Today we’re going to chat about Instagram Reels. This is going to be kind of specific to the people that are using Instagram, but this could also be helpful for you if you are utilizing LinkedIn or TikTok. Stay tuned because you’re going to find some nuggets here that could be helpful to you as we dive into tips for IG reels.
Why video?
We all know that video type content is trending right now. It is what is catching the eye and stopping the scroll of our ideal client. And like it or not, video right now is THE thing. For those of you that have been just creating static images using images and graphics, it might be time to come to terms with how things in the online space are trending and get on board. Video is where people who are researching you before they hire you can get a feel for your vibe, for your personality, and for the way that you communicate. It can build trust really, really easily.
Why are Reels so important?
Reels are important because they show up on the explore feed more often than static posts. Depending on what your ideal clients are telling the algorithm, thorough their views and search history, your reel might pop up. Of course it will pop up to your followers, but if you have a small following over there, then Reels is the way to go to build your audience. Even it’s just to continually get in front of the ideal clients.
Types of reels
- Short Form: This is just a face to camera reel, meaning it is a short clip of you talking about something that is relatable to your ideal client, is valuable to your ideal client, is inspirational, or is motivational. It speaks directly to their pain points and their desires, but it’s generally a 60 to 90 second video that gets straight to the point. It would be similar to a story slide or series in Instagram stories.
- B-roll: These are trending so much right now (at the time of recording). A b-roll reel is essentially just a clip of a video of you doing something. And when I say doing something, I actually mean that. That is you walking to your car. It’s sitting at the pool. It’s making dinner, it’s eating dinner. It’s a 7 to 10 second clip of you doing something with music in the background. And then on top of that video, there’s going to be text. So generally it is a headline. It is a hook. It’s something that is really a little bit juicy, makes people want to click on it to read a little bit more in the caption.
- Voiceovers: These are the classic lip-sync videos that tik tok made popular. It’s somebody else’s voice and you’re mimicking the voice. Depending on the sound, these can be really, really popular. The one caveat with this one is that the sound should be trending. Generally things trend for a couple of days, but if you’re catching on to it at the tail end of that trend, then it’s not going to get as much traction. Trending audios are what allow your reel to pop up in the Explorer Reel feed so you have more chance of your ideal clients seeing that. That might not be your thing, but it’d be great if you could mix that up.
- Video Carousel: There’s also the types of reels where you can just do clips of photos that are just like in a carousel. It’s like one second at a time, it clips something else and it has text over top of it.
There’s so many different things that you can do with Reels! Let’s dig into some of the IG reels tips that help me create effective video for marketing:
Hack #1: Find inspiration.
Ok, here’s the first of four IG Reels tips: Find someone on IG that creates great content that you personally love. This should be somebody that works with a similar ideal client, is super active on IG and you can pull inspiration from them. We’re not stealing other people’s content, please note, but we can gather inspiration. If you’re really not in a creative head space or this does not come naturally to you, it’s ok to use inspiration as you flex and work that muscle until it feels more natural.
Hack #2: B-roll footage on the fly
It’s not time-effective to create a reel from start to finish in one shot. From start to finish that could easily take an hour. First, I want you to plan your content. I want you to get in the habit of thinking ahead. Pro-tip: start a folder on your phone that says B -roll footage. Also, anytime you’re doing something that you feel like is a little interesting, record a 10 second clip. Don’t over complicate this, prop your phone up, get a little tripod and you could get 10 clips in a week. And then add those to the b-roll bank. And then when it’s time to create those b-roll reels, you’re just plugging in the headline and you’re utilizing a caption you’ve already created. These are IG reel tips that save so much time and energy.
Hack #3: Batch your written content.
If I was to sit down and write a caption, come up with a good headline, record a video, post that, it might take me an hour. But when I batch my tasks, I save time.
And a little tangent here: It’s okay that marketing takes time. It’s not the type of thing where it’s like you’re done in 15 minutes, unless you have a team. And if that’s an hour a day or an hour and a half a day, how do I restructure my business or my schedule to allow that time? You’re an online business owner. Your need to make time to market your business online. How do you think people are going to know about you? How do you think you’re going to grow your business? This is not the type of thing that we can just decide not to do for a couple months. Stay consistent, change your mindset around staying consistent. This is a non-negotiable.
Hack #4: Tip for face to camera reels.
With b-rolls, you’re recording the video and THEN attaching a caption, but with a face to camera reel, the caption needs to come first. What’s your hook? Please decide on that first. What’s the meat and potatoes of the post? What are the points that you want to make? And then what’s the call to action? The answers to those questions will give you your script for the reel and your cover text.
I hope those IG Reels tips were helpful! If you’ve looking for more support, I actually have a great loom video that I recorded on this topic! In the video, I give you tips on how to create the best face to camera reels using Instagram. If you are like “I need that!”, DM me and let me know you listened to this episode. I will gladly send it to you.
If you are someone that’s interested in joining Grow Business and Marketing Academy, I have specific lessons on using Instagram and LinkedIn to market your business. I teach you how to get active on these platforms, generate leads, and all that good stuff. Enrollment is open now!
