If you’re an Instagram user, surely you’ve heard about Instagram Reels, the latest new feature on the app.
Reels are Instagram‘s response to Tik Tok, a video sharing social media app that took the world by storm a couple years ago. The idea behind the app is to share short, entertaining videos (no more than a minute long).
Now that Reels are a part of Instagram, users can share both photos and short videos in one app (and not surprisingly, many people have ditched Tik Tok and gone all-in on Instagram).
You know what that means? There are more people than ever spending more time than ever on Instagram – which means more people to potentially see your business and convert into paying customers.
Here’s why your business absolutely needs to use Instagram reels:
Instagram’s Algorithm Favors Reels Users
It’s no secret that Instagram wants its users to be using its new features. In fact, the Instagram algorithm rewards early adapters by showing their content more frequently across the platform.
Want more people’s eyes on your business? Start posting reels consistently! (And make sure the videos are high quality – Instagram is known to deprioritise low res and blurry video content).
Reach A New/Wider Audience
Keep in mind that not everyone prefers to take in information in the same way. Some like to read, some prefer visuals, others listen to audio – so to only post one type of content is to alienate a large portion of the Instagram community.
These days, a high percentage of social media users prefer video content over anything else. The best way to connect with them? You guessed it: video content… specifically, Reels.
Reels Have A Longer Shelf Life
Unlike photo posts, which show up once in someone’s feed and then disappear within a day, video posts tend to gain more traction after they are published.
Why? Videos capture a user’s attention for longer, get them to spend more time on the app, and inspire more engagement and interaction. Naturally, Instagram wants more eyes on video posts, and another way they can achieve this aside from showing these posts to more people is to show them for a longer timeframe.
What this means is that once you post a reel, it’s not dead within a few hours. Quite the opposite: you’re likely to see more views and engagement well after your post goes live. That’s a pretty significant return on investment for your business’s social media efforts.
Share More Of Your Personality & Brand
Instagram Reels are great because they allow you to show another dimension of yourself (or your business) with your community. Photos and written posts have their place, but videos really showcase your personality, your vibrance, and your knowledge in a different (some might argue more effective) way.
Thus, Reels are an excellent way to get your brand message out there.
Show Off Your Creativity
The best thing about Reels is that they don’t have to be just a plain ol’ video post. With Reels, you can make a montage of video clips, add special effects, incorporate captions, and set them to music.
There are infinite ways to craft a compelling Reel, it’s up to you to experiment and see what works best!