One of the biggest observations that have been made about consumers in the past few years has been that their purchasing decisions have become more complex.
Instead of prioritising the product or service that they need, these individuals are putting more consideration into which businesses they are investing in through their purchases. And one of their main considerations is how
authentic or
genuine a brand seems to them.
This is because it makes them feel as though they are contributing to more than
just a brand — they are investing in something
real.
As we know, one of the best ways that brands can keep things real is by showing off their 'human' aspects where this is best assimilated online: on social media.
Now, the introduction of short-form videos in these spaces has taken this a step further by allowing a brand to show off its character and personality. This is done by capturing actions and allowing them to layer it with filters, stickers and even music.
So, businesses, hang around as
media update's Lara Smit is giving you the tricks
you need to up your short-form video game on Insta.
Let's get 'Reel':
1. Try be as authentic as possible
As exhibiting authenticity is one of our biggest goals with this feature, it is
essential that brands prioritise finding ways to give audiences
authentic insights into their business through these videos.
There are a number of ways that brands can do this. These include:
- creating behind-the-scenes clips showing what goes into making the business work
- tutorials that help customers use their products and services effectively
- clips featuring employees that show the people behind the business
- production videos that give people insight into how the products are created (without giving too many of your secrets away), and
- a few fun videos to entertain users and show off the brand's less serious side.
These Reels will make your business more accessible to its customers and give them a fuller understanding of what sets your brand apart from its competitors. This includes its:
- goals
- mission
- values
- work-ethic, and
- employees.
These characteristics all play an integral part in creating an
authentic and
inspirational brand in the eyes of your customers.
2. Become trendy
Following trends in the Reel space will put your business on the
fast track to going viral. This is because following trends will place you in your potential customer's searches and make your content favourable to their algorithms.
Therefore, it's a good hack to take part in Reel trends that employ specific:
- music
- challenges
- filters
- stickers, and
- hashtags.
3. Always have an aim or purpose for your Reel
Reels are a
great way to capture an audience's attention and create fun, entertaining content. However, it's important for a business to create Reels that direct attention to its
brand and its
offerings.
Therefore, they must
always try to find a way for their Reels to serve a
purpose for their brand. These purposes can include:
- informing audiences of their products, services or promotions
- educating consumers about your business's industry
- portraying your brand's personality
- communicating your business's mission and goals
- creating awareness for your brand's offerings, and
- addressing the concerns and queries of your customers.
media update Top tip: When creating social media content like Reels, it's important to find ways to make your content
valuable to audiences.
4. Try to make entertainment a priority
Creating content that promotes your business on social media is always tricky. This is because a lot of the time people log onto these platforms to escape reality for a bit and find some entertaining content that will help them to de-stress.
Therefore, it can be quite difficult for brands to appeal to people on these platforms without disrupting their downtime.
So, businesses, try to give users the best of both worlds by providing them with product and service solutions to their day-to-day challenges
while still helping them to decompress with some entertainment.
5. Avoid sponsored ads
This comes back to our previous point. Using promotional material — like sponsored ads — is one of the ways that businesses disrupt user experiences on these platforms.
Therefore, it's best for brands not to make their Reels sponsored — instead, rather aim for the organic approach. Not only does this come across as more of an authentic appeal to potential customers, but it also feels like less of an
invasion of their private time.
6. Track your Reel performance
Our last little hack here is probably the most important. The only way to know if you are on the right track when it comes to creating your Reels is by monitoring their performance.
Instagram gives you insights into how your Reels are performing by telling you how many likes, comments and views they have received. But you can always take your Reel performance measuring to the next level by using a
social media tracking tool.
This will give you a better idea of how your Reels:
- are performing in relation to your competitors
- contribute to the overall performance of your platform, and
- gain or lose traction over a period of time.
Therefore, you will have a more comprehensive idea of
what works and
what doesn't when you are producing this type of content.
Do you have any tips for businesses who want to use Instagram Reels? Let us know what they are in the comments section below.
Now that you know how to leverage your business on Instagram using Reels, discover some more ways that you can boost your business's Instagram account in our article, Three ways to up your Instagram game.
*Image courtesy of Canva