3 Tips To Start Growing Your Audience Today With Instagram Reels!
IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY JUMPED INTO THE WORLD OF INSTAGRAM REELS, IT’S TIME!
Instagram Reels are here to stay. This fun new way to create short, sweet and engaging video content presents you with so much opportunity for growth and connection. So, if you’ve been meaning to give Reels a try but don’t know where to start, read on.
Before you throw your hands up at the thought of tackling another new social media “thing”, hear me out! With a little planning and some strategy, Reels can be fun to make and can put your content in front of brand new audiences. It all starts with choosing the right content, making the most of trends, and using your captions and hashtags to extend that reach!
Choosing the right content for Reels.
Think of Reels as the place when your Instagram stories and feed meet. It’s the best of both worlds. The perfect blend between business marketing and personal connection.
To make great Reels content, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Take a look back through your most popular posts and stories to see what content really engages your audience. That is your sweet spot. Making Reels gives you a chance to present that same type of content in a new way! To new people!
Some examples of Reels content that is popular and lends itself to both service and product-based businesses include:
- Before and After transformations
- Showing your audience your process or workflow
- Giving people a little look behind the scenes
- Offering snack-sized tips and education
- Demonstrating how a product is used
- Highlighting the benefits of a service
Look at the content you have planned for the week (or month) and see which posts could be made into a Reel. If you can, film them in advance. While you can’t schedule Reels to post automatically, you can save them as drafts complete with caption and hashtags so they are ready to go!
Reach New Audiences By Having Fun With What’s Trending
Whether you are just starting out with Reels or are looking to break out and reach a whole new audience, look for inspiration by checking out the latest trends. Because they are so hot right now, Instagram is favouring Reels in both keyword and hashtag searches. You can also hit the Reels icon at the bottom of your screen and swipe up to your heart’s content.
Here are a few examples of some fun trends even a Reels beginner can hop right into!
- The 1-2-3 reveal! In this trend, users are tapping or knocking on the camera until, finally, POOF! A transformation is revealed.
- Introduce yourself with Reels! Choose a fun song and move and groove while pointing to text boxes with little “about me” details.
- Lip-synching to a favourite part of a TV show or movie is always good for a laugh and can build personal connection as well as brand voice!
Not every trend will be a fit for your business, and that’s O.K. As with any content you create you want to make sure it fits your brand! That being said, don’t be afraid to try something new – especially if it means getting your content seen by a wider audience. Your first few Reels might be SUPER awkward but you’ll find your groove in no time.
Caption and Hashtag Tips For Growing Your Audience With Reels
Growing your audience with Reels is a two-step process. First, you have to choose the right content and make a fun, inspiring, or educational Reels video. The second part is making sure people see it! For that, you need to use your captions and hashtags strategically.
If your Reels video is focused on connection and fun, you can keep your caption short and sweet. It should tell people what they are going to see and include a call to action if you want the viewer to follow up. Ideally, the video content will speak for itself! No lengthy caption needed. The same goes for your hashtags. Choose a few “big ticket” hashtags (#hashtags that have more than 500,000 uses) that highlight the trend you are jumping on or the main theme of the post.
If your Reels video is meant to educate, promote a service or product, or spark specific engagement then go for it and write a full post caption and hashtag set. Remember, you can use up to 30 hashtags per post. That’s a lot of opportunity to expand your reach and get your content seen by potential customers! Include hashtags that are specific to your location and industry. While you’re at it, include a few “big ticket” tags to mix things up, too.
Are you ready to grow your audience with Reels?
Now that you have some ideas for how to jump in and start creating engaging content with Instagram Reels, you’re ready to start connecting and growing your audience. Don’t forget, social media is about getting social. Reels is one more tool you have to create engaging content that connects and converts.
