There’s a new Tik Tok in the town and it has got everyone buzzing for 15 seconds. Instagram has finally rolled out its much anticipated feature “Reels”. The 15 second format is a hit in today’s times so it was already a long time coming. After the ban of Tik Tok in India, it was the right time for Instagram to release this feature. Instagram has beaten everyone in this race and it is reaping serious benefits of it. The popularity of Reels is growing rapidly. Brands have recognized this and jumped on the wagon. They are using it to connect with today’s generation and building an audience. There are only a handful of brands which are doing so though. So it is the right time for you to jump in and have the mover’s advantage before it gets saturated like every other platform.
You’ll have a greater benefit if your brand already has a strong presence on Instagram. But it won’t matter if you use Reels correctly and creatively. You can build the presence from the ground using only Reels. Let’s see some of the benefits of using Reels for brands.
- User-Generated Content: Reels provide you a degree of personalization which other formats don’t. You can not only add filters on your videos but also use visual effects and music. Music adds value to your videos and makes it more eye-catching. One of the many benefits of this feature is user-generated content. It is an essential part in community building. People can use your original audio and make their own versions of Reels. It is very easy to reproduce. Brands can promote the user-generated content in their own Reels. It builds brand loyalty like nothing else. This way you also stay on the top of the audio based search.
- Higher Engagement: The 15 second content format undoubtedly gets more engagement than other video formats. It is easy to consume and gets right to the point. People do not want to waste time. They consume and move on. Because of this, if the content is platform appropriate and engaging, you will have a high level of engagement on your Reels. Your Reels can go viral even if your account has zero followers.
- Higher Attention Grab: The presentation of Reels makes it far better than any other platform. It is one of the most valuable features of Reels. In Reels, the content occupies the whole screen of the phone. It means there aren’t any other distractions. When people are watching your Reel, they are only watching your Reel. They aren’t distracted by other content. This feature distinguishes Reels from other formats. It helps get users engaged and you won’t lose their attention for even a second.
- Extended reach: Reels aren’t exclusive to the people who follow your page. Being a new feature, Instagram is pushing it at the top of explore section. It doesn’t matter if users haven’t followed your page yet. They will see your content and if you manage to pique their interest, they will follow you.
The benefits are way too intriguing for you to ignore Reels. To give you even more clarity, below are some examples of brands using Instagram Reels as a marketing tool. Let’s see how they are doing it to engage their audience and what we can learn from them.
Bewakoof.com
Bewakoof is a clothing brand. They are making funny videos with pop culture references which are engaging and shareable.
Sterling Accuris Diagnostics
It is a pathology laboratory chain. They post branded content/film to promote their packages. As you can see in their Reel, they have posted the beginning of their branded content/film and urged people to watch the whole film on IGTV. You can redirect people to other features and content which increase engagement.
Fox Star Hindi
It is a film production house. They post funny and interesting scenes from their upcoming movies. People get excited by such clips and then they can be redirected to the streaming platform on online ticket vendors.
T-Series
It is India’s biggest music production company. They regularly post their new and old song snippets. People can make their own Reels using their original audio. It establishes the recall value of the songs.
Tata Sky
It is a broadcast satellite service provider. They use Reels for different campaigns and generate excitement among the audience.
Kolkata Knight Riders
It is a team in the IPL. They post players’ training videos and highlights of matches to entertain people and to maintain a connection with them.
United Colours of Benetton
It is a clothing brand. They post Reels about the different campaigns and keep the audience engaged.
Starbucks India
It is a global coffee chain. They post Reels about their ongoing campaigns and they make the use of user generated content more.
A brand needs to keep up with the changing paradigm of social media to stay relevant and fresh. It is Reels today. It can be something else tomorrow.
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