In this digital era, social networking has triggered a seismic shift in global entertainment trends. There will be over 5 billion social media users globally in 2024 and expected to increase to over 6 billion by 2028. 

This rapidly expanding number shows the consistent growth of social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, their persistent popularity, and their ability to attract and hold on to users over time. Furthermore, it is no surprise that these social networking platforms are constantly expanding worldwide, and people want to learn how to make a reel on Instagram.

These platforms are a fusion of content and consumer behavior that is largely adopted by Gen Z and Millennials. The tech-savvy generation uses these powerful media, particularly Instagram, to share virtual content in the form of photos or short-form videos, called Instagram Reels). 

A study found that reels have an average reach rate of 30.81%, implying that creating reels is one of the greatest ways to show your creativity and engage with your audience. These short-form video formats help you enhance your visibility on social media, establish your personal branding, and even make money.

If you’re also trying to boost your Instagram presence and reach more people, start making Instagram reels. If you don’t know how to get started, then this blog is for you. We’ll share a comprehensive guide on how to make a reel on Instagram successfully. So, continue reading if you want to learn more about the process!

What is an Instagram Reel?

Starting with 110 million users in 2013, Instagram has become the 4th most popular social media platform in the world after Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp. In August 2020, Instagram introduced Reels, which has become a giant player in the short-form video category. These snappy, short videos surpass other content formats with twice as many impressions. 

Instagram reel is the easiest way to interact with the digital community by creating entertaining videos on a variety of topics. Originally started as 15 seconds, Reels now support up to 90-second format, giving more flexibility in their content. 

Users can make Instagram Reels by using a single video, clipping more than one video, images, or a combination of both images and videos. You can create them by using video editing tools offered by Instagram or other third-party editing apps and even become a YouTuber by uploading the content on your YouTube account. 

Key Features of Instagram

• Flexible video length: 15 to 90 seconds
• High-end editing tools, no high-end equipment needed
• Seamless editing with speed and align features
• Access to a licensed music library for trending clips
• Short, vertical, full-screen videos with audio accompaniment
• Educational, inspiring, and entertaining content

Why Do You Create An Instagram Reel?

Before learning how to make a reel on Instagram, you should know why these short videos are so popular nowadays. How significant are they, and what value does being an Instagram influencer hold is also necessary to understand. Let’s look at some of the notable benefits of Instagram reels:

1. Increased Visibility

Creating an Instagram reel can help you boost your account presence and reach a larger audience. These reels usually appear on the Explore page and in users’s feeds. It will enhance your chances of gaining more likes, followers, and engagement. 

These short videos are less time-consuming and easy to understand, more likely to catch the audience's attention and give them a glimpse of the kind of content you create. This short sneak peek into your style allows the users to know whether they want to follow your account or not. 

2. Engagement

Reels are the simplest way to create short-form content to engage with the community on various topics, from best movies to books. You can easily like, comment, share, and even tag other content creators or interested audiences in the reels. 

It helps you to gain more likes, comments, and saves. A Statista 2023 report suggests that average Instagram Reels were much more likely to get around 243 likes than other formats, including posts. 

3. Branding and Marketing

Over the past few decades, social media marketing has become a powerful weapon of digital marketing. It is possible only because of the extensive user bases of these platforms that help advertisers reach billions of potential consumers with a single click. 

Industry professionals can use Instagram reels to suggest their brand and products to the target audience and boost traffic on their websites. According to statistics, with the popularity of Instagram and YouTube, many advertisers are planning to minimize their Facebook presence in the near future. 

You can input the purchase links to the sponsored products and services on the bio link to provide easy access to your followers and earn with every purchase made through the link.  

4. Creativity

Instagram reels allow you to showcase your creativity through short, engaging videos. For instance, you can create a visually stunning cooking or makeup tutorial that showcases your artistic skills in just 15-90 seconds. You can also add music, effects, and trends to capture the attention of your target audience and highlight your unique talents effectively. If you are a book reader, you can create reels that give reviews of the latest books as well. 

How to Make a Reel on Instagram: 8 Easy Steps

Learning how to make a reel on Instagram is a straightforward process. You only need to follow these quick and easy steps to create captivating Instagram reels. Let’s talk about how to create reels:

Step 1: Plan Your Reel

This step is the first and one of the most important steps in the process of learning how to create reels. Well-planned reels are more likely to be successful and go viral. Ask yourself the following question before you write your reel script:

• What is the aim of your reel?
• Who are your targeted audiences? 
• What message do you want to deliver to your viewers? 
• What do your viewers expect from you? 
• What format will you use?
• What do you want to achieve in return? 

Step 2: Find Your Hook

Next, you need a solid Instagram reel hook that complements your content and is attention-grabbing. A great hook is necessary to make the reel go viral; it may be in the form of interesting facts or figures about your topic, a punchline to a joke, a viral dance step, or anything that can become trendy in your niche. You can also add captions, catchy music, or visually appealing images. 

Step 3: Record Your Reel

To learn how to create reels, you should have basic videography and editing knowledge. To record your reels on Instagram: 

• Go to the home dashboard.
• Click on the (+) button, and then select REEL.

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• There are several pre-designed templates also available; you can use them to create your fresh reel. Alternatively, you can upload a pre-recorded video as an Instagram reel. 

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Instagram also offers multiple creative tools and effects to its creators, helping them to make their videos more engaging. These tools include: 

• AR effects
• Text overlays
• Countdown timers
• Filters and text styles

 Experiment with these tools and effects to find what works best for your content. Moreover, keep an eye on the latest trends and demands to create relevant content and attract more viewers. It is also important to note that you can create your reels using photos, animations, or any other type of content. 

Step 4: Edit Your Video

Before your video is ready to be shared, polish the reel by editing it and adding fun elements to it. You can do it directly on Instagram by simply clicking on the “Edit video” button. The Instagram editing tools will appear and allow you to:

• Add text

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• Audio or music

• Stickers for your reel
• Changing the volume

• Trimming your recording
• Video transitions and more.

Additionally, take time to edit your video, ensure the audio is perfect, and edit and cut it to the right length. You can even use third-party video editing apps, including AI tools, for more options. 

Step 5: Get Your Reel Ready for Upload

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Now that you edited your video as you desired, it's time to upload it on Instagram. 

• Click on the (+) sign at the bottom of your feed.
• Next, scroll across to “reel” to get started.
• Upload your video, and select “Next.”
• Type a post caption for your reel. It should be relevant to your content, concise, informative, and entertaining. It should also have a Call-To-Action (CTA) to subtly guide your users on what you want them to do after watching the reel. 

Step 6: Share and Post

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Once you’re fully satisfied with your Reel, click on the “Share” link to post it. Notably, it’s better to post your video at the optimal time for your target audience and their activity. You can also tag your content to the relevant accounts for more visibility.

Step 7: Measure Your Success

Your job isn’t done after uploading the reel. You should focus on your success rates by using Instagram Insights. With these Insights, you can track how many viewers are watching your Instagram reels, how long they’re staying at your video, and how many people respond to it. You can also use a third-party app or software to keep track of your linktree click-through rates. Use this knowledge to learn how to make a more viral reel on Instagram. 

Step 8: Repurpose Your Reel

Once you’ve created a successful Instagram reel, you can upload it on other platforms. For instance, you can use it on YouTube shorts and Snapchat, which will help you reach a wider user base and gain more followers. 

How to Create Reels on Instagram Stand Out

While you can put in a lot of work to learn how to create reels, it’s not guaranteed that they will be successful. To help you gain a higher ROI on your hard word, these are some tips that help you make your Instagram reels more engaging:

1. Leverage Trends

The most efficient way to get your reels on top is to participate in trending challenges and use relevant hashtags. When you use trending hashtags, your Instagram reels have a higher chance of showing up in the top results for those hashtags, allowing them to reach a wider audience.

2. Concise Storytelling

A reel is a great way to share a short form of content. You can use Instagram reels to deliver a clear and concise message or share a short story in Reel format. Don't forget that these reels should be easy to understand and engaging with proper links to the next parts to ensure your users stay engaged with your content. 

3. Post Captions

A captivating Instagram reel caption enhances your chance of engagement. Try to create a caption that entertains and encourages your audience to like, comment on, and share your video. Besides that, captions can also help those who need accessibility-friendly content, allowing your brand to reach a more diverse audience. 

4. Use Audio

Use strategic audio and sound effects to add great interest and energy to your Instagram Reels. Select trending and engaging music that will help your video capture your viewer's attention. 

5. Visual Creativity

Use eye-catching effects, transitions, and visual elements to make your reels more memorable and shareable.  

6. Consistent Posting Schedule

Establish a posting schedule, allowing your users to determine when they can expect more content from you. When you post reels consistently, you can fulfill your audiences’ expectations and keep them engaged and interested.

Wrapping Up

We hope this comprehensive guide on how to make a reel on Instagram will help you create, edit, and post your first Instagram reels easily. These tools are a great way to create short-form content, empowering you to get the most out of visual storytelling in just a 15-90-second timeframe. 

If you desire to increase your content reach, then collaboration and cross-promotion are powerful tools. You only need an engaging idea, a smartphone, and a couple of free-to-use applications to know how to create reels.

You can even establish your own brand and buy a similar domain and email hosting from platforms like Neo to establish your personal branding efficiently. So, go through our detailed guide and learn how to make a reel on Instagram today!   

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. How long should your Instagram reels be?

The length of an ideal Instagram reel should be between 15 and 90 seconds. 

Q2. What is the optimal size of Instagram reels?

The optimal size for Instagram reels is 1080 x 1920 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 9:16. This ratio applies only while the user is in Instagram's reels section. If the reel appears in your Instagram feed, its aspect ratio is 4:5. 

Q3. What is the best time to post Instagram reels?

While the answer to this case is ambiguous and depends on different variables, there are some suitable options. However, you can share your content on weekdays between 11 a.m. EST and 2 p.m. EST, when Instagram has an influx of users. 10 a.m. EST on the weekend is another time for peak traffic. 

Q4. What is the difference between Instagram Stories and Instagram Reels?

Reels offer more editing tools and can be shared with the whole Instagram community if your account is public. Unlike Stories, Reels only allows video content, not photos.