Instagram has been one of the most popular and most used social networking sites for years now.
People have been using it for various purposes; some like to scroll through it while lying in bed, some use it for digital marketing, while others earn from it by creating content and doing promotions through collaborations. The best part about the app is making money, however, it is not as easy as it looks.
There are many different options to create content such as Instagram posts, stories and IGTV videos, but since last year, Instagram has also launched “Reels”, a new way of creating content on Instagram with the highest reach. If you wish to get viral, the best way is to post Reels; however, it is not necessary that you’ll go viral with your first one. For now, reels are the secret to higher engagement rates on Instagram, and the reason can be being a new feature that Instagram wants to promote. It can also be that since reels are a form of short videos, people tend to watch them completely, leading to higher retention.
You may use Reels to create content or even get a brand noticed by posting reels on the Official Instagram account. Whatever may be the reason, if you want to get started, then it is essential to know the basics of Reels and how to create them.
How to Create Reels On Instagram – Step-by-Step Guide
Creating the first reel can be tricky as you need to figure out everything and understand the basic settings. So follow these steps to get started:
- To create, you first need to access the reels tab and do so; you can go three ways.
- Through the reels tab, tap on the camera icon on the top right corner after getting into the reels tab.
- Through the Instagram home screen, tap the “+”, which is available on the top right side of the home screen.
- Scroll right to the reels icon through the Instagram stories tab and click to create mode.
- After getting into reels, select the period of the revolution you wish to create. By default, the time icon is set to 15 seconds which can be reset to either 30 or 60 seconds.
- You can also set a countdown before letting the camera record your reel. There is an option to choose 3 seconds or 10 seconds countdown.
- If you want, you can add filters before starting the recording. A smiley icon on the left side lets you select from various filters available on the app.
- Now, tap on the record button to record your reel footage, or you can also add a video from your phone’s gallery.
- You also get an option to pause the recording and resume it again by holding the record icon.
- Now, tap on the next icon to watch your final recording. You can also trim any of the clips if you have recorded or added multiple clips.
- Finally, if you wish to add text, that can be easily done from the text option in the top right corner, just like adding text in stories. However, keep in mind that the text should be away from the frame boundaries as Instagram crops the frame when the reel is shared to feed.
- Lastly, you can add a cover photo and a great caption that explains your reel. Then share your first reel on your Instagram feed. You can also share the reel to your story to get more views.
Adding Music to the Reel
To get more retention to your reel, do not forget to add trending audio or music before sharing the reel.
If you find great audio, use it by clicking on the use Audio option and adding your video clip. However, you can even add music by searching for your favourite track in the Instagram music library and recording the video footage.
If you wish to increase the chances of your reel going viral, add trending audios to your reel. To know about trending audios, notice the arrow icon on the audio of reels in your reels tab. Furthermore, it is advised to use an audio that has less than 50k reels being made on it. .
Getting Engagement on Reels
Now that you know how to create reels on Instagram, let’s talk about increasing the engagement rate.
Even though Reels are considered the best way to generate engagement on your Instagram account, every reel doesn’t go viral. Thus, if you wish to get views and ultimately followers on your account, here are some tips:
- Keep in mind to create shareable content. It should be such that the viewer should not resist themselves from sharing their reel with friends and family. It creates a huge impact on the engagement when your reel gets shared. This is because Instagram promotes the reels that get a larger number of shares, increasing the chances of your reel reaching a maximum number of people.
- Create content that the viewers of your reel can save. According to the recent Instagram algorithm, saves serve as super likes, and thus, the number of saves of your reels directly affect the engagement rate. You can create reels that contain some specific information; for Eg: create food reels so that people save them to use your recipes.
- The most crucial thing is to know that no matter how good your reel is or its information. The key factor that affects the engagement rate is the quality of a reel. Make sure you record the footage in good lighting, and the video is not blurred at all. Blurry videos hardly get promoted by Instagram and are of no use.
Wrapping Up
These were some basic tips on how to create reels on Instagram. However, if you wish to get noticed by people, ensure consistency and post regular reels. Remember to create authentic content as consumers love and engage with anything new and provide value.
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