If you’ve heard of reels or maybe even given them a try, you know they are “the thing” in social media these days and have been since they came out about two years ago. If you’re unsure of what a reel is or the impact they can have on your business, this blog is for you.
As defined by Instagram itself, reels are entertaining, immersive videos where you can creatively express your brand story, educate your audience, and get discovered by people or potential customers that may love your business or organization. If you are not utilizing reels and wonder why you should, consider these 5 reasons to incorporate reels as part of your Instagram strategy.
1. Expand Viewers
One of the top benefits of reels is you don’t have to have a ton of followers for your reels to reach a larger audience AND you don’t have to spend money to be seen by new viewers. The Instagram algorithm currently favors reels and when you use trending audio with the right content, your reach can be sizeable. This translates to getting more eyes on your business thus expanding your reach and increasing followers in the process. In some cases, we have seen a well-crafted and executed reels strategy generate results that can be stronger than results from traditional social media ads, which can be quite costly.
2. Foster Trust
Your audience wants to connect with you through relatable content. For example, consider a skin care company that creates a behind the scenes reel of its production process to demonstrate transparency, build trust with their consumers and show that they ethically produce their products. Utilizing reels, visually captures attention, and tells the story while creating trust with viewers. It effectively allows people to better understand and educates them about the brand – all in 90 seconds.
3. Grab Attention
Today’s consumers don’t want to be sold to, they want to be understood, heard and entertained. Engaging and having fun through reels gets people’s attention, while getting away from the hard sale messaging. Becoming a relatable brand through visual content will not only convert to sales, but it also converts to more engaged customers. In today’s fast paced world, consumers’ attention spans are so short, businesses need to capture their attention quickly. This can be done with reels.
4. Tell brand story
While humor and trust are two good reasons to create a reel, it’s also a great tool for educating viewers about your brand. Instead of, or in addition to a blog or caption talking about your business, a 90-second reel to visually share your brand story can make a real impact. This is especially true if you struggle with how to tell people about your product or service and how it works, show it with a reel. After all, 65 percent of people are visual learners according to Inc.
5. Be a trendsetter
If your competitors aren’t using reels, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t either. Many companies haven’t tapped into the potential that reels offer. Leading the charge gives you an advantage over the competition. Start creating reels to connect with your audience before your competitors do.
Instagram reels have become a strategic content tool that help businesses, brands and influencers engage current followers and reach new audiences organically. If you’re in need of professional assistance with your social media marketing efforts, we would love to chat. Please feel free to contact us to schedule a complimentary meeting.