Reels — and short-form video in general — are here to stay. In fact, billions of people interact with Reels every month, according to Instagram statistics. In this post, we walked you through, step-by-step, how to create an amazing Instagram Reel. We showed you all the inner workings, start to finish, so you can confidently tap into this resource for your business. But if you’ve already started posting your Reels and aren’t too impressed with the results… that’s what we’re going to be showing you here. Keep scrolling to see our top six tips to grow your reach with Instagram Reels.
Use trending audio
Trending audio isn’t just another way to enhance the quality of your Reels; they’re also a good way to team up with the algorithm to get your content seen.
When there are a lot of accounts interacting with and using a particular audio, the Instagram algorithm catches on and starts pushing other videos with that sound. That’s why you see so many videos with the same audio over and over.
Instagram wants to keep you on the platform longer by showing you videos it thinks will keep you entertained.
As a business, when you use trending audio, you help your chances of getting in front of new people to grow your audience.
PRO TIP: If you aren’t sure what’s trending, look for the arrow pointing upwards next to the audio the next time you scroll.
Use hashtags
Think of hashtags like SEO for your Reels. Much like Google and SEO keywords, these hashtags help the Instagram algorithm understand what kind of content you’re posting, which helps it know who to push it to.
For example, we often use #styledstockphotos or #styledstockphotography in our Instagram captions. That way, if a small business owner like you is searching for elevated, professional-looking photos, they can easily find us by searching this hashtag. And while some hashtags have millions of posts (like #photography), the more specific you can get (without being too specific), the better your chances of being found. Instagram is becoming more and more like a search engine, and using hashtags is a great way to grow your reach.
Use keywords
Much like hashtags, keywords are becoming more and more valuable on Instagram. While it’s not yet as robust as, say, Google, Instagram now has the ability to connect keywords from posts and captions to searches.
Let’s say someone is searching for “hair salon Austin” or “bookkeeping for web designer.” If you’re mentioning those keywords in your closed captioning/subtitles or even in the copy on your Reel, you can be connected to that search query.
Just don’t forget to include keywords in your actual caption, too. Instagram’s video SEO isn’t as strong as their text SEO!
Pin this post for later!
Focus on engagement
Another thing Instagram loves to see is people interacting with a post. If it has a decent number of comments, saves, and shares, the likelihood of your content also being pushed out by the algorithm increases.
When posting Instagram Reels, try not to be too generic or broad with your content. You want to make sure you’re talking directly to your audience so you can get some traction. Use your Reels to ask questions, conduct a survey, or even get feedback on your offers.
The best way to do that? Just ask a question in place of a CTA!
Offer value
You don’t want to post Reels for the sake of posting. It’s a waste of your time and isn’t an efficient way to reach more people. When you plan out your content, make sure that the ideas you use are providing some kind of value for your audience.
Is it something they want to see? Will it provide them with some kind of information they can actually use — like a how-to or a quick trick? Is it addressing a pain point or point of interest for them?
Focus on this type of content over being trendy or trying to go viral. Trends are great, but they don’t help your bottom line unless that content also resonates with your audience.
Use well-designed Reels covers
Using Reels covers keeps everything on brand and helps boost the overall appearance of your business online. It’s a great way to keep your feed intact while still creating content that helps you boost your reach.
If you need help creating professional quality Reel covers, we have your back!
Grow Your Reach With Reels + Styled Stock Society
We have tons of customizable templates available inside our membership. And they’re ready for download instantly — as in, as soon as you sign up.
Your membership also includes access to thousands of other Canva templates plus thousands of stock photos and videos to enhance your Reels. Whatever you need to create the feed of your dreams, we have you covered.
Sound like just the thing you need?
