Instagram Reels News, Trends and Creative Strategies for Marketers

If you haven’t got the message by now, Meta really wants you to use Reels, and provide it with more Reels content to feed into the ever-growing interest in short-form content.

Indeed, during its most recent earnings call, Meta noted that Reels now makes up more than 20% of the time that people spend on Instagram, while video overall accounts for 50% of the time that users spend on Facebook. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has repeatedly noted that they’re working to consolidate all of Instagram’s video options around Reels, while all videos posted to the app are now eligible to be displayed in Reels feeds.

The TikTok effect has transformed the product roadmap of many social platforms, none more so than Meta, and the usage stats suggest that if you want to maximize your Facebook and IG performance, it’s worth, at the least, considering Reels in your platform marketing approach.

And if you are exploring your Reels options, this may help. Today, Instagram has published a new set of tips to help maximize your Reels performance, and provide more inspiration for your short-form video clips.

As per Instagram:

“Since its introduction on Facebook and Instagram, Reels has grown to become a treasure trove of entertaining, imaginative and educational video content from around the world. Reels is the ideal place for brands to get discovered on the global stage, to express themselves with more creativity and fun, and can play a powerful role in crafting compelling narratives that drive excitement, engagement and awareness.”

Further underlining this, Instagram says that over 45% of accounts now interact with a Reel in the app at least once a week.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that TikTok has had in this respect, which goes beyond just providing an alternative content option, and extends into habitual behavioral shifts - which means that users are now more naturally attuned to respond to short-form content, and are becoming increasingly responsive to such every day.

In other words, TikTok has changed the way that people engage with video content overall, so it’s not just that TikTok is popular in itself, it means that all apps need to align with this usage shift, or risk being left behind, because the more that people consumer short-form content, the more their attention spans are being inherently re-programmed to respond to this format. 

In line with this, Instagram has shared six key tips to help maximize your short-form video approach:

• Nail the hook – Instagram says that, as with all video formats, brands should look to keep their objectives in mind, and highlight their brand within the first few seconds of your Reels clips. ‘If the intent is conversions, showcase your product or service in action.’
• Get creative with transitions – Creativity is key in short-form video, and Instagram advises that brands should look to experiment with transitions to both entertain their viewers and show off their brand’s personality. There’s no prescriptive playbook here – creativity requires testing and development. But by considering different presentation styles, and watching content from other brands and creators, you can come up with more engaging, original ways to frame your clips.
• Match the rhythm – Music has been a key element in the rise of TikTok – as evidenced by the resurgence of classic hits from Fleetwood Mac, along with other hit songs driven by creative trends in the app. Instagram notes that over 80% of Reels are viewed with sound on, and synching your content to music can play a big role in maximizing your content performance. IG also suggests using auto-captions to enhance engagement.
• Keep it on trend – A key part of Reels and TikTok engagement is aligning with the organic feel of the feed, which also involves being aware of the latest trends, and engaging in such, where relevant. ‘Create and encourage your audience to remix your Reels, or spark a conversation with them in the comments section. Try adding relevant hashtags to optimize exposure for your content’.
• Explore collaborations - Of course, if you really want to tap into the creative power of reels, working with experienced and skilled creators can be a great way to boost your brand story, in ways that you likely wouldn’t have thought of on your own. ‘Collaborating with influencer voices drives more engagement, authenticity and awareness. Campaigns that include Branded Content ads saw +123% lift in awareness, +112% lift in association, and +67% lift in consideration and motivation, showing that creators can help boost brand impact.’ Top creators know what works. You can find relevant creators to work with via Meta’s Brand Collabs Manager tool.
• Be authentic – Instagram’s last note is a little more generic, but the essence here is that authentic content works best in short-form video. ‘Create Reels that are true to you and that reflect your brand values’. That’s not highly directive, but the concept is that people are looking for real, unvarnished connection and content within Reels, in variance to past social media trends, which can then help them to connect with your brand ethos and approach.

Adding to this, Meta’s Will Yoder, who works in sports partnerships, has also provided some handy tips for brands looking to maximize their Instagram performance.

1. There is no ‘magic number’ for content volume or mix – Yoder says that Instagram’s algorithm is account-based, so it’s going to serve your content to individual accounts based on their behaviors. That means that some accounts (like the NBA) can post 20+ times per day and see great performance, while others will inevitably be more conservative – but either way, there’s no specific number of posts per day that you should be aiming for, given how the algorithm distributes content. ‘Always test and iterate to see what volume/mix works’.
2. Pay attention to earnings calls – Each quarter, all of the major platforms outline their financial performance, which also includes key notes on strategy, and where they’re focused going forward. Yoder says that these priorities are where engineering resources go, and where they want to see more user time focused, and aligning with this can help to maximize your strategic success. ‘Just like hockey, to win skate where the puck/engineering resources are going’.
3. Only you care about your grid – Yoder says that almost no one who interacts with your content is seeing it on your profile. ‘My advice is to focus exclusively on how people are interacting with your content in feed. Grid stunts are silly and hurt reach.’
4. External forces drive more growth than content – Yoder notes that each year, the top growing NFL team accounts are those that make the Super Bowl. Yoder says that it’s these types of external influences that really boost engagement and activity, and that brands would be best served by focusing their strategy on capitalizing when they’re in these moments, as opposed to trying to find clever posting strategies and tricks.
5. Nobody uses IG the same way – Yoder says that Instagram users are all different, with some focusing on Stories, and others exclusively linked to the main feed, or increasingly, Reels. ‘Don’t consider all of your followers the same, and don’t expect them to use the app the way you do. Experiment. Iterate. Test.’

These are some great tips for your IG strategy, both in terms of building your presence via Reels and maximizing your overall Instagram approach through variable content approaches.

And while TikTok is still the trending app of the moment, Instagram is still a leader in cultural influence. If you want to ensure you’re tapping into that, these tips will help to put you on the right track.

Instagram has launched a new set of videos outlining the results of its latest We Create initiative, a program that matches businesses from communities in need of support and assistance with creative experts to help boost their Instagram presence.

The first stage of We Create focused on supporting Black-owned SMBs, while this new initiative aims to provide support for three women-owned brands which are looking to grow via Instagram Reels.

As per Instagram:

“In a series of behind-the-scenes videos, Instagram documented the creative process of the We Create 2.0 teams from conception to final asset. This year’s teams are:

• Artist Elise Swopes (@swopes), Bodega at @wiedenkennedy and Indigenous-owned @onquata.paddle
• Multidisciplinary artist Laci Jordan (@solacilike) and social enterprise @theworthy.co
• Videographer Ashley Xu (@ashhasacamera), @digitas.na and clean skincare brand @hanahana_beauty

The first video of the new series looks at how Janelle Wallace, a creative strategist at Wieden+Kennedy and artist Elise Swopes worked with Onquata Paddle to improve their Instagram presence.

The overview shows how the creative team approached their Reels strategy for the brand, which sells Canadian Aboriginal made paddles and other accessories.

The final result is a stop-motion video, created specifically for Instagram Reels, which tells more of the story behind the family-owned brand.

The overview provides some interesting insights into the creative approach for Instagram Reels, and the process that goes into creating great Reels content. Of course, not everyone will be able to afford the assistance of a creative strategy team, or create their own stop-motion content of this quality, but there are some valuable pointers and notes which could help in your Instagram approach.

Instagram will publish the remaining two videos over the coming weeks, while Elise Swopes has also provided some tips for working with creators on the Instagram for Business profile.

There are some interesting notes here, which could help to refine your IG strategy.

You can check out the full video here.

As it continues to lean into the short-form video trend, Meta is adding new ways for users to remix content into Reels on Instagram, while it’s also added the capacity to create Reels from your existing videos within Creator Studio.

First off, on IG – as shown in this example, posted by Lindsey Gamble, some Instagram users are now being notified of a new ‘Remix for photos’ option when posting static images in the app.

As Instagram explains, Remix for Photos enables users to create Reels based on your feed post content, which they can then download themselves, within their own clips. Which means that people can re-use your content however they like – but you can switch off the option in your settings if you’d prefer that not to happen.

Here’s how it looks in practice:

It’s another way to react to content in the app, which has become a popular use case on TikTok, with the participatory nature of the platform essentially building on meme trends by enabling users to provide their own takes, as opposed to just consuming the latest content.

Instagram now also enables users to remix any video they see in the app, providing more inspiration for Reels content – and with Reels now contributing 20% of all time spent in the app, it makes sense for Instagram to lean into the trend where it can, and add more options for Reels engagement.

In terms of brand use, this could be particularly handy for inviting takes on new products or brand announcements, with users able to share a quick response via Reels clips. That could also lead to some lambasting of brand announcements via the same process, but getting your audience to interact with your posts could be a good way to boost reach and engagement.

On another front, Meta has also added the capacity to create Reels in Creator Studio, by remixing your existing videos into shorter clips.

As you can see in this example, posted by Facebook marketing expert Mari Smith (and shared by Matt Navarra), Meta is notifying Creator Studio users of its new process to trim your existing videos into Reels clips.

The process guides you through the editing process to create Reels and Stories clips, by using the best parts of your existing video uploads.

It’s another way for Meta to help brands and creators merge into Reels content – which aligns with broader usage trends, while also giving Meta even more Reels content to show to people, as it continues to seek out new ways to double down on short-form video trend.

Indeed, a new strategic overview from Meta has outlined how it plans to make Reels even more of a priority on Facebook, because of the way that short form video has become such a transformative trend in the social media space.

As per Facebook app chief Tom Alison:

“Today’s genre of public short-form video opens up new ways for people to create and discover content. While Facebook’s discovery engine is designed to support many different formats (text, photos, video, and eventually Metaverse experiences), our biggest gap today is around short-form video, and we’re focused on integrating Reels in Home, Watch, In Feed Recommendations, and Groups.”

So more Reels, in more places – because Facebook, essentially, is scared that if it doesn’t move into line with evolving consumer trends, that it will quickly lose relevance, and user engagement as a result.

Which is already happening. Various reports have suggested that people are now spending more time on TikTok than in the Facebook app, while the very nature of TikTok’s short-form, rapid scroll clips is actually altering user attention spans, and changing how people consume content.

In this sense, Facebook actually feels quite dated already, which is why it’s now working to catch up to TikTok once again, by displaying more Reels, more often, in more places within the app.

These new updates align with that broader trend, and will help to guide users towards the same.

Of course, there is also a chance that Meta will change tack at some stage and stop prioritizing Reels, as it’s done in the past with other video content. But again, the habitual nature of short-form video feels more permanent, in many ways, in changing how users interact.

It’s definitely worth more brands looking to experiment with Reels, at the least, and these updates provide more capacity on this front.  

With short-form video now the key battleground for social media attention, all of the major platforms are working to establish the most appealing creator monetization programs, in order to ensure that top stars continue posting to their apps.

YouTube already has its Partner Program, which essentially works to supplement Shorts, in addition to its Shorts Fund, while TikTok has just today announced its first steps towards a revenue share program for top creators.

And now, Meta is also sweetening its deal for Reels, with an update to its Reels Play Bonus program, which will see it restructure its payments process, while it’s also launching a new ‘Challenges’ option for Facebook Reels, providing more ways to earn money from your short clips.

As explained by Meta:

“As we continue to test and refine the Reels Play bonus programs, we’re making some updates. We’re adjusting how payouts are calculated, aimed at rewarding creators across a range of audience sizes who are making high quality original content that resonates with people, (which may result in payouts changing for some creators)”

Meta hasn’t provided any specific breakdown as to how its calculations will be changing, but the update seems to be aimed at rewarding creators with smaller audiences, as opposed to the big players taking up all of the cash.

For example, if someone has a million followers, it’s going to be much easier for them to reach any engagement threshold set for Reels rewards, which disadvantages rising stars and those looking to establish themselves in the space. By factoring in variability, and potentially rewarding creators based on some kind of engagement per viewer ratio, that could make it a more equitable and encouraging program to foster rising talent.

In addition to this, Meta’s also introducing “Challenges” on Facebook, “a new incentive that helps creators in the Reels Play bonus program unlock new ways to earn from their content, up to $4,000 in a given month.”

This is also angled towards helping a broader range of creators to make money from Reels, as opposed to the big names gathering up all of the cash available.

But really, creator funding programs like this are not scalable, and if Meta wants to build a truly equitable and beneficial revenue share system, it will need to incorporate ads at some point, and allocate a portion of their performance to relevant creators.

Which is where this next announcement comes in:

“Building on the strong advertising and revenue sharing foundation we’ve established with in-stream ads, we’ve been rolling out overlay ads in Reels on Facebook, and we’re starting to test them with a wider set of creators, (beyond the in-stream ads program) to expand availability to more creators and open up more high quality inventory for advertisers on our platform.”

Meta’s been testing overlay ads for Reels with selected creators for some time, with all Reels creators in the US, Canada and Mexico getting access to the option back in February.

That could provide a more sustainable monetization pathway for short-form content, while also providing advertisers with another way to promote their products within the rising option, meeting consumers where they’re increasingly paying attention.

Indeed, in its most recent performance update, Meta noted that Reels clips now take up more than 20% of the time that people spend on Instagram, while video content, overall, makes up 50% of the time that users spend on Facebook.

Even if TikTok was the originator of the trend, and these other apps are simply jumping on the bandwagon, the popularity of the format is undeniable, and it’s worth considering the opportunities in short form clips, in all apps, for your marketing efforts.

Finally, Meta’s also rolling out new insights for Reels Play creators on Facebook.

“On the Reels Play Bonus Insight page on Facebook, creators can easily see how many Plays each of their eligible Reels received within the given earning period.”

That will provide more transparency into the process, and help Reels creators establish a more sustainable process.

At least until Meta changes its monetization parameters again, based on what it’s looking to incentivize, which is why Meta really needs to push its Reels overlay ads offering, in order to provide a more reliable monetization flow for Reels creators.

It’s amazing to consider the adoption of short-form video, and the impact of TikTok, especially when you also consider that Vine was around years ago, and offered essentially the same type of content approach, yet never caught on in the same way.

Maybe it was ahead of its time, and maybe, as consumption habits continue to evolve, shorter and shorter forms of entertainment will continue to be the norm, leaning into the increasing pace of the media cycle, and the never-ending stream of content available to us 24/7.

I mean, it seems like our brains can only take so much, but we’re also evolving, and as we grow more accustomed to these changes, expectations will also shift, forcing industry changes to go with them.

Whatever it may be, short-form video is the key trend of the moment, and the platform that can work out the best monetization process will likely be the big winner in the end.

As interest in short-form video continues to rise, Meta is adding another way to lean into the trend, with a new ‘Share to Reels’ option for third-party developers that will make it easier for users of non-Meta apps to share their creations direct to Facebook Reels.

As you can see in these examples, with this new integration, third-party apps will be able to add in a ‘Share to Facebook Reels’ button, providing more creative options and tools to integrate into the Reels experience.

As explained by Meta:

“Enabling Sharing to Reels makes it easy for people to share short-form videos directly to Facebook. Once integrated, third-party apps will have a Reels button so people can share short videos, then customize with Reels editing tools like audio, text, effects, captions and stickers.”

Essentially, as Meta notes, instead of downloading any videos that you create in third-party tools, and uploading them manually later on, you’ll now be able to post Reels clips from non-Meta apps with the tap of a button.

At launch, Meta has announced new integrations with Smule, Vita, and VivaVideo, each of which will now have ‘Share to Facebook Reels’ options built-in, providing a heap more options for creators, and likely broader awareness of Reels as a platform.

It may be a direct copy of TikTok, and it may not hold the same appeal to users as TikTok’s addictive ‘For You’ feed. But either way, Reels usage is growing over time.

Reels is now Facebook’s fastest-growing content format, and with Reels available in more than 150 countries across the globe, it’s also gained first-mover advantage in many markets, because Meta has been able to bring Reels to them before TikTok can gain traction, which has undoubtedly impacted TikTok’s expansion, at least to some degree.

Which is the real aim.

Interestingly, former Meta staffer Michael Sayman recently noted this about the expansion of Stories across Facebook and Instagram.

[Translation of initial tweet: "You were the one to blame for them copying the concept of “stories” lol"]

So despite Stories maybe not being a hit on Facebook, and gaining the traction that it did on Snapchat and IG, that didn’t really matter – Meta’s real aim was to, as Sayman notes, “take away the uniqueness of the feature”, which essentially nullified any potential competitive advantage that Snap could have held.

That’s evidently the same playbook that it’s following with Reels, releasing the option as far and wide as possible to ensure that TikTok doesn’t hold any unique value proposition, which will then slow the migration of users away from its apps.

If people can get the same functionality in Facebook and Instagram, many simply won’t bother with downloading an entirely new app, and then having to start a new network of friends, building a new profile of interests, etc.

Which is especially interesting when you also consider that TikTok is on track to reach 1.5 billion users in 2022. Without Meta’s negating tactics, imagine what TikTok’s true user count might be.

Either way, adding more integration options is another way to boost Reels usage, and with the potential of Facebook’s scale as a lure, many developers will indeed be keen to add the option into their apps.

You can read more about Meta’s ‘Sharing to Reels’ developer process here.

Instagram’s trying out a new way to help users create more engaging Reels clips, while it’s also testing a new option to promote Reels in your main feed, as it works to compete against the rising threat of TikTok.

First off, as first reported by Business Insider, Instagram’s testing a new ‘Templates’ process with some Reels creators, which enables users to replicate the format of a Reels clip that they’ve seen in their own content.

As you can see in this example, shared by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, the Templates process enables creators to use any Reels clip as a template, which then creates a framework of clips that matches the time stamps of that Reel. You can then insert your own clips into these frame markers, enabling you to essentially copy the format of the clip.

It could be a simple way to improve the timing of your Reels clips, by using any other clip you see as creative inspiration. And if you’re having trouble coming up with new ideas, or your uploads just don’t look as cool as those you’re seeing in the app, this could be a simple option to construct better content – though it could also encourage plagiarism of other people’s ideas.

But then again, remixing is a key engagement element in TikTok (and is also available in Reels), and so long as you’re not copying an idea frame-for-frame, with no credit to the original, it could be okay. But it does seem like it’s perfectly aligned with doing just that, which could be a problem – especially given that Instagram just this week announced a new algorithm update to better promote original content creators in the app.

I mean, re-creating your own variation of another clip isn’t copying, as such, but it is taking someone else’s idea. Evidently, this is not the kind of replication that Instagram’s looking to stamp out with its new algorithm change.

Instagram has confirmed to TechCrunch that the new Template feature is currently being tested ‘with a small group of creators’. 

In addition to this, Instagram’s also testing out another way to boost interest in Reels content, with new, full-screen Reels promo tabs in the main feed.

As you can see in this example, shared on Twitter by @marselladondi, the new approach highlights several Reels within a single frame. Users can then tap on any Reels thumbnail to switch to the Reels feed, or tap on the ‘Watch Reels’ CTA at the bottom.

It’s another way for IG to lean into the short-form video trend, which it’s made no secret about in its product announcements.

Back in December, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said that video would be a key focus for IG in 2022, with Reels being the main element.

“We’re going to double-down on our focus on video and consolidate all of our video formats around Reels”

The ultimate next step, then seems to be this next-level format, which incorporates feed posts, Reels and Stories into a single-stream UI in the app.

That would put more focus on its video elements, while also presenting everything in full-screen, which will give the platform more info on your interests and engagement, based on each specific type of content as it’s displayed.

And with TikTok continuing its meteoric rise, and taking up more consumer attention, especially among younger audiences, it makes sense for Instagram to also align with the same trends. These new options are the latest in its ongoing effort to evolve in line with the rising video app.