If you use Instagram, we’ll take a guess and say you’ve seen Instagram Reels. Reels are vertical short-form videos, similar to the likes of TikTok, that have been taking social media by storm over the past few years. Reels can be a game changer when growing your brand and image on Instagram. In this post we're going to walk through some best practices to ensure you’re getting the most out of Instagram Reels.

First, we’ll need an idea. Reels can be a great way to connect directly with your audience. So get personal. Grab your phone and record what’s on your mind, news on your next project, or participate in a trend. If you have anything you want to share, let it be known. If you’re having trouble, check out Instagram’s Cultural Moments Calendar, which provides important dates of cultural events. These might help you come up with that next great idea.

If you can’t make new content, let’s take a step back and look at what you’ve already made. Go through your catalog of long-form content and find moments that stand out. These moments could be funny events, anniversaries, motivational thoughts, or anything else you think your audience would appreciate. If you’re having trouble finding what to use, it can be helpful to see what your audience is talking about and go from there.

Now that you have your video ready, let’s look at some tools that can help set your Reel apart from the crowd. Instagram has many features built into Reels that can help you make the most of your content. You can find a complete list of tools here. Let’s highlight a couple:

Music Library - What better way to connect with your audience than through music? Whether it's your song or someone else's, music is one of the easiest ways to connect with your current fanbase and also reach new audiences. Instagram's Music Library allows you to not only find a song, but also crop and edit that song to fit your Reel perfectly. If you’re an Artist, we recommend not only using your own music but also prompting others to use it in their Reels.

AR Effects - Augmented Reality effects can be used for more than just helping you look your best. They can be a great way to participate in what’s trending on Instagram. Quizzes, games, look-a-like generators, and more can be found within these effects. Once you use one, you’ll show up on that effects page, getting you more exposure and connecting to a broader audience.

Let’s post! We’ve made our Reel, added our music, and made all the necessary adjustments. The last step is getting this out to our fans. Write a caption that helps share your message and engages your audience. Ask a question, encourage others to Remix your Reel, and make a solid call to action.

Make sure you’re using tags. Try and find tags that aren’t overly populated yet still have people viewing them. For example, if you’re a Bay Area Hip Hop artist, instead of using something like #HipHop (which has 103,000,000 posts), be more specific and go with #BayAreaHipHop (which currently has 82,000 posts).

Before you click ‘Post’, ensure you’re sending it to the right spot. Instagram breaks your profile into multiple pages; Feed, Reels, Videos, and Tags. By default, Reels will be uploaded to the Reel page. However, select ‘Share Reel to Feed’, and your Reel will be shared to your Feed, ensuring your audience sees it rather than just those scrolling through the Reels tab on Instagram.

We’re excited to see what you start creating. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

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