How to Make Instagram Reels That Get More Reach and Views
If you’re looking to ramp up your Instagram Reels so that they get more reach and more views, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re going to deliver some quick tips and tactics you can implement immediately to make Instagram Reels that increase reach and retention, which in turn will help you get more overall views. This includes tactics we’ve used to skyrocket engagement on our own Instagram account and lead to more views.
If you’d prefer to watch the video, hit the play button below, otherwise keep on reading!
1. Introduce movement in the first second
To “stop the scroll” and grab attention, you need to introduce some sort of movement in the first second of the video, whether it’s via human action or on-screen graphics. One of the ways you can do this is via how your text pops up on screen. Every video should have a text hook so that viewers know what they’ll get out of their time. It’s even better if the text has movement, something like a typewriter effect, for example.
You can also do this through body movements like walking into the frame, opening something up like your laptop, or zooming in or out — just add movement so it immediately catches the eye.
2. Add captions and b-roll to every talking video
If you don’t have captions on your post and someone isn’t in a place where they can listen to your audio out loud, they’ll just scroll on by. This tells the algorithm that your content isn’t interesting, and it will then serve it to a smaller number of people - you don’t want this at all.
We use SubMagic for all of our captions, and we love it. It’s by far the best captions tool that we’ve found, and some of the biggest creators including Alex Hormozi and Ali Abdaal are using it.
You can also add b-roll and different angles to break up the scenes to capture more retention and interest - something you can even do in Sub Magic. If you’re doing a talking head video, it can get boring quickly. To combat this, add scenes to make things more dynamic and reset attention. In addition, just showing multiple scenes or scenes from different angles will help reset the brain and increase retention.
If you’re looking to step up your captions game, SubMagic has given us a 10% discount that you can take advantage of by hitting this link and using code HIGHSEASON when you check out. It’s the best!
3. Increase your video and audio quality
One easy way to stand out is to use the best quality video and audio possible. If you’re working on a phone, you can use your rear-facing camera instead of front-facing, which will immediately level up the quality of your video.
Another great way is to use a DSLR camera. We use the Fuji X-T4 but there are so many good ones on the market - just make sure it shoots in 4K.
To ramp up your audio, use a mic. There are a ton of great ones you can find on Amazon including the Zoom H4n and Shure SM7B. Audio plays a huge role in how your content is perceived so this is key.
To keep your framing solid, get a tripod, which will also help you play with angles. Always present the Reels content vertically in full-frame with no borders. Use a teleprompter or teleprompter app to avoid stumbling and to keep your eyes directly on the cam. Explore our Amazon Storefront for more of our favourite content creation tools.
4. Ask for engagement
When we say to ask for engagement, specifically ask for comments or shares. Just take a look at the right side of the Instagram Reels screen - they’re already telling you what they think is valuable (shares, saves, comments). Also, the higher the number of shares, the more likely people are to watch because there is social proof right in front of them.
Proactively asking for engagement has skyrocketed our growth and engagement. Ask in the caption but you can also add it to the actual creative as well, whether via text on-screen or talking. Tell people the action you want them to take, specifically when it comes to increasing views. Ask them to do key actions like commenting, because that is a massive indicator to the algorithm that a piece of content engaging and should be shown to more people.
Manychat is the largest driver of views for us because we ask people to comment a keyword for access to a valuable resource, and that results in double the comments plus Direct Message activity. You can sign up to Manychat today and test their Pro plan out for 30 days free by visiting this link and using code HIGHSEASON at checkout.
5. Use Instagram Reels Ads
This, of course, is the only guaranteed way to increase your reach, however, it requires a budget and time investment.
We’d recommend Instagram Reels ads if you want to maximize visibility to your exact target demographic and leverage that for sales. So this wouldn’t be just for views; you’d have to want to do something with those views and ads are great because you can retarget to people who have seen your content and bring them down the sales funnel.
That’s it! These are some of our favourite ways to increase our reach and views on our Instagram Reels - let us know which tips you try and how you go by DMing us on Instagram!
Resource Roundup
SubMagic: Our favourite caption tool. Use code HIGHSEASON at checkout to get 10% off your plan.
Amazon Storefront: All of our favourite content creation tools and more.
Manychat: Automate your Instagram DMs. Get 30 days of their Pro plan free with code HIGHSEASON at checkout.
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