It’s *Reely* no surprise that short-form videos are dominating Instagram engagement, but many of our clients are wondering how to get started.
Without an understanding of how to make Instagram Reels feel authentic for your brand (or influencers starring in your content), they can be intimidating.
Luckily, we gathered seven ✨magic✨ tips from working with clients to help you build momentum for your brand on Reels.
- Pick a niche.
A niche can be anything from health and wellness to fashion, to education or travel – the options are endless. Consider what content you can draft most naturally in your day-to-day life, what will captivate your audience and what content you enjoy seeing. Choose a specific subject area or a specific target audience and stick with it.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CMP5c6eAmxQ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
- Curate your “Explore” page.
Start liking content that you want to attract. The algorithm works with the type of content that you like, so follow foodies and your content will pop up for other food accounts. This way, you’ll attract the audience you want, based on what you like and whom you follow.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfM1wK3A8mk/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
- The five-second rule.
Let’s be honest – people’s attention spans are shorter than ever, so having an attention-grabbing hook is crucial. This means you have five seconds to get your viewers’ attention. Try starting your video by asking a question, sharing a fun fact or statistic, making a bold statement, or hinting at a story.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfHmeJeucxG/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
- Consistency and authenticity.
The Instagram algorithm favors users who post consistently and frequently, so cranking out content is essential. Aside from the algorithm, social media users want transparency, rather than overly curated or perfect content. Some of the highest-performing Reels are ones that feel real, or even raw. People love to see behind-the-scenes, educational, feel-good and inspirational content.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CffSil7gROR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Introducing: content batching.
So, you might be thinking, “How do I find time to create quality content?!” Content batching is when you prerecord and edit your videos ahead of time rather than rushing to create new content the same day. The art of content batching involves doing it all in one sitting. So, pick a few days a month to create all your video content. This is the best way to save time, avoid stress and stay organized.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfJ1fCDJGTe/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
- Sounds and staying on trend.
Using a trending sound will help you grow a bigger audience as well as a following. It’s always good practice to scroll through the discover page and note anything that’s trending to use as inspiration. Check to see if there’s anything that applies to you and recreate it. Not everything will fit your niche, and that’s OK because there’s always going to be a new trend on the horizon.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfpWPmBl02v/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
- Using #hashtags.
When you are ready to upload to Instagram, make sure to use no more than four or five hashtags. Although you can add up to 30 hashtags per Reel, we recommend posting fewer. Reels with too many hashtags can overwhelm the algorithm, and Instagram won’t know where to categorize your content. Your hashtags can be niche-specific #Wellness or trend-specific #YearbookChallenge.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdeKCbeLvOi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The bottom line is that not every Reel is going to perform great. Keep in mind that sometimes Reels don’t immediately go viral. Sometimes your videos can go viral within hours, and sometimes they go viral within weeks or months after posting. Have faith – people will eventually see your content. And with these seven ✨magic✨ tips, you too can go viral!
Follow us on Instagram, and check out how we went viral using these tricks!