Just like businesses, Instagram is always looking to do better for customers to stay attracted to their platform, and use them. Hence, the emergence of the Reels feature; similar to the highly popular social media platform known as TikTok.
Just like TikTok clips, Instagram Reels are short clips, specifically 15 to 30-second ones, which are aimed at both entertaining users and helping businesses grow by making more visible to new audiences. Right now, it has been launched in over 50 countries, comprising the US, since August 2020.
So, seeing how TikTok has received lots of popularity and interest among people - Instagram decided to climb onboard the bandwagon train and release the Reels feature so users can have another type of content they can view for entertainment. Meanwhile, businesses can use this opportunity to get in touch with one of the best video production companies in town for quality content when putting together an Instagram Reel.
With that being said, keep reading on to understand how can you use Instagram Reels to your advantage!
First and foremost, to create a Reel, you’ll have to open Instagram Stories and pick the Reel option found at the bottom of the Instagram camera, placed right beside the Stories option.
Once you’re done with that, it’s time to set the tune for some extra flair. You either search for the specific you want by scrolling down through the tracks that have been displayed, or you can record your own unique audio as well.
Before adding the audio clip, ensure you check out a preview of the song by tapping the play button on the right; only when you’re satisfied with it, do you add it in! You can also use the slider to select the specific part of the track you want to use and tap done. Meanwhile, when you use original audio, it will be attributed to you, and people can create Reels by referring to your audio.
Use the slider to decide how long you want the clip to be, and this can be a couple of seconds, the full 15 or 30 seconds. Once you have chosen the length of your timer, tap set the timer.
During this stage, you’re also able to select effects or filters from the gallery to make your Reel appear more visually attractive. Adding on, you can also record numerous Reels with all kinds of effects at one go. At the same time, the decision is yours to slow down or speed up certain parts of the clip; it’ll help you to meet the angle of the Reel or match the rhythms of the beat.
When you press record with the timer on, you will see a three seconds countdown before your recording starts to give you time to get in position; the recording will automatically stop after the selected duration.
Right at the bottom of the phone screen, you’ll come across a progressing indicator that will display the duration of the Reel. Once you’ve finished recording, you can start decorating your clip with stickers, throw in hashtags, geolocation, and so on.
With Reels, you’re given permission to be as creative as you want to be when it comes to video editing - unlike stories. You even get to select where and when you want the stickers to appear, and you’re free to experiment and explore in whichever way you want!
Here, you can add a caption for your Reel and also include hashtags and tag friends.
If you tap the image on the left, you can also select a cover frame for your Reel. Use the slider at the bottom to select a frame from your video or tap “Add from Camera Roll” to upload a different image to use as a cover.
When you are finished, tap done. The “Share to Feed” button will automatically be enabled. If you only want your Reel video to be posted only on the Reel section, you can tap on the blue switch. Once you are ready to share your Reel with your friends, tap “Share” at the bottom.
After you’ve successfully mastered the way of creating an Instagram Reel, you can focus on building even more engaging content on your feed. This is when we, Big 3 Media, is here to step in and offer a helping hand. We’re not just known for being a 3D animations studio, in fact; our services range from branding videos, instructional videos to social media videos. Let us work together with you and start impressing your audience!
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