Let’s talk more about Instagram Reels. I did a poll on my Instagram page and ⅔ of my followers are still not using Reels. So I want to talk more about what they are and how you can use them in a way that will make sense with your brand and will grow your business. I’m also going to go over your top questions about Instagram Reels. My hope is to get you making Instagram Reels regularly so your business can grow on Instagram. 

Now, let’s dive into the most pressing questions I’ve gotten about Instagram Reels 

“Will Reels make me look fake?”

I got a few questions that were similar to this. And so I wanted to address it here. I don’t want you to use Reels in a way that isn’t consistent with your brand. You may need to look outside what people are doing with Reels to have them work for you and your brand/business. If you believe that people are only dancing and snapping their fingers for quick changes on Instagram Reels, then you might think that Reels can’t work for you.

But what if you figured out that Reels are a way that you can repurpose your content? I know a photographer that takes landscape pictures. His entire Instagram feed is filled with beautiful landscape photography. Now, if he showed up on Reels and started dancing, it would be weird, right? Instead, he is using Reels to showcase his work in slideshows and he is setting it to music. Now, that’s not hard, right? 

Maybe you are a speaker, not a dancer, you can do a short video of one of your speeches. The whole key is to look at this opportunity and think of how you can use this platform to grow your business. There are so many different ways to use Reels! Don’t box yourself into one method. If you are using Reels, make them a part of your brand. 

“How many Instagram Reels is too many to post?”

This is one of the top questions about Instagram Reels that I have received. This person was saying on TikTok it’s good to post 3 times a day, and they were wondering how that works on Instagram. Now, remember that this is still Instagram, so their rules apply. My best advice is to test it out and see what works best for your audience. I’ve been doing 2 a day and that is working well for my audience. Mostly, don’t post your content and then hop off of Instagram completely. Instagram will always reward those who spend time on the platform. 

Let’s talk about the algorithm for just a minute. I know that some of you are nervous about using Reels to bump up your algorithm. I want to put some things into perspective for you. If you look at all of the changes that Instagram has made over the past few years, these are all happening because of user experience. Instagram’s whole goal is to keep you on the app.

So, anything that Instagram users are enjoying and spending time doing, are going to keep you up on the algorithm. A swipe through post with more than one picture will always do better than  a post with just one picture on it. Also, Instagram rewards early adopters. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Instagram will reward those who jump in and try the new features they release. If you use that new feature, they will push your content out to new audiences more. 

Instagram is here to stay

Another thing to think about is that Instagram is here to stay. I’m not going to say that they are never going to go out of business, but, let’s look at their history. Remember when Snapchat was really big a few years ago? Instagram looked at what they were doing and then introduced Instagram stories to compete with that platform. Then they looked at YouTube and added IGTV to compete with that platform. Now, they are looking at TikTok and seeing what people love about that platform and they are adding it to theirs. Instagram’s whole goal is to improve their user’s experience. They want to attract new users while also getting people to stay on their app. And don’t forget, you get to use this platform for free. Never before in history have we had access to this many people for free. 

Here is what your top questions about Instagram Reels should be:

1- How can I use Instagram Reels in my content strategy?

2 How can I make Reels easy to make and easy to repurpose?

You know that I am big on creating one core piece of content each week and using it on multiple platforms throughout the week. My core piece of content is my podcast. I take my podcast and I stretch it out to go out on my blog, email list, Instagram, YouTube, and now, Reels. Here’s what’s happening with Reels. It’s a really easy way to condense your content into an easily digestible format for your audience. If you are creating content with bullet points or a step by step guide, you can easily create a Reel out of that. This way, the Reels will support your core piece of content while also introducing people to your brand and business. 

For example, I have been talking about Reels for 3-4 weeks now. I have been talking about them a lot. I have talked about using Instagram Reels on my posts, my Instagram stories, an IGTV, and on my Reels themselves. 

Using Instagram Reels to support your core content

Recently I had someone comment on a post on my Instagram account where I was explaining Reels again, and she said, “I know you’ve been talking about this a lot, but seeing it in this post, now it finally made sense.”  Remember, you have all different sorts of people who follow you, they all learn in different ways, and they are all distracted. We have to take our message, our core piece of content, and we need to break it up into smaller pieces so more people can hear it, and they can hear it in the way they learn best. This way you can get all of your audience listening to you better.

 So I want you to figure out your core piece of content and see how Reels can support it. If it is a podcast, then what are 4 points you make in the podcast that can be summed up in 15 seconds? If your core content is a blog, what can you share that will get people wanting to read more on your website? You can do this. It doesn’t have to feel weird. In fact, it should feel very deliberate. It should feel very on brand. 

What do you do with your Instagram Reels after you post?

Once you have created your first Reel or two, I want you to take that content and I want you to put it on Pinterest. Why? Because Pinterest has changed their algorithm and they are supporting video content. Reels are perfect for this! You are going to get a lot of traction by posting that Instagram Reel on Pinterest. And your Reel is going to lead back to your core piece of content. Do you see the circle we are making? 

Reels are just another tool in your tool belt. They don’t have to be everything. I’m pushing them really hard right now because now is the time to reap the benefits of being an early adopter. But if you’re reading this in a few months, this information will still benefit you. You just need to make sure that you are creating Reels that are on brand and that you are trying this feature on Instagram. You do need to know how to do an Instagram Reel because it’s a good tool to have in your tool belt as part of your social media marketing plan. 

I hope this post is helpful when it comes to your top questions about Instagram Reels. There is so much to gain from trying this new feature. At the very least, you can have some fun! Be sure to follow me on Instagram for more tips about using Instagram Reels in your social media marketing strategy. Don’t forget about my business coaching group, Money Makers, where I teach you how to use the content you are creating to make more money and grow your business! Find out more here. 

And for more information about Instagram Reels, check out these posts:

My Ultimate Guide to Instagram Reels

How to Use Instagram Reels in Your Business

Troubleshooting Instagram Reels