Let’s Get Reel
Reels
Instagram Reels took over the platform quickly. Users are seeing organic reach and engagement skyrocket with this feature, so it’s a no-brainer to hop on board. But it’s not as easy as it seems. If you’ve tried using reels, you’ll notice that there are tricks and trends that can make or break your videos. Our Lead Social Consultant, Krissy Bodnovich, has laid out the tricks she’s learned…
Film vertically
Horizontally shot videos are out. Instagram Stories and Reels take up the entirety of our phone screens, and shooting videos vertically makes the most sense. In addition to that, the Instagram algorithm doesn’t push out videos with black banners (or any colored banners for that matter) above and below the videos.
Trending audio
Let’s start with what is “trending audio”. This is the music that is growing in popularity and being used on Reels. Using these sounds is important because it can increase organic reach and engagement and increase your chances of going viral.
How do you know which audio is trending? Well, for one, scroll through the Reels section of Instagram. You should be able to notice which sounds are being used more often than others. Another key tip is to look for one that says “trending” with an arrow.
Trending sounds come and go so quickly. It’s important to jump on the trends when they arise. If you schedule your content in advance, it may be necessary to move some posts around to utilize the trends when they’re happening. If you don’t, you may miss your opportunity to go viral!
Hack: If trending audio doesn’t necessarily fit into your video, but you want to use it anyways, add the audio to your video and use the sound controls. Lower the audio sound and increase the volume of your video. This gives your video the opportunity to be discovered by anyone searching for the sound without actually using it.
Don’t use graphics
Just like when utilizing stories, it’s important to show your face within Reels. If you want to add captions or animations to your video, do it within the app.
Cover photos
You should be sure to choose an engaging cover photo for your Reels. If you can’t choose a thumbnail from your video, creating one to fit your brand is encouraged. Be sure to keep everything within a square so nothing is cut off once posted to your feed.
Captions
Hashtags aren’t the only way to search for specific content anymore. Captions are now searchable, so it’s crucial to organic reach to include keywords within the copy. When writing your caption, try keeping it simple. Attention spans are small these days. Focus on capturing the attention of your reader with the first line.
It’s been rumored that the algorithm is reading captions within the videos as well and is pushing out content based on keywords, so be sure to always use captions.
Hashtags
Depending on what you read, you’ll get conflicting advice. You’re allowed to use up to 30 hashtags per post. Some top accounts suggest using 8-11 hashtags, meanwhile, the Instagram Creators account suggests only using 3-5. It’s important to look at analytics and see what works best for your account and your audience.
Don’t cross-post
Utilizing the same content is perfectly fine, but if you’re also posting to TikTok, be sure to recreate the video within Instagram. Don’t download and post any videos that have the TikTok watermark (and vice versa). The algorithm won’t push those out since they’re promoting a competitor.
Content ideas:
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t actually getting on camera, but figuring out what you’re going to do once you’re on there. It’s a great idea to spend some time scrolling through Reels to find popular audio and see the trends that are happening. Once you do, find a way to make this relevant to your brand and your audience.
At Good Circle Marketing, we use 4 types of content for our clients – and for our own marketing. These categories are Practical, Persuasive, Promotional, and Personality. Here are some ideas that fit into each of the 4 content categories that you should be using.
Practical:
This is your educational content. You’re going to find a problem that your audience has and provide a solution for them. Try using the “point” method and add text to your video to teach your audience something.
Persuasive:
Obviously, this is the content that persuades your audience. Content that fits into this category would be testimonials and before/after pics. Ask some of your best clients to take a video for you and tell the world how great you are.
Personality:
It’s in the name. This content gives you the chance to show off your personality and allows your audience to connect with you on a more personal level. Using trends is a great way to have fun with Reels and show off that personality of yours!
Promotional:
This is the content that creates brand awareness and speaks to cold audiences. This content is often the least engaged with, and it should be used the least. If you can properly utilize the other categories, they’ll do the promoting for you.
Reels can often be time-consuming, but it’s an effective way to reach a lot of people. It’s important to utilize new features as they arise, as the algorithm prioritizes them. We hope these tips help you get started!