By now, you already know that Instagram Reels is a goldmine in helping you grow your followers. Short, entertaining videos grab the attention of users in a specific way, which can mean your brand is actively involved.
Since Reels debuted two years ago, they have become the platform’s fastest growing feature. Creators like Justin Bieber, Lizzo, and Stanley Tucci have helped transform the exciting feature from a TikTok wannabe to a full-fledged competitor. And we are not surprised.
But how do you use this tool to reach more people, get new subscribers, or spread the word about your products and services? In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, from how to make an Instagram video to finding the best time to post it.
What are Instagram videos?
Instagram Reels are full-screen vertical videos that can be up to 90 seconds long. They come with many unique editing tools and an extensive library of audio tracks (including everything from popular songs to snippets of other users’ viral content). In addition to sounds, Reels can include multiple video clips, filters, captions, interactive backgrounds, stickers, and more.
Reels are different from Instagram Stories. Unlike stories, they don’t disappear after 24 hours. Once you post a video, it will be available on Instagram until you delete it.
The best part? Videos are currently favored by the Instagram algorithm, which is more likely to recommend them to people who don’t follow you than feed posts. This is very important for social marketers.
Users can also find Reels in a dedicated section of the Instagram app. A scrollable feed full of trending videos (aka the Instagram version of the TikTok For You page) can be accessed via the Reels icon at the bottom of the Instagram app’s home page.
An individual user’s reels can be viewed in a dedicated tab that can be accessed above the account feed.
Drums are also heavily featured in the Explore tab. If you want to set your videos up for success with this powerful discovery tool, check out our guide to getting your content on the Instagram Explore page.
How to make an Instagram video in 5 steps
If you are familiar with Instagram and/or TikTok, it will be very easy for you to create videos.
If you are a visual learner, watch this video and learn how to create an Instagram reel in less than 7 minutes:
Otherwise, follow these simple step by step instructions.
Step 1: Tap the plus icon at the top of the page and select Reel.
To access Reels, simply open the Instagram app and go to your profile page. Click the plus button in the top right corner of the screen and select Reel.
You can also access the Reels editor by swiping left to the Instagram camera and selecting Reel from the bottom options.
Step 2: Record or upload a video clip
Instagram Reels gives you two options for creating a reel:
- Press and hold the record button to record footage.
- Download video footage from your camera roll.
Clips can be recorded as a series of clips (one at a time) or all at once.
If you set the timer in advance, a countdown will begin before hands-free recording starts.
While recording, you can press the record button to end a clip and then press it again to start a new clip.
The Align button will then appear, allowing you to align the objects from the previous clip before recording the next one. This allows you to create smooth transitions for moments like changing outfits, adding new music, or adding new friends to your video.
If you want to view, trim, or delete a previously recorded clip, you can click Edit Clips. Check out our Instagram Reels guide for more detailed editing tips.
Step 3: Edit Your Video
When you’re done recording, you can add stickers, pictures, and text to edit your video using the icons at the top of the editor.
The Reels editor has built-in creative tools so you can do all your work from one interface.
Here’s what each function does:
- Audio (1) allows you to select audio from your Instagram music library or import it from your device and add it to your video. You can even add just your favorite part.
- Length (2) allows you to change the length of your video. You can make your video 15, 30, 60 or 90 seconds long.
- Speed (3) allows you to change the speed of your video. Slow it down by choosing 0.3x or 0.5x, or speed it up by choosing 2x, 3x or 4x.
- Layout (4) allows you to customize the layout and add more than one entry to the frame.
- Timer (5) allows you to set a timer that will run before recording starts and set a time limit for the next clip. This is useful if you want to record hands-free.
- Dual (6) allows you to record video using the front and rear cameras at the same time.
- Alignment (7) appears after the first clip is recorded. This allows you to build objects from the previous clip.
After you align your clips, you can click the music note icon to add popular sounds or music, or record a voiceover.
You can also click the download icon to download Instagram videos to your device for viewing or editing later.
Check out our Instagram Reels guide for more detailed editing tips.
Step 4: Adjust your drum settings
When you’re ready, click “Next”in the lower right corner of the screen. You can:
- Edit the Reel cover. You can select a frame from a video or add an image from your camera roll.
- Add a signature.
- Tag people in your video.
- Add a location.
- Turn on Facebook recommendations. If you select this option, your video will be shown to Facebook users who are likely to like your content (according to Meta algorithms). You do not need a Facebook account to use this feature.
- Rename the audio. If you add your own sound (for example, a voice recording) to your video, you can give it a name that will appear in other users’ videos if they choose to use this sound.
- Enable or disable automatically generated signatures.
- Decide if you want your video to be published to your Instagram feed (not just the Videos tab in your account).
Step 5: Publish your video
Once you’ve configured your settings, click the “Share”button at the bottom of the screen.
Congratulations! You posted your first video. Now let’s move on to some tactics to help you make this format work for your brand.
Instagram Reels can be a great way to get your business in front of the right audience. This feature can also help you increase your follower count and increase your engagement rate. But this does not happen automatically. You must know the hacks to go viral on Instagram Reels.
1. Know how the Instagram Reels algorithm works
The magic of the drums lies in Instagram’s not-so-secret sauce, the algorithm. This is the all-knowing matchmaker that the platform uses to determine which reels it shows which users. Understanding how the Reels algorithm works can help you get more views on the Overview page and on the Reels tab.
Adding trending sounds, using the right hashtags, and making your videos visually appealing are all great ways to tell the algorithm, “Hey! Pay attention to me!”
2. Have fun with trendy sound
If you regularly browse Instagram Reels or TikTok, you will notice that many creators use the same sounds over their videos. Thousands of people have used The Home Depot Beat and typing sound. This is not a coincidence.
Instagram Reels sounds are snippets of songs or audio clips from other creators’ videos. When they gain popularity, they can help you get more views if you add them to your reels. This is because users often search by sounds and because, quite frankly, the above algorithm seems to like it.
The best way to find popular audios on Instagram is to use the platform and note which sounds you see more often than others.
As you scroll through the reels, look out for any sounds that have an arrow next to the sound’s name. The arrow indicates that they are in trend. It can be difficult to find the sounds after you have already activated the drum, so be sure to save them and use them later.
Last tip! Be sure to choose songs wisely and use them sparingly. We all know what happens when trendy sounds are abused. (Oh no, oh no, oh no, no, no, no)
3. Don’t be too corrupt
As much as you want to sell, the reality is that users don’t open social media apps hoping to see ads. They turn to Instagram to explore ideas, connect with others, and have a quick fun during breaks during the day. That’s why you need to make sure that your drums help them with this.
Be sure to create content (yes, this includes videos) that your target audience is really interested in. Whether it means participating in a fancy dance or making quick tutorial videos, aim to delight, inform, and entertain users, not sell them.
However, this does not mean that you should not turn your reels into ads. Boost the efficiency of these highly effective but not for sale! rollers to make them even more visible.
4. Post Consistently and Don’t Give Up
You can use the same strategies to succeed with Reels that you used to promote content in Instagram Stories or the original feed. Posting regularly is one of the best ways to improve your platform performance, including Reels.
This is because it helps increase your chances of going viral. Plus, the algorithm is like your biggest fan – it loves when you post new content! All in all, the Instagram gods favor showing the latest videos over outdated ones, so stay tuned.
Posting often also helps you gather tons of useful insights to help you when you’re trying to figure out what works and why. The more you post, the more you’ll learn about your target audience – what they like when they scroll and more.
5. Collaborate with other authors
Last year, Instagram added a new feature called Collabs. This option allows you to share credits with another creator and allows them to share the video from their page as if it were their own.
The Collab feature is a game changer if you’re working with influencers, brand partners, and others. This allows you to expand your reach to all of their followers, which can mean a lot more likes, shares, reach, and overall engagement.
Here’s how to use Collabs:
- When you’re ready to post your video, select Tag people.
- Click Invite Contributor.
- Select the user you are showing or mentioning in your video.
Once the user accepts your collaboration invitation, the video will appear in the Papers tab of their account.
Instagram Drum Cheat Sheet
Need quick answers to all your burning reel questions? Check out our cheat sheet (and bookmark it for later).
How to schedule videos on Instagram
Scheduling social media posts is a must if you want to stay in the game without working overtime.
To create and schedule a movie using Hootsuite, follow these steps:
- Record your video and edit it (adding sounds, filters and augmented reality effects) in the Instagram app.
- Save the coil to your device.
- In Hootsuite, tap the Create icon at the very top of the left menu to open Composer.
- Select the Instagram Business account where you want to post your video.
- In the Content section, select Reels.
Start your free 30 day trial. You can cancel at any time.
- Download the video you saved to your device. The video must be between 5 and 90 seconds long and have an aspect ratio of 9:16.
- Add a signature. You can include emojis and hashtags, and tag other accounts in your caption.
- Set advanced options. You can enable or disable comments, stitches and duets for each of your individual posts.
- Preview your video and click “Publish Now”to publish it immediately, or…
- …click “Schedule for later”to post the video at a later time. You can manually select a post date or choose from three recommended custom best post times for maximum engagement.
That’s all! Your video will appear in the scheduler along with all your other scheduled social media posts. From there, you can edit, delete, or duplicate your video, or move it to drafts.
Once your video is published, it will appear both in your feed and in the Videos tab in your account.
Note. Currently, you can only create and schedule videos on your computer (but you will be able to see scheduled videos in the scheduler in the Hootsuite mobile app).
How to download Instagram videos
Whether you’re a creator or a consumer, downloading Instagram Reels is a useful tool to have at your fingertips.
As you create, it helps you save drafts directly to your device or share them with others before they’re published. You may also need to upload the videos you created if you plan to share them on another platform.
When scrolled through, the download lets you keep other creators’ videos forever, even if the creator deletes them. It also allows you to access them when you are offline.
There are several ways to download Instagram Reels.
If you have a movie, you can upload it using the Upload option on the Edit Movies page. Once it’s published, you can download it from Reel itself. Click on the three dots in the lower right corner of the video and select Save to Camera Roll.
If you want to download someone else’s Reel, you’ll have to record your screen or use a third party app like InstDown or InSaver.
Find out more in our Instagram Reels download guide.
The best time to post videos on Instagram
Knowing when to post on Instagram Reels is an easy way to target users when they’re most active. Catching them as they scroll means more engagement and further outreach to your brand.
The thing is, everyone’s ideal posting time is different. For someone, the best time to post on Instagram is between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm Monday through Thursday. But your audience can skip later, earlier, or scroll more on weekends.
Don’t worry. There’s a quick way to figure out when to post. In Hootsuite, you can see the best time to post Instagram content using the Analytics feature. Click “Best Time to Post”to see when your users are most likely to interact with a post. A heat map is a handy way to visualize the best times.
Instagram drum sizes
Choosing the right size is another great way to set up your reel for success.
Using the wrong sizes can make your post – let’s not embellish it – downright ugly. And this means an instant transition from users. Also, the almighty algorithm doesn’t like it when your reels look stretched or distorted. We don’t blame her.
So, what is the ideal Instagram video size? Make your Reel frames and cover 1080px by 1920px. If you choose to have your video appear on your regular grid (which is probably a good idea, by the way), make sure your thumbnail is the ideal size of 1080px by 1080px.
What about Instagram reel ratio? Users will get the best experience of watching the reels in full screen mode with 9:16 aspect ratio. However, Instagram also shows videos in the main feed and crops them to a 4:5 ratio.
Just be careful not to put any important information on the edges of the frame because it might get cut off.
Read our full reel sizing guide on Instagram.
How long do Instagram videos last?
Instagram reels can last up to 90 seconds.
When Instagram first introduced the Reels feature in 2019, users could post videos up to 15 seconds long. In 2022, users will have a choice of four Instagram videos up to 90 seconds each. This means you have a full minute and a half to wow your audience.
But is it worth using all 90 seconds? Not always. It depends entirely on the coil itself. In general, aim for user-friendliness when deciding how long to make an Instagram video.
Longer Instagram videos come in handy for more time-consuming stories, how-to guides, tours, and more.
You certainly don’t want to pull things out though. Remember, the goal of Reels is to create small snippets of great content, so keep them short and sweet.
Extra tip: Unless you’re looking for a quick way to piss off your audience, you should never post a multi-part video when you can do it in one. That’s what 90 second drums are for!
How to search videos on Instagram
One of the best things you can do as an experienced video creator is check out what other people are doing on the platform. To get unique ideas for Instagram Reels, you can search for content to help you get inspired.
A quick way to search for reels is to use the general search bar at the top of the app. Enter the search function and explore the content, users, and hashtags associated with the term.
While Instagram’s standard search feature is useful, it doesn’t just show videos. A good way to search for videos only is to click on hashtags from other videos. This will limit your results to reels and filter out images.
For example, if you’re a heavy consumer of puppy content, you can click on the #dogsofinstagram hashtag in your video caption to see more cute dog videos.