Born in 2020 in response to the short videos that continue to be popular on TikTok, i Reel Instagram they are vertical videos, often funny and particularly immersive. The growing popularity of this format is evidenced by the fact that now Instagram has dedicated a special section for the Reels within its app and plans to extend their maximum duration beyond the current 90 seconds.
The contents of the Reel Instagram they are among the most diverse, starting from the re-proposal of contents taken from other platforms, such as music videos, sports companies, television interviews, to original contents, where users of the social network can give vent to their creativity.
It was not long after their introduction that the first companies began to smell fertile ground to make themselves known and began to exploit the Reels for commercial purposes.
Reel Instagram for businesses
Two years have passed since their birth, and no one, not even the parent company, expected such success. Today, in fact, the Reel Instagram have become "a real global stage in continuous growth, which facilitates the discovery of brands and creators and which witnesses trends and important moments. 1"
THE Reel Instagram in fact, they lend themselves optimally to virality, thanks also to the many editing tools that make them highly customizable, but easy to create. A company that is able to exploit its vast potential will see its notoriety, customer engagement and, ultimately, sales soar.
The advantages of the Reel Instagram for companies they are different. This particular type of short video allows the creation of high quality professional content which, however, given the short duration, keep production costs low. Of course, it is necessary to be able to capture the attention of users from the very first seconds, otherwise the "swipe" at the top, which will replace your reel with a new one. However, if the reel is effective, there is no better way to engage the user and attract him to your company.
How to create an Instagram Reel
Creating a Reel Instagram it's pretty easy and all the steps are guided by the app. However, it should be noted that, if you want to use the native tools of Instagram, the creation of the reels is linked to the mobile and cannot be done from the desktop. However, there are programs that allow the creation of reels already optimized according to the specifications requested by IG.
Leaving aside this option, to create an Instagram Reel just click on the + button, as happens for the publication of photos and other content. Once the item is selected, the app will allow you to choose what to create. Select the Reel item.
At this point it is already time to insert the desired video content, which can be a pre-recorded video, an image, or a video to be shot “live” through the phone's camera. For the video to be effective for your company, our advice is obviously to study a sort of "editorial plan", with videos designed and created by professionals, and not create it on the spot.
Once the video has been uploaded, Instagram will allow you to modify many aspects of it, through a side menu. Let's see them all.
Audio
If you've made a video before, this option may seem superfluous, but it actually offers some interesting insights. IG allows you to add an audio track to your videos, taken from the infinite songs available. The interesting thing is that, during the choice phase, Instagram also reports the number of times a track has been used. This way you can choose a piece that is in trend at that moment, thus increasing the possibility of being seen.
Another possibility offered by the app is to add a voice-over, useful in case the video is a tutorial or you need explanations.
Effects
IG offers the possibility to add effects, filters, backgrounds, writings to your videos. This section is exploited in abundance by users for their videos, but it does not lend itself very well to companies. If your goal is to communicate professionalism, in fact, with these effects you will get the opposite effect.
Duration
Instagram Reels can last 15, 30, 60 or 90 seconds. The choice of duration is more important than it seems, since a video that is too short may not communicate everything you want to say, but a video that is too long is likely to bore those who see it.
Calculate that the average attention threshold of web users is 8 seconds, beyond which, if you haven't captured their attention, you will have lost them. Try to include the most important information at the beginning and don't overdo the duration.
Speed
It is also possible to change the speed of the video, to make it faster or slower (slow-motion), but this is an option linked to special cases. Fast-forward is often used for recipe reels, while slow-motion recurs in videos that show particular athletic gestures.
Layout
IG gives you the ability to create a reel that “continues” in multiple windows continuously. The same considerations made for the duration apply.
Other options
Other available options include the timer, which sets a predefined time before starting the recording, in case you need to prepare, the voice align, which allows you to check the centering of the contents and the bilateral voice, which divides the shot into two panes. , one with the internal camera shot and one with the external camera.
Useful tips before publishing
Before publishing, it is important to pay attention to some settings.
Cover image
When your reel is published, it is shown in the reel tab and will be visible to users. Remember to choose the image that they will see as a preview of the reel, be it a frame from the video or a specially uploaded image.
This is very important because it helps people understand what your reel is about.
Hashtag
IG recommends implementing 3 to 5 hashtags to make the program and users understand which topics are covered in your short video. In this regard, we also recommend entering a short description (no more than 55 characters).
Dimensions
The size that a Reel Instagram should have for proper display are 1080 × 1920 pixels.
Watermark
Finally, even if it seems like a good idea to enter yours watermark inside your reel, be careful. IG does not like logos and banners from other platforms and other companies, so it could limit the visibility of your content.
