We know just how overwhelming it can be for brands having to keep up with the endless amounts of new social media features, content types and trends. From algorithm changes to releasing its new Reels feature, Instagram has evolved over its 10 years of existence tremendously.
But let us assure you, Reels are the real deal. Did you know that videos are currently receiving over 2x more engagement than in-feed posts? Instagram has also redesigned its home screen to put Reels front and center. They are now conveniently featured on the Explore Page, which can help leaps and bounds with your presence and visibility.
Reels have become a key frontier for organic reach on the app. The more people you reach with your Reels, the higher your chances are for increasing your follower count and engagement rate.
Keen to get started using Reels for your brand? We have curated 5 helpful tips and tricks to help you ace this feature and start seeing results. Let’s get started.
Instagram Reels Tip 1:
Conduct research & leverage off trends
Before you hit the record button, it’s important you take some time to truly understand how Reels work.
Open your app, go into your Explore page and tap the Reels section and be drawn into an endless vortex of video content. Take notice of what content peaks your interest and what doesn’t. What are they doing to spark a smile, make you laugh or learn something? Which Reels make you want to just scroll past? What are they doing wrong in comparison?
You want to check out your competitors and others in your industry too. How are they using Reels for their business? You know your target audience best, so it’s also helpful to understand what Reels content is popular in that demographic.
Use the Save feature on Instagram to mark Reels with concepts, sounds, challenges or trends that you like and feel could work for your brand. You can come back to these at a later date. Think of it as an ideas bank!
We recommend taking time to complete this step as it will really help to set you up for success.
Instagram Reels Tip 2:
Use Reels to showcase your product
This is your chance to show off your product in real-life scenarios.
In the world of e-commerce there are often a lot of consumer barriers to purchase. One of the most common customer concerns is wondering if the product they order online will show up looking completely different.
Reels is the perfect marketing solution to showcase your product in the real and break down some of those concerns.
For example, if you sell reusable shopping bags , you could utilise Reels to demonstrate just how strong and durable your bags are while holding a load of groceries. If you have a skincare product, you could show it’s luxurious texture and application to the skin. Allow users to feel like they really know your product and trust it to deliver what they need, before they buy it.
Check out how beauty industry leaders Frank Bod capitalise on Reels to show off their product range.
Instagram Reels Tip 3:
Educate and provide value
Use Reels to educate your audience in a fun and engaging way. It doesn’t matter what industry or niche you are in, we all hold valuable information that can help our audiences in some way or another. You can share tips and tricks or simply pass on education or experiences you have grown from.
As a brand this is also the perfect opportunity to teach viewers about your business and the problems you can solve for them.
Given the nature of Reels short-format video, you have around 3-seconds to capture your audience’s attention. So you want to drop the interesting element at the very beginning. Think of a line to really hook listeners and get them to listen on. Starting with an explanation can be dull and push viewers to keep scrolling. Instead hook them in from the get go, e.g. “Here’s 4 ways you can earn passive income”
Watch how @wanderers.wealth using Reels to educate her audience on her services:
Or how @foundr magazine shares tips from self-made millionaires.
Instagram Reels Tip 4:
Incorporate text into your Reels
Given that we only have a few seconds to really capture the attention and hook viewers on our Reel, you must absolutely add text. Adding text to your Reels helps your viewers know what to expect and entices them to stay and learn more.
Similar to stories, you can click the text and drag it around to decide where it will lay on the frame. It’s important to remember to keep things in the middle section of your video so it is visible when viewed from your grid. You will also see a duration feature appear that allows you to determine when text appears. This is especially useful if you want to add different text prompts throughout your video and so that your introduction text doesn’t stay on screen for the full length of the video.
Check out how @hismile uses text to demonstrate how to use their teeth whitening kits:
You curate your Instagram feed, establish templates for a consistent social media branding, so don’t neglect your branding when it comes to Reels.
In order to maintain a cohesive look & feel, you can create a graphic file with your branding colors in Easil. Once you have created the file and sent it to your phone, you can use the import feature in Reels to upload from your camera roll. Once the color palette file has been added to your Reel, you can use the text color picker tool to create your font colors. These will be exactly matched to your brand colors and keep a consistent look & feel for social media. After you have used the branding color graphic, you can drag it off screen so it doesn’t appear on the Reel.
Watch a tutorial on how to implement this here from an iPhone [it works on both Instagram Stories, and Reels]:
Overall, consider selecting a consistent font style and text layout for your Reels. This assists with your page aesthetic and also brand recognition and recall. Your audience will start to recognise your Reels when they come up in their feed and be more likely to engage.
Instagram Reels Tip 5:
Create custom Instagram Reels covers & branded elements
Another great way to add your brand’s unique touch to Reels is through custom cover graphics and adding elements such as customer stickers and GIFs. Taking the time to create a custom cover will do wonders for your Instagram aesthetic and have a bigger impact visually in engaging users.
You can design your custom cover graphic in Easil with some of our free templates here.
When designing your cover, don’t go overboard with fonts, colors and elements. Keep consistent with your current branding and consider how the Reel, if featured on your feed, will fit in with your other posts and grid aesthetic.
Through Easil, you can also design your own branded GIFs and stickers. Learn how to create these here. They’re fun, inject personality into your brand and add movement to your Reel without tricky or time consuming video editing.
Bonus Tip
Make sure to include 30 relevant hashtags in your Reels caption for added reach and exposure. You can also direct your current audience to your new Reel by sharing it to your IG story!
It’s your turn!
Step on the gas and get started creating amazing Reels for your brand. Have you had success with Instagram Reels? Share with us your experience and continue the conversation in our Easil Facebook group.
