Instagram Reels allows you to create and share TikTok-like videos up to 60 seconds long.
Unlike Instagram Stories, Reels are permanent on your Instagram profile and don’t disappear after 24 hours.
Reels shares many of the same features as TikTok, which helps Instagram stay competitive with the fastest-growing social media app out there.
Unlike the standalone app TikTok, Reels is built into the Instagram app you already use.
With Instagram Reels, you can:
- Create and share 60-second videos.
- Add your own audio to the video, or choose a song from the licensed music catalog.
- Get original audio from other videos and add it to your video.
- Create reaction videos to other users’ content.
Reels appear in the Instagram Explore tab, giving you the opportunity to reach more people who aren’t already following you.
If your Reel goes viral and becomes Featured in the Explore section, it has the potential to gain a lot of exposure.
Here’s more information on how to create and share Reels.
1. Open the Instagram app and navigate to Reels
If you are not already logged in, open the Instagram app and log in to your account.
Then tap the plus button, or swipe right from the main feed to access the Instagram camera.
Open the Instagram camera, scroll to reel at the bottom.
2. Record a reel with the Instagram camera
Screenshot from about.instagram.com, January 2022.After selecting Reels, you can start recording right away, or you can add some production quality by choosing one of the following tools:
- vocal: Search for a song from the Instagram music library or record your own audio.
- Augmented reality effect: Select one of the many effects in the effects library.
- Timers and countdowns: Set a timer to record clips hands-free.
- align: Arrange the objects in the previous clip before recording the next clip.
- speed: Speed up or slow down part of the video or audio you select.
Hold down the capture button to record your Reel.
Reels can be recorded in a series of clips at once or uploaded using video from the camera roll.
You can preview your creation and add stickers, drawings or text before publishing Reel.
Once the reel is complete, you can go to the editing screen.
3. Share the scroll to your followers
Screenshot from about.instagram.com, January 2022.tap share to then click cover Change your cover photo and write a caption.
By default, your Reel will be shared to Instagram Explore.tap story If you want to share the scrolls to your story instead of exploring, go to the top.
How the Instagram Reels algorithm works
Instagram is transparent about what people see when they browse through Reels. This insight can help you create more successful clips.
Instagram is pushing Reels as its next flagship feature. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, has said publicly that he wants to make a big splash in video to compete directly with TikTok.
As Instagram continues to invest in Reels, it lets users know how this part of the app works.
The company revealed how it chooses which reels to recommend to each user.
Read on to learn how the Instagram algorithm displays Reels, information that can help you create more engaging content for your audience.
Here’s what you need to know.
How Instagram Recommends Reels to Users
The goal of Instagram’s Reels algorithm is to show content that users love to watch and actively engage with.
To determine which Reels to show users, Instagram’s algorithm takes into account individual likelihoods:
- Watch the reel all the way
- like it
- say it’s funny or funny
- Go to the audio page to make your own Reel
If you’re not familiar with Reels or TikTok, this last point might sound confusing. It refers to the ability to take an audio track from someone’s video and use it to create your own content.
Unless the creator disabled the feature, each Reel has a page where viewers can grab audio and make a new video with the same track.
Creating reels with highly shareable sound clips can get you farther in recommendation algorithms — but that’s not the only signal that matters.
related: How the Instagram Algorithm Works and Best Practices for IG Content
The most important reel algorithm signals
Instagram says user activity is the most important signal when it comes to recommending Reels.
The algorithm takes into account which Reels users have engaged with in the past, and whether they have had any direct interactions with content creators.
That means replying to comments, DMs, and hashtags can help your content show up in people’s feeds more often.
After that, Instagram looks at information about the video itself as well as information about the creator of the content.
The most important signals for the Reels recommendation algorithm are (in order of importance):
- User activity: Includes recent interactions with Reels and interactions with content creators.
- Information about scrolls: Like its popularity, its soundtrack, and its understanding of video based on pixels and whole frames.
- Information about the creator: Include who they are and how other users interact with them.
Types of content that Instagram does not recommend
Instagram doesn’t recommend several types of content, no matter how popular the creator is or how much engagement a video gets.
Here’s why Instagram avoids recommending Reels:
- The video is low resolution and/or watermarked.
- This video contains political content.
- The video was made by a political or government figure.
If you want to go anywhere with Instagram Reels, aim to produce high-quality and original content. Watermarked videos recycled from other sites don’t appear in people’s feeds unless they follow the creator directly.
Finally, keep the topic light and friendly for all audiences.
Keep track of which reels resonate the most with your followers by recording the number of likes, views, and comments each person receives. With a business or creator account, you can access more detailed metrics.
More resources:
source: @Creator on Instagram
Featured Image: Ascannio/Shutterstock
