Wondering how you could reach a new audience on Instagram, keep your new and existing followers entertained with quality audio-visual content, and still maintain a creator status?
Then you might need to read this post to the end. Have you ever heard of Instagram Reels? Well, if you have, you may still need to learn more about it, and if you have not, then it is your lucky day.
Get Featured as a Creator on Instagram’s @Creators
Image credits: Instagram
Instagram announced Reels on August 5, 2020, as a platform meant for creative creators to discover and create short, entertaining videos on Instagram. Reels is a product launched by Facebook not just to compete with TikTok, but to also give users unimaginable experiences without having to download too many applications on your device.
This is quite different from the usual videos posted on your timeline, and you have a level of freedom to widen your creative horizon with reels than with stories.
Now you can capture and edit multi-clip videos, 15 seconds long, with impressive new creative tools, video, and audio effects.
You can also choose to share only with your followers on your feed, if you operate a private account, or give every Instagram the privilege of viewing your content if you operate a public account.
You may not know that one of the major reasons for developing a product such as Reels and incorporating it into Instagram is also to maintain the standard quality of music on Instagram.
This was confirmed by Instagram’s head of product, Vishal Shah, “We think it’s really important to honor the rights of the music labels — and that’s one we’ve been working on for years now.” As a creator of Instagram now, you do not need to worry about copyright issues when you add your favorite song to your video, as Instagram already got this covered.
Instagram already has deals with major record labels that will give you a variety of music to spice your video content with, and they display with the best quality.
This is a major flex when you consider how tedious it is to secure deals with record labels as an app, and Instagram already has this on lock and key.
To use the feature properly and utilize the platform to the fullest capacity, you should consider following the steps mentioned in this article religiously. The steps are as follows:
Launch the Instagram app, and click on the button as shown to view Reels, next click on the button at the top right corner as shown below
Image credits: Instagram
You will need to grant Instagram permission to access your phone’s camera and mic.
Selecting Audio
You can include a song from the catalog of music Instagram has in stock for you, to make life easy as you would want it.
Or you may choose to add a song that will be attributed to you, which can eventually be used by others who view your Reels and fancy your audio.
This feature is perfect for upcoming musicians who want their songs to go viral and for others to seek more of their tracks.
You only need to have a public account for others, anyone, to use audio from your reel.
For business owners who may want to use soundtracks, especially when showcasing their products for others to see and patronize, you already have an easy way to do this, without serious video editing skills or knowledge.
Add Effects to your Reel
The good thing about effects when creating Reels on Instagram is that there are many effects to select from, which have been on the Instagram catalog, created both by other creators like you and by Instagram. With effects, you can create multiple video clips with a variety of effects added to them.
Record Hands-Free
As a sole creator, one of the challenges you might face is not having someone to hold the camera while you record; this is no longer an issue because, with Instagram Reel, you can set the timer to record your clips, press record, follow the countdown from 3 to 1, and record for 15 seconds or 30 seconds.
Arrange your Clips
You want the result to turn out as one seamless stream with different scenes, transitions, outfits, and characters, then you need to put the clips in order. The previous occurrence should come before the next; Instagram Reel has already made it easy to achieve this when you are making your videos.
Take Note of Speed
The video and audio need to synchronize in the end, this will give you an uninterrupted video clip, with slow-motion in place, and beats followed by the required movements. It is easy to increase the speed of a particular clip/scene on Reels or make a part slow.
Uploading Reels
You can record Reels serially, at once, or by uploading directly from your phone gallery. To record, you need to hold down the capture button at the bottom of the camera, progress after each clip/scene by clicking on next at the top of the screen, and stop recording when you are done with each clip.
With a private account, you can share Reels to be seen only by your followers on Instagram.
Reels posted by a private account follow the privacy settings on that account, with certain restrictions on how Reels from that account can be shared with others, especially those not following the account. Audio from Reels posted by private accounts can also not be used by others.
On the other hand, Reels shared by public accounts can be featured on Explore on Instagram, where a larger audience can view the Reel, share with anyone as well. Reels that feature particular hashtags also appear on pages dedicated to such, or songs and effects.
For business owners, this is an avenue to build your brand and make people see you more, by using Reels as a platform for others to see your ad.
Now your Reel is ready, move to the share screen where a draft of your Reel can be saved. Remember to include hashtags to your Reels when you are done, tag friends, location, add/change the cover image before sharing.
Note that Reels appear not on your main profile, but on a separate Reels tab on your profile, and you can share to your feed.
As a creator, you can never be tired of getting inspiration to further put out mind-blowing content for your followers and prospective followers.
You need to watch Reels created by others, to get ideas, especially when you do not know what to post or are short on ideas.
Explore on Instagram shows you interesting Reels and those that are “Featured” labels. Instagram selects “featured Reels” and displays them on people’s stories to inspire and motivate others to be creative.
Reels are good for your Instagram growth; but only if done right.
These reels will do you more harm than good. Stop them now!
1. BLURRY
Do not post low-resolution videos, otherwise, it becomes blurry. The resolution must be 1080 x 1920
2. LACKS VALUE
Always provide value - entertainment or fun or education or tips, etc.
3. NO background music
Always add music to your reels either from the Instagram library or original music Music is an extra reason for your content to be appreciated.
4. NO CREDITS to the original creator
Now, that’s not good.
Crediting the original creator is best for your brand. Always add credits to videos that are not originally yours.
5. Majority of the image covered by text
Looks clumsy. Try making your texts smaller and position them appropriately in your video.
There’s an unfair advantage that few Creators enjoy to make their Reels perform well.
You can get in on that advantage, with these tips! ->
Hopping onto trends is the quickest way to gain more reach & engagement. Look out for ↗️ sign in the Reels tab to know what music is trending & make that reel!
This is an effective way to benefit from each other’s network & reach, as the collab* post or reel is seen on both creators’ feed.
*the feature is currently available in UK & India only
Remix popular Reels where you can add a fun, entertaining, informative or inspirational spin of your own and re-create it!
Pick a visually interesting thumbnail and make sure it has text like a title, a quote or a takeaway that adds value to the viewer before they’ve even seen your reel.
Increase visibility by making your Reels visible on your feed. Do not forget to share it to your stories too. Add Polls or Questions to make it interesting and engaging for your viewers.
Wondering how you could reach a new audience on Instagram, keep your new and existing followers entertained with quality audio-visual content, and still maintain a creator status?
Then you might need to read this post to the end. Have you ever heard of Instagram Reels? Well, if you have, you may still need to learn more about it, and if you have not, then it is your lucky day.
Get Featured as a Creator on Instagram’s @Creators
Image credits: Instagram
Instagram announced Reels on August 5, 2020, as a platform meant for creative creators to discover and create short, entertaining videos on Instagram. Reels is a product launched by Facebook not just to compete with TikTok, but to also give users unimaginable experiences without having to download too many applications on your device.
This is quite different from the usual videos posted on your timeline, and you have a level of freedom to widen your creative horizon with reels than with stories.
Now you can capture and edit multi-clip videos, 15 seconds long, with impressive new creative tools, video, and audio effects.
You can also choose to share only with your followers on your feed, if you operate a private account, or give every Instagram the privilege of viewing your content if you operate a public account.
You may not know that one of the major reasons for developing a product such as Reels and incorporating it into Instagram is also to maintain the standard quality of music on Instagram.
This was confirmed by Instagram’s head of product, Vishal Shah, “We think it’s really important to honor the rights of the music labels — and that’s one we’ve been working on for years now.” As a creator of Instagram now, you do not need to worry about copyright issues when you add your favorite song to your video, as Instagram already got this covered.
Instagram already has deals with major record labels that will give you a variety of music to spice your video content with, and they display with the best quality.
This is a major flex when you consider how tedious it is to secure deals with record labels as an app, and Instagram already has this on lock and key.
To use the feature properly and utilize the platform to the fullest capacity, you should consider following the steps mentioned in this article religiously. The steps are as follows:
Launch the Instagram app, and click on the button as shown to view Reels, next click on the button at the top right corner as shown below
Image credits: Instagram
You will need to grant Instagram permission to access your phone’s camera and mic.
Selecting Audio
You can include a song from the catalog of music Instagram has in stock for you, to make life easy as you would want it.
Or you may choose to add a song that will be attributed to you, which can eventually be used by others who view your Reels and fancy your audio.
This feature is perfect for upcoming musicians who want their songs to go viral and for others to seek more of their tracks.
You only need to have a public account for others, anyone, to use audio from your reel.
For business owners who may want to use soundtracks, especially when showcasing their products for others to see and patronize, you already have an easy way to do this, without serious video editing skills or knowledge.
Add Effects to your Reel
The good thing about effects when creating Reels on Instagram is that there are many effects to select from, which have been on the Instagram catalog, created both by other creators like you and by Instagram. With effects, you can create multiple video clips with a variety of effects added to them.
Record Hands-Free
As a sole creator, one of the challenges you might face is not having someone to hold the camera while you record; this is no longer an issue because, with Instagram Reel, you can set the timer to record your clips, press record, follow the countdown from 3 to 1, and record for 15 seconds or 30 seconds.
Arrange your Clips
You want the result to turn out as one seamless stream with different scenes, transitions, outfits, and characters, then you need to put the clips in order. The previous occurrence should come before the next; Instagram Reel has already made it easy to achieve this when you are making your videos.
Take Note of Speed
The video and audio need to synchronize in the end, this will give you an uninterrupted video clip, with slow-motion in place, and beats followed by the required movements. It is easy to increase the speed of a particular clip/scene on Reels or make a part slow.
Uploading Reels
You can record Reels serially, at once, or by uploading directly from your phone gallery. To record, you need to hold down the capture button at the bottom of the camera, progress after each clip/scene by clicking on next at the top of the screen, and stop recording when you are done with each clip.
With a private account, you can share Reels to be seen only by your followers on Instagram.
Reels posted by a private account follow the privacy settings on that account, with certain restrictions on how Reels from that account can be shared with others, especially those not following the account. Audio from Reels posted by private accounts can also not be used by others.
On the other hand, Reels shared by public accounts can be featured on Explore on Instagram, where a larger audience can view the Reel, share with anyone as well. Reels that feature particular hashtags also appear on pages dedicated to such, or songs and effects.
For business owners, this is an avenue to build your brand and make people see you more, by using Reels as a platform for others to see your ad.
Now your Reel is ready, move to the share screen where a draft of your Reel can be saved. Remember to include hashtags to your Reels when you are done, tag friends, location, add/change the cover image before sharing.
Note that Reels appear not on your main profile, but on a separate Reels tab on your profile, and you can share to your feed.
As a creator, you can never be tired of getting inspiration to further put out mind-blowing content for your followers and prospective followers.
You need to watch Reels created by others, to get ideas, especially when you do not know what to post or are short on ideas.
Explore on Instagram shows you interesting Reels and those that are “Featured” labels. Instagram selects “featured Reels” and displays them on people’s stories to inspire and motivate others to be creative.
Reels are good for your Instagram growth; but only if done right.
These reels will do you more harm than good. Stop them now!
1. BLURRY
Do not post low-resolution videos, otherwise, it becomes blurry. The resolution must be 1080 x 1920
2. LACKS VALUE
Always provide value - entertainment or fun or education or tips, etc.
3. NO background music
Always add music to your reels either from the Instagram library or original music Music is an extra reason for your content to be appreciated.
4. NO CREDITS to the original creator
Now, that’s not good.
Crediting the original creator is best for your brand. Always add credits to videos that are not originally yours.
5. Majority of the image covered by text
Looks clumsy. Try making your texts smaller and position them appropriately in your video.
There’s an unfair advantage that few Creators enjoy to make their Reels perform well.
You can get in on that advantage, with these tips! ->
Hopping onto trends is the quickest way to gain more reach & engagement. Look out for ↗️ sign in the Reels tab to know what music is trending & make that reel!
This is an effective way to benefit from each other’s network & reach, as the collab* post or reel is seen on both creators’ feed.
*the feature is currently available in UK & India only
Remix popular Reels where you can add a fun, entertaining, informative or inspirational spin of your own and re-create it!
Pick a visually interesting thumbnail and make sure it has text like a title, a quote or a takeaway that adds value to the viewer before they’ve even seen your reel.
Increase visibility by making your Reels visible on your feed. Do not forget to share it to your stories too. Add Polls or Questions to make it interesting and engaging for your viewers.
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