UNCOVERING THE SECRET OF INSTAGRAM REELS
Instagram Reels first made waves in the digital marketing world in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when TikTok was dominating the social media realm with its short and captivating videos.
Since then, Instagram and TikTok have been competing to the toe for one thing: Your attention.
Beyond Instagram Reels being a captivating place to get your news in less than 8 seconds or learn something new, there is more that goes into it (and more that comes out!). Whether for your business or personal use, Instagram Reels have the potential to put your content in front of a broader audience and reach each of your digital marketing goals.
But it is not as easy as some may believe it to be! Beyond filming a video and uploading it with a trending sound, we are here to share a few of our favourite (secret) hacks that will take your Instagram Reels to the next level.
Let’s dive in!
🤿 Include On-Screen Text and Closed Captions
Beyond being a visual platform, Instagram is fully backed by Search Engine Optimization (SEO). That’s right, Instagram favours SEO like no other!
One of the ways that Instagram leans into its SEO is by utilizing on-screen text and closed captions to help categorize your videos as they view the words on your reels as keywords. Once categorized, Instagram uses your categorization to push your video out to a broader audience in your niche.
If you are wondering how to add text to Instagram reels, click anywhere on your screen and begin typing! If you are wondering how to add closed captions to reels, click on the Closed Caption sticker in the sticker folder. Instagram will automatically generate captions for you.
Ensure your on-screen text contains keywords related to your business and your target audience! You can thank us later 😉
🤿 Sounds Sounds Sounds Trending Sounds!
Instagram pushes trending sounds to go to a broader audience, but just as fast as they promote trending sounds, they also go just as fast!
A sound trending on Reels usually indicates it's becoming more popular and used by more users, as indicated by a small arrow beside the audio's name.
Instagram is currently gatekeeping what makes a trending sound, well, trending. However, we have narrowed it down to be the algorithm’s momentum.
If you suddenly see an old song, let’s say a NSYNC 2000s classic, is all over your feed, odds are there is some sort of popularity (such as a trending video or dance) associated with the song to make it trending again.
If you are wondering how to find trending sounds for Instagram reels, take a peek at the sound library in the “For You” section to see what songs Instagram recommends that day. If the arrow beside the artist’s name is up, use it! It’s trending!
🤿 Add Reels to Your Feed (Don’t Hide Them!).
While some individuals tend to favour hiding reels from their Instagram feeds, we are all about showing them off! After all, you put in the time and effort to create it, so why not flaunt it?
By adding Instagram reels to your feed, you are encouraging those that come across your account to view them. While you may think that they will go the extra mile to click on the reel tab on your feed, odds are, they don’t.
With your reel front and centre on your home page of your feed, you are encouraging your audience and new viewers to click on your reel.
If putting them on your feed still makes you wary, not to worry! Using a template as a cover to match your feed is one way to keep your reel front and centre on your feed, without compromising the look of your feed.
If you do not like the cover you chose after your reel is published, click on the “Edit” button in the top right corner of your reel, and replace the cover with a new one from your camera roll.
🤿 Remove The TikTok Watermark… Like Yesterday!
Remember when we said that Instagram and TikTok are in a toe to toe competition for your attention? Well, Instagram took their side to the next level by deprioritizing the reels with the TikTok watermark.
Yeah… They did that… 🥴
When your reel consists of a TikTok watermark, Instagram does not prioritize it to be pushed into their Explore Page and in the Reels tab.
Instagram has confirmed that Reels that are plainly recycled from other applications are deprioritized, which means they are less likely to appear in the Instagram Explore Page and the Reels tab.
We often get asked by our clients how we can share reels from Instagram to TikTok, and one of the first things we always say is: Yes! But without the watermark!
If you are unable to remove the watermark from TikTok, there are a few applications you can use that will download your video for you. However, keep in mind that your video quality may decrease as a result.
Uncover The Secrets of Instagram Reels with Social Sense Media
If having your reel go viral on Instagram is something you have been embarking on with little to no success, don’t give up now! Try out these hacks, and let us know if you see any improvement in your engagement.
If you are still struggling to grasp Instagram reels, get in touch with our team today! We’d love to see how we can best support you and your reels!
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