We’ve recently covered Instagram Shopping and how you can grow your business and open shop on Instagram. Today, we’ll focus on how you can make Reels on Instagram to Increase your followers.
In 2016 TikTok launched, but it only went viral on a global scale in the last couple of years, with a huge boost during the pandemic. Instagram tagged along on the ride and launched Reels as competition for that very profitable market.
Reels is a relatively new feature to Instagram, released in 2020 as a response to other similar apps. You can create short, 15 to 30 second videos of all kinds of content, with the potential to reach millions of views in a short period of time.
Of course, to make that happen, you need some knowledge on the subject and how to ride the current trends. We’re here to show you just how to do that.
Why you should be using Reels
You might already have tons of followers, or you’re just starting a new account. I have good news, you can apply this strategy in both cases.
Everyone sees you
Content from your regular posts has a chance to pop up on the Explore page, and this is great, but in most cases, it only shows up for your current followers.
With Reels things are different, as your videos will show up for people who haven’t interacted with you before. Users targeted by the algorithm are usually interested in your content based on your hashtag management.
You see where I’m going with this. There is huge potential for growth using this strategy.
You have a change of being featured
Note that this does not happen often, but as it is a possibility I decided to include it here.
Reels you post may be featured on the Explore page. As I said, it’s rare, but if this happens you’ll know that your content has gone viral and followers will start flowing in more than ever.
How do you make reels on Instagram to increase your followers?
Introduce yourself
If you had 30 seconds to introduce your brand, how would you do it?
It’s important to cause a great first impression. Whether you’re a photographer, a cook, or a jeweler, you have to show your work somehow.
We recommend a video showing who you are, why you do what you do, how you ended up there, and a few examples of your product or service. Yeah, that is a lot, we know. But if you plan ahead and spend some time preparing the content I’m sure you’ll make something incredible.
You can check out this awesome guide on product showcasing for your Reels.
Don’t repost videos from other platforms
Instagram reduces the priority of content that comes with watermarks or low quality.
Even if you use multiple platforms, it’s imperative that you record the video using your camera to avoid watermarks and ensure maximum video quality.
Post informative content
Just as you’re reading this article to get more information, users enjoy learning new things. Those short videos are awesome because of that.
Consider showing how you do your work, the science behind it, and how people can get started in that niche.
If you’re a cook or a food enthusiast, post your recipes, tell them where it comes from and why you love it. Maybe you have that one food you used to eat as a child that your Korean grandma made so well and it reminds you of your childhood. This is at the same time informative, fun, and emotional, the perfect combination for social media.
Take the example from Coca Cola:
Take risks and start a challenge
Social media is all about trends, and while you have to be on top of them, you also have the option to start a new one.
For example, I interact with a lot of content from the techno community and @das.techno.team started teaching users how to perform moves. This caused people to try it on their own and post videos tagging them.
They also got a ton of requests for more videos, which they constantly upload.
You have to know what is trending right now
Take this trend for example. Artists are using this audio to share their work on Reels.
The video encourages them to share what they are working on right now and over 4.500 people shared their version.
If you’re an artist, be sure to check out the trending hashtags and Reels so you can reproduce the content that is viral, this enhances the chance of being featured.
Be real with your audience
We all see beautifully made content all the time, and at the same time, we know that sometimes the creator has to record 100 shots for a single video. Users are looking for authentic content.
This can be your bloopers included in the video or a short guide on how to shoot and edit that awesome photo. Doing things like this shows the “human” side of social media, after all, you’re not just showing a character on screen.
Takeovers
If you’re running a brand, takeovers are an awesome way to create reels on Instagram.
What are takeovers? Basically, you hand over the account for an employee, influencer, or celebrity and they will post several videos showing their daily routine including something your brand sells, how they do their job and what they do.
Influencers have a huge impact on takeovers, even more than celebrities (and they are a lot cheaper to hire) as their follower base tends to be more active.
If you run the brand yourself, you can also do this. You can post this as Reels, but stories are awesome too!
Overall, users love takeovers because it involves sharing personal aspects of the business, and the unscripted content keeps things real.
Promote your products
Reels are brief, to say the least. But isn’t it the type of material that consumers are willing to devote right now? On their workplace desk, not everyone wants to view a 30-minute film.
Explore this opportunity to make creative short videos that showcase your products, apply what you’ve read here so far and you’re good to go.
Finishing up
I hope this article helped you understand how using reels will help you grow your followers.
I bet that in no time you’ll be getting new people checking out your content and even buying your products.
Red is the content creator for this blog, working directly with the Nitreo team, he aims to help clients and Instagram users to optimize their content and metrics. He is also a photographer obsessed with urban photography and portraits, so you can expect a few posts about Instagram photography from time to time as well.
Red has worked as a Portuguese translator and interpreter for over 7 years, he also felt really weird writing this bio in the third person.