In just four years, Instagram Reels have gained an incredible 2.35 billion active users and 2.5 billion viewers, 33.5 million of whom are in the UK alone. Like the Tube in summer, Insta Reels is a crowded space—but thankfully, it’s nowhere near as hot (or smelly for that matter!). So, how do you get your videos to stand out from the rest, grab your viewers’ attention, and engage with your content?
Making stellar videos for this popular platform is part of what we do here at Perspective Pictures, so saddle up and get ready to learn how to create engaging Instagram reels that will keep your audience coming back for more.
INSTAGRAM REELS IN A NUTSHELL
If you’re not on Insta and have read this far, you might be wondering what on earth we’re talking about. Instagram Reels are short-form videos between 15 and 90 seconds long (think TikTok) and shared on the platform usually associated with photo-based microblogging.
You can use Instagram’s editing tools to add filters, effects, music, stickers, and text to your clips and align them for smooth transitions. The idea is to express yourself, share your message, interact with the Insta community, and boost audience engagement. Want to get in on the action? Find out how with our Instagram Reels tips and tricks below.
HOW LONG SHOULD REELS BE?
Even though Instagram allows Reels up to 90 seconds long, that’s not necessarily the ideal length. When it comes to Insta reels, it’s a case of less is more. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer – rather, the optimal length is anywhere between seven and 15 seconds.
Anything shorter than seven seconds might not be enough to make an impression or convey your message. If your video is longer than 15 seconds, people might continue scrolling before they reach the end of it. A good Instagram Reel tip to remember is:
- 7 to 15 seconds: Great for most Instagram reels
- 30 to 60 seconds: Perfect for specific audiences
- Up to 90 seconds: Ideal for content-rich reels
Got it? Right, let’s dive into our top tips for making Reels.
TOP INSTAGRAM REELS TIPS
Use these Instagram Reels tips to create content such as social adverts that will captivate your audience, just like we do.
Tell a Story
Our first tip for viral Reels is to think about the story you want to tell before you start filming. We can’t overemphasise the importance of storytelling in Instagram Reels.
Whether you want to increase brand awareness, highlight a social cause, or showcase a product and how to use it, telling an engaging, memorable story will make your Reels stand out from the crowd. Aim to create a narrative that evokes emotion and speaks to your audience’s desires and needs, using voice overs or captions for context and to boost audience engagement. If you understand your audience, you should have a good idea of what they want to see.
Storytelling with a Series
Creating diverse, varied content for your videos is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t tell a story using a series of Instagram Reels. For example, if you want to give your audience a behind-the-scenes tour of what you do, you can create a series of videos showcasing different aspects of your work.
To use this Instagram Reels tip effectively, plan your video series before shooting. Ask yourself what the purpose of the series is and what you want to communicate to your audience. When you have those answers, you can work on developing a captivating plot.
Take Advantage of Instagram Reel Trends
Our next tip for Instagram Reels that will captivate your audience is to ride trends strategically. One of the easiest ways to do this is to incorporate trending sounds and hashtags in your videos. This can make them more discoverable and increase their chances of appearing on people’s Insta feeds.
A few great examples of trends lighting up Instagram Reels at the moment include the I Made This! sound originating from @roxyrosecreations, What I Ordered Vs What I Got (often but not always used for humour), and Can We Skip To The Good Part, based on the AJR song and used in over 2.7 million Reels.
Use Creative Editing
After shooting your video, take it to the next level with some creative editing. The platform offers a smorgasbord of editing tools, and our Instagram Reels tips and tricks wouldn’t be complete without mentioning them. Whether you use one or more of these tools, they will change the look and feel of your videos. The best of them include:
Filters: Whether you want a washed-out look, lush colours, or an old school analogue effect, there’s a filter for you. If you’ve added filters to your photos on Instagram, you’ll know what we’re talking about.
Music: To give your video more personality, add original audio or a song or clip from Instagram’s music library.
Effects: Add effects such as confetti, fireworks, or sparkles to heighten the visual interest of your Instagram reels.
GIFs and Stickers: Add fun to your Reels with GIFs and stickers, such as countdown timers, emojis, and location tags.
Closed Captions: Make your Instagram Reels more accessible by adding closed captions. Thanks to the platform’s auto-captioning feature, you don’t need to type the captions yourself, although we do recommend editing the auto-generated captions for accuracy.
Editing and trimming: Is your video longer than the optimal length? No problem! Use these tools to edit the length of your videos, adjust the speed of each clip, and reorder them for a more dynamic Reel.
Encourage Likes and Shares
A great way to engage with your audience is to encourage likes and shares to get more views on Instagram. This is a double win because it means your audience not only saw your Reel, but they’re making sure others see it, too.
Add mention stickers, relevant hashtags, and a location to your Reels, making it easier for your followers to tag you and making them more likely to share your content. Add a call to action encouraging your followers to like your video and share it with your voiceover, script, or caption.
GET REEL RESULTS (THE PERSPECTIVE PICTURES PLUG)
Instagram Reels can be a great way to get your message (whatever it is) out there, but you can’t have great Reels without putting in a little bit of effort. If this seems a bit beyond your scope or is not your strong point, don’t panic – Perspective Pictures is here to help. Entrust our insanely talented team with your Instagram Reels for results that speak for themselves.
If you’re ready to reel in your target audience, get in touch with our creative video production company to show the Insta world what you’re all about.