In the world of social media, you can’t get too comfortable with a platform or a strategy because things constantly change. This is especially true of Instagram.
While Instagram’s IGTV feature is still going strong, they’ve now created even more ways for you to share content with your audience.
This time, it’s with a new feature called Instagram Reels.
What is Instagram Reels?
Essentially, Reels is Instagram’s answer to TikTok.
It’s a new feature within Instagram’s story platform that lets you record or upload short 15-second videos in a vertical aspect ratio, set them to music, and overlay them with fun fonts and effects.
You can access Reels through the Stories camera, and it has its own Explore page and designated tab on a user’s profile. Once you create Reel content, it can be shared to your feed, your Stories, and the new Instagram Reels feed.
This presents tons of engagement opportunities for your brand.
Can You Leverage Instagram Reels For Your Marketing Strategy?
If the popularity of both Stories and TikTok is any indication, Instagram Reels could be a huge success. In fact, TikTok has about 800 million monthly active users, and Instagram Stories has a whopping 1 billion active monthly users.
But is it right for your marketing strategy? If your audience is on Instagram: YES.
Here are just a few ways that you can use Instagram Reels to increase your engagement and bring in new leads:
1. Create (or Repurpose!) Educational Content
Just like for all other platforms, it’s best to create educational content that offers value to your audience. And Instagram Reels presents an awesome opportunity to create short, easy-to-consume content that teaches your audience helpful industry tips and strategies.
As marketers, you can use Instagram Reels to talk about:
- Quick copywriting tips for social media
- Helpful marketing books or resources you’ve consumed lately
- Ways to Improve your email open rates
The possibilities are endless, really. As long as the tips and strategies can be listed in the brief, 15-second time limit, they are great candidates for good, educational content.
2. Create Personal, Behind-The-Scenes Content
One reason that video (and short-form video, in particular) performs so well is that it feels more authentic. These platforms lend themselves to selfie-style, off-the-cuff content, and not the produced video that people now associate with ads.
Instagram Reels is the perfect platform for:
- Team member introductions
- An insight into your day-to-day operations
- A quick chat about your company story.
3. Customer Success Stories, Case Studies, and User Generated Content
The casual, authentic nature of Instagram Reels makes it perfect for stories from your clients and customers. In this environment, testimonials feel less like an ad and more genuine.
You can have some of your clients record a short video answering a question about your business, such as:
- What’s the best part of working with us?
- What’s 1 thing that our product/service has helped you achieve?
- Why would you recommend us to your friends?
You could also record your own short video giving an overview of a client success story. You could show before and after stats, and then quickly name a strategy or 2 that you used to help them achieve those numbers.
What Do You Need To Know Before You Make an Instagram Reel?
Here are a few quick tips and platform facts to keep in mind if you decide to make content for Instagram Reel:
- Instagram Reels can only be uploaded or created through the mobile app, not the desktop version as of right now.
- Viewers typically aren’t interested in the copy for an Instagram Reel caption. Think of it more like Stories, and keep all important information and CTAs on the Instagram Reel itself.
- The videos themselves can be 3-15 seconds long and can be pieced together from different clips.
Looking to Up Your Social Media Game?
Repurpose House helps you turn your already awesome content into tons of repurposed assets that you can share across all of your social media platforms. Check out what we can do for you.
Interested? Let’s hop on a call to talk about your content goals and how we can help you reach them.
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Shaina Weisinger
Shaina Weisinger is the founder and CEO of Repurpose House, which turns your content into unlimited videos and images. Shaina is on a mission to show content creators the untapped potential and repurposing power of the content they already have. Shaina loves to laugh loudly, be obnoxiously competitive on the volleyball court, treat her dogs as her kin, and recover from tripping on or running into almost everything within a five-foot radius.
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