If you have a pre-teen in the house, you have probably heard about TikTok potentially being banned in the States. TikTok took the world by storm, and Facebook took notice. Last week Instagram introduced REELS on Instagram, a TikTok knock off.
Reels allows users to record ad edit short-form videos with music and audio soundtracks, very similar to what is being done on TikTok. According to Instagram’s press release, “Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram. Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. You can share reels with your followers on Feed, and, if you have a public account, make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore. Reels in Explore offers anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage.” I strongly believe this feature will be here to stay, so I suggest everyone start using it!
Creating a Reel
The Reels video format lives inside of Stories, which users are very familiar with already. It appears at the bottom of the Stories screen, where you can choose to go Live, create a story, or now a reel. You can record a short clip, add an audio soundtrack or a music soundtrack to your video. You can also ad an AR Effect, which you can choose from the effect gallery. Similar to TikTok, there is a timer and countdown, an align option, where you can line up objects from previous clips before recording the next, and you can adjust the speed. You simply record the first clip by holding the capture button, just like Stories.
Sharing Reels
If you have a public account, your reel can be shared to a dedicated space in Explore. Right now, there is huge potential to get in front of a wider audience, so take advantage of Reels soon! You are also able to share your reel with your followers by posting it in your feed. As always, you can use hashtags to promote it as well.
If your account is private, your settings will stay the same. If you share a reel, only your followers will be able to see it.
Your reel will be saved on a separate Reels tab on your profile, where your friends can watch your reels. If you share it on your feed, your reel will be on the main profile grid. You can also share your reel on your story, where it will life for 24 hours.
Be Creative
Reels offer you the perfect chance to be creative and have fun! There are lots of features (and more will be added soon!), that make your 15 second video fun. Instagram has created great filters that are eye-catching and fun. The hard part is getting your message down to 15 seconds! It can be tricky to be that concise! I had to do a few takes to get it down, and some of my clients are also struggling! But the learning curve will be worth it!
Benefit
The major benefit is this: The reach is unbelievable at this time! Seriously, stop reading and go create! Instagram is pushing Reels because they want everyone to jump on the band wagon. I’d love to see your first Reel, so be sure to tag me!!
This isn’t the first time Instagram completely copied another app. In 2016, Instagram realized it was losing ground to Snapchat. Facebook of course reportedly, tried to buy SnapChat, and when refused, Zuckerberg turned Stories loose, which affected SnapChat in a big way. Like this method of business or not, it works out for Instagram. And as for Reels, it looks like it will be another successful feature.
Check out my Instagram profile @PurpleBeanMedia, view my Reels and let me know what you think!
