The Real About Instagram Reels

Instagram has something brand-new up its sleeve, and they’ve finally shared it with the world. Instagram launched Reels on August 5, 2020, describing this all-new feature as “a new way to create and discover short, entertaining videos on Instagram”. Reels allows Instagram users to record and edit 15-second video clips, easily pair the edited-together clips with the music of their choice, and share them with their followers. Insta Reels can be posted to users’ Stories and main profiles. They can be discovered via Instagram’s Explore Feed—which now includes a specific Reels Explore Feed— and can also be accessed through a brand-new Reels tab that now appears on every Insta user’s profile. We’ve tested it and we have our views.

IG Reels is definitely entertaining, but its launch also opens up a host of marketing opportunities for small and large businesses that utilize popular social networking platforms to promote their products and services. So what is Instagram Reels all about? More importantly, what can this all-new feature on one of the world’s most popular and prominent social media platforms do for you and your business? If you’re curious about Insta’s all-new short video posting feature, here are 5 things you need to know about Instagram Reels. 

1. They’re Familiar 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, you’ve probably heard of TikTok before—you might even be an avid TikTok user yourself. Instagram Reels are very similar to TikTok content, which revolves around users recording and posting short edited video clips that are often set to music. 

The massive growth of TikTok’s popularity has demonstrated how appealing short, entertaining and informal video clips are for social media users. Insta Reels allows Instagram users to enjoy the same concept on which TikTok is based, but on a social media platform that is more established and accessible—especially for businesses. 

2. They’re Easy to Personalize 

Instagram offers an almost endless host of options for users when creating and editing their Reels. This extreme customization allows users to make their Reels their own and post very personalized content to their profiles.

Instagram users can customize the speed of their Reels when recording and apply different effects to the clips they record. They can also apply filters, stickers, and text to each clip during the editing process. When pairing a Reel to music, Insta users can choose between a huge library of popular music or upload music from their own audio library. 

3. They’re Informal 

Much like TikTok videos, Instagram Reels are designed to be creative, fun, and informal. The purposeful informality of Insta Reels allows businesses to hone their own unique voices on Instagram. Many Insta users feel like the photos they post on their profile have to look perfect. That’s not the case for Insta Reels. Even the Reels you use for marketing don’t have to be carefully curated and painstakingly edited to be just right. 

You can piece Insta Reels together. In fact, piecing them together is kind of the point. Take advantage of Insta Reels to record content that shows off your business’s voice and helps viewers get to know your business and recognize the humanity within it. Businesses that showcase their unique voices are able to more easily gain the trust and confidence of their potential customers, which in turn increases business and profits. 

4. They’re Everywhere 

Instagram Reels debuted on August 5, 2020 in the United States and 50 other countries around the world. That means that the content you post on Instagram Reels could reach millions of people in different countries around the world. That expansive reach can be very valuable for many businesses, especially businesses that offer products and services that can be shipped long-distance or performed remotely. 

In addition to being available in more than 50 different countries, Instagram Reels is also very easy to access. In fact, Instagram almost makes it difficult to not watch Reels. They have promoted their all-new feature with a brand-new Instagram Reel Explore Feed and a Reels tab on all users’ profiles. These new features encourage Insta users to watch more Reels, which increases the chances that your Reels will get more attention.

5. They’re Diverse 

One of the best things about Instagram Reels—especially for businesses—is how diverse they can be. When creating an Instagram Reel, your choices are virtually endless. 

You can create Reels to showcase new products, share educational content with your viewers, show off behind-the-scenes footage of the products you design or the services you perform, etc. etc.. It’s all up to you. 

Instagram Reels can help take your marketing strategies to the next level this year. Major brands including Sephora, Louis Vuitton, and many others are already taking advantage of this brand-new feature to post promotional content on their official Instagram accounts. Follow their lead to revitalize your social media marketing campaign and breathe new life into your business with Instagram Reels.