First, there was Vine, then TikTok. Now, a new short video platform has risen: Instagram Reels.

Besides being a source of entertainment for teens and adults, Instagram Reels has presented itself as a fantastic platform for businesses to advertise and gain a loyal audience.

Should your business get involved in Instagram Reels? In this guide, we’ll go over the basics of Instagram Reels and why you should use this feature to help your business gain momentum.

What Is Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels is a feature that was recently rolled out by Instagram. This feature gives users a way to scroll through short videos on their feed. Users can create and edit videos up to 15-seconds long.

Reels are short, engaging bursts of entertainment. Fun dances, duets, and memes are common among popular Reels. Clips are typically edited with music, filters, and special effects.

How Instagram Reels Compares to TikTok

Instagram Reels is very similar to TikTok—both platforms allow users to create and edit 15-second videos. However, there are a few differences.

Instagram has a more robust platform compared to TikTok. As a social media staple for many years, the platform has gained over a billion users. TikTok has around 800 million users.

Instagram’s platform is also considered a more stable option, as TikTok was threatened to shut down. Many influencers are already moving to Reels as TikTok’s future continues to remain uncertain.

Additionally, Instagram Reels is one of several features for brand advertising. Instagram gives business advertising options, which is essential for social media marketing. Photos and Instagram Stories are both viable engagement options and work well alongside Reels.

Most businesses already have an Instagram account, whereas not many businesses have a TikTok account. If you already have a presence on Instagram, Reels is the perfect addition to your growth strategy.

How Instagram Reels Can Help Your Marketing Strategy

Besides dancing and memes, Instagram Reels is a brand advertising platform within a brand advertising platform. This makes Instagram the ultimate social media website for reaching your target audience. Plus, online videos are a great way to generate leads.

Here are some ways to make the most of this platform.

Influencer Sponsorship

Partnering with a user who has a significant number of followers is a great way to gain an audience, especially early on.

For example, if you own an apparel business, an influencer wearing a piece from your collection guarantees a certain number of eyes on the piece, leading to interest and a potential sale.

Viral Challenges

Challenges and skits are a popular way to build audience engagement on short video platforms. Instagram Reels is no different. Pay attention to the different viral challenges floating around and try participating in a few to gain attention for your business.

For example, many challenges involve a dance to a certain song. There are plenty of ways to spin the challenge as a creative advertisement.

Better yet, make your own challenge! One way to do this is to encourage your followers to post an image with your brand’s product with the promise of reposting the image on your business’ page.

This strategy benefits both the audience and the business. Plus, it’s a fun way to gain brand awareness.

Analytics

Instagram offers insights into your Instagram Reel viewership data. As of August 2020, these analytics offer view count data, likes, and comments. However, since Instagram Stories provides more detailed analytics, Instagram will likely roll out more analytics for Reels in the coming months.

Analytics are a vital component in your social media advertising strategy. Knowing which Reels and photos get more engagement helps you craft a better approach.

Hashtags

Hashtags ensure your Reels get seen on Instagram’s Reel Explore page. Most of the hashtags your business will benefit from are viral hashtags. As long as your video relates to the viral hashtag, the video is sure to receive significant views.

Hashtags also help attract your target audience. For example, a small business selling plants may want to browse the “#cottagecore” hashtag, a viral Generation Z trend.

This niche audience has an interest in quaint homes, nature, and gardening—thus, an interest in plants. Using this hashtag, among others, will hone in on the audience who will most likely make a purchase.

Encourage Discussion

Anyone can comment on public Reels, public Instagram Stories, and public photos on your feed. Public comments are a great way to encourage discussion. One way to do this is to create Reels that invite users to comment and discuss a topic.

Another way to create engagement is to host contests. For example, a successful contest may involve users following the business’s Instagram page and tagging several friends in the comments. This perpetuates brand awareness and makes your audience excited to participate in the brand’s strategy.

Instagram Reels Features to Try

Instagram Reels offers many user-friendly features, allowing you to edit your Reels as soon as you film them. There are several specific features businesses should consider trying.

AR Effects

Augmented Reality (AR) effects may sound complicated, but Instagram Reels makes it easy to implement. Instagram has ready-made AR effects, such as floating objects and filters, to give more depth to your videos.

Music

Including music into your Reels is a great way to jump on a viral trend. Specific songs are often the center of attention for a short period. Adding the song to your video, no matter the context, can help boost engagement.

Transitions

Transitions make your videos look more polished and engaging. If you’re making videos with multiple separate clips, seamlessly tie them together with an appealing transition. Choppy edits without edits are distracting and will often lead to video abandonment.

Reel in Your Audience

Now that you know everything there is to know about Instagram Reels, it’s time to get your business started on the Instagram for Business platform. By creating engaging videos on Instagram Reels and taking advantage of the website’s other useful features, your social media strategy will thrive.

Looking to make your business grow even further? Schedule a call with Jumpworks, and we’ll help you create an effective online marketing strategy.