Tagged: social media marketing
25 Instagram Reels Ideas to Grow Your Business
- by Alicia Kurz
A common theme between most of our clients is that they donât want to film Reels. And, we understand the hesitation. Weâre also working from home, often in our cozy clothes, and our Reel filming days require a lot of prep. Organizing Reel days for our clients typically include a lot of poking (ok, nagging), to get it done, but itâs part of the job, and the payoff is worth it.
Thatâs straight from the horse's mouth, people! Reels do better than other content.
We Hear This All The Time…
âI donât have fancy equipment to make high-quality videosâ
You donât need it.* Period.
Instagram wants to show you what youâre interested in seeing. Nowadays, people are sick of the âpicture-perfectâ videos and endless highlights of your business, so if you want to connect with your audience, the best way to do that is through authenticity and transparency. That means showing the messy middle.
Okay, if your lighting is truly terrible, consider grabbing a $30 ring light on Amazon and that will do just fine. Otherwise, natural light can do wonders.
Mosseri even has a recent Reel titled Production value doesnât matter and says, âToo often creators are worried about production value…If youâre trying to create relatable content, production value is almost like an anti-goal.â
@haleyybaylee, the kind of problematic, yet hugely successful content creator (you know, the one who was dressed as Marie Antoinette at the Met Gala and told people to âlet them eat cake,â among other things) was featured on this Reel and said she posts videos that she would send to her group chat.
Putting aside the few TikTok and Instagram scandals sheâs been involved in, what sheâs doing to grow her following is working.
*This section is not for you if youâre promoting a luxury brand. In that case, you do need fancy equipment to make high-quality videos.
âI donât have a lot to sayâ
You donât need to say a lot! Instagram wants short-form videos. Mosseri even spelled out why in another recent Reel:
When you watch long-form videos, you see less of other content. That means you spend less time liking, commenting, saving and sharing. Since Instagram wants you to spend more time on their app, and engage with more content, long-form videos would work directly against their objectives.
The head of Instagram said specifically, âInstagram will not focus on long-form video.â Their goal is to connect you with friends and help you explore your interests — usually through short-form videos.
This is a hot take from Instagram, considering TikTok is expanding into longer videos.
âI donât want to show my faceâ
Instagram posts with faces get 38% more likes than those without. Do with that information as you will, but you also donât HAVE to show your face.
There are plenty of faceless accounts, and you can show behind-the-scenes things like how your product or service works, showing processes, customer reactions, time-lapses, etc. The options are endless.
âI donât know what to postâ
Thatâs why you clicked on this blog post, silly! When we show up to Reel filming days with our clients, we have Reel ideas prepared, props and scripts ready, and itâs a fun and easy day.
However, you might be doing your own socials, and weâre here to help with ideas for that, too.
25 Reel Ideas
Show Your Workspace
Anyone can participate in this! From at-home desks to warehouses to restaurants. These behind-the-scenes glimpses remind your audience of the work that goes into your business.
Step By Step Videos
These are great for recipes, companies to make items, or âhow toâ videos. Having a visual element makes âdoing the thingâ more accessible.
Showcase New Products
Get creative with how you show off your new products. Search the Explore Page for inspiration — this creator has the right idea!
A Day In The Life
There are many examples of these type of Reels, but if youâre camera shy, this is a good faceless option!
Testimonials
Have your clients share short video reviews of your product. If your clients are camera shy, ask them to write a testimonial and you can share them in a similar style as this creator.
Dance
Choreographed dances arenât really our thing, but they are never leaving the app. If you can master the moves, shake what your mama gave ya!
Introduction
Introductions and reintroductions are all over the gram. Itâs a chance to give new followers a better idea of who you are.
Meet the Team
These donât need to be complicated. Making a meet the team post into a Reel, instead of a photo, is a more engaging way for people to get to know your staff.
Time Lapse Videos
Thanks to these apps, weâre all impatient. Thatâs why itâs so satisfying to see a project happen from start to finish in less than 90 seconds.
Celebrate a Milestone
Always celebrate your wins! Plus, telling your audience about your significant milestones is another way to add credibility to your business. Is this post, Alyson shares some valuable lessons sheâs learned in the last 10 years of owning a digital marketing agency.
The âMaking Ofâ Videos
Jenna Rae Cakes is a great account to go to if you want to see how to make their delicious desserts. Will we ever make a fancy cake? No. Do we ever skip a video? Also no.
Share Your Favourite Products, Services, or Tools
Youâre the expert in your niche. Your audience would love to know what your favourite things to use are.
Unboxing Videos
Small businesses have to order products all the time. This allows plenty of opportunities for unboxing videos, like this one from WillowPress.
Explainer Videos
Weâre just going to tag Molly PcPhersonâs entire account because her whole page is explaining PR crisises. However, you can explain your products or services, or even your company culture.
Educational Videos, But Make It Fun
The TSA account is hilarious, but also shares information that travellers would definitely find useful. Check out this example from a couple of years ago, but their account is awesome in general.
Copy Trends
Donât hop on every trend, but if it works with your brand, definitely do it. Hereâs a current popular sound that most businesses can relate to.
Remix Reels
Trigger warning: this one is heavy. Itâs also relevant and important to women's health.
We will give a special shoutout to the KamalaHQ account because they are working at lightning speed to stay relevant on all platforms. Truly unbelievable work.
Tell A Story
The Fingernails Are Pretty account slays at keeping things genuine. Her followers love her because she shares her products in an unconventional way, and itâs relatable to a lot of people because *depression*.
Share Bloopers
Blooper Reels are so funny. If you want to make your audience laugh, consider sharing the slip-ups it took to get to the finished product.
Give Tips
We love a Canva hack, but any quick tips that an average person could benefit from are so valuable. Weâve learned so much on these apps over the years. Thanks for not gatekeeping!
Before and After
You can add two photos, put a transition between them, add audio and boom - a very satisfying before and after video is born.
Answer FAQs
This creator shares FAQs from her audience, giving some consistency in her feed, and it helps build her reputation as an industry leader.
Expectations Vs Reality Videos
You know what weâre talking about with these videos. So, we thought we would share the human version of Instagram vs reality videos with the Australian comedian Celeste Barber, who has built her page around the idea.
Share a Collage
The base of a lot of Reel templates are photos strung together to a sound. This style of Reel tends to get high views because they are short, and the photos go by quickly, forcing people to watch more than once to really see the photos.
The best, and worst part about Instagram is that itâs always evolving. Itâs also a space full of creative people, so itâs a constant flow of ideas and inspiration that you can mimic in your Reels strategy.
Remember, the goal is authenticity and connection, so if any of these donât feel true to your brand, donât do it. But before we send you on our way, hereâs a few other things to consider when posting Reels.
5 Hot Tips for Posting Reels
1. Think about making videos, and content in general, that people would want to send to their friends.
Instagram prioritizes Reels based on what it believes a viewer will be most likely to interact with, and uses a set of signals to help rank content. Sends are high on the Instagram ranking list — it means itâs content you want your friends to see.
2. Keep experimenting
This seems to be Mosseriâs consistent tip for people who are in Viewâs jail. Keep trying new things to see what your audience engages with.
3. Donât post Instagram Reels that are low-res, blurry, have watermarks from other apps, or reposting others content.
These types of Reels will be deprioritized — meaning nobody will see your content.
4. Cover photos make a very minimal difference in Reels performance.
They are only seen on your feed, or on the Explore Page. Most of your reach comes from the Feed or Recommendations. So, if cover photos are something thatâs taking up a lot of your marketing time, maybe itâs time to reevaluate.
5. Use Audio on your Reels
Audio makes the Reel more engaging. When your content is immersive, you are more likely to get more attention, which helps get more likes, comments, and a higher reach.
Using Audio puts your content on the Audioâs page. People go there for inspiration, where they could come across your Reel, giving you an even higher reach.
DYK 50% of people have their audio turned on when using the app?
As you can maybe tell, we love making content. Whether itâs writing copy, coming up with campaign ideas, or creating a Reels strategy tailored to your business — it brings us joy.
Let our team write, schedule, and promote your social media content for you. Contact us here for a free quote.
7 Holiday Marketing Campaigns For the 2022 Season
- by Alyson Shane
This post was written by our Account Manger Alicia Kurz.
âTis the season for holiday marketing campaigns. Sometime between Halloween and the first snowfall, businesses start rushing to capitalize on the spending frenzy that is the holiday season.
Consumers see holiday-themed social media posts, targeted ads, email marketing campaigns, billboards, tv ads, and the list goes on. Itâs a lot to take in, but weâve compiled a list of the most effective campaigns of holidays past and present to give you a little inspiration for your next campaign.
These brands have created campaigns that spread holiday cheer by evoking emotion and promoting sharing. Follow their lead to stand out from the white noise and make your brand stand out.
Google: Home Alone, Again
This ad will leave any Home Alone fans beaming. Thank you, Google for making us feel young again — even if it was just for a minute.
Why itâs effective
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. Itâs easier to appeal to a large target audience when you have a big budget to hire a celebrity, but anyone can use nostalgia to help amp up their holiday marketing campaign. What makes your audience feel good inside?
Coca-Cola Canada: Give Something Only You Can Give
When you see the Coca-Cola commercial around the holidays, you know itâs going to be good. Coke and Santa have been tied together since the 1920s, and their company even helped shape the image of Santa in the 1930s, so it makes sense for Coke to continue this tradition. While Coke definitely isnât the drink we reach for around the holidays, the commercials still give us the warm and fuzzies.
Why itâs effective
The meaning of the holidays is to spend time with friends and family, not buy expensive gifts. Coke has become so tied to the Christmas season with Santa and those caffeine-guzzling polar bears it doesnât even need to sell in its holiday ads anymore, making it a perfect ad.
IKEA: The Other Letter
This commercial might need a trigger warning if you are a parent. You WILL cry. IKEA Spain asked a group of kids to write two letters: one to the three kings (Santa equivalent) and one to their parents. No surprise to anyone, all the kids asked their parents for more time together. When the kids are told they can only send one letter, guess which one they choose…
Why itâs effective
Hereâs another ad that doesnât spend any time selling its product. The emotional impact this message leaves on their audience will last, likely creating more loyal customers in the future.
WestJet Christmas Miracle
Who doesnât love a feel-good story, a little nostalgia, and happy families?
This campaign ran 8-years ago, but it still hits home. The WestJet team took on a sneaky project to perform 12,000 mini miracles during the holiday season. Their goal was to bring joy to over 13,000 people with the help of Santa and the WestJet staff.
Weâre not crying — youâre crying! No, okay we are actually crying.
Why itâs effective
This campaign encompasses the spirit of giving. It was an act of kindness, and was completely random — which gives people watching the feeling it could have happened to them. We love how they used Santa to make their lists, and showed the hard and fast work WestJet staff had to do to pull off the gift giving. Imagine shopping for, wrapping and delivering gifts in just a few hours!
Plus, the kids' reactions definitely made us tear up.
TD Bank #MakeTodayBetter
We love a generous marketing campaign. TD Bank encouraged social media users to submit an idea for a project to help the less fortunate. They contacted 24 people, gave them 24 hours and changed 24 communities.
Why itâs effective
TD timed this campaign with the holiday season and changed the perception of its brand to a company that cares about giving back to the community. Their line âit turns out there are a lot of people with great ideas,â makes people feel like they will be heard at TD.
Apple: Make Someone's Holiday
Another ad catered to parents, but is extremely relatable: you need technology to keep the peace when travelling. The ad subtly shows the kids watching movies, colouring, and taking photos on the iPad, but the commercial takes a tear-jerking turn when the girls make a gift on the iPad for their grandpa.
Why itâs effective
The common theme throughout these impactful commercials is emotion. Apple typically focuses on function and how its products make your life better. Here they went for an emotional approach with the iPad as the centre of the story and it paid off.
Nick Offermanâs Yule Log by Lagavulin
I think weâve cried enough already, so our last example ends on a high note.
If you are going to pick anyone to sell you scotch, I bet Nick Offerman is at least in your top 3. This ad is simply Nick Offerman sitting in a chair drinking Lagavulin for 45 minutes. There is also a 10-hour version! He doesnât say a word. Itâs somehow hilarious, soothing, festive and clever.
Why itâs effective
Itâs an alternative to the classic yule log special and an instant conversation starter. The Parks and Rec star famously loved Lagavulin, so itâs an instant tie to the product, and itâs a simple idea that paid off big with over 3 million views.
Maximize Your Holiday Shopping Season
2020 saw a huge shift towards e-commerce sales from the pandemic. A Google survey showed that digital shopping has been cemented with 70% of surveyed participants stating their shopping experience would involve online touchpoints. At the same time, 80% of shoppers are seeking out in-person experiences.
This means making your marketing campaigns cater to both in-store and online shoppers!
With this in mind, communication is key. Make frequently asked questions readily available on your website and social pages. Engage your audience, donât JUST sell to them. Remind them who is running your business and why you do what you do.
If you are looking for help getting your marketing campaigns off the ground in 2023, reach out to our team of professionals to help you get started here.
