Despite only recently being launched in 50 countries including the U.S and Europe, Instagram Reels has already grabbed the attention of many major brands. Whilst it is important to keep up with social media trends, it is equally important that businesses not only choose to quickly experiment but also integrate this into a cohesive and easily understandable strategy.
Here are the top 5 features of Instagram Reels to leverage:
1. AR Effects
There are over 1000 Augmented Reality (AR) effects to choose from. AR effects are available on the library on the right side of your Reels page. You are also able to search and save your favourite effects for use later. These effects aren’t just good for making your Reels look great, they can also be used as part of a trend or to distinguish yourself from other content makers.
2. Explore Page
The Explore page is not something that you would be unfamiliar with if you’ve been on Instagram. This page is where the popular Reels are shown to other users. According to Instagram, the Reels that will feature on the explore page will still be curated by Instagram employees, at least for the time being. Your goal should be to end up on the Explore page, this will mean more views, engagement and followers of your content.
3. Hashtags
Reels can appear like a regular Instagram post, which means that some of the same rules apply. Hashtags play a role in getting your posts discovered by more users. You should actively find a hashtag you rank well in and even have your own branded hashtag (such as #eprmarketing). There are numerous tools that you can use to find the best performing hashtags for your industry.
4. Music
Bring your brand posts to life with a Reels soundtrack. You can humanise your brand as well as convey more emotion. By integrating your soundtrack choices into your content plan, you can not only appear in searches for that song as well as impacting whether people are willing to interact with your content.
5. Upload Video
Uploading a video may be the most basic feature but it is obviously the most important feature on Reels. Being able to upload a video is commonplace amongst many social media platforms and is now considered a necessary skill as brands and marketers repurpose their content.
Why is this important?
Instagram Reels at its heart is a very simple platform. The features might not be new or entirely standout, but as a marketer or a brand you should be able to utilise all of them to grow your audience and maximise your reach.
