6 Tips To Boost Your Engagement On Instagram Reels
Whether you choose to accept it or not, Instagram is fast turning into a platform for video sharing. That’s not to say you should abandon your feed pattern of posting graphics and photos, but it is a PSA to start hitting that record button and taking advantage of this engagement-boosting content form.
The fact is that Instagram’s algorithm is now pushing more video-format content into your feed, your suggested posts, and your explore page. Thanks to competitors like TikTok, Instagram is definitely feeling the pressure to start performing like it’s a video sharing platform, meaning: videos are getting more love than standard IG posts right now.
Because everyone is jumping on the Reels bandwagon, you might notice that your posts aren’t getting *quite* as much love as they used to, so today we’re sharing 6 tips to help boost your engagement on Instagram Reels!
1. Watch your timing
Two things to keep in mind: the time allotted for Instagram Reels (60 seconds) and your audience’s attention span (definitely NOT 60 seconds) — so remember to keep your Reels short and sweet! If you ask us, the “sweet spot” is somewhere between 15 and 30 seconds.
2. Re-post your Reels
Reach is engagement’s best friend — the more accounts you can reach with your content, the more chances you have for enegagmenet. So, share your Reels! Share them to your stories, and crosspost them, too! Share them on TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. Take every opportunity you can to get your videos out there for more eyes to see!
3. Choose your music wisely
You don’t want to choose music that’s too obscure — every now and then, it’s fine, but in general, you want to try to stick to more popular songs that are trending to help expand your reach. If someone searches a song, your Reels videos using that audio will show up — so when you choose something that’s highly searched, your video will be much more likely to receive more views!
4. Be consistent with your feed aesthetic
I’m not sure who started the rumor that adding a cover slide to your Reels hurts your engagement, but we’re here to squash that. If you want to stay consistent with your feed’s aesthetic (and we do suggest that!), adding a cover slide is a great way to make that possible. Just one little tip: If you do add a cover slide, make it engaging and eye-catching to stop people from scrolling past!
5. Add an action item for your audience
Just like every other piece of content you create, your Reels should have a call to action! Whether that’s to comment below, follow your page for more video how-to’s, or share with a friend is up to you — but you should ALWAYS be giving your audience something to do after watching your video!
6. Add text to your video
This isn’t new news — not everyone is scrolling through IG with sound on, or with headphones in, so if you’re just talking to your screen without giving any context clues you’re going to lose their attention REALLY quickly. You can simply add a few text bubbles that offer your audience insight into what you’re talking about/showcasing in your video, or you can generate captions so they don’t miss a beat — it’s up to you, but we highly suggest adding that text!
If you’re not following us on Instagram yet, you should (@amr_digital), we’re HUGE fans of Reels, and we’re always sharing insights to help you stay in the know of updates, tips, and tricks so that you can see a return on your time investment in content creation!
Maggie Peikon
Maggie is a Senior Content Creator and Editor at AMR Digital. When she’s not crafting content for clients, she can be found hiking with her pup, Finley, checking out Denver’s best vegan restaurants, and working on her garden. She’s currently planning her next SUP adventure and plotting how to become a goat mom.