How often do you log in to your Instagram, click the Reels Tab button, thinking you will stop at just one video, but stay at it for an hour because they are so addictive and entertaining? Now visualize the kind of exposure you can get if you star in one of those Reels, with millions of the ‘Gram users hooked to their screens and enjoying the content you’ve posted.
Sounds dreamy, right?
Instagram Reels have spread like wildfire (interesting fact: overtaking TikTok’s popularity in some parts of the globe, for example in India)! If you are exploring the digital space to improve your sales or establish yourself as a content creator, Reels are a must-have in your marketing strategy.
But before we move into the reasons why, let us see what the feature is all about.
What Are Instagram Reels?
Instagram Reel is a short video format feature added to compete with the most popular short-video app, TikTok. It witnessed a massive boom amidst the pandemic when the world was locked in its homes. We’re sure you cooked a lot of exciting recipes that went viral during the lockdown!
Reels feature on Instagram was introduced in Brazil in 2019. It resulted in an increase in overall Instagram usage by over 4%. And this number was a positive indication for introducing the feature to the entire world.
Meta has increased its length from 15 seconds to 90 seconds, giving ample space to showcase your creativity.
Why Exactly Should You Use Instagram Reels?
Instagram Reels have become the platform’s most explosive feature in the last two years. Read on to know why you should add Instagram Reels to your social media strategy and how it can benefit your personal brand!
Increased audience attention and retention
According to researchers, graphic content, especially short videos, is 60,000 times more effective than text-based information. And as per recent studies, the human attention span has been reduced to 8 seconds!
Why are we giving you this information?
To show that the crisper your content is, the more eyeballs it grabs. Instagram Reels is perfect for communicating your vision and ideas quickly and creatively. Business accounts that use Reels on Instagram can create more compelling and personal content for the target audience.
Improved scope for creativity
You can use various Instagram Reel ideas for businesses like Behind-The-Scenes work, educate audiences, collaborate with top Instagram influencers, and create content as per the latest trends. For instance, if you are a fashion brand, you can give styling tips to your audience, and if you are a packaged food brand, share quirky recipes.
Following the trends on Instagram Reels by using memes, or audio tracks, allows the millennials and Gen Z to resonate more with your content and products. If your creativity impresses them, you can redirect the viewers to your main website and convert them into customers.
You become more discoverable
Instagram’s algorithm is promoting its newly-added and massively popular Reels feature. So, basically, the parent will bless you directly!
A good engagement on your Reel can give you a spot on the “Explore Page” that grabs the maximum attention. As per Meta’s statistics, Reel ads have the potential to reach a staggering 675 million people, which is an incredible audience count to be visible.
Another reason for its high discoverability is it does not disappear within 24 hours, unlike Instagram Reels Download, so the audience can head over to your profile and watch your content at any time. For example, one of the best business accounts on Instagram, Nike’s Reels, has an average viewership of over 3 million!
Get better analytics of your audience
Imagine this: You are a small business that spends $ on a TV ad, keeps it running for two years, and realizes that even though your product was good, sales weren’t profitable to the extent you hoped. It happened because you weren’t minutely aware of how the audience reacted to your effort.
If you have an Instagram Business account, Reels allow you to use the analytics of engagement and disapproval of your targeted audience base. This periodic check gives you ideas to redesign your campaigns in a way that resonates more.
Unconventional is the new conventional.
Global brands like Louis Vitton, Sephora, Netflix, Zomato, and Nykaa are embracing the Instagram Reels in full swing. Traditional marketing channels are in flux, and digital marketing, especially social media, is taking its place. Pandemic-induced growth and a hint of what the future could look like have made over 90% of marketers conscious of their low presence in short-video formats. The quicker you embrace new features like these, the stronger position your brand will be in for the times ahead!
Final Thoughts
The pandemic has induced a sense of unpredictability in the global marketing landscape, which requires you to prepare in advance for every possible scenario. A strong and versatile presence on social media is the best way to withstand future shocks and connect with a more diversified and larger audience!
P.S. This post is a collaboration between Display Purposes and Social. We hope you enjoyed this guest post by Rahul Sathyakumar!