Instagram Reels Are A Fun Way To Experiment With Viral Style Video Content Within The Instagram Platform
One of the best things about Instagram reels is that they really are a blank canvas for your creativity.
Instagram reels are similar to TikTok and that’s intentional by the way. 😏
Reels let you create short videos set to music that can be shared with friends and followers which makes them a whole lot of fun to do & to consume quickly as they are just 15 seconds long.
A New Way To Build Your Following
Social media is the number one way right now to build a following for your brand whether you consider yourself to be an influencer or not.
If you are looking for a new way to attract a following Instagram Reels are a great opportunity to take advantage of the revamped Explore page on the Instagram platform which has Reels at the top of the screen for people to scroll through which is similar to TikTok’s “For You Page.”
Having never created an Instagram Reel before (TikTok is just not my thing) I was amazed to get over 3,000 views on my first reel straight out the gate. 😁
The only question is how on earth do I find the time to do Instagram Reels along with everything else?
Well, here’s how I made Instagram Reels in less than 6 minutes and how I’ll be making more in the future.
Tools You Will Need:-
Now you can use the Instagram Reel maker on your phone if you wish & follow the format. I just prefer to use a desktop for most things so I’m using:-
- CANVA.com (my favourite online design tool)
- Animoto.com (or any video editing tool that you like)
- Music of your choice (or your royalty free music that you use for your brand) AudioJungle.net have a great selection at reasonable prices if you want to explore more.
With 15 Seconds Per Instagram Reel Break Your Video Down Into 4 x 3-4 Second Slides Or Takes
Instagram reels should be short, snappy & deliver your tip, topic, or dance routine/mime/message to music within the 15-second timeframe.
If you think about a short carousel-type post for content you won’t go far wrong & if you are not comfortable being the star of the reel yourself, this is a good workaround to test & measure your response without it taking up hours and hours of your time.
Start With A Canva Story Template & Think About Your Instagram Reel Tip or Topic
Some topic ideas for creating stories & reels that are quick & easy to do include:-
- 3 Favourites
- Good Morning questions
- This or That
- Behind the scenes
- Inspiration
- Challenge
- Before and After
- Bestsellers
- Tell a story
- Feature your customers
- Throwback
In this example, we’ll create a 3 Favourite Books story to share on both Instagram & Facebook page stories.
1. Create 3 Images At Instagram Stories Size 1080px x 1920px
I’ll be creating an Instagram Reel that features 3 of my favourite productivity books:-
The One Thing by Gary Keller
Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt
Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt
2. You Will Also Need An Intro Slide & An Outro Slide
Your intro slide should tell your viewers what is coming up in the Instagram Reel and the outro slide should include a Call To Action such as “leave a comment below”, “check the link in the bio” or “visit my store today.”
3. Once You Have Created Your Images In Canva Upload Them To Graphic Stories Template in Animoto (Or Use The Reels App On Your Phone)
If you haven’t stumbled across Animoto before it’s really useful video creation software that allows for maximum creativity when creating marketing videos.
It’s also perfect for personal use too.
You can use the free editor (it will be Animoto branded) to get you started.
For my Instagram Reels, I’m using the GOLDEN LUXURY design in Animoto and using royalty-free music that I picked up from PremiumBeat.com.
4. Once You Have Uploaded Your Slides & Selected Your Music Select Export To Create Your Video
Animoto will produce a video in both High-quality HD format (1080p) and standard format (720p) which you can share or download and share to Instagram Reels.
The Finished Instagram Reel
Summary
- Instagram Reels are a fun way to experiment with video content aimed at building your brand and your following on Instagram.
- With just 15 seconds to capture people’s attention it’s a great way to give a quick glimpse of what type of content someone who follows you is likely to receive & / or offer tips & entertainment for viral content to boost visibility.
- If you haven’t got the luxury of a dedicated media team you will want to keep production time on Instagram Reels to as little as possible to fit your schedule. Always test & measure everything first before dedicating more time to any new strategy.
- Use Canva stories templates to create simple reels in a slideshow / video format.
- Animoto now does a brilliant template for stories & reels in literally minutes that turns your slides into a super star little video. Part of the fun aspect of Instagram Reels is the music so make sure it’s upbeat & positive.
Be kind, stay positive & believe in yourself!
