As social media evolves, platforms create new “content types” and then give pages that utilize them special advantages. TikTok built its entire platform on short, engaging videos, and Instagram was quick to realize the massive opportunity in copying that content type for themselves.
So Reels were born, and Instagram’s algorithm started heavily benefiting pages and creators who use them.
Why Do Instagram Reels Matter for Your Business?
You may be reading this thinking, “So what? Who cares if Instagram has another content type for me to learn?!”
When Reels were first introduced, that is exactly how I felt about them. But, in time I realized something crucial.
As the algorithm gives more favor to one content type, it means that other content types perform worse than they used to. Failing to learn the latest and greatest content type meant that I was holding back the growth on every account we manage. And that just wouldn’t do.
To teach you how to create the best Instagram Reels would take a lot more space than one article, so the purpose of this blog post is to open your eyes to the value of Reels and give you advice to begin your journey with them.
How Reels Can Impact Your Instagram Growth
You now know that Instagram Reels will impact your page growth because Instagram is currently favoring this content type. This means you have to put energy into producing reels.
But first, I want to show you some data about the impact Reels can have compared to a normal post. After all, it’s a lot easier to put energy into learning something new if you can get a taste for the possibilities!
Look at the reach on this Reel:
Compare that to the reach on these three posts from the same account:
Reaching 5,000 people is a significant improvement over reaching less than 100! It’s worth noting that these three posts are all tests, where we’re trying new things for this specific account. Obviously, the July 20 post didn’t pass the test!
I’ve seen this same type of increased reach in every account where we tested Reels. The results were so conclusive that we updated our standards to make sure every account is now getting at least one Reel per week.
Identify and Use Trending Audio in Instagram Reels
If you spend some of your free time on Instagram, it’s likely you’ve watched Reels that are using trending audio. These Reels may include the creator doing a voice-over to a well-known comedian’s routine or a specific song that just keeps getting used in the Reels you’re watching.
To get the best performance from Reels, incorporate trending audio!
Because this is a fluid content type, I’m going to point you to YouTube to learn the best way to find trending sounds and audio:
As you can see, a simple search will produce some fantastic videos helping you dominate the audio portion of your Instagram Reels.
The Key to Reels Is to Keep Doing Them
The final key to generating Instagram growth through Reels is the simplest but also the hardest — you have to keep doing them!
It’s simple, because deep down you know there are big benefits from producing Reels consistently.
It’s hard, because honestly a lot of your Reels are not going to perform nearly as well as you’d hoped.
For example, here’s a screenshot of some other Reels from the same account:
Compared to the 5,000+ reach before, these didn’t perform nearly as well. There are two reasons I’m showing you this:
- If you think Reels are always easy and successful, you’ll quit doing them as soon as you realize they’re not.
- Marketing is all about testing and adapting. The 5,000+ Reel was the culmination of a lot of tests and adaptations. You have to be willing to do those tests and get the data needed to produce great results.
Start producing Instagram Reels today!
Now that you’ve learned three elements to successfully growing your Instagram account through Reels, it’s time for you to take action!
Remember — practice makes perfect. Keep chasing better results each time you create a Reel.
And if you’re wondering how to create Reels when you lack video content, then your next read needs to be this article on how to Produce Stunning Social Media Content with Canva!