GETTING STARTED WITH INSTAGRAM REELS

I finally feel qualified to write this as one of my reels reached 11.5k views so I am pretty impressed with that.

If you are an avid Instagram user like me, you will have seen many Instagram reels by now but I won't assume EVERYBODY knows a lot about them. Basically, reels are taking over Instagram now. Before, Instagram was all about sharing photo content but now, Instagram is pushing video content by allowing users to create short videos called reels, which are very similar to the videos we see on TikTok.

I have been having a lot of fun creating reels lately, and as you may be aware, I am always wanting to grow my Instagram and blog so I can reach more and more people with the content I love creating.

At the moment, any reel content I post gets more reach than my picture content, and now that I have gone viral (yes I am counting 11.5k views as viral), I thought I'd give you some tips on creating successful reels. To put this into context I currently have 4.7k followers at the time of writing this so either way I count reaching that many people as a success.

Disclaimer though, sometimes I feel like it is random which videos do go viral. I have seen some really pointless videos go viral that have taken no effort, whilst seeing other well-thought-out videos that you can tell people have worked really hard on getting fewer views.

So before we start, it's important to remember it is a learning experience, and sometimes Instagram can be cruel that way. I am still learning and am not an expert, I am just sharing why and how to get involved for beginners!

Steps to creating successful reels

1. Watch reels

Before creating any kind of Instagram reels, you need to watch them. This might seem a bit obvious but it's a fundamental step. By watching Reels, you can see what kind of things are coming up on your page and the kind of things that are going viral. You are also able to see trends in what people are posting and you will probably notice popular sounds that get put over reels.

2. Be confident and go for it

Once you have watched reels and thought, maybe I could give this a go - then go for it! If you want to grow on Instagram this is a great way to do it. I used to feel nervous about filming content while I'm out somewhere or would be worried that they would get no views, but once I stopped caring about things like that I started to have a lot of fun creating reels.

I will admit, I could post them a lot more and I hope to soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more video content from me on Instagram.

Related: 10 steps to help you grow your Instagram

3. Make a list of reels you would like to create

If you want to be a regular reel creator on Instagram, it's probably important to list the ones you want to make and be organised with the content. You can do this by seeing what similar accounts to you are making, or just thinking of what represents you.

This step is my downfall at the moment. I usually just create reels at random and put together videos I take when I'm out. This is fine too.

4. Create saveable content

I always find points like this kind of ambiguous but what I mean by this is, create content people will want to save for later. At the moment, the more saves you get on an Instagram post the more likely your post is to get pushed to more people - they are way more valuable than likes as it stands.

So for example, if you are a foodie blogger and post a reel of a restaurant, people are probably likely to save this if they want to visit this restaurant. If you are a fashion blogger and post some summer outfit ideas, people will be likely to save this if they want outfit inspo.

The reel I posted that reached 11.5k views was of my time at Ballie Ballerson, a ball pit bar in London. As a lot of people want to try this place I got quite a few saves which could be a factor in the number of views.

5. Try to hop onto trends

When you are watching reels and see a trend that you might be able to hop on, then why not try it? For example, if you see a small business trend and you have a small business account - see if you can try joining in. 

Jumping onto a trend gives you a lot of potential to go viral because if you see a lot of videos in the same trend, it means that Instagram is clearly pushing videos that are trending.

6. Use trending sounds

When posting reels, you will notice you have the option to put music or sounds over your video. Similarly to trending videos, if you notice a sound going around your reel for you page, it is clear that Instagram is pushing reels with that sound so see if you can use it over one of your videos.

I usually try to use popular music for my reels, you will be able to see which music is most popular when posting.

Side note: If you are using original sound like you talking or a voice-over - apply subtitles. This makes your content accessible to more users. Also, a lot of people scroll past videos with no sound so this gives them a chance to read your captions.

7. Add text to your reel cover

The cover of your reel is something you can choose when uploading. You can either choose a part in the video or upload your own image. If you include a line of text on these, people will be able to read what your reel is about before choosing to watch.

For example, if you are reviewing a restaurant, you could write "McDonald's Salisbury Review" on the cover so it's easy for people to pick out from your profile or from their saved videos (hopefully). Also, McDonald's was the first thing that came to my mind - clearly, I need it.

8. Share your reel on your story

Did you know if you post a reel on your story, the views on that count as reel views? This way if someone is clicking through stories but not necessarily watching it on their home page, you will still get your reel across to them through stories. I do this every time I post one!

If you can, try tagging people who are likely to share your reel on their story too because views from their story also count as reel views. For example, if your reel is a restaurant review - tag the restaurant if you can as sharing it is good PR for them, and will help to increase your views and reach.

9. Trial and error

My first reel didn't get very many views and I could have easily given up and said that's not for me. However, you need to keep trying and seeing what works for you, it's definitely a learning process. 

Also, as I said earlier, sometimes Instagram can be cruel with what it pushes and what it doesn't. But hopefully, after following best practice (AKA the tips above) you should reach a good amount of people.

10. Be authentic

If you were wondering if I was going to end the tips with a cringe one then I hope you are satisfied. Yes, this is cliche and again, quite ambiguous but if you are not being yourself in your content and posting about stuff you are passionate about, what is the point? 

It can be easy to just want to create reels for marketing as they are good for reach but if you are inauthentic, it will really show to viewers and be reflected in your reach and engagement. You have to actually enjoy what you create and post meaningful content.

Related: How to create a media kit

And there we have it. If you end up creating reels using these steps, let me know how it goes! If you have any tips for me that I haven't mentioned then I'd love to hear them - my goal is to beat 11.5k.