What are Reels?
Reels are Instagram’s version of TikTok videos. They’re short, 15-60 second videos that can be paired with music, and other fun effects. They show up in their own section of your instagram feed, you can share them to your story, and they will show up in the pool of reels on the reels explore feed if you’re not private.
The algorithm is similar to that of Tik Tok’s, taking into account your preferences and how you have interacted with other videos. For example, if you tend to stay longer on videos of dogs and comment, or like videos of dogs, more dog videos will show up in your feed.
Reels are new and intimidating to many, especially if you’re not tech savvy. However, that shouldn’t hold you back from dabbling in Reel creation.
The data does the talking
The reason why you have probably found yourself scrolling through reels profusely is because video content is addicting. We talk about this all the time… consumers LOVE video! No matter who your target audience is, the fact is that everyone prefers to watch videos. Now it’s figuring out how you can leverage your resources to put video content in front of your customers.
One of the easiest, zero-cost ways to do so is by making reels. These videos can be recycled on Tik Tok and Facebook if you’d like. The upside to posting Reels is that they get dumped into the world wide pool of reels that can be fed to thousands of people who aren’t already following you. This is a great way to increase exposure, your reach, and hopefully create engagement with your brand.
You might find these video stats interesting:
Across platforms, Reels receive 22% more engagement than regular videos. (Growthoid)
66% of people said they’d prefer to watch a short video to learn about a product or service. 18% would rather read a text-based article, website, or post. (Elite Content Marketer)
Video generates more engagement than any other content type on Instagram. (Mention)
The number one way customers are moving from discovering a brand to purchasing its products is video ads. (Animoto)
Should you try out Reels?
The answer is YES. If social media is one avenue for engaging customers and increasing brand awareness, then we suggest trying out reels. You don’t need to be an expert and they don’t need to be professionally shot and edited videos. More sophisticated brands have found a way to leverage the Reel feature. Chiropractic offices, attorneys, Loui Vuiton, and others are getting millions of views on their videos.
Don’t know where to start? Here are some next steps to get started with Reels.
- Find someone in house or outsourced that can do the handiwork of creating the Reels
- Do some scrolling on your Instagram Reel feed and Tik Tok feed to get a feel for trending sounds and video concepts
- Checkout these best practices
- Create a list of reel video ideas or sounds you’d like to use. Start scheduling these out, so you know what’s coming.
- Post at least once a week to start out
- Get inspiration from other brands. We really enjoy SkedSocial’s instagram reels.
As always we are here to help at Gray Digital Group! If you are interested in creating reels but dont know how or dont have the man power to execute them, we can work with you to boost your social media strategy.
Connect with us today!
Sources:
https://explain.ninja/blog/20-video-marketing-statistics-2020/
