In August 2020, Instagram announced reels: a new way to create and discover short, entertaining videos on Instagram. The reel feature allows you to put together 15, 30, or 60 second videos to share your content in other way than just traditional posts. 

During the past year, creating and sharing reels have become a huge part of sustainable marketing. They don’t only help impact brands to reach a larger audiences but they also help them to raise awareness and appear more honest and transparent.

The reel feature provides marketers with a new way of sharing the brand content to the audience and is a great way to improve social media strategy. If you have been thinking of starting to create reels for your sustainable brand, here are few things you should know before.

Why use Instagram reels in sustainable marketing?

More and more businesses are nowadays using reels to connect with their audience on a more personal level. Reels are an effective way to share more informational, behind-the-scenes content. Reels are also a great way to increase engagement and brand awareness. In sustainable marketing, where the focus is on impact brands, increasing engagement and brand awareness is highly important in order to gain consumers’ trust. Impact brands must often work harder to convince their audience to trust their brand’s actions than other brands do. Brands that promise to have a positive impact on people and the planet must be able to show consumers that their actions are aligned with their words.

What you should know before creating reels for sustainable marketing

Plan consistent content

Consistency is the key. By creating and sharing reel content consistently by using the in-app features, you’ll be able to increase visibility on Instagram. Consistent posting will not only increase your audience’s interest but it also helps the Instagram algorithm prioritize your content. Whether your goal is to raise brand awareness, gain more audience, or increase sales, the reel feature is an effective way to start.

Take inspiration 

If you have never created an Instagram reel before and you’re not familiar with how they work, it’s a good idea to look at what other brands are doing. There are hundreds of brands using reels to engage their audience, and all of them have their own ways to do so. Search for other sustainable brands, look at what they are doing, take some inspiration, and create your own reels that support your brand the best. 

Here are examples of brands using reels (click the image to view the full reel): 

Allbirds

Nooda Organics

Stay on brand

After you have decided on what direction you want to go with your reels, it’s good to look back and ask yourself “Are these reels supporting my brand and the image I want to give to my audience?”. As reels can only last for a maximum of 60 seconds, it is really important to make sure that during those seconds you’ll provide your audience with on-brand information. This doesn’t only keep the viewers’ interest but also helps them to form an idea of your brand and its message. 

Share informational content

For sustainable marketing purposes, sharing informational content is ideal. Instagram users looking for brands are often drawn to videos where they see something visually appealing but also something they can learn from. However, it is good to remember that a reel should not only be an advertisement of your product but more of a short explanation of your field of expertise or your brand. 

How to make an Instagram reel

Creating an Instagram reel is easy. Here is a simple explanation of how to get started:

The first step is to go to your Instagram app and tap “Reels,” at the bottom of the screen (make sure you have the latest version of Instagram). Tap the camera icon on the right upper corner. Before recording your video, check out the wide assortment of different effects available on the left side of the screen. You can choose to record a reel lasting either 15, 30, or 60 seconds. You can also choose the audio you want to use or select effects to use on your reel. Now, you can either choose to record the video within the Instagram app or add videos from your library. The video can be recorded in segments or at once. After your video is done, you can add some text, stickers, or drawings to it and edit it to be a great fit for your brand. The last thing to do is to add a caption and share the reel with your audience!

 

Instagram’s reel feature is an effective way to engage your audience, raise awareness, and show your audience that your brand’s actions are aligned with the values and promises. By creating fun, informative videos of your brand, you will be able to showcase its authenticity.

Author: Oona Yletyinen