Top 5 Strategies to Start Using Instagram Reels for Marketing | Digidir

Instagram made a big play in bite-sized video content in August, rolling out the reels the same year the app turned 10 and celebrated 1 billion active monthly users.

Instagram Reels is a new tool for creators to share 15-second clips with music and AR effects. If this sounds similar to TikTok, that's because it is: TikTok surpassed 1 billion users in just 18 months, Instagram reels showing many similar features.

So, while the feature isn't exactly significant in its originality, it does provide opportunities for in-house engagement in the same ecosystem as Instagram and the platform's parent company Facebook.

Reels is not Facebook's first TikTok competitor

Creators and influencers can use Reel to engage users with short, entertaining content – ​​but will it strike a chord with marketers?

We think so. And it will not make much difference whether Tiktok is banned in America or not. With the Facebook family's endless resources, global reach, and familiarity to creators and users alike, it's inevitable that the Instagram reel will be a digital marketing golden child, unlike previous offerings.

Using Instagram Reels for Marketing Campaigns

Unlike stories and sponsored content, Reel does not endorse advertising. Instead, the published reel shows the 200 million active daily users who visit the Explore page and often appears in people's timelines as a suggested diversion from endless scrolling.

Instagram's algorithm helps it attract viewers, using behavioral data to suggest accounts that users want to follow.

So, while you can't afford to put them in front of your audience, you can use the reels to reel them in. Here are 5 tips to make Instagram reels a part of your marketing strategy.

1. Use Available Tools

getting acquainted with the reels

Instagram has an entire creator section that walks you through the content journey. Before getting on with the reels, let's dive deeper into the tools and guides to understand how the features work when to use Reels compared to IGTV or Stories, and how to monitor brand engagement in the app.

making your first reel

Making a reel is easy. Making an entertaining reel is not. How competitors and contemporary brands are using the platform to assess what works and what doesn't.

When you're ready to launch (after reading Tips 2-5), use built-in creator tools like audio overlays, editing, AR effects, and speed manipulation to help you create an engaging reel.

2. Plan Coherent Content

It first helps to map out the storyboard before jumping into the reels. Remember that you can upload existing video content to piece together 15-second clips so you're not forced to film in-platform. Use this to your advantage by upping your content creation game, so as long as your reels are live, you have all the pieces:

• high-quality video content
• An amusing clip between 3 and 15 seconds
• authentic brand messaging
• Strategic Relationship Between Reels and Digital Marketing Campaigns
• Content for singles and ongoing engagements
• Like any marketing activity, keeping momentum depends on a steady stream of diverse content. Of course, that content should be clearly identified as related to your brand.

3. Stay on Brand

Reels can be fun, educational, whimsical or just a way to waste time in 15-second increments. They are valid for all use cases (yes, all), provided they align with the brand and the broader digital marketing campaign.

Using a feature like Reel may require a change in mindset for some marketers. While TikTok is more popular with Gen Zs, from its position under the Instagram brand, Reels is attracting a larger millennial user base.

Consider how this insight can inform the planning of your digital marketing campaign. For example, by creating fun supplemental content to support a sleek paid Instagram campaign.

4. Embrace the Ecosystem

To take #3 a bit further, consider how Reels fits into a multi-platform campaign. Facebook owns Instagram and everything in it, which means that paid campaigns can span from Facebook Timeline ads to Messenger chatbots, to authentic engagement with reels on sponsored Instagram stories.

User insight is important here.

• How are your users engaging with your brand on those different platforms?
• What gap can Instagram reels bridge in your digital marketing?
• How much budget can you allocate to the reels?
• Can you leverage information from past Instagram and Facebook campaigns?
• At what stage of the reel content addressing funnel is it?
• Good data is the fundamental foundation before embarking on a reel content creation spree.

5. Be Realistic About the Impact of Reels on Digital Marketing

There is a reason why Instagram Reels is such a popular feature with creators. Readymade audiences and straightforward creation tools lower the entry barrier, while users are accustomed to rolling out Instagram's new content platform-with-a-platform.

However, there are two important points to remember:

• The reel does not support paid content - however
• Users can instantly smell genuine branded content
• Instagram reels may not be a digital marketing revolution. But with a solid user base, high engagement and endless creative branding opportunities,
• A reel is undoubtedly a valuable tool for earning a greater share of the voice in a crowded market.