I’m sorry Ms Jackson, I am for ‘Reel’...

Okay, that’s it for the Reel puns…maybe

Anywho, back to the business at hand - Reels in marketing, not reels attached to a fishing rod.

If your business isn’t utilising Reels in its marketing strategy, it could be missing out on a lot of opportunities for brand awareness. In today's social media world, Reels are the fresh new functionality meaning there are a lot of people out there spending a lot of time watching them. At Hey Marketing we have to watch reels for work purposes…so it doesn’t count, right?

According to Earthweb - Content on Instagram Reels gets 22% more engagement compared to regular videos on Instagram. By posting Reels to your Instagram page, you are enabling your content to get in front of a wider audience. Instagram is currently placing emphasis on video content through its platform. Reels can be seen on the ‘explore’ page through trending audio and hashtags, meaning your content is being seen by non-followers or people who wouldn’t have usually seen your content. Winning!

The Reel Nitty Gritty Stuff

The digital world is forever evolving and social media for businesses is a definite must. Deciding which social media platforms to utilise for your business is a different conversation altogether - one we can definitely help you with! 

But why Reels? Why now? C’mon social media gods, not ANOTHER function for small business owners to learn about! Reels are a great tool for showcasing your brand or business along with its values and personality. Social media is all about connection, communication and community. By resonating and connecting with your audience rather than pushing the hard sell you start to build a relationship. Your relationship with a non-following Instagram user can evolve into a captured follower and then a loyal customer if they resonate with your brand, your story or your values and ultimately the product or service you are offering. This means a real relationship, with a real person all because of some captivating Reels! That my friend is when the magic starts to happen. 

Help Me! I’m Sinking into a Scroll Hole!

Instagram Reels use a proven, highly effective and highly addictive formula to fully engage its users. Have you ever been sent a hilarious reel that you open, then you think ‘I’ll just watch a couple more’…then suddenly it’s an hour or two later and you have no idea where the time has gone? That time has sunk into what’s known as a scroll hole, and you are never getting back. Washing to be done? Pfft, what washing? Let’s watch some more Reels.

Reels provide fast and fun entertainment without having to think too deeply about it. Not only that, because Reels are the hot new feature for Instagram you can be sure that the algorithm tends to favour accounts that regularly publish Reels…sneaky right? 

The Reel Deal of Posting Reels

You need to make sure your content is appropriate for an unknown audience. What does this mean exactly? When posting Reels you never know who it may reach. Although your content may be engaging for your target market, you need to make sure it’s also appropriate for those outside of your target market - age, gender, beliefs, values etc. Your video needs to be short & sharp with your own unique spin added to it. 

Top Content Creation Tips for Making Reels

• Use Trending Audio or be brave and use your own! The world is your oyster
• Follow current trends you see on your explore page
• Add relevant hashtags (Yes, to EVERY SINGLE ONE)
• Have fun with it!
• Be reel with your audience (sorry, last reel pun)
• Give insight into your business (Behind the scenes or staff/products in action)
• Share tips & tricks
• Don’t reshare TikTok videos (the Instagram gods will not take favourably to you)
• Include closed captions for those watching without sound (I can’t lip read, can you?)
• Share your Reels to your feed to help up the reach
• Post consistently

There are so many possibilities right at your fingertips, so take advantage before there’s a new trend to learn all about! Wondering how to take your digital marketing to the next level? Our team is ready for your call.