instagram is a social network that, today, has gained a very high level of popularity, being able to penetrate audiences that traditionally opted for Facebook or Twitter, or reaching people who prefer to share their visual experiences in a simpler way. The Instagram Reels are small videos that help users looking to go beyond simply uploading images. These video fragments have changed in recent times, modifying their length and publication possibilities.
In this article, I will explain to you what their relevance is and some tips on how to easily make them viral for a possible marketing strategy. digital marketing that you want to implement.
What is an Instagram Reel?
Instagram Reels are short video clips that allow users to create creative and engaging content. They can include music, visual effects, and other editing tools to increase their appeal and reach.
Quick Guide to Instagram Reels
Learning how to use Instagram reels is not as easy as it seems, so below, I will share some necessary points to consider:
How long do Instagram Reels last?
Instagram Reels currently offer a maximum duration of 90 seconds making them ideal for short, catchy content.
They must offer relevant information from the very beginning to capture users and make them see it until the end, since the retention rate is something that Instagram considers when sharing it with other users.
Instagram Reels Dimensions
The recommended dimensions for Instagram Reels are 1080×1920 pixels, in vertical format. This guarantees an optimal presentation on the platform.
How to schedule Instagram Reels
Currently, Instagram allows you to schedule Reels, it is important to clarify this, since (until relatively recently) it was a question for many users and it could not be executed.
To be able to do this, you need to have a profile that is a professional or business account, being possible to program up to 25 reels per day. Publication can be scheduled up to 75 days in advance.
If you meet these conditions and are wondering how to program Reels in your account, the steps to follow are:
- Launch the Instagram app and select the icon “+”.
- Choose between “Publication” either “reel“, being in this case the second option.
- Select a photo or video and personalize it with text, effects and filters. Press “Following“.
- Accede to “Setting advanced“.
- Choose “Program“.
- Choose the date and time of publication, with a limit of up to 75 days in advance.
- Press the option that says “Ready“.
- Return to the previous menu by tapping the corresponding button.
- To finish, select “Program” to set the scheduled post or reel.
If you do not have a professional profile, I can recommend external applications that can be used to program a Reel. You can use tools like Creator Studio, Preview App, and Metricool to schedule the publication of your Reels on specific dates and times that you prefer.
How to download Instagram Reels
Today, Being able to download Instagram Reels directly from the platform is not a native function. However, there are external applications and methods to save videos. A simple and easy web application that I can recommend to you is snapinsta which works by simply entering the URL of the reel and it will download automatically.
Like the shared tool, there are many other similar ones on the web that allow you to obtain the reel in video format.
How to make a Reel on Instagram in a few simple steps?
Next, I will share with you a Step by Step so you understand how to upload a Reel:
- In principle, you must open the Instagram camera and select the option “Reels“.
- In the case of recording it at the moment, you can use the editing tools, add music, effects and adjust the speed, whatever you think is necessary or need to get it ready.
- If you already have it ready, just go to the “reel” and choose the corresponding video.
- You can swipe up (or select “edit synchronization” at the bottom left) and the application will show you options to edit the video, such as cutting, editing, adding audio, stickers and voice-over, as well as filters and other details.
- Once you have everything ready, select the option “Following”, where you will be allowed to make some extra and complementary modifications to what was previously explained.
- Finally, select “Share” to publish it.
Making Reels is easy, what is not easy is making them viral or, at least, achieving audience retention that is efficient enough for the algorithm to interpret that it is interesting for users. Some of the recommendations that I can share with you in this regard are:
- Get on the trends of the moment: It is advisable to make videos that have to do with the popular trends of the moment to increase visibility. This way, people are much more likely to find the content more easily.
- Content Diversification: Vary the content of your videos to maintain the interest of your audience, although it is important that you can understand what content may or may not be of interest to your audience.
- Recording quality– Make sure you record in good quality to attract the attention of the viewers.
- Emphasis on the first seconds: The first seconds are essential, it is necessary to capture attention from the beginning to achieve sustained retention towards the end.
- Avoid leaving TikTok marks: It is not recommended to include TikTok watermarks on videos. It gives a personal image and, in addition, it may appear that content is stolen.
- Strategic use of hashtags: Incorporate relevant hashtags to amplify the visibility of the Reels.
- Consistent schedule: It is best to post Reels on a consistent schedule to encourage audience engagement.
With these tips you can achieve a greater presence on social networks.
Latest Instagram Reels Updates
Instagram has implemented several updates to its feeds, improving the user experience and offering new features. Some of the latest updates include:
Reels up to 90 seconds
In its latest update, Meta has extended the maximum duration of Reels to 90 seconds, surpassing its competitor TikTok, when before they were up to 60 seconds maximum. This extension seeks to enhance the creativity and versatility of creators.
New templates and sound effects
The update includes improved templates and sound effects to make Reels more attractive to users. Additionally, people can import custom sounds and add interactive stickers to enhance the viewing experience.
Improved mixdowns and automatic conversion
Instagram has improved the remix function, allowing users to react to others’ videos with options like green screen, split screen, or picture-in-picture reaction view. Plus, automatically converting video posts to Reels makes transitioning content easier.
Boost Reels as Ads
Now, businesses can boost their Reels by turning them into ads, providing the opportunity to increase visibility and engagement with other users. It is important to highlight that, to be promoted, Reels must be 100% original less than 60 seconds and recorded on a 9:16 vertical aspect ratio.
These updates seek to enhance creativity, interactivity and quality of content, offering users and companies more advanced and versatile tools. This, from the point of view of digital marketing is a great opportunity that allows you to focus social media campaigns more effectively.
What practices do you follow when uploading your Reels?
When choosing to upload a Reel to Instagram, What is the strategy or practice that you usually do most often? It is clear that each technique can be more or less effective depending on the niche attacked, although this is something that is discovered with trial and error in each post made.
