Reels – a run through of Instagrams new TikTok

All you need to know about Reels – Instagram’s new TikTok

After ruling the photography market, Instagram is now up for amusing its user base with a brand-new feature – Reels. Just few days after its launch, Mark Zuckerberg entered the centibillionaire club, giving users and brands all the more reason to know all about this new tool and start Reeling.

What is Reels?

Reels is a feature on Instagram, enabling users to create short videos, which comes loaded with specialised effects and editing options. The video can be as long as 15 seconds and comes with its own set of filters. 

Witness all new video editing tools

Boasting of special editing options like countdown timer, speeding manipulations, video effects and quick clip transitions, Reels is set to make a grand impression rendering users a lot of control over creating and editing videos. 

Help your buyers come to you

With the introduction of this fancy button in the app, you can now create your own reels and create engaging content for your audience easily. The Reels that you create will be automatically discoverable on the Recommended Feed page of other Instagram users.

Showcase creativity wit catchy tunes

The brands that were considering using TikTok for channelling better interaction, can now shift their energy toward this new, fun option tat Instagram just launched. Quite similar to TikTok, Instagram has enriched Reels with audio choices. Creators get the option of choosing from a pre-loaded library or use their own audios which will bear the creator’s name, appearing above the soundtrack whenever another user makes a Reels on that audio. 

How to record Reels

Carrying a plethora of features that are easy to use, Instagrammers have already started showing off their creative front with Reels.  For all the first-timers, here is a simple way to create flawless Reels in the first go.

Camera, Roll and Create

  • Open the camera of your Instagram app (similar to what you do when you create Instagram Stories). 
  • On the bottom of the app, there are several options found previously like Live, Normal, Boomerang etc. The new icon Reels is stacked between Live and Normal mostly.

Tweak and edit the way you like

  • Click on Reels and you will be greeted with four options on the left side of the screen. The options mainly include Audio, Speed, Effects and Timer.
  • Selecting Audio will open an audio library for you to choose from. 
  • Hold the Speed option to achieve the desired result – you can slow down or speed up your video. 
  • The Effect icon will render amazing effects to the video by shuttling between the previously used filters or new ones with a single swipe. 
  • With timer, you get a countdown on screen before the video recording starts.

Publish and get noticed

  • Publish the final Reel by tapping on the arrow button, add hashtags and caption like you do for posts and voila! Your work of art is set to hit Instagram’s feed.
  • Creators using Reels have an option for pausing and recording multiple times with the record button while shooting the video. With Instagram stickers, you can draw over your reels and embellish them with cover photos or video thumbnails.
  • Reels can be sent to users’ DM and be even uploaded on Stories.
  • Once you publish them, they will be visible on your feed separately under the Reel tab, just alongside IGTV videos tab. 

If you manage to pull this off like a Pro and your Reel is extraordinarily good, then it might just be featured on the Explore page. 

How is Reel useful for brands

With an active community of over 1 billion users, it comes as no surprise that marketers will leverage every feature to its utmost potential. With top brands already cracking records and setting examples, the future of Reels is already looking bright and shiny for businesses across the globe. 

Introduce Products in Style

This Tiktok-like feature will help brands create meaningful content in short videos and stay in the feed of customers. Brands like Louis Vuitton are already creating a buzz with their quirky and innovative Reels.  

An innovative way to present new products, such reels are sure to strengthen the community bonds between the brands and their customer base.  

Connect with conversational content

Connecting on a personal level with customers goes a long way. Big guns like Sephora France are mastering this art using Reels for product demos and make up tips. But more than that, you will see them initiating conversations with users and keep followers hooked to their profile. 

Asking simple questions like ‘Which is your favourite color in this palette?’ brought them overwhelming engagement along with thousands of likes!  

With TikTok entering bad books of multiple countries, Reels is launched just in time as a great substitute to the former and is definitely worth a try for achieving guaranteed sales.

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