Hello folks! It’s our 4th blog of the season. Time is flying so fast, and winter is approaching again. In this blog, we will discuss one of my favorite topics in content – videos.
Have you ever tried doing an Instagram Reel? How about TikTok? These tools are trendy and having these platforms in your brand is becoming non-negotiable. You can even experiment on your own by using your personal accounts. For the purpose of this blog, let’s focus on Instagram Reels and how you should strategize to maximize this platform.
What is your Story?
In my previous blogs, we talked about the importance of brand voice and brand positioning. These two will always play a huge role when crafting your content. For short-form videos like Instagram reels, unique and authentic storytelling is the key. Remember that this type of content can help not only in promoting brand awareness but also in creating brand loyalty (Archive Team, 2023)
Recently, Instagram automatically posts short-form videos to Reels, which totally helps the content to attract wider algorithms. This would mean more Instagram users can view a brand’s reel. With this, it is necessary to plan your content and know what story you want to convey. Is it a reel that simply aims to attract visitors or is it a video that leads to generating ticket sales? This will all depend on your storytelling.
A great story needs a good script. Again, the tone and set-up will depend on your brand image and positioning, but a script will guide you on the message you want to tell in the video. Below is an example of a season opener video to formally introduce a professional choir’s new season that shall act as a teaser as well (Pro Coro Canada, 2022).
Notice the production, venue, artists’ attire, and length of the video. You can easily realize that this organization is a leader in the choral music industry and signifies professionalism through the material.
If your brand is B2C, you can probably experiment on a casual relaxed environment set-up. Just make sure that the output you produce is relatable to your target audience.
Identify your Content Type
Product reviews, interviews, and interactive Q&As are some of the video content types that a brand can choose. Understand what your audience needs and match the video content with your goals. Do you need to generate more sales for the quarter? Is your Reel intended to generate curiosity? Below are the goals that you can choose from Instagram. You can even place an ad and choose from your current posts and stories. Very handy!
Rogers’ Instagram account publish high quality reels that show their commitment to the community. Last Summer, Rogers showed their support to local charities and celebrated Pride Month with their employees and 2SLGBTQ+ community. Below is the reel about their event (Rogers, 2023). Notice how lively and upbeat their music is. Several angles and shots are also taken to narrate the story of inclusivity and diversity.
Repurpose Content
Most B2B companies use videos as part of their content strategy. Barhead Solutions, an Australian-based IT consulting company, conducts webinars and product tutorials to show their expertise in Microsoft solutions. Though Instagram is not their main social media platform (mainly because their target audience is on LinkedIn), they produce short-form videos that are easily understandable and will make you curious about their work (Barhead Solutions, 2023). These product tutorials could be a part of a 10-minute video for a client. What’s important when you repurpose content is you know how to properly edit the video and protect customers’ data specially when posting them on Instagram or any social media platform.
As a Microsoft Gold partner, Barhead hosts webinars that are co-facilitated by Microsoft Australia. The webinars serve as lead-generating activities while acting as a platform to engage with potential clients and current customers. Barhead has been consistent in repurposing its webinars and trimming them as content for social media and newsletters.
Conclusion
Instagram Reels is one of the most effective ways to generate brand awareness and customer loyalty. It may sound challenging at first since it involves content planning, production set-up, and video editing, but, with the availability of social media tools, it is now handy to craft content and create short-form videos.
In Instagram, we can create and edit videos through the app itself. Uploading music and boosting an ad are also easy steps. What we must remember in Instagram Reels is to be authentic and creative when doing the videos. Understand the company’s brand voice and brand positioning and identify the key message. Script, copies, and set-up will depend on these.
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Instagram reels of Microsoft (Microsoft, 2023) and a concert reel I did for my current job. As a technology leader, Microsoft positions itself as the best software company in the world. Observe their copy, music, and editing, and how the video connects to its target audience.
Meanwhile, after our work in Pro Coro Canada’s last concert of Season 2022-2023, I promptly created a reel as a post-event content in our page. It’s crucial to publish content while the occasion is fresh and relevant. All the shots were captured using my smartphone, and I subsequently edited the reel in the Instagram app. The process is straightforward. Simply add your chosen video clips, trim as needed, and let the app work its magic. You also have the option to insert images, along with adding captions and stickers. Remember, the overall aesthetics should align with your brand’s image and positioning. Take a look and give Instagram Reels a try. They are highly enjoyable and good for engagements!
References:
Archive Team. (2023, June 7). Top 5 Ways Brands Can Use Instagram Reels to Improve Their Marketing Strategy. Retrieved from Archive: https://archive.com/blog/top-5-ways-brands-can-use-instagram-reels-to-improve-their-marketing-strategy
Barhead Solutions. (2023, August 2). Barhead Solutions Dynamics 365 Tutorial. Retrieved from Barhead Solutions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvdyXQorO7o/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Kennedy, A. (2021, December 23). Social Media Marketing Strategy: TikTok and Instagram Reels. Retrieved from LinkedIn Learning: https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/share?account=2109516&forceAccount=false&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Flearning%2Fsocial-media-marketing-strategy-tiktok-and-instagram-reels%3Ftrk%3Dshare_ent_url%26shareId%3DlRYJIMQBSUyoNma0zLOOcA%253D%
Microsoft. (2023, September 21). Microsoft Copilot launch. Retrieved from Microsoft Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxdVq7_rG67/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Pro Coro Canada. (2022, July 23). Season 22-23 Opening Teaser. Retrieved from Pro Coro Canada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CgXdXz_rJpQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Rogers. (2023, September 22). Rogers Summer Event. Retrieved from Rogers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxgU1sVM7JG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link