Let’s talk about trends in social media. One that stands out to our digital marketers, in particular, is Instagram Reels. The popularity of Reels has grown astronomically, especially to compete with the rise of TikTok. As such, this channel has also shown itself to be a great advertising tool for brands.
This TikTok-inspired format has accumulated over one billion users since it waslaunched in August of 2020, and now that Instagram Reels ads are officially available on this social platform, marketers should be excited to leverage this tool to boost brands.
If you’re excited to learn how your brand can leverage Reels to market your products, then you’ve come to the right place. But before we can begin building your brand’s social media presence, let’s learn a bit more about Reels. Here’s everything you need to know about Instagram’s latest ad format!
What Are Instagram Reels?
If you’re new to Instagram, you’re probably wondering, “What are Reels?” Before Reels, brands and marketers could tout their products through traditional feed posts, Stories, IGTV, Messenger, and the Explore tab. But with the introduction of Reels ads, advertisers now have another channel where they can garner attention to their products and services – especially through influencers and micro-influencers.
These ads are intended to help companies reach bigger audiences, giving users access to discover inspiring content from brands and creators. Reels ads are full screen and vertical, similar to ads in Stories. They appear between individual Reels, showing up to 30 seconds of content on a loop. Your audience has the ability to comment, like, view, save, and share your Reels.
Reels vs. TikTok vs. Instagram Stories
So, what’s the difference between Reels, TikTok, and Instagram Stories? When creating content with Reels, you can record clips in 15, 30, or 60-second intervals. TikTok, on the other hand, gives you the option to record in 15-second, 60-second, or three-minute intervals. Similar to TikTok, Reels offers a set of editing tools that lets marketers create fun and engaging videos. Reels enable advertisers to include multiple video clips, filters, captions, interactive backgrounds, and stickers within their digital real estate.
One thing to be aware of is that TikTok serves an audience that’s primarily in a younger demographic, whereas Instagram targets a broader age range, thereby increasing the scope of a brand’s reach. Instagram Reels offers marketers the ability to provide short content that doesn’t have the tiny shelf life of Stories, which are useful in their own way. The Stories concept lets advertisers tell users about their brand culture and products with video clips, photos, or posts as much as they want for 24 hours. Conversely, Reels remain as creativity-driven single videos that are displayed in the audience’s feed as posts.
How To Create Reels Ads for Digital Marketing?
Now that you know a little more about what IG Reels are and how Reels ads work, you might be wondering how you can incorporate them into your advertising toolbox. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Show Your Product in Real Time
Some of the best Reels ads show how products work in real time. You could leverage an influencer here to run a promotion that features this individual working with one of your brand leaders (CEO, CFO, etc.). Create a product demo to show how your products really work while also highlighting the relationship between your brand and these trusted influencers.
Leverage Influencers for Authenticity and Brand Loyalty
As we’ve mentioned, partnering with influencers is really the secret to Reels ads. Instagram Reels ads can showcase authenticity, especially if this sponsored content features a trusted influencer. When influencers promote your products, their followers and any audiences who recognize them are likely to trust their recommendations. If an influencer vouches for your brand, you’re that much more likely to win conversions among their following.
Educate Your Audience with Quick How-Tos
Provide value that keeps customers coming back for more. Offer quick guides that showcase how to do something awesome with your products using step-by-step demonstrations. It doesn’t necessarily have to be related to your business, but you can easily address potential customer questions ahead of time with FAQ-style Reels. Offer tidbits and bite-sized pieces of information that are valuable and help your customers make informed buying decisions.
How to Make Successful Reels Ads for Brand Marketing
- Research. Start by conducting research. As with any marketing endeavor, it’s important to understand who your customers are and what they want from your content. Spend some time exploring Reels ads that are popular among your audience’s demographic to understand what’s working best for other companies that are targeting your consumers.
- Create a storyboard. Utilize this digital real estate to create storyboards that help you achieve objectives for your brand. Remember, you only have a few seconds to play with, so stick to no more than three tips or points.
- Forget hard selling. Leave the hard push for another day. Instead, stick with storytelling and how-to videos that give consumers information they need to want to buy your products.
- Create a sense of trust. If users feel like they can trust the information they’re being fed in an ad, they’ll be that much more likely to purchase. Feature an influencer and a brand or product expert in your ad. Provide facts and real-time footage of your products. When information is affirmed by influences and experts, consumers can trust the information they’re being given.
Zero Gravity Marketing: The Social Media and Ad Experts
If you’re looking for digital marketing experts to spice up your social channels and create ads that deliver returns, you’ve come to the right place! The ZGM team is equipped to take on any digital marketing challenge and position your brand for success. To learn more about our services, get in touch with our team and tell us about your goals! We’ll get your brand exactly where you want to be.
