’re doing this right!
4. Use trendy sounds
4. Use trendy sounds
This is hot right now. So, this is something you’re going to want to capitalize on. Start by going into your top niche hashtags and check out reels with 10,000 views or more. Pay attention to the sounds that are being used. Now, bear in mind that you’ll probably come across loads of sounds. Choose a handful that you can use and start testing them out. Use those sounds in your own reels and see how others react to them. Keep doing this until you find the right sounds to use!
Tip: As you are using the same popular sounds repetitively, the Reels algorithm will automatically start to think that your videos are good. This will help with your discoverability.
5. Curate content from other creators
5. Curate content from other creators
If you want to gain traction, give curating content a try. It’s when you share content created by others but in a meaningful way. This is a great tool because you can find a top content creator in your niche and share their reel. It takes less time and you can tie it in with your own content. By doing this, you show that you are a less egotistical brand and build a community in the process.
Tip: When curating content, always make sure that you’re giving credit to the original creator. This will only further lend you credibility.
6. Post at the best time
6. Post at the best time
When it comes to posting new reels, timing can be everything! Ideally, you want to post on Instagram when your followers are most active. You can find out the information for this by going to “Insights” and then to “Your Audience.” You can look at information from a 7-day stretch or even widen the search parameters to include 30 days. According to social media consultant Robert Benjamin, some of the best times to post are: 10am – 12pm, 3pm – 5pm, and 7pm – 9pm.
When you’re posting at optimal times, this means that other users are interacting with your reels, and Instagram will notice this. What does that mean? Your reels will naturally be promoted by the algorithm as suggestions to others.
Tip: If you have followers in a different time zone, you should make sure that you’re actively posting when they’re on. This way you can continue to foster a relationship.
7. Post consistently
7. Post consistently
For a business, it’s important to have a posting schedule. Find the best time to post and put reminders on your calendar. When you post with regularity, the Instagram algorithms will pick up on this pretty quickly. Once they become familiar with how often you post and the engagement rate, they’ll boost your reach to appear on user’s feeds, Explore tabs, and Reels. Even though you don’t have to post every single day, pick a time and stick to it. Your followers will recognize the consistency and become more invested.
8. Use captions/on-screen text
8. Use captions/on-screen text
Remember earlier when we mentioned that reels have so many cool features? Well, one effective feature is on-screen text. Popularized by TikTok, on-screen text is a great way to get your message across. Not only does it help to reinforce what you’re saying but it makes it more accessible and inclusive for all audiences. On top of that, if users are in an atmosphere when they can’t listen to the reel, they can still watch and look at the on-screen text.
Captions are a necessity when it comes to creating your own content. This is an opportunity to describe what your reel is about or to include the main points that you want your viewers to walk away with. If you’re promoting or including a client testimonial, maybe include an impactful quote for followers to read.
9. Include a call to action
9. Include a call to action
This is really what it all boils down to. What do you want your audience to do? You’re on Instagram to leverage business growth. You’re using Reels to connect with followers and to entice prospective clients. This is why a call-to-action is a must for every business.
For example, if you’re promoting a new product in a reel, include a link to the website where they can buy it in the caption.
Alternatively, you could use some form of engagement factor. Encourage people to like, comment, answer a poll, swipe up, or send you an emoji. By people interacting with your reels, your engagement rate will increase and the algorithm will take notice of that.
Conclusion
Conclusion
There you have it. Reels are in right now and businesses can capitalize on this. With Instagram so actively promoting reels, you can grow your business in so many positive ways. Did you know that 80% of people use Instagram to decide whether to purchase an item? That’s why this is the perfect time to scale your business.