Instagram Reels: step-by-step tutorial (1)
Laia Ordoñez
21/01/2021
-
It has been with us for some time now, so we think it is time to talk about Instagram Reels with a step-by-step tutorial to get the most out of it and investigate a little more about its possibilities for your eCommerce.
-
-
If Instagram is one of the social networks that you use regularly in your social media marketing strategy, it is more than likely that you have already seen this new format called Reels.
The truth is that, like all new features, it takes some time to get used to Reels. It is also possible that you have not yet dared to take the plunge or that you do not quite see the fit with your eCommerce. On the contrary: you will see that it is an ideal way to sell online.
The purpose of this post is to see how Instagram Reels work and to know why you should start using it today.
-
What is Instagram Reels?
-
We could define it as a creative tool for editing and broadcasting short videos. When creating your video in Reels, you have a gallery of effects and you can make different cuts to create transitions or apply augmented reality.Read as it is, without going into detail, it already seems interesting; but this tool offered by Instagram is much more than a handful of more or less advanced features.In reality, we are talking about a very complete video editor but simplified to the maximum, which allows us to enhance our video marketing strategy to sell more and better.If we wanted to achieve this level of editing we would need, first of all, a professional software like Final Cut or Adobe Premiere. These solutions can cost a lot of money in licenses. In addition, they have the problem of not being easy to use, so add to that the hours of training you need if you want to do it yourself.
-
-
But that is not all. While in Reels we have a lot of quality music that we can use without paying royalties, in the case of editing our own videos we are forced to pay for the music tracks we use.Finally, there is the issue of filters, which is no small matter. It is amazing what you can do with Instagram Reels using some of these, not only for what augmented reality brings: it also allows you to use bluescreens in a simple way, lighting adjustments ... and all this simply by touching the screen.
-
Use and advantages of Reels for eCommerce
-
Let's be a little more specific about how we can use this tool within our online store strategy with a handful of examples.
-
#1 – Perfect for visibility
-
In the end, as is logical, the strategy will depend on the sector or niche in which you move in, but it fits perfectly with anyone who needs to connect with their audience (and that works for everyone).We know that everything that is multimedia has a higher engagement and motivates the user more. We also have the experience of the aforementioned Stories and how they transformed in a short time a network that was "static" by getting users used to a new way of interacting.Unlike Stories, all Reels are saved in a tab within the account profile, so they are always available and are not ephemeral.In any case, there is a perfect section to gain this visibility: a complete section in the home page of the application where only this type of videos can be found and which will be more important in the coming months.
-
-
#2 – Easy to use tutorials and modes of use
-
Because of the type of format, Instagram Reels is ideal for making small tutorials and sequence videos in several steps in an agile way.If you want to explain how your product works, you can write a lot or make a video, something much more attractive that does not need hyper-detailed text.In addition to these small explanations as pills, it is very likely that, little by little, Instagram profiles will also be filled with FAQs. We already have IGTV for live with live resolution of questions, but Reels provides an alternative tool with which you can answer recurring questions by offering a different, fun and above all very visual explanation.In this way, you contribute to improving the experience in the initial and middle phases of the Customer Journey.
-
#3 – Influencers
-
Talking about Instagram is talking about influencers and lifestyle. Therefore, we are going to see how, little by little, Reels are being filled with these two critical and basic aspects in the social network itself.If in your marketing strategy you already incorporate influencers as an asset -or it is one of your short-term plans-, you should not lose sight of the possibilities that such a format has.
-
#4 – It is a fresh and direct way to show who we are
-
In social networks, proximity wins. Users and customers want to know the human stories behind brands or products.The advantage of using Instagram videos for this is that it fits within the network that is used daily, mixed with photos and other content that address different brand territories.YouTube, being a very powerful tool, has somewhat fallen out of the social media spirit and there is a good opportunity for Instagram to tell more about us.
-
#5 – User-generated content
-
It is also a very interesting format for creating memorable unboxings, by the way, which opens the door to all kinds of top-notch user-generated content.
-
-
That is another huge advantage of the democratization of video editing. Anyone with a little creativity and desire can "work" for their favorite brand creating small wonders.
-
Instagram Reels vs.TikTok
-
Having seen all this information, the conclusion you have probably already reached is that this is Instagram's answer to TikTok.Basically, Instagram has copied the operation and philosophy of this network, just as it did at the time with Instagram Stories and Snapchat. Although the Chinese network seems a much tougher nut to crack and with a huge market share that continues to grow month by month.It is logical that Facebook has set its eyes on TikTok, because it is reinventing communication and because, strategically, it is a pain in the ass to see those 800 million users it has reached. But Instagram/Facebook has an important advantage: it has a huge critical mass of users, very loyal and with a smaller demographic bias (the age range of its profiles is wider).
-
What do you think of Instagram Reels? Do you want to know more about how it works? Stay tuned for our next post!
-
Images| Unsplash e Instagram.