Marketing of your brand on Instagram Reels

The smartphone short video market battle intensifies

As TikTok successfully created a new marketing environment, the competition intensifies. Instagram launched Reels, YouTube launched Shorts, and Snapchat also wants to enter into the game.

Instagram takes this business opportunity seriously. It tries to entice TikTok influences to join Reels and TikTok aware of this increased the so called “creator fund” to $1 billion from a previous $200 million.

How does Reels work

Reels at the moment operates simply as an added option to Instagram. This makes it easy to use and access. At the moment it allows you to record videos up to 30 seconds on the Instagram camera. It’s a recent change, before it allowed to make videos up to 15 seconds.

The Reels button is next to the Story one. You can take videos in one shot, or take multiple shorter shots making altogether up to 30 seconds. Once you record your video, you can add music by getting into the Instagram’s music library or you can add your own original music. It also allows you to add augmented reality effects, to align recorded objects easily by comparing your previous shot with the next one that you plan to take and you can also set a countdown timer before recording your video. Once you are done with your video, depending on the settings of your Instagram account, the Reel will go public, or it will be available to limited audience based on your private setting.

Sounds familiar?! Something that TikTok also does. Well, that’s the reason why former TikTok’s CEO said that it’s a copycat product.

How companies can use Reels for their marketing

Unlike TikTok, Reels at the moment does not provide ad formats that companies can utilize and pay for. There are no sponsored Reels of the kind that we are used to see. There are only featured Reels, but the choice of what Reel should be featured is done by Instagram, based on what they consider to be interesting and relevant content for particular audience segment.

Reportedly, Instagram wants first to gain traction and larger user base. Perhaps at later stages it will monetize Reels by applying suitable revenue models.

Despite that, companies can leverage this tool with some of the already established marketing practices, like the utilization of influencers for marketing purposes. There are already such examples. The French influencer Noholita tagged the jewelry company Jad & Va in some of her Reels.

But, that’s not the only way how to use Reels for marketing promotion purposes. According to SocialBakers and DigitalMarketer here are few additional ways to gain advantage of Reels:

• Repost TikTok videos: If you have published video content on TikTok or other platforms of this format, you can repost the same to your Instagram Reels channel for wider exposure;
• Reintroduce TikTok hashtag challenges: If you have active hashtag challenges on TikTok, you can reintroduce them on Reels;
• Create educational content: if you are a DIY home improvement products supplier you can feature tips how to make some reparations or improvements at home, if you are a travel company you can give similar practical advice to your audience;
• Provide product overview;
• Open up to your audience with behind-the-scenes content that shows interesting parts of your supply or value chain related to how your product or service is made ;

Is it worth it

According Hootsuite Instagram at the moment has about 1 billion monthly active users, the largest age category is 18 to 24 years old, and 42% of its users have income of more than $75,000. Despite the currently limited version of Reels, obviously the platform is very attractive for marketers who are interested to reach young, relatively wealthy and aspiring population.