Have you created your first Instagram reel yet? With short-form video taking the internet by storm, many creators are figuring out how to use reels to their advantage.
If you’re brand new to Instagram reels, they’re short and entertaining video clips that allow you to use filters, music, and effects to ‘reel’ your audience in.
With Instagram reels, you can share your content in new and creative ways. Since more people are spending their time consuming short-form video, reels are a great way to connect with your fans and build your audience. We share how you can create your own in this article.
If the idea of talking to a camera intimidates you, don’t fret! There are plenty of ways to create reels without showing your face (and no, you don’t need to learn the trending dances either 😉).
In this post, let’s dive into how you can make Instagram reels work for you as a creator.
Creative ways to share content on reels
For writers & bloggers:
Try taking a short snippet from your latest newsletter or blog post or newsletter and sharing it as a reel. One way to do this is to talk directly to the camera and overlay the words for easy reading (like the Daily Stoic does in this reel).
If you don’t want to talk to the camera, you could take your content and overlay it on top of a video you already have in your camera roll (like this example). Be sure to mention where people can read the full post in the caption of your reel!
For podcasters:
Since you already have the audio recorded from your podcasts, make use of it in your reels! For example, Les from the Balanced Black Girl Podcast takes a snippet of audio from her podcast episode and plays it over a few video clips in this reel.
Don’t forget that most people watch videos on their phones without audio, so subtitles will work to your advantage! A good rule of thumb is to imagine someone watching the reel over someone else’s shoulder - would they understand it without hearing the sound?
For product-based businesses:
You can use reels to share behind-the-scenes looks at your product. People love to see how products are created, how they can be used, and WHO is actually creating them.
In this reel, Aileen Xu from Lavendaire shares a look at her Artist of Life Workbook - from the photoshoot to the product itself.
For coaches:
Try using trending sounds to share your best tips. One way to do this is to share the mistakes you see many of your clients making.
In this reel, MuchelleB uses a trending sound to share that motivating yourself using self-criticism is a big no-no. As you can see, these reels can be super easy to make since you don’t need to record any audio yourself.
For all creators:
Don’t forget to include a call to action in the captions of your reels! If you have a newsletter, mention that so you can grow your subscriber list.
If you have a tip jar set up, ask your viewers if they’ll buy you a coffee. You can include all of these details on your link page to make things simple!
Do you use reels yet in your business?
With short-form video content on the rise, we hope you’re feeling excited and inspired to start creating your own reels.
How do you plan to use reels in your business? Leave a comment and let us know! Bonus points if you drop a link to a reel you’ve already created so we can check it out!