If you have heard of Tik Tok, the app that had everyone dancing during the Covid-19 lockdown, then you may have heard of Instagram Reels.

What are Reels you might ask? 

Instagram Reels are an element within the Instagram platform that lets users create 15-second short-form videos with audio and special effects. 
Viewers can see reels in their newsfeed, stories, or the reels tab in the explore page. Creators can insert voice-overs or original audio and can utilise the platform music library, filters and special effects. 

You can check out some of the Axis IQ Instagram Reels here.

A big question on most business owners' lips is ‘Do Instagram Reels actually get results for businesses?’

We believe Reels are a great tool for businesses to start using as they are a fun way to get your team involved in creating content and show a bit of personality, PLUS they engage your audience, which can lead to an increase in customers for your business! 

Here are our favourite benefits of creating and using reels for your business Instagram profile! 

Reel benefits (“for real!” - sorry, couldn’t help ourselves): 

Spread awareness of your brand:

The average attention span is as little as 8 seconds long these days! (https://muckrack.com/blog/2020/07/14/how-declining-attention-spans-impact-your-social-media)  That means that when trying to get your brand's message across to your audience, it has to be punchy and to the point. 

Reels are up to 15-seconds long, so this helps you get your message across quickly and in a fun, engaging way!

Get content seen on the explore page:

The explore page is a great exposure tool on the Instagram platform that allows brands and users to be seen by more people. Reels are always showing up on this page, which means when you make more reels, you’ll get more exposure compared to a static post or story!

The other way reels are easily picked up by viewers is when users scroll through the reels tab in the navigation bar on the platform. This addictive habit that many users have can lead to your reel gaining more views by simply being in the mix (if you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of watching reels for hours, don’t worry, you’re not alone!).



Increase follower engagement:

Engagement is one of the biggest drivers for social media content and businesses are always trying to get more engagement and interactions with posts on their profile.

It is said that ‘video generates more engagement than any other content type on Instagram’ (Ahmad, Social Media Today 2019), which supports the belief that reels are one of the most engaging pieces of content available today!

Showcase brand personality:

Reels are a great opportunity to showcase your brand and team’s personality! Viewers love to interact with content that is authentic, real and content that they can relate to on a business or personal level. 

These short video bursts allow a 15-second glimpse into your business, venue, Club or brand, which is fun for them and fun for you and your team to create. 

Evergreen content uses:

Reels are a great evergreen source for you to draw back on at a later date! Reels can be broken up into individual posts, stories, IGTV, blog posts and can even be discussed in further detail over Instagram live streams. 

Here at Axis IQ, we are all about repurposing content without having to reinvent the wheel too many times - because who has the time for that?! Consider using your reels as a way to set up your business for success through creating content that won’t go out of date and that you can reuse whenever you need to. 

Long lasting content:

What more can we say? Reels are the LONGEST lasting content type available on Instagram today. Reels are extremely user-friendly and allow for short-form video content to have a longer shelf life than 24 hours on the platform. This means that reels can take off a few weeks later and still get great results. 

They work in a way that circulates on the platform, which can last longer than static posts, stories, IGTV and live streams. Reels are catching some serious attention from Instagram viewers, so it’s definitely worth investing some time into this new element of social media marketing. 

Here are some Reel ideas to get you started:

• Meet The Team
• A day in your Club, Cafe, Pub or business
• Jump on a trend 
• Behind the scenes
• (Hospitality) A video of the Chef making meals or a barista making coffee

Not sure where to start?

Here are some great videos and blogs to help you get started with making your FIRST reel!

• https://later.com/blog/instagram-reels/
• https://youtu.be/fvbqH2tb3Q0
• https://youtu.be/WoODkyS0-ao

If you need help when marketing your business correctly, don’t hesitate to contact our team or reach out to Alice on alice@axisiq.com.au or Skye on social@axisiq.com.au to see how we can help your business grow! 

Have you made a reel on Instagram yet?

Let us know how you went, in the comments!

The Axis IQ team :)