Focus on short videos on Instagram
If your business has historically focused on long-form video or has made extensive use of IGTV , now is a great time to get into short-form video. Instead of creating 5- or 10-minute videos with complex storylines, experiment with stories that lend themselves well to short-form content — essentially, fun and entertaining content.
How do you turn a long video into a short one? You can test simpler stories that can be told in a single video. Alternatively, you can try creating episodes or series that tell a story in parts. Need some cell phone number list inspiration? Tap the Reels icon in the Instagram app and scroll through popular content to find ideas for your topic. For example, a small food business might want to create Reels that show how the store packages its product. These short unboxing videos allow users to see the product, while striking a balance between popular formats like behind-the-scenes videos and how-to videos.
Find the Perfect Instagram Video Length
Your brand's short videos don't have to be less than 15 seconds.
In the short time since its introduction on Instagram, Reels have quadrupled in length. Initially 15-second videos grew to 30 seconds in late 2020 and then grew again to 60 seconds in August 2021. If Instagram Reels continues to emulate TikTok, Reels will eventually reach 3 minutes.
Depending on your brand, content, and audience, shorter or longer videos may perform significantly better, and it’s important to get the timing right. To find the right Reels length for your audience, experiment with different formats and carefully study the results. You can see what resonates with your audience using Reels’ Insights.
Identify and address limitations in your strategy
If your business currently posts an equal amount of videos, photos, and Stories, then switching to a video-based strategy may create some gaps in your work. For example, if you post fewer Stories, you may find that you’re getting less traffic to your site from Instagram. Or your team may need more time to create video content, leading to less frequent posting.
It’s impossible to predict every potential problem before it happens. But by regularly reviewing your Instagram, company website, and revenue analytics, you can quickly identify and fix issues.
You can effectively repurpose videos into feed posts and stories, allowing you to be the focus of your followers no matter what content they're viewing on the Instagram app.
Collaborating with influencers and brand ambassadors is crucial to maintaining a healthy publishing schedule if you choose to base your content on Reels. That being said, it’s more important than ever to create a complementary paid social strategy to drive the traffic and revenue you need.
