Brainstorming content ideas for your business can be tough, especially when it’s just one of your many other responsibilities. To spark a little inspiration, I’m sharing 8 Instagram reel ideas that you can plan into your content today.
Reels give small businesses an incredible opportunity to reach new audiences on Instagram. The top video on many explore feeds is now almost always a reel which is displayed much larger than the rest of the posts on the page. At the end of 2020, Instagram redesigned their homepage, implementing a dedicated reels tab in the very centre of the navigation bar. This highlights just how much Instagram are trying to encourage people to use the new feature.
If reels don’t already form a significant part of your Instagram strategy, it goes without saying you should start dedicating more time to creating this type of content. Businesses using reels strategically (i.e. consistently and with your target audience in mind) will reap the rewards – more opportunities to connect with a wider audience, increased followers and higher levels of engagement.
Take your followers behind the scenes
Pull back the curtain and take your followers behind the scenes. Your followers are curious about what happens in your treatment rooms and what it’s like to experience a treatment with you – take the time to share this with them.
You could even turn the reel into a ‘day in the life’ style video by sharing snippets of treatments in action, orders being packed up and the team working together throughout the day.
Show a before and after
Sharing before and after videos are a great way to increase your engagement. Not only are they intriguing, but they can also be satisfying to watch – the recipe for a perfect reel.
You can even bulk it out by adding in some snippets of the treatment in action in between each before and after photo.
Offer tips and advice
Offering tips and tricks are a great way to give value to your audience and position yourself as an industry expert.
Whether it’s sharing skincare tips, or wellness guidance, the creative options are endless.
Create a how-to tutorial
From showing your followers how to apply their skincare in the correct order, to how to get rid of dark circles, there are so many ways you can create how-to Reels.
Despite the 30-second time stamp, there are a lot of creative ways you can create a compelling video within that time.
Employee spotlight
Introducing your employees are a great way to build connections with your audience! Introduction reels work best with a combination of music and text instead of voice over videos, however feel free to experiment with whatever your team feels more comfortable doing.
Ask the employee what their favourite part of working for your brand is, as well as how they got into their role and compile it together in a 15 to 30-second clip. Your community may enjoy these types of reels so much that you turn it into a series.
Hop on a trend
One way to get your Reel in front of more eyes is by hopping on a trend! Trends usually start on TikTok and take a couple of weeks to move over to Instagram Reels so regularly scroll through the TikTok explore page and see what other brands and businesses are doing and if you notice a trend emerging, jump on it!
Answer FAQs
Looking to your customer emails, comments and DMs for content inspiration is a great strategy to follow. Are your prospects asking you which products you recommend for acne? What’s better – a chemical peel or a HydraFacial? How do dermal fillers work? Take these questions and answer them in a quick 30-second Reel.
Answering commonly asked questions in your content is a great way to spark interest and engagement whilst building trust with your audience. You can also encourage your followers to ask you questions by using the questions sticker on Instagram Stories.
Repurpose evergreen content
Take a look at the content you have previously created on Instagram, your website, blog, YouTube, Pinterest and think about what you can repurpose. Was there a particular topic you talked about that performed especially well? Think of ways that you can condense it to work into a 30-second Instagram Reel. Then, in the caption, tell your followers to head to the link in bio (link the original content) for more information.
Enjoyed this? Download your free Reels guide below for more tips and strategies for getting started with Reels so that you can grow your business and start reaching your target audience on Instagram.
