No Longer Just a Photo-Sharing App
It seems like over the last few years, Instagram has rolled out a crazy amount of new features. When it first launched back in 2010, it was a pretty basic photo sharing app. It basically allowed users to share photos, like and comment, and follow their friends and favourite accounts.
Now you can:
- Post photos
- Share Stories (quick, temporary posts)
- Taken from Snapchat
- Post short and long (IGTV) videos
- YouTube style
- Edit and create interactive short videos (Reels)
- Virtually identical to TikTok
- Stream live videos by yourself or featuring other users
- RIP Periscope
- Promote products through Shop
- Share Guides
- Similar to Pinterest
- Search photos based on keywords (ex: Cookie Dough)
- Google Vibes
Even on this list you can see video is taking over. However, it is even more apparent when you look at the way Reels is being pushed in front of you. You can see that Reels is the front and centered option in the screenshot below (circled in red). The Reels logo now occupies the space that the “Post” button used to (now the plus symbol in the top right).
If you click on that Reels button, it essentially pulls you into an endless discovery feed of videos. It is almost an identical feed to TikTok. From this feed, you can interact with other peoples videos, share and save audio clips, and create your own reels.
Why You Need To Start Using Instagram Reels Immediately
As we mentioned above, Instagram is really pushing Reels right now. As a result, people who use the feature are being rewarded big time. Instagrams algorithm is seemingly making a concerted effort to push people’s Reels to a new audience. Even our little account that we just started (100 followers) puts up some solid numbers. Across 10 Reels we average 805 views per Reel, with about half exceeding 1,100 views. That means we are reaching a new audience every time we share a Reel, which is obviously essential for growth.
How to get the most out of your video content:
- Share often
- The more you post, the faster you grow
- People like to follow active accounts with lots of content
- Diversify your video content
- Short Videos
- IGTV’s
- Reels
- Interactive Stories
- Tips for Reels
- Use trending audio
- Keep it short – videos under 10 seconds tend to perform better
- Share to feed (Be sure to edit cover and crop profile view)
- Make it personal – videos with your face in it receive better engagement
- Utilize text effectively
- Showcase your main points with text
- Not everyone watches with sound on
- Use Hashtags
- Include them in caption or a comment
- 8-12 is now the desired number
- Should relate directly to the content within the post
- Share new posts to your Stories
Just Make Good Content
To quote Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.” In this case, if you create good content, people will notice. Though the focus is shifting from photos to videos, don’t be afraid to provide a healthy mix. Also, pump out as much content as you can. Gone are the days when it was frowned upon to post more than once a day. We know it’s hard to try and post every single day, we haven’t even been able to manage that on the 1707 Creative account. However, you should try and post as much as you can. Every post is your chance to reach a new audience.
For more tips on growing your Instagram account, check out this blog. We also share all kinds of tips on our Instagram account!
Like this blog? Subscribe for more content by joining our newsletter!