Creating social media content that captivates audiences and stops their thumbs scrolling requires a combination of creativity, relevance, and understanding of your audience. When a brand knows what type of content their audience enjoys, they’ve already solved half the problem. Here are 5 top tips on how to make engaging Instagram reels that stand out among your audience’s feed.
A Short Recap
Instagram reels officially launched back in 2020. The short-form Instagram videos can be up to 90 seconds of pure entertainment. Users can record, edit, and clip videos and photos together, add music, and post to their feed. Since their launch, Instagram Reels have been a great way for brands and creators to showcase their creativity, and extend their reach.
Unsurprisingly, reels see the highest reach rate among all media types on Instagram. A study from Socialinsider revealed that the average reach rate for Instagram Reels stands at 30.8%. This puts them far above other media types such as carousels, images and videos.
Source: Socialinsider – June 2023
Top 5 Tips for Engaging Instagram Reels
1. Provide Value
What can you offer customers that no other brand can? Instagram is about building a community for your brand and a great way to maintain that community, is to flex your expertise. This could mean sharing helpful tips, and hacks, or showcasing your products in a way that your audience wouldn’t typically experience, for example, in-store content or showcasing clothes in different shapes and sizes. People care about what you can do for them, so make your value known.
2. Hop on Recent Trends
The beauty of social media is that if something is trending on one channel, it’s most likely to be trending on another. For example, trending TikTok music is typically used on Instagram reels, and vice versa. Trends are a great opportunity to increase your exposure and reach new audiences thanks to Instagram’s algorithm that gives preference to trending videos.
This means that your business will get more views and engagement, and what’s more – once a user watches multiple interpretations of trends, they will often continue scrolling through the same trend, which can lead to the organic discovery of your brand.
3. What’s Your Hook?
Social media users have suddenly become obsessed with watching a “Day in the Life” of someone they might not even know – and this has become a great marketing hack.
This type of content hooks users and provides you with the chance to casually feature your product without throwing it in your customer’s face. Authentic content like this appears less intrusive in-feed than mundane sales pitches – so next time you’re trying to communicate your product’s USPs, why not show how it fits into someone’s day-to-day life?
4. Collab with Creators
If content isn’t your strong point, content creators can be the answer for your business, as they have expertise in what type of content catches attention online – especially when it comes to reels. Instagram reels enable brands to collaborate with creators who can showcase their products in a creative, authentic and realistic setting.
Customers can then see the product in the flesh where they can consider factors such as quality, sizing and colour. Furthermore, collaborating with suitable creators also exposes your brand to a new audience, reaching a wider and more relevant target audience.
5. Consistency is Key
Once you find your niche and what reel content catches your audience’s attention, it’s time to create a ‘reel-istic’ content plan. Posting reels consistently gives your audience something to look forward to and will repeatedly increase your reach with every post. A good starting point is determining if there is a topic you can make a series of reels out of, for example, ‘Top Womenswear Picks for This Week’ or ‘Monthly Product Drops’.
By combining these elements, brands can create engaging reels that capture the attention of their audience and encourage them to engage. Experimentation and adaptation to evolving trends are key to maintaining relevance on social media platforms.
If your content strategy lacks some thumb-stopping Instagram reels or you’re unsure where to start with content ideas, contact Pattern to find out how we can support the growth of your social media engagement and reach.
