Launched back in 2020 as Instagram’s answer to TikTok, Reels has quickly become a go-to content format for consumers and brands. Today, 2.35 billion Instagram users watch Reels every month, driving engagement and discovery like never before.
This short-form video format—which now allows up to 90 seconds of content—has become a favorite among users, with Instagram’s algorithm favoring Reels in its feed and Explore page. For businesses and influencers looking to expand their reach and connect with audiences more dynamically, mastering Reels is no longer optional—it’s essential.
In this guide, we’ll cover why Instagram Reels are worth your time and investment, and how you can bake them into your social media strategy to grow your Instagram following.
What are Instagram Reels?
Reels is an Instagram feature that showcases short-form video content (up to 90 seconds). You can record and share these short videos from the app with the Instagram camera, or upload existing videos from your camera roll to your Instagram account.
Like Instagram Stories, Reels are designed for you to share short, fun, original video content with other Instagram users (who now number over two billion). However, unlike Instagram Stories, Reels do not disappear after 24 hours, enabling you to post Instagram Reels and continue generating views and business long afterward.
When you post a Reel, it shows up in your profile feed and the dedicated Reels tab. Users can access Reels from the Explore page and through the dedicated Reels icon at the bottom of the screen. While scrolling through the Reels feed, videos automatically transition from one to the next.
Reels come with various creative tools to edit video clips; overlay text, stickers, and AR effects; and add original audio or audio clips from the Instagram music library. You can also monetize Reels by using them to promote your products, work with paid collaborators, and partner with other brands on sponsored content.
Instagram Reels size
Reels should be 1080 pixels wide and 1920 pixels tall, with a 9:16 aspect ratio.The dimensions are similar to a phone screen because Instagram Reels are primarily viewed on mobile devices. Your Reels can play for up to 90 seconds and captions are capped at 2,200 characters.
Benefits of using Reels on Instagram
Instagram Reels can be a powerful tool in your overall Instagram marketing strategy. Specifically, you can use Reels to:
Explain your products
Instagram Reels can be videos of product demonstrations, answers to frequently asked questions, how-to explainers, peeks behind the scenes, and tips and tricks for using your product. It can help build trust in your company through increased transparency or incentivize a sale. When you tag products in the Reel, viewers can shop from the video directly.
Increase organic reach
Similar to TikTok, Instagram Reels allows viewers to swipe through and watch an infinite series of videos. The platform shows your Reels to consumers whose browsing history and preferences match the kind of content you create. The Instagram Reels algorithm shows users new content—particularly content from individuals or companies they don’t already follow. This provides a prime opportunity for your videos to reach brand-new audiences.
Instagram’s Explore page has a section dedicated solely to Reels. If your content is particularly relevant, engaging, or viral, the Instagram algorithm might push it to the top of the Explore page—allowing it to achieve a huge reach. All that new viewership happens organically without the cost of an expensive advertising campaign.
Build your brand
Engaging, entertaining, recognizable videos foster positive associations with your brand. Like other forms of content marketing, Instagram Reels can foster an emotional connection between prospective customers and your brand, encouraging brand loyalty.
How to create Instagram Reels
- Access Instagram Reels
- Record your Instagram Reel
- Edit your Instagram Reel
- Add a caption
- Share your Instagram Reel
Here’s how to start creating Instagram Reels:
1. Access Instagram Reels
Click the “Create new” button at the bottom of your screen. Instagram will open your camera, and you’ll have to grant it access to your camera and microphone. Then, scroll horizontally to the Reels option at the bottom of the screen.
Next, it’s time to record. If you choose to upload a pre-recorded video, skip to Step 3.
2. Record your Instagram Reel
Tap or hold down the record button at the bottom of the screen to record your Reel. When you’ve finished recording, either tap the button again or let go of it.
At this point, you can add a filter to your Reel, change the layout, or add trending music.
3. Edit your Instagram Reel
After you’ve finished recording or uploading your pre-recorded video, tap the “Next” button in the bottom right corner. If you want to cut your footage, click “Edit video,” otherwise you can use this screen to add text, stickers, special effects, voice-over, and drawings to your video. You can also use this screen to add an audio track or download your video to share on another platform.
When you’re done, hit the “Next” button.
4. Add a caption
The caption page gives you the chance to write a caption or add a poll to your Instagram Reel, as well as change the cover image (which shows up in the feed on your profile and your Reels tab).
You can also tag people and products, and add a location on this page.
5. Share your Instagram Reel
All that’s left is to hit the “Share” button to make your new Reel public.
Share your newly published video to your Instagram Story to improve engagement with your Reel. This way, if people miss your in-feed post or do not often explore Reels, they’ll be able to find it in your Story (for 24 hours at least).
6 types of Instagram Reels
- Product how-tos
- Inspiration
- Behind the scenes
- Teasers and sneak peeks
- Problems and solutions
- User-generated content
There are a lot of ways you can use Instagram Reels to help increase the reach of your brand. Here are six types of content you can experiment with creating:
1. Product how-tos
Use Instagram Reels to show shoppers different ways they can use your products. Product how-tos are great for educating prospective customers and showing existing customers new ways to use products they already love.
2. Inspiration
Beyond educating consumers about your own products, use Reels to establish yourself as an expert within your industry.
For example, invite experts to subtly show your products in a real-world context, as Ruggable has done in its Reel about experimenting with color in interior design. Instead of focusing entirely on its products, the brand inspires viewers to reimagine their living spaces.
3. Behind the scenes
Give shoppers a closer look at you and your brand by creating behind-the-scenes Instagram Reels. Show how you came up with specific designs or products, what inspired you to start your brand, and why you favor certain production processes over others. These behind-the-scenes clips can also offer insight into how your team collaborates or the culture among your team members.
By humanizing your brand, behind-the-scenes Instagram Reels can make you more relatable and give consumers the transparency and confidence they need to buy from you.
4. Teasers and sneak peeks
Do you have a new campaign or product coming up? Use Reels to give a 15-second peek at the new release. You can create an Instagram Reel with a teaser of your product design or some abstract clues about the new release. You can make your teaser Reels more interactive by asking your viewers to guess what you’re launching based on tantalizing clues.
With a teaser or sneak peek Instagram Reel, you can hook new audiences to the mystery and convince them to follow your profile to stay informed about the product or campaign.
5. Problems and solutions
Use Instagram Reels to show how people’s lives would be without your products, or show how your products enhance or streamline aspects of their routines. For instance, if you sell coffee, you could create a Reel about how people experience their day without coffee, and then show how life is with your coffee. Depending on your brand voice, these Reels can be funny, instructive, or empowering.
6. User-generated content
You don’t need to create content from scratch to make your Reels. Instead, consider tapping into user-generated content (UGC) to highlight how real customers use your products. UGC builds credibility in ways even the most polished marketing content can’t because it involves real people sharing their experiences authentically.
To create Instagram Reels with user-generated content, you can either collect and edit content customers have shared with you on other platforms, or use a third-party app like Repost (iOS or Android) to share someone else’s Reel to your profile.
Tips for creating your own Instagram Reels
- Record multiple clips from different angles
- Enhance your Reels with audio
- Play with video speed
- Add filters and stickers
Here are some tips for maximizing the features at your disposal:
1. Record multiple clips from different angles
When recording a Reel, you can stop, change your frame, and start recording again. In the editing phase, you can move around these clips and cut them so they flow together seamlessly. If you’re recording yourself or creating a timelapse video for your Instagram Reel, you can add a timer for when you want the app to start recording. This allows you to put your phone on a stand or tripod and record hands-free.
For example, if you’re making a Reel about a new flower pot you’re selling, capture several quick clips showing the pot from different angles or in different settings. You can use the timer setting to capture a clip of yourself putting fresh potting soil in your flower pot.
2. Enhance your Reels with audio
To enhance the impact of your Instagram Reels, add an audio clip like a voice-over, music, or a trending track to your Reel. You can record original audio, or consult Instagram’s music library to add trending audio to your Reel.
Continuing with the flower pot example, you might add Miley Cyrus’s song “Flowers” to your Reel because it cleverly speaks to the nature of your product and your brand’s playful, upbeat tone.
3. Play with video speed
Speed up or slow down parts of your Instagram video or audio to create the vibe you’re looking for—whether you want a slow-motion video to capture emotions or sync your Reel to a specific beat. You can either keep the original video speed, increase it by up to five times, or slow it down by up to 0.5 times.
For your flower pot Reel, you might slow down and speed up certain clips so they sync with the beat of the Miley Cyrus song you chose.
4. Add filters and stickers
Choose from Instagram’s extensive library of filters and AR effects to transform your video and bring your creative ideas to life. The Instagram app has filters like a green screen that allows you to add a natural-looking background to the subject in your clip.
For your flower pot Reel, you could add animated, illustrated GIFs that enhance the whimsical nature of your product launch.
The best time to post Reels on Instagram
Research by SocialPilot found that Reels posted at the following times get the most engagement:
- Monday: 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET
- Tuesday: 3 a.m., 4 a.m., and 9 a.m. ET
- Wednesday: 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. ET
- Thursday: 12 a.m., 9 a.m., and 7 p.m. ET
- Friday: 5 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. ET
- Saturday: 12 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. ET
- Sunday: 8 a.m., 11 a.m., and 4 p.m. ET
Use Reels to increase your Instagram reach
Now that you understand Instagram Reels, consider experimenting with this content format to build brand awareness and acquire new shoppers for your Shopify store.
With Instagram’s growing user base, Shopify store owners need to keep an eye out for new features and use them from the get-go. Instagram favors new users of its features and boosts their profile for new audiences as well as their existing follower base. By using new features as they’re released, you can get the Instagram algorithm to favor you.
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Instagram Reels FAQ
How do I get Reels on my Instagram?
All types of Instagram accounts can create and share Reels. If you don’t have the option, try updating your app to the latest version, log out and log back in, or restart your phone.
Why are Reels not showing up on Instagram?
Make sure your Instagram app is updated to the latest version. If that doesn’t work, clear the Instagram app’s cache data on your device and try logging out and back in again. Sometimes there’s a glitch, but this will rectify itself after a while.
Can you see who watches your Reels on Instagram?
While you can see the total number of views on your Reels, you can’t see specific accounts that have watched them like you can with Stories. The view count is visible in the bottom left corner of each Reel cover in the Reels tab.
How many Reels should I post a week?
Some social media managers recommend posting up to three reels a day. For brands with a dedicated social media team, this might be possible, but for smaller brands or those with limited resources, this might be an unreachable goal. Aim to post new Instagram Reels three to five times a week.
