The Ultimate Guide To Instagram Reels

Video is king at the moment. Short form, vertical video. It’s everywhere and everyone’s using it – so I decided to write a blog about it.

Take a shot every time I say reels (not Todd, obvs).

The Ultimate Guide To Instagram Reels

Is everyone REELY using Reels?

In short – yes. Yes, they are.

For a bit of context, Instagram is really, really (reely) jealous of TikTok and the number of daily users it has (30.8 million to be exact), so in August 2020, it launched its own video feature and called it reels.

To push the use of reels, they then used their algorithm to push reels to users, more than boring old photo posts.

Everyone was hooked, their plan worked, and now social media managers everywhere are expected to be videographers too!

Let’s go back to basics – what are Instagram Reels?

Instagram reels are short vertical videos that can be up to 90 seconds long. Unlike Instagram stories, they don’t disappear after 24 hours.

You can watch trending reels on Instagram via the reels icon at the bottom of the app. There’s also a handy separate tab on your profile, where your followers can view and engage with your reels, too.

Viewers can watch reels from accounts they don’t follow via the app’s homepage, which is GREAT for engagement and reach.

Okay, but how do I make a reel?

Buckle up boyo! I’m about to get technical. Don’t worry, I’ve got screenshots.

To start creating a reel, select reels at the bottom of the Instagram camera.

It should look like this…

There’s then a whole host of editing tools on the left-hand side.

• Audio: here you can find suggested and trending sounds – unless there’s a specific song you want to use, it’s best to use a trending sound (one with around 2-10K videos) to really ramp up your reach.
• AR Effects: these are basically filters – the same ones from stories.
• Timer and Countdown: this is SUPER handy if you’re filming on your own. Set the timer or countdown, run to your spot and get filming!
• Align: this feature is actually pretty useful if you’re making a ‘stop motion’ type video – it will show you a ghosty version of your last clip, so you can keep everything aligned!
• Speed: timelapse-a-go-go! This feature lets you speed up (or slow down) your video. In my professional opinion… Faster is always better. People’s attention spans are about 2 seconds long when it comes to video.
• And their latest feature… Dual camera mode: remember our blog about BeReal? I told you Instagram were copy cats, and look. Here’s the proof. Dual camera mode means you can film your reaction via your front camera simultaneously!

You can film reels in a series of clips, all in one go, or you can upload videos from your gallery.

Next steps…

Okay, so you filmed your reel. Now, how to share it?

Well… Firstly, select share. In this screen, you can either save it as a draft for another day (pro tip: if for some reason you uninstall Instagram, you’ll lose all of your drafts. Something I’ve had to learn the hard way, unfortunately), change the cover image, add a caption and hashtags, and tag other people in.

Hey presto – you’re done!

And there you have it – you’ve posted your first reel. Well done. Pat on the back for you!

Now it’s time for some reely (I’m sorry, I just can’t help myself) interesting reel facts:

• Instagram is bigger than TikTok – well, the screen size is. Reels’ screen space is massive in comparison to normal photo posts, and purposely 8% larger than TikTok’s.
• The Lakers had the most Instagram Reels engagement in 2022.
• Content on Instagram Reels gets 22% more engagement in comparison to regular video posts.
• Nike get an average of 4.6 million views on their reels.
• The most viewed Instagram Reel is… Drum roll… This video by Khaby. It has over 12 million likes, and over 286 million views. Wowee.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Khaby Lame (@khaby00)

If you weren’t already, make sure to follow Spaghetti Agency on Instagram, to see our latest reels. Wink wink.

And if you REELY can’t get your head around reels, get in touch. We may be able to help you.

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