What is Instagram Reels and How Can Your Brand Use It?

Instagram Reels is a brand new way to create fun and engaging video content. In the latest on ‘things, no one asked for but are here anyway’ is Instagram Reels. This is the freshest feature of Instagram, poised to compete with TikTok in entertaining and engaging audiences through short clips. It’s Facebook’s second attempt at trying to beat TikTok at its game after it shut down the Lasso app last year.

What is Instagram Reels, you ask? It pretty much works like TikTok but since it’s on Instagram, you don’t need to download a different app to create short video clips with music and effects. It’s a bit like the Story feature but requires the use of the in-app camera and has a series of more sophisticated tools.

Reels will let you put music and AR effects into your clips as well as slow down or speed up the playback speed. It also has an align tool, replicating the jump cuts that TikTok is widely known for.

What makes Reels an excellent marketing tool, however, is the way they’ve shared. Instead of putting the output on your followers’ feeds, each Reel is automatically uploaded to the Reels page of the Explore section of Instagram. This provides better visibility and a wider reach. You also have the option to post it on your main feed and create a section for your clips in your profile just like IGTV posts.

With such amazing potential, it would be a shame if your brand can’t take advantage of this free feature. As Facebook actively limits organic connections between followers and brands, this might be an excellent way to engage your market without spending too much.

But how do you do just that? Here are some tips:

1. Get on it ASAP

Jumping in early on this feature will let you take advantage of the fresh real estate. Give it a go as soon as you can so you can tap the market with fewer competition. Not every brand will be ready to try Reels right away so you’ll have the advantage among the early users.

2. Create high-quality content

Like with your other social media platforms, it’s crucial to always create high-quality content. Being an early user is not an excuse for providing low-quality content. It can also affect the reputation of your brand so make sure to only post well-thought-out clips.

3. Get to know the app better

According to some early users and experts, the learning curve of the Instagram Reels is pretty steep so you need to get to know it better if you want to make the most out of it. Using this feature incorrectly can have an opposite effect on your brand. You want to be an early adapter and not an out-of-touch enterprise so make sure to do the grunt work if you wish to use this new feature.

4. Familiarize yourself with the latest trends

Knowing what your target audience wants is essential if you want to make the most out of Instagram Reels. However, this can be a challenge since the feature is very new. There might not be enough users to clue you in on what your market wants right away. However, spending a bit more time on the app will always help you so make sure to get to know it better in order to take full advantage of what it can offer.

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