So… I think we’ve all heard by now. Instagram is “no longer just a photo sharing app.” If you haven’t read Instagram’s latest blog post, you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD! They dive into interesting, highly requested topics like how stories and feed posts rank in their algorithms, how Explore is ranked, and more! One of the biggest changes to Instagram in the past year is the addition of Instagram Reels. This is part of the reason that Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri shared that Instagram is “no longer a photo sharing app.” I know this may feel overwhelming. Especially if you are a primarily photography-based account like mine. But, don’t fear. Let’s embrace this change. Here are my thoughts on this topic and some ways I have found success with Instagram Reels.
Initial Thoughts
Now that the initial shock is over, think about it. Isn’t this what we wanted? So many content creators spend YEARS trying to figure out “the algorithm.” Now, we are getting REAL ANSWERS & direction from the creators of Instagram themselves.
While it may not be what many of us wanted to hear, now we KNOW the direction we need to go in! When have we had this clarity?! If you think about it, it’s a pretty great positive to come of this situation!
So join me as I fumble my way through creating more video content! Of course I will still be sharing TONS of photos, but I want to LEARN about reels and all of IG’s new features as they come out. After all, isn’t that what being a content creator is? We have to KEEP UP when things change, even if we don’t like them! Remember how we swore we’d never use IG stories because they were copying Snapchat?!?
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t totally on board when Instagram Reels first came out. A local newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times, actually interviewed me for my thoughts on the whole thing. Over time, however, I have grown used to the reels functionality and have actually started to enjoy using it.
Let’s do this! How are you feeling?! Here are a few of my tips for finding success on Instagram Reels in 2021:
Share on your feed
I have found greater success with IG Reels when I share them on my feed. My strategy is to post them on my feed and leave them up for a few days before hiding them from my feed and just showing on Reels. I do this because if someone were to visit my page for any reason, they would have a better chance at seeing my new reel just in my grid! With this, I like having the option to remove them from my feed later on to keep things clean and uniform.
Add a strong cover photo
Having a cover photo allows your reels to blend in seamlessly with your feed. I use this as a space to showcase my favorite images. For my reel covers, I build them in Canva, using the same fonts and design to create a cohesive look on the reels tab of my page. I use the dimensions 1080 x 1920 px.
Do your research
If you want to get into reels, I recommend doing your research! What do I mean by this? Do your research by simply SCROLLING! See what types of content you like engaging with, what makes you stop and watch, and look for any audios or trends you want to try to put your own spin on! This is my favorite part of creating reels. Be careful though, it can be a black hole – seriously an easy way to kill a few hours!
Save reels and content you want to re-create
While I’m scrolling through Instagram Reels, I look for content I could recreate with my own spin on it. Remember though, give credit where credit is due and do NOT copy someone else. As creators, we have to work together to ensure our community is respected. Seek out ideas and audios you can use in your OWN WAY! When I find something I like, I save it to folder called “to recreate.” I typically batch-create my reels, so when I’m ready to film, I’ll have all of the ideas saved to a folder I can easily refer back to.
Understand shelf-life of reels
The beauty of reels is that your content has a much longer shelf-life. What do I mean by this? Well, basically, IG stories stay up for 24 hours and IG static posts tend to only stay relevant in the feed for 12-48 hours (at the longest most of the time). Reels can take off any time! I’ve had reels only gain a few thousand views within the first week I’ve shared them, then TAKE OFF weeks after reaching hundreds of thousands of views! Be patient. Not every reel will take off, but luckily, your content will be relevant much longer than a feed or stories post with reels.
Create content that is save-able and share-able
I always recommend this with any type of post, but especially with Instagram Reels, it is important to create content that will get your audience to stop scrolling. Share unique content that your audience can engage directly with by saving or sharing with a friend. Personally, I’ve had the most luck with sharing tips.
Any time you can be authentic and transparent will be appreciated by your audience as well. I do this monthly by recapping my yearly income to date as a content creator and my audience always loves that type of content! I typically have followers pouring in every time I post one of those videos, meaning it is definitely landing.
Here are some ideas for YOUR reels:
- Showcase a local business where you live
- Share outfits you can wear for a certain event
- Share each outfit you wore to work that week
- Show behind-the-scenes of a photoshoot
- Share “A Day in the Life”
- Rate your past feeds
- Share your favorite images with a trending audio
- Try out new trends
- Create a new recipe
- Share your monthly income (if you are comfortable)
- Apartment/house tour
- Tour of your city
- Monthly vlog
- Share products you’ve created
- 1 second every day for a month
Feeling good now? Ready to jump in! Let’s do this together!
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