Human attention spans are approximately 8.25 seconds. In case you are wondering, this is shorter than the attention span of a goldfish, which is a total of 9 seconds!
Our shrinking ability to focus is likely influenced by the ever-present distractions found on the internet, and more specifically, on social media. While the impact of short attention spans is a topic for a different day, we are here to shed light on how you can actually use this to your advantage as a business owner or online course creator.
Shorter attention spans can gravely impact anyone in the money-making industry who is looking to market their products and services online – which is why the introduction of short-form video content has been extremely valuable from a marketing standpoint.
In particular, the mega social media platform we all know and love, Instagram, is an especially valuable tool when it comes to growing your business. So, as a business owner, why not meet your consumers where they’re already spending their free time?
Short-form videos on Instagram are known as Instagram Reels, which allow you to record, upload, and edit multi-clip videos and photos using special effects, unique audios, and creative tools. If you’ve ever wondered how to make videos for Instagram, whether you are a business owner wanting to market your products and services or a creator educator looking to expand your social media presence and global reach, then this is the blog for you.
We’ll not only go over how to make Instagram videos, a.k.a. Instagram Reels, we’ll dive into all the different ways you can learn how to promote your brand and grow your audience through creating short-form video content.
Without further ado, keep reading or skip ahead:
- What are Instagram Reels?
- Benefits of using Instagram Reels for your business
- Types of content to post on Instagram Reels
- 10 strategies to grow your business with Instagram Reels
- Conclusion
Related: 62 Ways To Market Your Online Course & Increase Sales in 2024
What are Instagram Reels?
Before we go into detail on how creating Instagram Reels can be a game-changer for your business, let’s start with the basics. What are Instagram Reels?
As we mentioned before, Instagram Reels are short-form videos ranging from 15 seconds to 3 minutes long that feature a variety of creative tools and music options. It’s basically Instagram’s version of TikTok, with a dedicated space in the app to scroll through vertical video content.
The Instagram app is now designed to put Reels front and centre, so when people are watching them, they are served content from creators all across Instagram — not just ones they are following. By posting Instagram Reels, you’ll likely see an increase in reach (more eyes on your content, which come in the form of views) compared to your regular Instagram content.
And the cherry on top? Instagram Reels come with the built-in potential to go viral – the algorithm not only shares your Reels with people following you, but it also shares your Reels with other people Instagram thinks would be interested in your content.
And when you look at the Instagram Explore page, or search a hashtag, Reels start auto-playing and take up more space on the page than photo posts, which entices Instagram users to click on your Reel over other content on that page.
So, to sum up why you should start using Instagram Reels: Your content is going to be seen by more people, and you’ll likely gain new followers. Plus, this can be a fun and engaging way to market your brand!
How to use Instagram Reels
If you want to create Instagram Reels, you have two options: To record the Reel inside the app or to film content on your phone and edit the clips together.
There are pros and cons to both… Instagram has said that the algorithm prefers Reels that use in-app creative tools, but editing your video outside of Instagram can give you more control and allow you to use branded fonts and make more advanced edits.
Below we’ll share a step-by-step guide on how to make videos for Instagram in the app:
- Step 1 – Click the “+” button that is centred on the bottom of your Instagram app. From there, tap the “REEL” button on the bottom right side of the app, which will allow you to choose from your camera library or browse trending templates to create a Reel in-app.
- Step 2 – To record content in the Reels app, press and hold the recording circle at the bottom of the screen (you can also choose special effects or templates to use before recording that’ll be filtered onto your video). Or, add external clips from your camera library to your Reel.
- Step 3 – To add an audio track (like a voiceover or a song) to your Instagram Reels, click on the music button on the left sidebar. From here you can search for a song, see recommended songs, or access your saved audio by clicking the “Saved” button. Scroll down to see different audio suggestions from Instagram based on categories like “Summer Feels” or “DIY Projects.” Select the part of the audio track that you want to use in your Reel by dragging and dropping until you get to the part you want.
- Step 4 – Along with audio, explore the left side bar in the Reels app. This includes “Effects,” “Layout,” Green Screen,” “Add Yours,” “Length,” “Dual,” and “Gesture Control.” Try one of these out and have fun with it! Also, in the center on the top of your Reels screen you will see buttons for flash, speed, and self-timer.
- Step 5 – When you’re done filming, swipe up to edit! On the editing screen, you can use a variety of tools to customize your Reel. For example, click on the music button to adjust the volume which is helpful if you want to have background music but still want to use the sound from your original video. Click on the microphone button to record a voiceover by holding down the record button. Tap the sticker button to add texts, stickers, or GIFs to your Reel.
- Step 6 – Preview your new Reel and choose your captions, location, rename your audio, add AI labels, and pick what audience you want to share your Reel with. You can also edit the cover of your reel if you wish to choose how it will appear on your Instagram profile grid. Then hit the “Save draft” or “Share” button!
Tips for creating Reels
You don’t have to film your Reel all at the same time!
You can save the draft by clicking forward to the posting screen, and from here you can save your Reel as a draft to come back to later and finish filming or editing. You can access your drafts at any time by clicking on the “Reels” button on your profile.
Instagram Reels are vertical videos with a 9:16 ratio, and this is what users watching your video from the “Reels” tab will see. However, when sharing your Reel to your feed, your followers will only see the 4:5 ratio, and they’ll have to click to expand the Reel to view the full 9:16 version.
So when filming, it’s important to have your text, captions, and the main focus of your content fit in the 4:5 ratio, so it doesn’t get cut off from viewers.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Selling Digital Products on Instagram
Benefits of using Instagram Reels for your business
Do you want to grow your audience, promote online courses, and make serious sales from Instagram? Then your business – whether you are an online course creator or not – needs to start creating Instagram Reels!
Now that you know how to make videos for Instagram, we’re going to highlight some major benefits of Reels.
Instagram Reels have exploded in popularity and are an extremely effective tool for growing your brand, whether you are a business or creator educator. Why, might you ask? This is because Reels are a primary engagement growth driver for Instagram. This means that Reels on Instagram are optimized, and if your target audience frequents Instagram, you’ll more likely connect with them by creating captivating Reels.
Here are some other Instagram Reel statistics that’ll motivate you to start creating Reels:
- As of 2024, more than 2 billion people have interacted with Instagram Reels every month
- An official report published by Meta stated that over 200 billion Reels are played across Facebook and Instagram each day
- There is 22% more engagement and interactions with Instagram Reels than with regular video content.
- The majority of people who engage with Instagram Reels are between the ages of 25 to 34, which could be valuable depending on your target audience
It’s evident that a ton of people are found filling up their free time scrolling on Instagram – so why not meet your target audience where they are the most likely to engage with your content?
One of the major benefits of using Instagram Reels is that they are suggested to users based on their similar likes and interests. This makes Reels an effective method in expanding reach and tapping into new, relevant audiences.
Unlike the “normal” photo and video feed posts (such as carousels), which share your posts primarily with people following you, Instagram Reels has its own algorithm that is designed to push your content out to people who aren’t following you. This is similar to how the Explore page works, with Instagram showing you content it thinks you would be interested in.
So, your Reels are more likely to be discovered under the “Reels” tab and they are also more likely to be featured on your target audience’s own Explore page – it’s a win-win situation.
To highlight the key benefits of using Instagram Reels for your business, here are the main points to takeaway:
- Posting Reels enhances visibility and organic reach through the Explore page and the separate Reels tab (found on the bottom right hand side of the app, next to your profile icon)
- Reels provide direct engagement opportunities with your target audience
- Reels are a creative and fun way to showcase products, services, or brand personality (jumping on trend’s can build connections as well – but more on this later)
- Posting Reels helps with cross-promotion on other platforms like Facebook
Of course, simply posting a Reel doesn’t necessarily mean that it will show up on your target audience’s Instagram feed. The good news is that there are multiple ways you can boost your exposure and optimize your Instagram Reels, which we will dive into next.
Set your business up for success: How to optimize Reels
You’ve now learnt how to use Instagram Reels, however there are a few tricks to making Reels and the Instagram algorithm work in your favour.
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First, if you’re a business, you’ll want to do some background research on your target audience and competitors. Get to know the type of content your target audience likes to engage with and wants to see more of – this will provide clues on the types of Reels to create.
Also, take a look at what kind of Reels your competitors are creating. What are they doing well? Are there any content gaps you could fill?
Doing your research and planning content will save you valuable time (and ease stress levels) down the road. Especially when it comes to creating relevant and useful content that aligns with your brand voice and goals.
As well, according to Instagram, these are the best practices you should follow if you want your Reel to perform well in the algorithm:
- Create Reels that are inspiring, entertaining, and fun
- Only post vertical videos in 9:16 format (any borders or watermarks from other apps, like TikTok, won’t perform as well)
- Use filters, text, and other camera effects in the app
- Make sure your reel is high quality (avoid low resolution or blurry videos)
- Don’t post text-only Reels
Following these suggestions will help your business optimize your Reels on Instagram and reach a wider audience, helping you gain more exposure and followers.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Brand Marketing Plan
Types of content to post on Instagram Reels
If you’re wanting to dip your toes into the world of short-form video creation but you have no idea what kind of Reel to create, we’ve got you covered.
It can be a tad bit intimidating to jump headfirst into the ever-evolving trends – but don’t sweat! While creating videos that fall under what is currently trending can certainly help with your account’s reach, you can still have Reels that perform super well and receive a ton of views without hopping onto the bandwagon.
Here are some examples of various types of content (that tend to perform very well) to create for Reels:
- Educational content – Tutorials, how-tos, and quick tips
- Product showcases – Demonstrations, unboxings, and new product launches
- Behind-the-scenes – A day in the life, office tours, or manufacturing processes
- Trends and challenges – Participating in trending audio, dances, and hashtags
- Customer testimonials – User-generated content or reviews in action
- Call-to-action (CTA) Reels – Promoting special offers or inviting audience interaction
If you’re a course creator, here are some creator educator-specific content ideas to post on Reels:
- Share education tips – Providing value to your followers by sharing free educational tips is one of the best ways to position yourself as an expert. By using Reels to teach your followers about your industry, you’re establishing your authority and helping your audience at the same time, building trust. And adding a CTA in your caption (or as text at the end of your Reel) is a great way to drive traffic to your landing page.
- Drive sign-ups to a webinar – Since Instagram Reels get more reach than other feed posts, it’s important to use them to sell your course. Use both your video and the caption as a reminder to sign up for your webinar before it’s full, inspiring your followers to take action now so that they don’t miss out!
- Remind students when enrollment ends – Doors closing soon? Let your followers know! Since Instagram Reels are a fun way to consume content, you can get creative and let your audience know that time is running out to enroll in your online course.
- Share student wins – User-generated content is another great way to promote your course, without having to create your own content. You can share testimonials from students that they’ve posted, or ask them to submit a short video.
This reel from ilovecreatives pairs a cute video of a student completing their course, along with their testimonial in the caption. And if you haven’t noticed a theme yet – they also have a CTA that enrollment is closing soon!
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Depending on your business’s niche and goals, the types of content you might post on Reels will vary. We suggest exploring different content categories and doing a little experimentation to get a feel for what’s performing well and for the kind of Reels your target audience likes to engage with.
Creating Reels that stand out
In order to make sure that all the hard work you put into creating your Reel pays off, you’ll want to have your Reel stand out in terms of likes, comments, and views.
Here are a few more tips for creating Reels that are sure to stand out against your competition:
- Emphasize the importance of high-quality visuals and sound – this is the bare minimum to boosting exposure and keeping your audience engaged with your Reel
- Make sure to use trending audio and hashtags effectively – remember, it’s more effective to create a high-quality Reel without any trending sounds over a low-quality reels that is following the trends
- Keep your video engaging within the first 3 seconds – be sure to hook your audience right away (remember that humans have shorter attention spans than goldfishes!)
- Add captions can help improve your Reel’s accessibility – this will automatically help you expand and maximize your reach
- Leverage Instagram’s in-app editing tools such as text overlays, effects, and stickers – using their in-app tools will help your produce higher-quality Reels
Also, remember to let your personality shine and show your audience what makes you unique! This is what will help you form lasting connections and gain loyal followers.
Related: How Ellen Daly Sold Over 2000 Workshops in Less Than 4 Months Using Instagram
10 strategies to grow your business with Instagram Reels
While we’ve already gone over some valuable tips when it comes to expanding brand awareness using Reels, here are our top 10 strategies to keep in mind when implementing Reels into your business’s marketing strategy.
Hook your audience
The first few seconds of your Reel are super important – the goal should be to hook in your audience and get them to stop scrolling and keep watching your Reel!
Here are some key ways to create a hook and catch your viewer’s attention:
- Text – Add a captivating title or relevant text to your Reel
- Motion – Running up to the camera, waving your hands, or moving the camera can draw viewers in right away
- Language – If you’re talking to the camera, start your Reel with something like “Hey, you!” and then pose a question related to your online course, for example, like “Are you looking to grow your business?”
Once your viewers are engaged, then get into the purpose of your Reel.
Focus on authentic storytelling
Probably the most important tip when creating Reels for your brand is to stay true to you!
Consumers know when something isn’t authentic or genuine – this can create emotional distance and cause disconnection from your brand. Showing real moments can be a great way to engage in authentic storytelling and foster that lasting, emotional connection with your viewers.
For example, sharing some behind-the-scenes content is an effective way to humanize your platform, so that you don’t come across too sales-y.
Mix up your content by creating a fun Reel showing you working on your online course, like Natasha Samuels did to promote her masterclass.
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Also, having FUN with your Reels also shows your target audience the real you.
Course creator, Christina Galbato, uses Instagram Reels to create hilarious content that her followers and target market can relate to. People love to share things that make them laugh, and creating funny Reels can help you increase engagement and get more followers from people sharing your post, and yes, even go viral!
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Stay consistent
If you’re going to start creating Reels, commit to it!
While we previously stressed producing high-quality content, the goal is not to aim for perfection. Ultimately, posting low-quality content is better than not posting at all… and once you post more regularly, you’ll be able to fine-tune your creative processes as you go along.
Posting regularly also helps you stay relevant – this is especially important when you are creating Reels for marketing purposes for your brand. You’ll always want to remain in the back of your consumer’s mind.
Pro tip: Create a schedule to hold yourself accountable. If you make a plan to post three Reels a week, plan out which days you want to post and create your content ahead of time. This will help you be consistent.
Use captions, hashtags, and thumbnails
When creating Reels, don’t underestimate the power of captions, hashtags, and thumbnails.
Your caption is still very important when it comes to Reels, because while short-form videos are a fun way to catch your followers’ attention, the caption is where you can really expand on the concept in your video, provide more value, and SELL your followers on the reason they should purchase from you!
You can see how course creator Elise Darma used a Reels trend to communicate doors closing to her course, but the caption is really what shines. She gives all the details about her offering, along with what’s included in her course and reasons why it’s such a good value to buy the course now.
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And when it comes to being discovered by people who aren’t following you, using hashtags is an essential strategy to get more views on your Reels!
So don’t forget to add a few appropriate hashtags for your niche or industry into the caption. When people search the hashtag, your Reel has the potential to be featured on the Explore page and can bring potential customers to your Instagram account.
And last but not least, you can’t forget about your Reels cover photo, which is basically the thumbnail for your video. Instead of just choosing a cover from the Reel you recorded, go the extra mile by creating and uploading your own 9:16 cover image.
Make sure that you add captivating text in your cover photo – not only will this entice your followers to click on the Reel when they’re browsing your profile, but it will also encourage other people to click when they find your Reel on Explore, Hashtag, or Audio pages.
Utilize trends
We mentioned before that you don’t need to utilize trends to create successful Reels – however, if you are willing to try and keep up (and not take yourself too seriously while you’re at it – consumers like to see the genuineness and authenticity of brands), following trends can be a great way to get your content noticed.
A “trend” on Instagram Reels is basically a video concept, paired with a specific audio track, and sometimes a text overlay. Those three elements together make up a trend, which other users on Instagram can create and customize to make it their own. In case you were wondering, no, you don’t need to dance or point at things.
Following trends is valuable because the Instagram Reels algorithm will prioritize content that is trending at the moment. And unlike other sides of social media, it’s actually encouraged to “copy” these trends and add your own unique spin on them. Who knows, you could even go viral!
For example, if you use a song that’s popular and trending in your Reel, the Instagram algorithm will push it out to more people, especially those who have already engaged with Reels that use that specific song! Course creator, Natasha Samuels, utilized a trending audio to promote her masterclass and get her followers excited to enroll.
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This can also give you more exposure because all the videos for an audio are categorized together on the audio page. So when people click to view a popular audio track, they can also scroll through all the other videos who use that audio — including yours!
For example, this “Questions I Get Asked” Instagram Reels trend uses a specific audio track, hand gestures, and the concept is to answer common questions that people ask you using overlay text. To apply this as a course creator, you could answer common questions about your niche, industry, area of expertise, or you could answer FAQs about your course!
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Another common Instagram Reels trend is to create a “transition” and match it to the beat of the song, like the trend using the audio “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat. To apply this trend as a course creator, you could highlight a problem that your course solves by showing what the experience is like “before,” and then show a happy and excited “after” once they have taken your course and are armed with the solution!
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Watch this YouTube video to learn how to create smooth transitions for Instagram Reels.
You don’t need to get too fancy with trends! Sometimes, a trend can be as simple as just using a specific voice-over audio track or song and using that to create your own video.
Pro Tip: Utilize Instagram’s “save” feature and create a saved folder titled “Reels Inspo.” When you find a reel you like, click the save button so that you have some ideas to look through when you want to record your next reel.
Expand your reach across platforms
Reels can also serve as other posts for different social media outlets.
To gain even more exposure and reach with the Reel you create, share them to your Instagram Stories, as a post on Facebook, and across other social media platforms. You could even embed your Reel into your email marketing campaign or website to boost engagement.
The more exposure, the more likely Instagram will make your Reel visible to new accounts for you. Sharing your Reel across multiple channels is a good habit to get into to expose your brand to a wider audience.
Pro tip: Whenever you post, automatically share your Reel to your Instagram Stories and other channels so your Reel gets a lot of views right away.
Actively engage with your own Reels
An important part in creating Reels is engaging with them too! Not only does this boost engagement with your audience, this also triggers the algorithm to expose your Reel across other accounts as it’ll be deemed as a high-performing Reel.
Actively engaging with your Reels is beneficial for these reasons:
- Allows you to reach different accounts
- Improves discoverability
- Creates a sense of community
- Allows you to be favoured by the algorithm
You can engage with your own Reels by responding to comments on your video, sharing your Reel and getting others to share it, and tagging different users.
Collaborate with others
Once you get into the groove with creating different kinds of Reels, it could be a good idea to think about partnering with influencers or brands for a broader reach.
Collaborating with others can be a powerful tool for expanding your reach as a business. You can use Instagram collabs (or collaborative posts) to co-author Reels with other accounts. What this means is that the creator of a Reel can tag a collaborator, and if they accept it, the Reel will be shown on each person’s profile and be distributed to their followers in the Instagram feed and Reels tab.
If you create a Reel with a well-known creator who has great engagement with their followers, this collaboration could do wonders when it comes to forming connections with an outside audience! To facilitate this, we suggest staying active on your favourite content creator’s posts, eventually sending them a DM to form a mutually beneficial working relationship.
Use analytics and ad campaigns
To ensure your Reels are performing how you want them to, it’s important to analyze the data gathered from your Reels.
To view Instagram insights on your Reels, head to the “Reels” tab on your Instagram profile and click on the Reel that you want to view metrics for. From there, click on “View Insights.” You’ll then be able to see how many likes, comments, saves, shares, and follows that your Reel has generated.
Here are some other engagement and interaction metrics you’ll be able to view for your Reel:
- Views – The number of times your Reel starts to play or replays
- Watch time – The total amount of time your Reel was played (including replays)
- Accounts reached – The number of unique accounts that have viewed your Reel at least once, whether or not your reel was played (this is different from views)
- Average watch time – The average amount of time accounts spend playing your Reel (watch time divided by the number of initial views)
- Follows – This is how many accounts started following you after viewing your Reel
Tracking performance metrics will help you refine your strategy when it comes to creating Reels to market your brand.
Based on how well your Reel is performing, you might want to consider running ad campaigns, which can boost high-performing Reels. Instagram ads allow you to precisely target your consumers and deliver actionable insights to improve reach. The best part is, you can select a budget that fits your business goals and update it at any time.
Be adaptive and innovative
Lastly, when creating Reels, you want to be flexible!
Reels are a fun and creative way to express your unique personality or showcase how your brand stands out in an ocean of online competitors.
But remember, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to making Reels! In fact, the nature of Reels trends is that they give you a blueprint of video concepts to create – all you have to do is adapt the trend to your own niche and put your own creative spin on it.
Our tip is to not take yourself too seriously when creating Reels and to experiment with new features as they roll out. Also, be bold – who knows, maybe you could be the face of the next hot Reels trend!
Related: 9 Tactics for Running Successful Seasonal Marketing Campaigns + Bonus Tips
Conclusion
By now, you should have a good understanding of how to use Instagram Reels and the power they have to help you reach new audiences, market your business or promote your online course, and make some sales!
Instagram Reels are constantly evolving and changing, which makes it both fun and a bit challenging to keep up with.
As a recap, here are some common mistakes to avoid:
- Neglecting the power of authentic and genuine storytelling
- Ignoring trends or creating overly sales-focused content
- Failing to optimize captions, hashtags, or thumbnails
- Overloading Reels with information
- Producing poor-quality videos
Now that you know how to make videos for Instagram, it’s time to level up your marketing strategy by using Reels to build brand awareness and foster online growth. Happy creating!
This blog was originally posted in October 2021, it’s since been updated in December 2024 to include the newest information.
