What is Instagram Reels?

The new Instagram Reels feature offers a new way for Instagram users to create short videos by combining multiple video clips with seamless transitions. Initially, the maximum time limit for reels was 30 seconds but, now it has been increased to 1 minute. With Instagram Reels, you can customize your videos with different effects, speed controls, and editing tools.

Instagram Reels are somewhat similar to TikTok videos. The Reel feature of Instagram was launched on Aug 5, 2020, following a ban of TikTok in India.

Instagram reels are taking influencer marketing to a new level in 2021. Although the Instagram feature is a replica of the Chinese giant, TikTok, it has proven still to be very popular. Instagram’s popularity is proving resilient to the ‘short video competitor’.

What is the importance of Instagram Reels for a brand?

Instagram Reels and TikTok reflect a change in how people are consuming content on social media channels. They’ve replaced staticity with movement, attention spans are down and the number of contents consumed on each occasion of activity has increased.

1. A new way to reach your consumers, some brands have achieved significantly higher engagement rates and view rates by using Reels.
2. Some brands that adopted the feature early have garnered more than five million views.
3. An example of Reels success: NBA Teams’ Reels Average 22% Higher Engagement than their posts.
4. Brand exposure can be significantly increased when creative content entices users to watch, share, and like it.
5. 87% of Gen Z TikTok users who have used Instagram Reel agree that it’s a lot like TikTok and 61% of them said they plan to spend more time on Instagram than TikTok.
6. Consumers who watch branded social videos are 64% more likely to buy from that brand.

What role do Instagram Reels play in influencer marketing?

With Reels, brands can collaborate with micro and nano influencers to promote their products, engage their target audience and keep them informed of content pertaining to their brand via a creative method. Influencers use reel to advertise a brand and can receive better returns than traditional posts, which further promotes them as an influencer. An example of a reputable brand that uses Reel in its marketing strategy is Apple, which promotes its cell phones using this feature. What can influencers do to capitalize on this feature?

1. Introduce new challenges– Influencers can engage their followers by developing a challenge with unique hashtags. There have been many interesting challenges buzzing through social media recently, including #makeupnomakeupchallange and #onedancechallenge.
2. Stay on top of popular trends– Making Reels to reach a wide audience is a TikTok trend where influencers use popular hashtags and TikTok trends to reach people that don’t follow their page. Influencers can utilize Reel to stay on top of upcoming trends and incorporate them into their videos.

Key benefits of Instagram Reels for brands

1. Get your content on the explore page – The Explore page on Instagram has many reel videos now and Instagram makes it easy for people to scroll through, which can be used to increase brand awareness.
2. Easy video content creation– Creating video content can be challenging. The process requires time, effort, and money. With Reel, this is not the case. It’s easy to make short, enjoyable videos without putting in a lot of time or effort.
3. Share informative content– The creation of Reels is an opportunity to involve an existing audience with informative content. For example, if someone is an apparel brand, they can share styling tips, wash & care tips.

For brands, it seems like influencer marketing involving Reels and TikTok is a must.