Tal Hacmon
January 16, 2022

How to start creating my first Instagram reels channel?

Instagram Reels is a new way for Instagram users to create and discover short, amusing films. Instagram Reels encourages you to make entertaining videos to share on Instagram with your friends or anybody else.

Record and edit multi-clip 15-second videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. You may share Instagram reels with your Feed followers and, if you have a public account, make them available to the whole Instagram community via a new Explore section.

Using Instagram Reels in "Explore" allows everyone to become an Instagram creator and reach new audiences globally. Continue to read today. We are going to discuss more Instagram reels!

What are Instagram reels?

Instagram Reels is a (relatively) new concept that allows you to publish and discover interesting short videos on Instagram. The new function, similar to TikTok, allows you to edit 15-second multi-clip videos with numerous effects and a soundtrack to make the result as interesting as possible.

The only limitation is your creativity. Instagram Reels is currently available in 50 different regions worldwide. Instagram Reels have been an incredible tool for brands and businesses to exercise their creative muscles and provide a visual experience beyond a grid post since its introduction.

And what distinguishes Instagram Reels is that instead of simply seeing Reels from accounts they follow, users on the Instagram Reels page view Reels from all Instagram profiles.

How do Instagram reels work?

Instagram Reels allows you to make and share TikTok-style videos up to 60 seconds long. Reels, unlike Instagram Stories, remain on your Instagram page indefinitely and do not delete after 24 hours.

Instagram Reels include many of the same features as TikTok, helping Instagram compete with the fastest growing social networking app. Unlike TikTok, a separate app, Instagram Reels is integrated into the Instagram app you already use.

You can do the following with Instagram Reels:

  1. Make and distribute 60-second videos.
  2. You can either add your audio to videos or select a song from a database of licensed music.
  3. Take original audio from other videos and incorporate it into your own.
  4. Create reaction films to other people's stuff.

Instagram Reels are highlighted on the Instagram Explore tab, allowing you to reach out to a larger audience of people who aren't already following you. If your Instagram Reel becomes viral and becomes Featured content in the Explore section, you could earn a lot of attention.

Instagram reels vs. Tiktoks

Because Instagram Reels is TikTok's competitor, it's interesting examining how they're similar and how they're different.

When it comes down to it, most of the technological aspects of TikTok and Reels are essentially identical. Whereas TikTok includes Duets, which allows you to upload a TikTok alongside another user's TikTok, Instagram has Remix, which does the same thing.

TikTok users may add sounds to their videos from a library, while Instagram users can add music to their Reel. Both systems have Effects, which can be used as facial filters or video edits. Furthermore, Instagram Reels and TikTok allow users to shoot their videos at varying rates.

There are, however, certain technological distinctions between Reels and TikTok. There are, however, certain technological distinctions between Reels and TikTok. TikTok, for example, allows you to record for longer periods.

TikTok allows users to record clips in 15-second, 30-second, or 60-second intervals, whereas Instagram Reels allows users to record in 15-second, 60-second, or 3-minute intervals. TikTok also has an advantage over Instagram Reels because of its Stitch feature, allowing users to insert certain cuts of other TikToks in their own, replying or reacting to them in real-time. This feature is currently unavailable in Instagram Reels.

Instagram reels vs. Instagram stories

The key distinction between Stories and Instagram Reels is that the Story format is a transitory status pinned to your profile picture. The Tale is a concept that allows you to convey the story of your day as much as you like for 24 hours using video, photo, or a post.

The Instagram Reel will continue to be a single video powered by the creativity displayed in the feed as a post. It Is most likely one of the primary distinctions between Instagram Reels and Stories. Initially, Stories were only associated with videos.

Instagram soon expanded its choices to include the ability to share other types of material, such as written posts and commercial links. Because of this distinction, Stories are a broader content-sharing format, whereas Instagram Reels are a video-only format.

Instagram Reels is the best video editing software. It includes more video editing options than the Story editor, allowing you to produce more sophisticated videos. You can use these tools to slow or speed up clips, cut content, and align or stitch videos for smooth transitions.

The Instagram Reels elements, like the audio options we'll see below, encourage inventiveness, but the Story editor tools stress immediacy.

Social media marketing and Instagram reels

Many marketers feel that Instagram Reels will revolutionize social media marketing. One-third of Instagram users follow one company, making it the finest platform for marketing.

As a result, businesses should take advantage of all Instagram capabilities, including Reels, to outperform their competitors. New brands, for example, can use Instagram Reels to help their businesses get discovered. They only need to make entertaining and instructive videos featured in Instagram's Top Reels section.

Remember that social media users want short, crisp material. Instagram Stories' success stems from the fact that they are simple and brief.

With Reels, you have more functionality and editing capabilities to tell your brand's story. This is ideal for launching new products.

Of course, these short ads can be linked with lengthier video content via IGTV for more in-depth advertisements.

Reasons to Use Instagram reels

Instagram Reels is more than just a clone of a popular video platform; it is becoming a vital component of Instagram's business strategy, providing users and businesses with an incredible opportunity to reach out to new people and convert them into loyal followers. It appears that Instagram Reels are here to stay.

They've taken TikTok's famous video-sharing medium and adapted it for the world's second-largest social media network. Furthermore, it has resulted in a higher opportunity for businesses — it is TikTok's creativity and fun in a better business model. If you're still not persuaded that Instagram Reels are for you, here are a few compelling reasons to reconsider.

Easy to create Instagram reels

Video content often requires a lot of investment in terms of time, money, and production. However, just like TikTok, reels are designed to be short videos—a maximum of 15 seconds—so they don't require a lot of investment and can be created inside the app.

And while they're quick to create video content, they're also quick to consume, meaning viewers can get to know you and your brand without investing a lot of time.

Increased Engagement

The Instagram algorithm is hard to deal with, but the new Instagram function. With the introduction of reels, Instagram will go great lengths to advertise its new feature among its users.

So, use that function to submit a video. The algorithm will promote its feature by boosting your material to a larger and larger portion of your audience. It will assist you in increasing engagement.

You're probably aware that one of TikTok's most appealing features is utilizing trends in videos. There is no limit to what individuals can share and copy, from choreographed dances to foamy coffee!

There's a significant likelihood that the same thing will happen on Reels as well. You may utilize this to your advantage by either adopting trends relevant to your business or creating your own! Invite them to create their version and tag you to encourage audience engagement and conversation.

Insights

Instagram announced the debut of insights for Reels last month, which means users can now track stats, including the number of plays, accounts reached, likes, comments, saves, and shares.

With this upgrade, producers and companies can track and analyze how their videos are performing, who is watching them, and improve.

Displaying brand personality

Reels are the ideal medium for showcasing your personality and managing client perceptions to generate loyalty. You may utilize reels to show the human aspect of your brand, from what goes into running the firm to what employees say about the culture.

The aim behind creating Instagram reels is to educate, teach, motivate, or entertain your audience—as long as you click one of these boxes, you'll be fine. Take advantage of the Instagram camera to showcase your goods quickly that grabs the attention of your Instagram followers with the Instagram music library. Show off the product's versatility, variety, and overall brilliance in your reels.

But keep in mind the 80/20 rule: You should spend 80% of your time posting fun video clips content that informs and educates your audience and engages with the community, and 20% of your time pushing your products or services.

Share Sales offers

You may use Reels to announce special sales on your products. You can also collaborate with other small businesses and create reels to give significant discounts on their products/services.

Apparel retailers can collaborate with jewelry stores; bookstores can collaborate with gift shops. These types of cooperation will foster confidence among your target audience and other firms.

Steps to create Instagram reels

Instagram Reels have been an incredible tool for brands and businesses to exercise their creative muscles and provide a visual experience beyond a grid post since its introduction. In different steps, here's how to make your first Instagram Reel:

Storyboard your idea

You've heard the adage, "failing to plan to intend to fail." So, before you step in front of the red light, make a strategy. Here are a few questions to get you started:

What theme would be most appropriate for your company or brand - fashion and styling? Food recipes? Do you have any wellness advice?

Is there anything that stands out as a natural fit for your brand right now? How will your Reels material relate to your Instagram feed updates or Stories? Who is your target audience, and what kind of content will they respond to? Tutorials, behind-the-scenes footage, or a "day in the life" could all be included. After then, spend some time exploring the app and taking in the images.

Once you've nailed down your direction, storyboard your content by breaking down the segments you'll need to shoot to make the concept work. That way, you'll have a visual idea of how your Reels will look — and a clear strategy to work from!

Hook your Audience

It's critical to have an opening hook to keep the viewers interested for a longer period: what will quickly catch their attention?

And this can be an open-ended question, a visually appealing image, or an exciting announcement. Experiment and observe how your audience reacts; remember, often the simplest hooks yield the best results.

Provide Real Value

It's no secret that you can use Instagram Reels to increase a brand's reach and impressions exponentially. The videos that provide true value, on the other hand, stand out.

What is the secret? Knowing who you're talking to and what their expectations are is essential. Providing value can take various forms, whether they are searching for quick suggestions, a simple recipe, or a relatable joke.

Keep yourself updated with the new trending reels

Whether it's dances, sounds, or challenges, following the trend is important for generating viral Instagram Reels. That means immersing yourself in Reels content is essential.

This allows you to spot emerging trends and incorporate them into your overall strategy and specialty.

Make yourself familiar with Instagram reel

If you're not sure where to begin with, Reels, it's a good idea to do some preliminary research. Reels are significantly more collaborative and involved than other Instagram post kinds where businesses and entrepreneurs present themselves.

It's less frequent, for example, to see reels in which brands merely present a product. On the other hand, the best-performing reels leverage trending audio or meme forms to join the larger debate on the social network.

If you're scrolling through the reels tab and come across a video trend that you think would be a good fit for your company, tap the name of the music at the bottom of the screen. It will display a list of other clips that include the same music.

Before you construct your version with your original audio, watch a couple of them and record multiple clips and create seamless transitions so you can create aesthetic reels and use Instagram reels for your Instagram feed for your Instagram followers.

Set the Timer

First and foremost, we have the timer, which performs two functions. For starters, it will give you a three-second countdown to set up your phone.

Assume you don't have your phone in your hand and need to set it up on the tripod before getting into position or simply recording.

Second, imagine you have a 15-second clip that you want to do in total, but you want the first four seconds to be four seconds lengthy.

So we press the "set timer" button, then press the record button. It will start counting down, then record for four seconds before stopping automatically.

Use Aligned Features

The small align button is also useful once you've made your first clip in your Reel. When you press the align button, you'll see where you ended up. So all you have to do now is align it, push the record again, and create reels.

If you're in a different location, or if your fingers are in a different location, and you want to pick up where I left off, just select "align," and then all you have to do is try to align yourself as best you can for your video clips.

Effects and Speed

Let's look at the effects, which are very comparable to those on our ordinary Instagram Stories. When it comes to speed, the default setting is 1x.

Everything will be in slow motion if you do half-speed. You record in real-time, but the replay will be in slow motion.

Touch up and Video Layout

Your face and skin will look smoother with the Touch Up option, especially if your Instagram Reel focuses on your face.

The Video Layout lets you choose how you want your Instagram reel to look. It's very similar to our standard Instagram Stories in that it allows users to create their reels in the reels tab.

Upload a pre-recorded video

You are not limited to capturing footage in the app itself, as you are with Instagram Stories. You can submit an Instagram reel that you've already made if you don't want to use Instagram reel editing tools but want to maximize the format's potential reach.

Select any video on your smartphone by clicking on the image of your camera roll in the bottom left. Many users upload TikTok videos to share them on Instagram.

If you create your video outside of Reels, make sure it is portrait format. In Reels, you won't add music or effects to the footage; only text, stickers, trending music, own original audio, and filters will be available.

Add Stickers or Texts

When you've finished trimming all of the films you wish to utilize, you can add text, stickers, and filters on the following screen. The mechanics and typefaces available are similar to those seen in Instagram Stories.

The primary distinction is to specify when you want the text to appear and disappear. This feature can develop text narratives for tutorials, work-in-progress videos, or video listicles.

Each text you enter will create a little black rectangle at the bottom of the screen. To pick a certain piece of text, click on the matching rectangle, which will turn white. You may then adjust the entry and departure points on the bar below to control when the text appears and disappears.

Add caption and tags

If you want to save your Reel to your smartphone for later use, now is the moment to click on the download option in the top right corner. Instagram, unlike TikTok, will delete any third-party audio from the downloaded video. On the plus side, it does not include a watermark.

Then, to proceed to the final screen. You can enter a caption here, which will be overlaid at the bottom left of your Reel. If you enable 'Also share in feed,' it will display below your Reel in the manner of a typical Instagram post as a brand story or blog post to a wider Instagram community.

As with any other Instagram material, including mention tags and hashtags in the caption might help your Reel reach a wider audience and other users or social media platforms.

Share your video

You can still re-edit anything by clicking the back arrow at this point. Otherwise, click Cover to select the place in the video you wish to use as the Cover when it shows on your profile, then click Share.

Your new Reels may appear on the Explore page if you have a public Instagram account. Unless you deactivate commenting, people will be able to remark on it. Open your published or existing Reel and click on the three dots in the bottom right to disable commenting or delete your Reel.

If you used original audio, other users would be able to use it in their Reels. That is the extent of the alternatives for creating content. However, Instagram is beginning to roll out a Remix function modeled like TikTok's Duet and other creative editing tools.

Users can respond to a Reel by recording their version of the content alongside it. In Settings, you will enable or disable this option in the reels feed.

Conclusion

TikTok's easily consumable short video, massively accessible, and massive chances for just about anyone to go viral — all were essential components that propelled TikTok alongside the Big Four in a matter of years.

Instagram took notice and, in 2020, launched Instagram Reels, an in-app platform that fosters a very similar content structure. So, we hope our guide will help you capitalize on the social media gold rush, above is all you need to know about Instagram Reels.

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