I’ve talked a little before about what Instagram Reels are and how to use them, but let’s talk more in depth about how Instagram Reels can work for you. Here is my ultimate guide to Instagram Reels and how I have used them to grow my business on Instagram.
In case you haven’t heard about Reels, they are a new feature on Instagram. They are available to everyone, not just influencers or businesses. Instagram is fighting back at TikTok and has introduced Reels to encourage Instagram users to spend more time on the app.
If you love viewing TikTok’s 15 second videos, you will enjoy watching Instagram Reels, too! Instagram is offering similar editing options to TikTok’s editing capabilities, and content creators on Instagram are having a lot of fun playing around with this new feature!
If you’ve never made an Instagram Reel before, here’s how you do it:
*For a step by step video instruction on how to make your first Reel, click here!
1: Open your Instagram Stories camera and find the Reels icon among the options banner on the bottom of your screen.
2: Once you click the Reels option, you are given the opportunity to-
- Select your audio clip by tapping the music icon
- Choose the speed of your video by pressing the play icon
- Decide the length of your clips by selecting the stopwatch icon. If you set a timer, there’s a helpful countdown timer that will appear before the recording begins.
- Choose your special effects and filters. You can have a lot of fun with this!
3: At this point, you can either choose to record a new video, or upload one you previously recorded off of your phone. Similar to TikTok, you have the option to stop and start your recording multiple times during your 15-second video by pressing and holding the record button.
4: Once you like your video, you can edit it and add stickers, text, etc. The same sticker/GIF/text menu that is available in Instagram stories is also available for Reels.
5: When you are done with everything, you can edit the cover photo with a video thumbnail or you can add a cover photo from your camera roll. Remember, this is the first image everyone viewing your Reel will see, so choose your cover photo/thumbnail wisely!
6: It’s time to share your first Instagram Reel with the world! You have a few different choices at this point. You can share the video to your Stories, the Explore feed on Instagram (this is only an option with a public account), and to the new Reels tab that is on your profile. Reels live in their own feed so they are easily found by your followers.
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Now that you know how to create your first Instagram Reel, let’s talk about what happens after that!
Ultimate Guide to Instagram Reels and How to Grow Your Business With Reels
The next thing you need to be thinking about in my ultimate guide to Instagram Reels is how you can use Instagram Reels to grow your business. Adding Reels to your Instagram marketing strategy is a very smart move! With Reels being a new feature on Instagram, the platform is rewarding those who try it out quickly.
What this means for you:
If you take the time to create your first Instagram Reels now, while the feature is still new, Instagram will push your content out for more people to view it. This means that your reach and audience insights will increase. When you are a business owner it’s a good idea to take advantage of free advertising, if you can! Instagram is essentially giving you free advertising space for your business by sharing your content with new and existing customers.
For example, 2 weeks ago I started sharing Reels on my Instagram account. At this time, Reels had just launched and were still very new. Because I made a few Reels at the very beginning, Instagram encouraged my followers to view my Instagram Reels by showing them to over 50% of my followers. That’s a huge reach! Normally, it’s estimated that about 3%-5% of your followers see your content on a regular basis. That’s just the ratio of social media marketing. When I saw the huge jump in my numbers on my Instagram analytics, I was pretty amazed. Let’s just say it encouraged me to continue making Reels!
Now, what should you share as a business owner?
Here are a few ideas for creating content on Instagram Reels.
1: Share Educational Content
Think about what you offer as a business and brand. What can you share in 15 seconds or less? It’s not very much time, but it is a great opportunity to get your message across quickly and clearly. So what can you educate your audience on in 15 seconds?
- Are you a makeup artist? Share a quick makeup tip!
- Do you sell plants? Share how often to water your favorite indoor plant!
- Are you a baker? What’s your number one tip for great cookies?
Do you see how easy it is? Sit down and write a list of quick tips and information that you can share to educate your audience about your brand and your business. I bet you’ll be surprised at how much content you can create!
Check out this Reel for more ideas!
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2: Showcase Your Products
Do you sell a physical product? If you do, Instagram Reels is an amazing way to showcase your products. Since Reels are being shared on the Explore page a lot, you can reach new customers easily and quickly by creating Instagram Reels about your products. Share your newest offerings in a fun and creative way and watch what happens!
3: Create Content that is Authentic and Resonates with Your Audience.
The most important thing to remember is that your audience wants to get to know you. Gone are the days where we did business out of the Yellow Pages (did I just date myself?). Now, your customers want to know the face and life behind the brand and business they are buying from. If you market to moms, they want to know how your business will help them in their busy life as a mom. Instagram Reels will be a fresh way to share snippets of your daily life as a mom. This will help you to relate to your audience better and will create brand loyalty.
Here’s a quick Reel I did introducing myself to my new audience!
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Why I Love Using Instagram Reels in My Business
I love helping women business owners build stronger businesses while raising their babies. That’s my passion. I can use Instagram Reels to showcase my life as a mom and how it has made me a better business owner. This builds trust between me and my audience and helps them to see that their dreams are possible.
I’m really excited to see how Instagram Reels can help me grow my business and reach new audiences. There is so much growth available for all of us! The world is not as big as it used to be before the Internet. Now, you can grow a business from your home and reach people across the globe.
I hope you take the information in my ultimate guide to Instagram Reels and utilize it to build your business bigger, better, and more effective than it has been in the past. You deserve to be successful!
If you’d like more business coaching from me, join my Money Makers Coaching Group! It’s hosted on a completely new app called Channels by Marco Polo. We have a great group of women business owners who are working hard and supporting each other along the way. Plus, you get me in your ear every day sharing my expertise to help you reach your business goals. Check it out here. I can’t wait for you to join us!
This piece helped alot as I was feeling numb about what to post on my Instagram Reel. You just summed it up simply!