Reels lets you record short 15 second to 30 second clips, which are set music – similar to how TikTok works. With this latest feature, Instagram opens up a new way for content creators and brands to create video content that is highly engaging and super fun. Videos made with Reels can be posted on to the relevant section on your profile, as well as uploaded to your Stories. As well as being available in the United States, Reels is also available in 50 more countries across the world.
Why Reels?
The reason behind Instagram’s decision to introduce Reels is solely based on the recent popularity of TikTok with users globally. During the first financial quarter of 2020, TikTok recorded the most ever downloads for any smart phone application. Although it was first used by Gen Z, it has now become increasingly popular with millenials and so has become much more attractive to advertisers.
How To Create A Reel?
Found in the Stories menu on Instagram, Reels are made by pressing the appropriate option. From there, you can select the piece of audio that you want to record your video to. In the options you can select the speed (.3x, .5x, 1x, 2x, 3x) at which you want the video to play, along with how long you want it to play for (15 or 30 secs). Once you have done this, you are then presented with the option of adding effects, in the form of augmented reality (AR) filters. After doing all of this, you are ready to record your video.
Similar to how you can on TikTok, with Reels you are able to start and stop the recording as many times as you want. This allows you to create multiple different styles of videos. Once you have finished recording your video can either trim it down or delete it altogether depending on how happy you are with the finished article.
Why Use Reels?
As well as being a really fun thing to do, Reels can also be utilized by influencers and brands in order to grow their presence on instagram. However, using Reels is not the only way in which you can really grow your following. The guys at Social Meep can use organic growth strategies, along with their automation tool to really boost your audience.
Some of the best brands and influencers out there at fully utilizing the advertising capabilities of Reels include, Sephora France, Louis Vuitton, My Paris Portraits, FastandFood, and Junesixtyfive. This is because the content that they produce really resonates with their audience, shares educational content, and showcases their products.
Where Is Reels Heading?
It is likely that Reels will have the same fate of Instagram Stories, where by it became highly adopted by the platform’s users and is now considered one of the main features on there.