How To Use Instagram Reels for Digital Marketing?

Social media has entirely changed the digital marketing scenario in the world. One of the easiest and most creator-friendly means of digital marketing is turning out to be Instagram Reels. Instagram boasts of having 500 million daily users and a billion active users on a monthly basis! This presents a massive opportunity for brands to acquire potential customers.

Why is Reels a good marketing strategy?

Videos are the most engaging form of marketing, beating posts and images. They keep viewers engaged and interested for longer. This is good for brands, who can get their message seamlessly across platforms like Facebook and Instagram, seeking to keep viewers engaged for longer. Instagram Reels are simple and can be made without professional help. This is why it is such an attractive prospect for small businesses that have limited resources and manpower. The potential for a Reel to go viral and be viewed by thousands is very high. Millions of people are hooked on Reels and are consuming this content daily. This is one of the most effective means of marketing in 2021.

How can you suit your Reels for digital marketing? Here are some tips on using Instagram Reels for digital marketing –

1. Post your Reel on the feed: While you can post your Reels on the Reels tab in your profile, this will be viewed by fewer people, as opposed to posting it in your Feed. When you post a Reel to your Feed, it gets more exposure and your current audience will see it in their Feed as well. The reel is highly likely to become viral or trending for public accounts if more people share and like it. 
2. Keep all texts centered: If you are adding texts to your videos, then it is best to keep the text centered as the alignment changes when you post a Reel on the Feed, as Reels and posts have a different format and sizing. This is especially useful since most creators prefer to add closed captions to their videos. This is better for viewers as many people choose to keep their sound off while watching videos. With captions, they can understand the video’s message without missing out on anything because the sound is turned off.  
3. Add music to your Reels: When you add a song to your Reel, your video gets exposure in the section of Reels using that song. This is similar to how hashtags work on Instagram, but this has greater reach. This is why brands often jump on the wagon and create Reels that are part of some trend, so they can use a trending song in their video and be featured on the tag section of the song. Music also makes your video more engaging, and this is good for business as it keeps the viewer hooked for longer. 
4. Recycle old content: If you posted something important or appealing on your Instagram stories or posts, then you can reuse it and make a Reel. This will probably get more exposure due to the use of hashtags.  
5. Post across platforms: If you posted something interesting on some other platform like Facebook or TikTok, then add it to your Instagram Reels as well. If it has performed well on other platforms, it will perform better on Instagram due to greater exposure. Ensure that no logos or watermarks are visible when you are recycling content because the Instagram algorithm pushes down videos that are visibly recycled from elsewhere. 
6. Team up with customers: Teaming up with customers is a mutually beneficial and highly effective marketing strategy. If you have customers who have bought your products and want to showcase them on Instagram, then partner up. They can tag you, and you can feature it in your Feed as well. This shows credibility and provides a chance to gain more potential customers. Teaming up with influencers is a popular strategy for many brands, and Reels are a great way to do it. 
7. Engage in Q&A, tutorial, and demo videos: People want to watch videos that add some kind of value to their life. Be it educational content, or something that teaches them about a product or skill, anything interesting and valuable will hold viewers’ attention. This is why Reels featuring short Q&A sessions and answering customers’ questions is a great idea to market your brand. Take the example of Apple. They have been using the platform of Instagram Reels to showcase many of their products and show people how to use many features on their products. Similarly, product videos and demo videos provide a chance to showcase your product while educating potential customers about the benefits and appeal of your products. 
8. Add an accessible link to your website in the caption: If your Reel is talking about your brand or a product, then make sure you add a link to your website in the description or your bio. This makes it easy for the customer to access your website and possibly purchase. In this regard, it is essential to optimize this procedure for both mobile devices and computers since most people scroll reels from their phones. 
9. Showcase your brand’s values and ethos: Reels are the perfect format for providing some insight into your brand value and what it stands for. Sephora is an excellent example. They feature content of users that reflects the personality and ethos of the brand itself. Their use of taglines shows how you can engage more and more potential customers and create conversions.

 Reels are perfectly suited for digital marketing because they are short (no one likes watching a lengthy video ad), convey a lot of information through text, audio and visuals, and are free to watch and easy to share with friends. A successful video marketing strategy can ensure conversions and greater brand awareness. Big brands, NBA franchises, celebrities, and small businesses use Reels to promote their products and brands. So, hop on the trend and use Instagram Reels to grow your brand and following! All you need is creativity and some unique and original ideas to get started.