Why You Should be Using Reels on Instagram
By: Andrea Alessandrini, Social Media Coordinator at Foodie Tribe
If you are new to Instagram Reels, you have come to the right place! Reels is one of Instagram’s newer updates, but they have been around since mid-2020. According to Instagram, Reels “is a new way to create and discover short, entertaining videos on Instagram.” These videos can be up to a minute long and can entail whatever you want – lifestyle, workouts, food, fashion, and more! Reels allow you to be creative with video content, audio, and titles within a video and also allow you to edit right on the app. There are endless possibilities for Instagram Reels, and they can be highly beneficial to your account, so let’s dive right into why you should be using them!
1. Build brand awareness
Brand awareness is, of course, critical on all social media platforms, especially when trying to grow a loyal following. Generally speaking, brand awareness is one of the most important things to consider in social media. Whether you are a brand that’s launching, or an up-and-coming influencer, increasing your brand awareness is essential. Creating and posting Reels allows you to show people who you are, what you care about, what you are selling, your interests, and more.
2. Show your true self
Showing your true, authentic self, primarily through video content, is critical on social media platforms as of late. Being authentic allows you to build trust with your audience, and what better way to create that trust than by engaging with your audience through video content? Reels will enable you to show your audience who you are, how authentic and relatable you can be, and what you or your brand are about—people like being able to relate to an account on social media.
3. Expand your reach
When you post Reels onto your account, you allow more people than just your followers to see your content. Reels, like photo content, appear on the explore page and in the “Reels” section of Instagram. However, Reels content is much more eye-catching than a regular in-feed post. Because your Reels show up on the explore page, besides brand awareness, your reach will increase. Using hashtags is essential when posting in-feed posts or Reels, but more eyes gravitate towards Reels because you are also, most likely, using trending audio, giving Reels a more likely chance to appear on the explorer page than a regular post.
4. Create engaging content
People get bored of seeing the same content post after post on social media. Creating engaging video content that is not only different but also catchy, funny, or inspiring can change how an audience or user looks at the account. People like being entertained; it’s one of the main reasons they are on social media. Creating value through content is one of the key reasons people follow a brand or account, and Reels are a great avenue to create highly-visual and valuable content for your audience.
5. Instagram prioritizes Reels
It may not be what we want to hear, but it’s the truth: Since Reels are one of Instagram’s “newer” features, they prioritize it. The algorithm favors them, making it increasingly important to use the feature so that content can get pushed out by Instagram more, driving impressions and reach. Staying up to date on new features shows followers that you adapt well and quickly to change.
We have given you five reasons why you should be using the Reels feature on Instagram, but trust us, there are so many more. Reels weren’t created by mistake…(Don’t they remind you of the video style of another very popular social media app??) Reels can be a really fun and engaging way to grow on Instagram and keep people interested, and while we’re on the topic of that other app, you should absolutely be repurposing Reels on TikTok and visa versa. Just make sure you don’t post the TikTok watermark on your Reels!
We know new features on social media can be overwhelming, but we are here to help! If you have any questions regarding social media and/or influencer marketing or are looking for some help with your digital marketing strategy, reach out to us!