Many believe that Reels is Instagram”™s answer to TikTok. India banned TikTok earlier this summer and then Instagram released Reels in India a few days later. America is experiencing a similar situation.
The U.S. government is putting pressure on TikTok to sell ownership of its company to an American company. If TikTok does not sell, the U.S. government has stated it will ban TikTok. The Washington Post lists India, the United States, Australia, the European Union, Japan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan as countries that are either suspicious of, are actively investigating or have already banned TikTok.
Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, decided that this is the time to strike. Facebook stated that Reels would be available in the United States “in early August.”
Reels by Instagram is a way to add certain artists”™ music to videos that are 15 seconds long. Soon, you will be able to record and stitch together 15-second videos with music on Instagram. You can publish the videos in the Stories section, Explore section and in a dedicated Reels section on your Instagram account.
You can choose music from a library that Instagram provides or use your audio. You can adjust the video”™s speed, add a countdown timer and apply different visual effects. You can choose videos from your phone”™s Camera Roll or create videos from the Instagram app.
A blogger based in Paris reported that her engagement has been much higher when using Reels. Sephora in France and Louis Vuitton use Reels to promote their new products. Reels was first tested in Brazil and is also available in Germany, France and India.
Here are three ways your business can reach more people when Reels is available:
Post videos with music that relates to your business
Realtors can showcase one of their properties. Med spas can show videos of before-and-after transformations synced to music about beauty, feeling good and self-confidence. Orthodontists can use songs about consistency and trusting the process, which can lead to them emphasizing the importance of wearing your Invisalign aligners consistently. They can use celebratory music to spotlight their patients who completed their Invisalign or braces treatment. Fitness trainers can incorporate motivational messages like “Rocky” music and the “Eye of the Tiger” if those songs are available for use. When Instagram releases Reels, you will be able to see what music is available.
Create a short poem or theme song for your business
Since Reels is music-oriented and you can upload your audio, consider making a short poem or theme song about your business. It can mention the benefits of your products and services and include how you enjoy empowering your clients.
Perform a contest asking others to share your theme song or poem, tagging their friends and your Instagram business account
You can run a contest encouraging your community to use your theme song in their Reels videos. For example, you can encourage your followers to post a Reels video, tag their friends and your business account, and use your branded theme song in the video to be entered for a chance to win a prize.
Celebrate the winner in a Reels video if they give you permission to spotlight them. To spread the word about your contest, post on your other social media platforms, email your subscribers and put up signs if your office if you have a physical location.
Bringing It All Together
It”™s been reported that Instagram may provide accounts that use Reels with some “extra prominence to get the feature off the ground.” It is fair to assume that Instagram wants to get people talking about Reels and have them migrate away from TikTok. To achieve this goal, the platform may give accounts who use Reels more reach and engagement than usual. If that is the case, you can leverage Reels to reach more people on Instagram.
Feeling overwhelmed? Schedule your free strategy call and let”™s help you win on social media in 2020 and beyond at MichaelGuberti.com/Schedule.
