Instagram Reels sets new trends in social media marketing
Operators of high-traffic social media platforms are constantly striving to increase the number of their registered users. Because one thing is certain: The more people are active on a platform, the more its reach increases. This benefits both the platforms and their users. One way to attract more users is to integrate additional features into the platform to make it even more interesting and exciting. The example of Instagram Reels shows how such an “upgrade” works. By integrating reels into Instagram, influencers were able to generate significantly more views in a short time. Despite some critical voices, Instagram Reels brought a lot of new impulses for the social media marketing of Instagram users.
Instagram Reels – What is it?
For all those who do not know Instagram Reels yet: A reel is a short video clip which can be 15 or 30 seconds long and can be accompanied by music. Instagram Reels are something like Instagram’s answer to TikTok, the highly successful short video platform from China. With around two billion downloads by early May 2020, TikTok is now one of the largest social media platforms in the world. influencers around the world use TikTok to market themselves and their products. So Instagram had to do something to counter this in the short video sector. That is how Instagram Reels came into being. Reels was launched as a function in the Instagram app in June 2020, initially in Germany and France. About two months later, the app was launched in larger markets such as the UK, America and Australia. Instagram Reels allows users to upload short videos of up to 30 seconds in length.
Does Instagram Reels only benefit influencers or does it also benefit companies?
First of all, it should be mentioned here that Instagram Reels, like TikTok, appeals primarily to a very young target audience. On the other hand, there is still a certain reluctance among companies to use TikTok. But this has not only to do with the medium short video. It also has to do with the fear of many companies of losing followers if they switch to another platform. With Instagram, companies can now use the new format to present themselves from a different angle. And that without followers having to switch to another platform. This is probably the strongest argument for using reels. Instagram Reels is highly relevant for social media marketing in every respect. Ultimately, it depends on how reels are used and what advertising opportunities the new platform will offer in the future. Inserting links to your own website could be one such possibility. It could give a huge boost to the use of Instagram Reels and further increase its application in social media marketing.
Can Instagram Reels generate more traffic?
Not directly. Because the possibility to link the short video clips to a website is missing, a direct generation of traffic is not (yet) possible. However, users can already use viral effects to significantly increase their reach. Numerous companies are already using these effects and have already been able to generate several million views of a clip. These include not only young start-ups but also established companies such as the luxury brand “Louis Vuitton”. The advantage over TikTok is that Instagram combines its classic network and reels on one platform. Instagram users can thus access an existing network of followers.
Does Instagram Reels stand a chance against TikTok?
Some sceptics believe that reels have no chance against TikTok in the long run. One reason is the two billion users who have already downloaded the TikTok app. Another reason might be that Instagram has so far hidden the feature. But Instagram can change the way it integrates Reels into the platform. If Instagram were to create a way of linking, Reels could be used directly to increase traffic and would then have a decisive advantage over TikTok. It remains to be seen whether this will happen. Reels can already be used to attract new followers to the Instagram account. An effect that users should not underestimate. By the way: When Instagram 2016 introduced the Stories function, many critics thought that the clone would have no chance against the Snapchat original. But things turned out differently because already in the second quarter of 2017 Instagram Stories outperformed its rival Snapchat in terms of user numbers.
Social Media Marketing Best Practices from Instagram Reels
In addition to the aforementioned luxury brand Louis Vuitton, other well-known brands now also rely on the TikTok clone from Instagram. For example, FC Bayern with eight reels, which can also book millions of views. The sports brand Puma has also become heavily active and has reached seven-digit figures in the views of its reels. The following are examples of best practices of some companies.
Zalando focuses on customizing
The online fashion giant Zalando consistently relies on customising articles for its reels. The clips show how clothing and shoes can be further processed in a highly creative way, for example by embroidering or painting. There are also classic clips in which one person presents different outfits. With this strategy, Zalando also focuses on User Generated Content (UGC). All reels are now well into the six-figure range for views. The numbers on Zalando’s TikTok account have long since been unable to keep up.
Jewellery start-up Purelei uses well-known songs as background
The Mannheim-based jewellery startup Purelei relied on Instagram Reels from the very beginning to win new followers. The company has been extremely successful in doing so. This is certainly also due to the high number of followers at Instagram. For recognition, Purelei used songs that they had already used at TikTok. However, the number of followers and downloads there are far from the numbers at Instagram Reels. Almost all reels are in the middle or higher six-digit range.
Just Spices: Sales success with hot spices
Just Spices has not only produced reels reminiscent of cooking videos, but also some clips with visual gags. Experience shows that these are always well received. For example, a scattered sweet potato spice mixture makes a sweet potato grow out of the earth. Another reel shows how a dish is created in a cardboard box after all the ingredients have been tipped into it. The Instagram account has around 300,000 followers. Almost all reels can already show low six-figure viiew numbers. Even though the number of requests is higher than at TikTok, social media marketing at Just Spices is still double-tracked.
Food as “stars” at Eatsmarter
The trend towards a healthier and more sustainable diet is gaining more and more supporters and the number of start-ups involved is growing steadily. The nutrition portal Eatsmarter shows how effective reels can be successfully implemented in this segment. Here food is the “stars”. This could be, for example, a clip with different sized portions of different foods that all contain the same amount of calories. With more than 200,000 views, this is currently the reel with the widest reach in this start-up. Other successful implementations are sequences of images of food for something (beauty) or against something (dark circles under the eyes). By the way, many reels are “recycled” TikTok clips. Eatsmarter also benefits from high numbers of followers on Instagram, which is reflected in higher view numbers on the reels. The number of views on TikTok is significantly lower due to the lower follower numbers.
The potential of Instagram Reels in social media marketing
Social media marketing is constantly facing new challenges, which is once again evident under the topic of short videos. In an effort to generate higher numbers of followers, more and more influencers and companies are turning to short clips with funny and informative content. Instagram Reels is one of the major social media platforms reacting to the meteoric rise of TikTok. The Chinese platform for short videos conquered the world in just two years. The advantage of reels is that many users already have high followers on Instagram. This means that they now sit in the front row of the short videos, so to speak. They do not have to switch to another platform to watch the clips. Many users have recognised the opportunities and are now increasingly successful with the Instagram counterpart to TikTok. Time will tell whether Instagram will be able to keep up with TikTok.
Instagram reels also have great potential in social media marketing. As the above examples show, companies with creative reels can reach an extraordinarily large audience. Brands can present themselves in an authentic and dynamic way and perhaps even generate new followers and customers. Furthermore, the introduction of reels at Instagram has strong parallels to the introduction of Instagram Stories at that time. Although Instagram has not yet announced anything in this regard, it is not unlikely that reels will soon have a feature that allows business accounts to insert links. This would enable a completely new way of advertising, which could put the competitor, TikTok, in the shade.
