Social media marketing is the backbone of online marketing, it has drastically increased during the pandemic. Marketing on social media not only gives one visibility on different platforms but also helps one reach large audiences, have a direct connection with audiences, and most importantly one can evaluate his/her performance.
Amid the COVID 19 pandemic, Instagram, one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world, released a new feature called Reels. Reels were released on August 2020, shortly after the Indian Government banned TikTok. Within no time after its release, it went viral, and now, is one of the best ways to increase one’s reach on Instagram and garner more engagement on Instagram.
What is “Instagram Reels”?
Instagram reels allow users to create fun videos to post and share with friends or anyone on Instagram. One can record and edit 15- or 30-seconds multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. Users can share reels with their followers on Feed, and, if one has a public account, reels can be available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore, which can bring a user more engagement on Instagram. You can even buy instagram views for your reels and get desired engagement.
Why Reels?
Now here’s a thing, anything short and visually vibrant is bound to hold attention, this is what makes reels so popular. The reason why influencers are more active on Instagram (reels) than on YouTube, is simply because holding attention for 20-25 minutes is difficult in comparison to 15 or 30 seconds. During this pandemic, many small influencers/ small businesses have expanded their business rapidly with the help of reels. Niharika NM, Sakshi Shivdasani and Agastya Shah happen to be a few of them. Thus, reels are not just about melodious background music and aesthetic edits, but is an important tool to take your Insta game to next level and thereby increase reach on Instagram, bring more engagement on Instagram and expand your business. Ever since its launch, Instagram reels has become a useful tool for the marketing strategy of many brands, companies and business.
Here are 5 Ways to Use Instagram Reels for Marketing:
- Promoting the products in a trendy way:
Traditional marketing strategies and product-centric ads are obsolete and don’t work on Instagram. So, if you want your products to allure the audience and want to make them look sellable join the bandwagon, join the trends. Demonstrate to your audience that your brand is fresh, relevant and vibrant by getting involved in the trends or challenges. Figure out the trends that resonate with you and then try to mix them with your products or services. For Example: currently, influencers who are into makeup are making reels on the song, “I’m so pretty and you like that”, now this way they are not only promoting their brand but also the brands that sent them products in PR (by tagging them) and further these makeup brands repost those reels. This way both the businesses increase their reach on Instagram and bring in more engagement.
- Post content about what goes behind the camera:
There is a lot of magic that happens behind the camera, a lot of professionals work diligently on a product, so by posting reels about behind the scenes you (as a brand) get real with the audience, there is a sense of personal touch to it. Celebrated designer Sabyasachi is a classic example of behind the scene reels. He frequently posts reels about behind the scenes of various Bollywood bridal lehengas which garner many views. Similarly, BTS of magazine photoshoots are quite famous. By sharing BTS you also get a chance to tell, the amount of hard work and cost it takes to make a product.
- “How to” Reels:
Reels like “how to style a bag in 5 different ways?” or “how to wear a top in 4 different ways?” are a rave on Instagram. The reason behind their popularity lies in the versatility they project. Such reels are one quick way to sell the product (as a brand) or talent (as an influencer), since the product appeals more and looks like a genuine investment, at the same time the creativity of an influencer is hailed. “How to” reels bring more engagement on Instagram.
- Educate your audience:
Educating your audience so that they can take away something from your reels is a sign of a responsible marketing strategy. It indicates that your brand considers the societal benefit, and ethics of marketing while not compromising on the entertainment factor of their content. It also gives you the identity of someone who concerned about their audience and helps in building a trustworthy audience. Influencers like Kusha Kapila and Dolly Singh are a classic example of this.
Sneak peek of new products and highlight customer reviews
Pique the interest of your audience by sharing a sneak peek of video clips of your upcoming offers, products, or services. It creates a sense of anticipation and excitement in your audience. Highlighting positive customer reviews with catchy captions like “our happy customers” will always help your brand get new customers. It also makes your brand (especially new) look authentic and genuine.
Reels are here to stay. These techniques will only be fruitful if you are consistent, real and relatable. Always try to bring something new to the table, something novel. Instagram is growing rapidly, the engagement rates are very high, so if you are unique, quirky and fun, you might as well go viral. In the year 2020, several small content creators blew up within months when their reels got viral. Ronit Ashra and Yashraj Mukhate are playing in millions now. Don’t forget to use this feature to your personal/professional benefit.
Read Also : Things to Look For and Do to Find the Best Influencers for Instagram Marketing
