Are you tired of lackluster marketing results? It’s time to get real—Instagram “Reel,” that is.
Short-form video content dominates the marketing landscape with Instagram Reels leading the post-revolutionary push. As in, posting and skyrocketing views, vanity metrics, and visibility for small to large businesses.
About 2.35 billion people engage with Reels each month. This video content boasts double the reach rate and double the impressions compared with other Instagram formats. In fact, about 30% of businesses leveraged Reels in 2023, yet that number will likely—make that indefinitely—surge.
But…Is It Reel-ly Worth It?
Why use Instagram Reels when many channels (a.k.a. social platforms) can market your business? We’ve got three big reasons:
- They’re Visible: Reels appear at the top of Instagram feeds. Swiping past one Reel funnels another and another. Even algorithms get sucked into a matrix of their own making—amplifying video content across viewer feeds and saturating outside audiences. All that visibility boosts awareness of your brand and drives traffic to your profile.
- They’re Creative: With filters, stickers, and musical effects at your fingertips, it’s easy to craft video content on Reels. It’s the perfect venue for catchy, relatable content that hooks your audience and leaves them wanting more. Check out these companies for a dash of inspiration.
- They’re Profitable: Looking to showcase a new product or service? You can tag up to 30 products or collections in a single Reel, driving discovery and purchases. Build hype with sneak peeks and descriptive benefits, or feature your product in action and in real time.
How to Reel In Viewers on Instagram
Posting a Reel is pretty simple. Posting an effective Reel, however, requires strategy—choosing content type(s), targeted messaging, and timing, for instance.
DO:
- Experiment with different video formats. Record a single video. Combine a medley of short clips. And take advantage of Canva and Reels templates to adapt designs and transitions.
- Edit and add special effects. Select text and stickers. Insert filters like Augmented Reality (AR) effects. There’s a ton of options to customize Reels, so tweak yours to reflect your brand’s personality.
- Optimize for accessibility. Add captions as stickers. Provide alt text (a.k.a. alternative text) to describe images. Keep contrast high between text and imagery for easy reading and scanning.
- Add 3-5 relevant hashtags per Reel. Research what’s trending via Google Analytics and/or scout-related content on Instagram that’s #viral #popular #cool… you get the idea.
- Front-load keywords and insert them EVERYWHERE. Algorithms crawl captions, audio, and on-screen text.
- Post consistent content. Keep your video content aligned with your brand story and style. Make sure viewers see you frequently—ideally, 3-4 Reels per week, on average.
- Engage with similar brands. Like, share, and comment on related videos so their viewers get to know you (…and discover your brand), too.
DON’T:
- Reinvent the wheel. Algorithms encourage video content that mirrors and parodies other creators in your space. Check out what’s trending (music, design, captions), then add your unique twist.
- Sacrifice video quality. Low-resolution, blurry videos perform poorly, as do videos recycled from other platforms. A video’s aspect ratio should be 9:16, 1080×1920 pixels, and up to 90 seconds in duration.
- Hide content in your Reels tab. Share Reels on your feed, too. Add a custom thumbnail to capture content and fit to your feed’s grid. You can also share it on a linked Facebook account and embed it on your website or blog.
- Forget about metrics. Track Reel performance in two ways:
- Individual Reel Insights: Trace views, audience retention, watch time, and content interaction. Views, in particular, monitor how many people saw at least four seconds of your Reel, so make it count.
- Instagram Insights: Note how your Reels break down: collective comments, likes, saves, reach, plays, and shares. Assess what’s working (and what isn’t) to inform future strategies and campaigns.
Six Types of Viral Video Content
- Behind the Scenes: Share sneak peeks of your team’s daily operations, new product development, or event preparations.
- Interviews: Feature influencers, brand ambassadors, or employees in authentic, personality-driven videos.
- How-To’s and Tutorials: Craft list-based videos with tips, tricks, or hacks related to your specific industry or expertise.
- Before/After Reveals: Showcase transformations and sequences that highlight the impact of your products or services.
- Brand Story: Share your mission, vision, and values by leveraging music, text overlays, effects, and transitions.
- Contests and Giveaways: Promote new products and services in a raffle. Or run a special sale to raise awareness and proceeds for worthy charitable causes.
We’re “Reel-ly” excited to chat about your needs. From small businesses to large corporations, trust the marketing crew in BLUE!
Ready to join the Reel revolution? You’ve got this—and we’ve got you! For an assist in all things social, drop us a line.
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