Ever since their launch in mid-2020, Instagram Reels have taken social media by storm.
Reels are short and engaging 15-60 seconds videos you create and share on Instagram. The platform was already a great place to build your brand and audience, and reels have taken these benefits to a whole new level.
The fashion giant Louis Vuitton is a case in point. They have been using reels ever since they were rolled out, and almost all their reels have gone viral and crossed a million views getting tonnes of traction to their profile.
If a brand already as popular as Louis Vuitton can further benefit from reels, so can you. In this article, we’ll explore why and how you should use reels for your business and get your brand the visibility it deserves.
4 benefits of using Instagram reels for business
Instagram Reels are in the spotlight right now because of their benefits to both businesses and users. Here are some reasons why they’re a significant part of social media marketing today:
1. Creative way to engage your audience
Video content performs amazingly well on social media—it brings in significant views and engagement and helps build trust with the brand.
Reels kick it up a notch. They are fast, catchy, and allow you to provide value to your audience through bite-sized information. Moreover, they come with creative tools like filters, texts, and music to enhance your Instagram brand and make your videos more attractive and engaging.
Consider El Bueno Coffee Roasters here. They have used a novel concept and a trending song to promote their products in this reel.
2. Help display your brand personality
Reels provide the perfect opportunity to showcase your true personality and manage customer perceptions the right way to build loyalty.
You can use reels to bring out your brand’s human side—from sharing what goes into running the business to what employees say about the culture.
The idea behind reels is to educate, inform, motivate or entertain your audience—you’ll be good to go as long as you tick one of these.
3. Instagram is pushing reels more than other formats
Since reels are Instagram’s newest rollout and a major one, the platform is giving them a push.
The November 2020 update, which brought a separate reels tab on the navigation bar, was a huge step in this direction, increasing their exposure and popularity.
Besides this, reels are also highly featured on the “Explore” page. If you create high-value reels consistently, you’re likely to benefit from the feature’s organic reach.
4. Boost your visibility and discoverability
Reels allow you to reach new people—even those who don’t follow you presently.
They can be featured on both the Reels tab and the Explore page, so they offer increased chances of being seen by the right audience. This, in turn, can increase your profile’s visibility and reach.
Consider Vive Active. As of this writing, they have 15.9k followers on Instagram, but their reels have received far more views than that—one of them even crossed the 1 million mark.
Now that you know the benefits reels offer, let’s explore how you can use them for your business.
5 ways to use Instagram reels for your business (+ brand examples)
1. Educate your audience
Industry-related tips, tricks, how-tos, hacks, learnings, etc., make for great reel content. They also help establish yourself as a valuable voice and an expert in your field.
For instance, Alexandra Fasulo, a successful freelance writer, and entrepreneur, regularly makes reels offering tips and advice to her audience of freelancers.
In reels, it’s best to break the content down into easily digestible chunks. For instance, if you’re providing tips, you can explain one tip in detail or mention several quick tips and then elaborate on them in the caption, as shown below.
2. Showcase your products
You can use reels to showcase your products creatively without looking overly promotional.
Take this reel by Anomaly Haircare, for instance. They promote their shampoo by voicing a common pain point and offering their product as the solution.
You can even use reels to announce new launches, and sales, promote your blog, and reach an audience beyond your followers. Moreover, reels are also shoppable now—you can easily tag the product shown in the video for viewers to check out and purchase.
Lastly, through reels, you can show what goes on behind the scenes. For instance, food photographer Gulia shows how she set up the background for a photo series in this reel.
Such videos are interesting to watch and give viewers a deeper understanding of your brand.
3. Create product tutorials
Use reels to show your product in action and its benefits instead of telling people the same.
Instagram reel tutorials showing how to use your product best or the different ways consumers can use it can attract views. Sleepy Owl here post reels demonstrating recipes made using their products—it’s a great way to make users interested in your products.
To take it to the next level, you can show your customers using your product, like Country Bean here. User-Generated Content (UGC) can be a huge appeal for potential customers.
4. Share inspirational content
Inspirational content can work like a charm. You get to motivate your audience with your learnings, and they’ll come back for more if your content speaks to them.
To inspire your audience, you can make reels on leading a healthy lifestyle, time management, maintaining a work-life balance, etc. Even in these reels, you can subtly promote your products, as Country Bean does here.
On the whole, such reels aim to inspire the audience and make them relate to your brand and look forward to more of your content.
5. Hop on trends
One way to get considerable traction on your reels and profile is to leverage trends. You can take up trending challenges and tweak them as per your brand and the content you’re putting out.
For instance, ONECelibre here hopped on a trending dance challenge to tease their upcoming event.
This is a great way to hook your audience and show a fun side of the brand while providing valuable content to your audience and benefiting from the enhanced reach trends bring.
Conclusion
Instagram reels have massive potential and help you engage with your audience and provide helpful information in new and creative ways.
Start leveraging this feature today to take your social media game to another level. Use this article to kickstart your reel journey and boost your Instagram growth.
Be at it consistently—the results won’t disappoint you!
