Instagram Reels is a great new feature released by Instagram last year. The feature is said to be Instagram’s way of competing with TikTok’s popularity and a way to create similar content within the Instagram platform. Since Instagram aims to be at the top of mind when it comes to social networking platforms, the decision makes a lot of sense. 

But what is the best way to use this feature for your brand or business? Not all Insta videos (or TikTok videos, for that matter) are about choreography or music. Especially since the pro account doesn’t have a music option yet, you’ll likely find other ways to use these videos.

Here are some  ideas for Instagram content: 

Behind the scenes 

Share what’s happening behind the scenes! It will bring you a lot of benefits. For example, your brand can be considered trustworthy because your audience can watch the whole process even before the final product is made available to the public! 

User Generated Content 

You can start by teaming up with a few influencers to create a mini video of them using your product or service. Another idea is to ask your audience to submit their videos through an engaging online contest. 

Video tutorials 

Teach people  to use your product or become more efficient and/or more effective  using it. For example, if you have a clothing line, buy one of your products and teach people  to wear it over and over again. 

Product placement 

Show a video of your product or service in action. For example, if you sell bagels, invite people to eat your bagels in a delicious way. Or, if you sell hats, showcase them via video. This will give more confidence as many people are afraid to buy online because of the uncertainties these products can bring.

Also note that most people watching the video won’t read your captions. So keep it short and if you have a call to action (CTA) or key points to make in your post, it’s best to include them in your video as text/subtitles.

But why is it essential to use film reels as one of your content marketing strategies? Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, said he wants to enter the video space to compete directly with TikTok. He also added that Instagram is now focusing more on video formats on their platform. 

With that in mind, how do we trick the algorithm into working in our favor? It is important to attract. Our stories should entice people to watch till the end, like, comment and visit the audio page to create their own story. Start by doing an a/b testing on your social media channels to see what appeals to your audience the most, and also spend some time looking at your competitors to see what works for them. This way you will be able to form a  strategy based on data on what will work for you. Remember that your audience is unique to you, so you can’t copy and paste what others are doing. 

As the holiday season approaches, let’s take a look at a case study by TJ Maxx. In 2020,  TJX Company intends to end a successful year by partnering with celebrities in the community and spreading holiday cheer. 

The home-fashion retailer is one of the leading companies to leverage Instagram’s Reels format for an influencer campaign. The company launched the #CarolForACause campaign intending to increase awareness, positive brand sentiment and engagement. This was done by spreading joyous messaging and holiday cheer through the combined reach of their chosen influencers and raising funding through audience participation. The influencer they chose has an individual reach above 400,000 followers, including Meghan Trainor, Pentatonix, and Sofia Reyes. When you open the caption, each influencer includes a call-to-action (CTA) with subtle modifications. For example, asking the audience to record their own carol on their Instagram Reels with the #CarolForACause tag. The result? This campaign had a 10.10% engagement rate with 1,908 hashtag use and 1,208,886 views. 

This is not the only way to use Instagram’s video features, of course. We truly believe that if you try the four free tips we have provided in this article, you too can increase your reach and grow your followers. 

Reels is definitely a new free tool that you can utilise to promote and increase brand awareness through social media marketing channels. However, let’s say you have questions or need help creating engaging, high-quality content. Then we at Digital Squad, a digital marketing agency in Auckland are more than happy to help! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us for more information!