Instagram Reels have become a primary way to showcase your company in recent years. But it’s no wonder since they’re easy to find and Instagram pushes them in their algorithm. However, you’re probably feeling a bit overwhelmed by the wealth of information out there about making the best Reels and how to use them to your advantage. Never fear, because this blog breaks down the reasons why you should use Reels, how you can use them, and some best practices to keep in mind when planning them out. Before long, you’ll be an expert and your company’s social media will see a serious boost.
Why Use Reels to Promote Your Brand
Boost Engagement
Reels are easy to find on Instagram. The algorithm is pushing them to the forefront and making them easy to discover. As a result, your Reels will boost your engagement. The easier it is for people to find them, the more likely they are to engage with both your Reels and your company. And, since you can add tags to your Reels, people can find your company just by searching for your niche. We’ll discuss more about using tags and links in your Reels a little later, but suffice to say it’s important.
Easy Way to Reach People
To make an Instagram Reel, all you need is a phone, an Instagram app, and a plan. Film what you want to film, add the effects you want, type a good caption with the right tags, and there you have it. You’ve just made an incredibly effective marketing tool with fantastic reach without fancy equipment. There’s also a lot of freedom in making Reels since they can be as simple or elaborate as you want them to be. Make something that appeals to your target audience, and they’ll have no problem finding you.
Links Back to Your Business
Another great thing about Reels is that you can include links to products in them, as well as link back to your main Instagram page. If someone sees your Reel, they can easily find your business and further explore what you have to offer. This is especially effective if you include products in your Reels, but we’ll discuss that more soon. So long as you include links in your Reels, you can rest assured that new customers will have no problem getting to you from their Discover page.
So, now that you know why you should use Reels, you’re probably opening the app to get started on amazing videos to promote your brand. Enthusiasm is great, but without a good plan, you risk lacklustre results from your videos. You need to know who your audience is, how best to engage with them, and what content, by and large, performs the best. The best way to find these things out is, of course, to research your niche, but we can still provide some ideas for types of content to try out on your page.
Reels Ideas
For your Reels, you’ll want to create content that informs, engages with, and showcases products to your audience. This content will both tell your audience who you are and what you sell.
Connecting to Your Audience
Reels that connect with your audience are great because they are a great introduction to who you are and what you do. Rather than focusing on new products and trying to sell them (still important, don’t get me wrong), these Reels make your business feel approachable. Make videos that introduce your audience to your company, such as tours of your business, what a day at your workplace looks like, or insight into how you came up with ideas for certain products. Speaking of products, you can address certain pain points in your Reels and show which products will solve them. Seeing a product in action is great for building trust with your audience.
Educating Your Audience
People don’t just come to Reels to see something cool, they also want to learn. Educating your audience helps establish you as an expert in your field and shows customers that you know what you’re talking about. You could share advice, show how a product works, educate about trends in your niche, and more. See if a question in your niche is going unanswered or something your products would fix nicely.
Showcasing Your Brand
Nowadays, it’s likely that potential customers will discover your business through an Instagram Reel. Since this will be their introduction, you should create plenty of videos that explain what your brand is and what you sell. Unboxing videos work great because they show off your products and they encourage people to watch to the end to see what the product is.
Promoting New Products
Promotion is key to getting the word out about your business, and there’s no better way to get the word out than by promoting new products. Make Reels about how they work how they look in a space, and offer promotions for when they come out. You could even take advantage of influencer marketing by getting them to make Reels about your product. And if you want to add an interactive element, make Reels that don’t show the whole product and ask customers to guess what they think it is. Overall, think of things that will get customers excited about your new release and something that will grab new customers’ attention.
At Commerce Pundit, we’re committed to helping you create the best social media marketing strategy.
Reels Best Practices
By now you’ve probably come up with lots of ideas for Instagram Reels and are eager to film an office tour or an unboxing. But before you start filming, there are certain best practices you should keep in mind to make your Reels more effective. Simply making Reels and posting them hoping for the best is not the greatest strategy, so read on to find out how to make your videos stand out on a customer’s Discover page.
Tag the Products You Use
If you manage to Reel in a new customer, then they’ll want to get their hands on your products as soon as possible. To ensure that they can quickly get to your store, tag the products you use in your Reels. The easier you make it for them to buy a product, the more likely they are to complete a transaction. Link to your store on Instagram as well so customers can see what you sell no matter what kind of Reel they view.
Optimize Your Caption
Like any online marketing, optimization is key. Instagram uses hashtags to help people find content in their niche, so finding and using the right hashtags in your Reels caption is crucial to standing out. To find which hashtags people are searching for, use Hashtagify or search on Instagram directly. Use geotags to reach more people, especially ones in and around your area. Once you’ve determined which hashtags will make you stand out, write good CTAs into your caption to encourage conversions.
These can be anything from asking customers to check out your online store to promoting a course you teach.
Keep it Short, Sweet, and to the Point
There are millions upon millions of Reels out there, all trying to sell to the same people, so how do you keep from getting lost in this massive sea of content? You make your content engaging and quick. A snappy Reel will get customers interested without taking too long to get to the point. The best length for Reels is 15 seconds, but you can make them as long as 60 if you see fit. Just don’t go over 60 seconds because then it can’t be used as a paid ad.
Be Creative
To truly draw people in, you need to make your Reels visually interesting and use fun audio. Follow what’s trending and see if you can utilize that format while finding a way to make it your own. Maybe there’s an audio clip going viral that you can put your own unique spin on or a new effect that would look amazing in one of your videos. Don’t be afraid to get creative here and make something that is unique to you and your business. If you find a template you like, save it and use it in one of your own videos. While using trending sounds has the added bonus of bringing more people to your content, make your own sounds to keep it original. Who knows, the sound you make for a Reel could go viral itself. The key thing to remember is to stay focused on what works for your business and what your target audience responds to.
Conclusion
Instagram Reels are quickly becoming a prime way to reach more people. When creating your own Reels, think about what will resonate with your audience the most and what you can do to make trends your own. With a good strategy and the right team behind you, you’ll have no problem making a name for your business on Instagram. So get creative with Reels because you never know who may be about to discover you.
Commerce Pundit is a digital marketing agency dedicated to helping your eCommerce business thrive. We’ll help you with website design, digital marketing, and anything else you need to take your business to the next level. If you want to learn more, set up a meeting with us today.
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