Instagram– one of the most famous social media platforms of this era. With more than 1 billion people using Instagram every month, it has been a go-to platform for people to share photos & videos. And for businesses- a great way to engage with their audience.
Instagram has always been ahead of the game by introducing incredible features to the app. Some of them inherited from their competitors- Instagram has made sure that these features are even better & provide a more engaging experience. Instagram reels are one such new feature it introduced for its app in 2020.
As TikTok- the app known for creating short and trendy videos is banned in many countries now, Instagram won’t let this opportunity pass by, so they introduced ‘Reels’.
Not only this was a great way to increase their customer base by diverting users from TikTok onto their platform, but Instagram Reels also turned out to be a trendy approach for creating & sharing content widely.
So what exactly is Instagram Reels and how does it work?
Reels is an Instagram app feature that allows users to film or upload three to 15-second videos that they can edit, sound dub, or add effects before sharing on their feed or Stories.
Here is what makes Reels unique:
- A reel video can have multi-clips compiled together.
- AR Effects: With many AR effects in-built-created by Instagram and creators all over the world, you can record multiple clips with different effects.
- Get creative with Audio: If a user uploads original audio, other users can overlay the sounds in their videos while the app credits the original user’s account for it.
- One ‘take’ too many: Record one long take as it suits your needs or gets creative by combining many small takes.
- More editing tools: Make your Reel even better by using tools that allow you to add effects, make transitions and record in slow-motion.
A great Reel can quickly get viral on Instagram’s Explore tab providing brands and creators with a new way to reach new audiences globally.
Here are some great ways Reels can be stepping stones to success for your business.
How to leverage IG Reels for your Business advantage:
1. Use TikTok to your advantage while creating Reels
To make the most of Reels in their Instagram marketing strategies, brands need to keep in mind the simple correlation of Reels with TikTok content. As TikTok content is being repurposed on Reels, there is now a direct relationship between content that trends on TikTok & what appears on Instagram Reels in a short time.
If your brand keeps up to date with what content works and what doesn’t work on TikTok, then you can beneficially implement the right type of content straight for your Instagram Reels strategy. This ensures that your content will be more appealing to watch and will be more likely to trend more, as Instagram promotes those who are quick to use their new features after the initial launch.
Take for example the case of Louis Vuitton. They didn’t have any videos on their TikTok channel, but they have smartly leveraged trending content on TikTok and re-purposed it for their IG Reels. Not only people found their content so amazing, one of their reel’s gained more than 8.5M views and 370k likes!
2. Take inspiration from other brands on Instagram
Along with Louis Vuitton, Sephora has been at the top of the IG Reels game. Averaging more than 453K views on each reel, Sephora is nailing their reel content! By understanding what their customers would want- information about new products & instructions to use them properly, they introduced a challenge where they asked their customers to use reels to show how they looked after using their products. Not only this increased their engagement and conversions, but they were also able to get ahead of their competitors. This Instagram marketing strategy has worked wonders for their brand.
Another great example to check is of T-Series– India’s biggest music production company. They regularly post snippets of great throwbacks and new songs. They average more than 200k views per Reel. People can even make their Reels using their original audio and this has helped establish more recall value of their songs.
It’s certainly something to keep in mind while you brainstorm your brand’s marketing strategy for Instagram. Keep up to date with the new features and be the first to use them!
Brands have realised that this is key for success, which is why they go with a professional digital marketing & content marketing company who know how to simply create a marketing plan & implement it effectively in a short duration. That’s how brands like Sephora & Louis Vuitton stay ahead of the competition.
3. Use new Reel features to attract people
Brands not only want to create content for their existing customers, but also for the people they haven’t reached yet, which is why keeping up with the newest IG trends is important.
Why so?
Because Instagram rewards such creators by making them visible on the top of Instagram’s Discovery Pages.
With customers having a shorter attention span, these 15-seconds reels are the perfect opportunity to engage better with your audience. Use the latest features to create eye-catching visuals. Even more so, add music to your reels! Music provides value to your video and if you play your cards right, your reels can easily go viral.
Many brands extensively use reels for their Instagram marketing campaign and it is turning out quite the success story for them. Reels is something out-of-the-box way to engage with the audience, and people are loving what brands have to offer by it. Reels provide higher engagement, more audience reach and quickly grasp the viewers’ attention. It is the most effective way to engage with the audience, and that’s the reason so many brands love using reels.
People find it fun and entertaining. That’s why more brands are incorporating Reels for their content marketing campaign and so should you!
Get your Instagram Marketing Campaign sorted!
