Instagram reels are the most effective way to grow on Instagram right now. Why, you ask? Over the last three years, there has been a shift in social media content. In 2019, Instagram feeds were full of photos; today, you’ll see more videos than photos when you scroll.
This is not just happening on Instagram; it’s on other social media platforms too. As TikTok became more and more famous, other platforms were forced to embrace short video content.
Since TikTok was taking a lot of the viewership, Instagram had to step up and reclaim that time spent on the platform. That’s how Instagram reels were born, and shortly after, YouTube Shorts.
What are Instagram reels?
Instagram Reels is a feature on the Instagram platform that allows users to create and discover short, entertaining videos.
Reels are similar to TikTok videos, as they are short-form videos typically set to music or other audio clips.
When first launched in 2020, reels could only last a maximum of 15 seconds. Today, you can record up to 90 seconds (or 1 minute and 30 seconds). Reels should be a key component of your Instagram marketing strategy if you want to see fast progress in 2024.
What are the right Instagram reels dimensions?
To get the most out of any content format, you must share it to the platform using the right dimensions. Otherwise, you will find that when you upload your reel, some content might be automatically cropped and left outside the screen view.
The recommended Instagram reels dimensions are 1080px x 1920px with a 9:16 aspect ratio.
See the image below for a better illustration.
This means that your video should fill the entire screen while someone is watching it.
However, that said, there are other things to keep in mind, such as:
- Alignment of text in your reels: Ensure your words are not very close to the margin of the video
- Placement of the main subject in your reel: Make sure your subject is in the middle of the screen
- Placement of call to action (CTA) – Your call to action text should be in the center at the end of your video( text should not exceed the yellow margins), or just below the white line at the top, or just above the white line at the bottom.
When you follow these guidelines, your reel will turn out perfect and will be appealing to the viewer.
How to schedule reels on Instagram
Scheduling within the Instagram app has got to be one of the coolest recent features I love about this app.
You no longer have to rely on third-party tools to schedule your Instagram content, plus you can choose your music, add topics, and set the location for your reel.
Wondering how to schedule your reels? Follow this step-by-step process.
Step-by-step process to schedule reels on Instagram
- Tap the + sign in the upper right corner of your Ig profile
- Choose reel, upload your reel video, and tap next
- On the next page, add a song/sound, filters, text, or a sticker. Once you’re satisfied with the elements you’ve added, tap next.
- Add a caption, upload a cover for your reel, tag people, and add the location and other details you want.
- Then scroll down and tap advanced settings.
- On the next page, you’ll see schedule content.
- Toggle schedule this reel
- Choose the date and time you’d like the reel to go live and tap set time.
- Hit the arrow in the top left of your screen to go back to the previous page.
- The last step is to tap schedule and you’ll see your video being uploaded and scheduled to be posted at the time you choose.
After scheduling your reel, there’s one more thing to do. Set a reminder on your phone 5 minutes before the reel goes live.
This reminder is to alert you that your reel is about to go live so that you can get on Instagram. It’s very important for you to be online when your content goes live so that you can engage with the first people who like or comment on your video.
The more interaction your reel will have in its first 15 minutes of going live will determine if Instagram pushes it to more people or not. So if you want your reel to get into more suggested feeds, ensure that it gets engagement within the first 10–30 minutes.
Conclusion
I hope this blog was helpful to you and that you got the answers you were looking for. It would mean the world to me if you shared this with another creator trying to get better at Instagram reels.
