Instagram Reels: a short video that will effectively engage your audience

How can you use Reels in your business? How to even create Reels? Does it make sense to spend time on short videos for Instagram? Don’t worry! We bring the answers to these and all the other questions below.

Video as a powerful marketing tool

Before we answer why today everyone uses Reels, we will answer the question posed above – why video content marketing is attractive to the audience and what its benefit is for your brand. 

Do you know what some people often do when they come home from work? They watch series on Netflix, vlogs, and videos of their favorite YouTube channels. They linger on videos on social media channels, as well. Videos have become a necessary part of an individual’s personal life, and brands use them for promotional purposes and brand awareness. Why not, when it has proven to be effective?

Statistics on video content marketing from 2021 (Wyzowl) showed that the number of companies using video as a marketing tool has increased by 41% since 2016 in 2021. And due to the pandemic, video content marketing has become a hit for several reasons:

• video is a convenient way to reach the masses
• video conveys company values faster than static visuals

• the consumer understands better the service or specific product labels and their characteristics through video
• video content often goes viral, and people prefer to share it over statics visuals, or blogs
• the audience stays on the video longer than static visuals
  

How to use Instagram Reels in business?

Instagram Reels is a new way to build community on Instagram. It serves as an attractive tool for sharing short videos with audiences – your own and beyond with the goals of retaining existing and attracting new audiences, spreading awareness, and encouraging people to react and share. 

How do Reels work? 

Record and edit multiple recordings for up to 30 seconds. Then, add music, text, effects, stickers and share the video with your audience. Next, make more videos and save them on your official Instagram profile. That way, after one watches the video, the audience will “scroll” and stay “in your film”. 

Create an identity!

Is your goal to attract an audience of Reels and become recognizable on Instagram? Build a recognizable identity! Just like you have been using a logo, a slogan, a motto, a specific melody for recognition on Instagram so far, you can use them in your Instagram Reels. It’s enough, even, to just come up with an authentic hashtag.

We bring you the best examples of Instagram Reels. 

Apple: Reels as a “how-to” video

Apple is using Reels as a tool to showcase the features of the iPhone 12 Pro. They hired the creative studio Incite Design to record a how-to video, and the result of the video is a short guide for two Apple products. Video shows essential products addition – slow-motion effect. So, what Apple did with a short video (Reels)? They showed the main benefit of the new product to their audience. Cool, right?

Adobe: Reels with the goal for brand awareness

Creativity is a fundamental principle of the Adobe brand identity. They often post Adobe's users' exciting work on their social media channels. One of the primary purposes of their Instagram Reels is to share the creativity of Adobe consumers. In addition, they create UGC (User-generated content), a platform with content their users create. Win-win situation, right?

What is the purpose of such content since it is not sales-oriented? Instead, it's a great example of creating brand awareness and connecting with your audience. The goal of Adobe Reels is to inspire, celebrate, share creativity and strengthen the community.

HubSpot: Reels as a tool to direct and audience to a web page

HubSpot has included its employees in Reels who record everyday situations at work, funny scenarios during the early day, and with which the audience can identify and connect. The goals of this type of reel are to evoke a positive emotion and create an image of yourself as a pleasant, friendly, and approachable company. 

But they use Reels as a tool to direct audiences from Instagram to the website, as well. So how do they do it? Post reels for 30 seconds, representing the new blog by listing titles, subtitles, and exciting photos. In the end, Reels cites a website link and invites the audience to read the blog. Useful, isn’t it?

Sephora: Reels as a platform for engaging with audience through creative challenges

Sephora took the opportunity to exploit Reels for two purposes:

• creating creative challenges on Reels by inviting audiences to engage through hashtags

• increase sales by promoting products in those challenges

Social networks are a treasure trove of fun challenges that capture the attention of Generation Z. Authentic challenges is the best call for engagement, and you can get the critical goals out of the sales. Sephora has created Reels in which they use a recognizable hashtag that the audience should include as well in their post after completing a challenging task. In addition, they hired influencers who also solved the challenge and then added the appropriate hashtag, using only Sephora products in the challenge. In addition, they engage influencers who also solve the challenge and then add the proper hashtag, using only Sephora products in the challenge. Tags or hashtags are great for creating an image.

Burger King: Reels as an indicator that the company is following trends

One of the common reasons brands use Reels is to follow trends on the Internet and implement those trends in their videos on social media. So, for example, TikTok trends often become trends on Instagram Reels – hashtag, challenges, music, and people. The goal is to make the audience perceive you as a brand that adapts and is in step with the novelties in the market.

A company like Burger King fits the trend from TikTok to Instagram Reels great. Almost every Reels contains some trend, and they achieve great results with an extensive audience reach and significant reactions to videos. If you are a brand whose target group is the one that follows the trends, regardless of the industry, then create Reels that contain those trends and thus win that large group.  

Play with Instagram Reels, try new sounds, effects, hashtags, or new trends. Once you catch the rhythm, Reels will be your favorite Instagram plugin that will bring you benefits for the brand. Another option is to contact a digital agency that will devise the best communication strategy for you.

Have you already got an idea for your first Instagram Reels?

Sources: 

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/instagram-reels-examples

http://socialapemarketing.com/blog/2020/11/9/5-ways-brands-are-using-instagram-reels