How to Use Instagram Reels for Social Media Marketing
Instagram Reels was officially launched on August 5, 2020, in over 50 countries across the globe. Though it is a new feature to the Instagram platform, it is an obvious response to the popular app TikTok, which seems to have an uncertain future for American audiences.
The concept behind Instagram Reels is simple, but it’s different from the ‘stories’ feature currently on Instagram. Specifically, Reels allows users to create and upload 15-second videos with a variety of different tools for editing. Users can add filters, seamlessly line up different takes to create longer “films,” and even add music or background sound effects.
While it’s impossible to determine if Instagram Reels will replace TikTok or surpass it in popularity, now is the time to jump onto the Reels trend with your business. Use this time to learn about how Reels works and how you can use it to your advantage when it comes to social media marketing.
Not sure where to get started? Let’s dive into how you can integrate Reels not only into your Instagram strategy but how you should be using other social media outlets in conjunction with it.
Using Every Instagram Feature
If you’re not already utilizing the features Instagram has to offer, you could be missing out on opportunities to connect with your audience. Instagram has many benefits for brands, including:
- Consistent visibility
- Easy interaction with your target audience
- Transparency
For example, using Instagram Stories is a great way to promote an event. It’s casual, unique, and allows you to show ‘snippets’ or teasers of the event in 15-second intervals. Stories go away after just 24-hours, so by posting new ones each day, you can be constantly visible to your audience, and maintain a level of consistency with the content you’re sharing.
When it comes to using Instagram Reels, you can essentially create different types of useful content that will keep people’s attention while giving them short bursts of information.
Think about the brand content you already share on Instagram. Do you share behind-the-scenes experiences? Do you try to connect with your audience on an emotional level? Or, do you rely on visuals to capture people’s attention? Instagram Reels can take your current strategy and make it even more appealing. Some of the different types of content you can create on Reels to connect with your audience include:
- Product reviews
- Case studies
- Behind the scenes looks
- Informative content
- The story of your company and/or employees
Because Instagram Reels has so many editing features, it stands out as something different and more polished than Stories. The good news? You don’t have to be a video pro in order to create Reels that look great. Let’s cover how you can make some of the best looking videos with a few simple tools and skills.
How to Create the Best Looking Videos
When you’re just getting started with Instagram Reels, you might just record a quick video from your phone and post it to the app right away. While there isn’t technically anything wrong with that, it likely won’t give your brand the attention it deserves. You can use Reels to really set a tone for your company as well as your Instagram marketing strategy.
While Reels has some of its own built-in editing features, you can take things one step further by adding professional-looking graphics to your videos with tools like Adobe Post. Everything from your logo to text can be added to capture people’s attention and show off the professionalism (and style) of your brand.
Of course, it’s also important to make sure the videos you’re posting on Reels are high-quality. That is what will help your brand to stand out from other Instagram users, and will make people want to pause and watch. One of the best ways to do that is by compressing your videos before posting. Compressing allows you to cut down the file size and adjust the resolution of your video. That makes it easier to upload, and it will look great on the Instagram platform.
While the content of your videos should be your main focus, taking the time to make sure they look great will really get you noticed on Reels.
Which Other Social Media Platforms Should You Be Using?
If you’re not already using social media to expand your business, you could be missing out on important opportunities to connect with your target audience. Social media is just that; social. Because so many people are inundated with thousands of advertisements every day, social media is a great way to be more personal in your marketing approach. You can post casual content, respond to comments, live stream, and start up conversations with fans and followers. At the very least, some of the other platforms you should be using along with Instagram include:
- YouTube
All of these platforms provide different ways to connect with your audience. Instagram, and it’s new Reels feature, simply adds one more outlet to allow you to showcase your brand in a more personal way. Plus, because of the popularity of TikTok and the trouble it could be facing, you might end up attracting an entirely new audience by using Reels. So, share your content across every social media platform you can, and take advantage of new ways of connecting. Give Reels a try for your brand, and let your creativity shine.