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Why Brands Should Make Instagram Reels

The same kinds of campaigns have been saturating social media marketing today. As such, the engagement rate of social media users among brands has significantly declined. Recently, the TikTok app took the world by storm. Through catchy and short-form video content, creators achieved a ridiculous reach within the platform. That is why other social networks tried to mimic the TikTok clips. YouTube created Shorts, and Snapchat designed Spotlight. But according to a social media agency Hong Kong, Instagram’s TikTok clone works the best. For them, Instagram Reels is getting its users back from TikTok into the platform. They are the perfect way to engage with a new kind of audience. They allow creators to collaborate with the community by creating reel-ish content. They are easily digestible and highly entertaining. So, there are a lot of reasons why brands should make Instagram Reels.

WHAT ARE INSTAGRAM REELS?

Reels are a new way to create and discover short-form videos on Instagram. Like TikTok clips, Reels allow users to record a 30-second multi-clip video using creative tools, effects, and music. A private Instagram profile can share Reels on their feeds. On the other hand, those with a public account can additionally share Reels on Instagram Explore pages. Reels in the Explore page showcase the best culture trends in the world today.

To create a reel, simply tap the camera icon, and select the “Create a Reel” option. A variety of creative tools will then appear on the left side of your Reels camera screen. These include the following:

  • Align to line up objects within your clip frame.
  • AR Effects to add augmented reality to your background and overlays to your clips.
  • Audio to add a pre-recorded from your device or a song from Instagram’s music library. The pre-recorded audio will be attributed to you once you share a reel. If your Instagram profile is set to public, people can use your audio to create another reel.
  • Speed to control the speed of the beat on the part of the video or the whole video. It can help users speed up or slow down the motion of a reel clip.
  • Timer and Countdown to allow users in recording Reels hands-free. 

WHY BRANDS SHOULD MAKE INSTAGRAM REELS

To Increase Brand Reach

The average reach of an Instagram post is currently less than 2% to 3%. For example, if you have 1,000 followers on your Instagram account, the reach of a normal video post is only limited to the active followers of your Instagram profile. A video marketing agency Hong Kong noted that if a brand posted a reel on IG instead of a normal video, there are 4 ways Instagrammers can discover Reels.

  • Reels can be discovered on a dedicated Reels tab at the home screen navigation.
  • Reels from the brands users follow are visible when scrolling an Instagram home feed.
  • Reels are featured on the Instagram Explore page.
  • Reels are featured on individual Instagram profiles.

The algorithm of Instagram Reels also works in mysterious ways. Among Instagrammers, they are most likely to see Reels from accounts they already followed, the content they interact with, and their location.

To Increase Community Engagement

According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, Reels can increase community engagements among brands. This is because the higher the reach of an Instagram reel is, the more chances it can drive followers to an account. With a huge number of followers, Reels can also increase community engagement. A recent report shows that 75% of Instagram users buy a product or visit a brand website after watching an Instagram Reel. Most IG users are getting bored with images. Reels offer them a new way to genuinely enjoy catchy and funny videos. They are super scrollable, and Instagrammers can easily comment, like, or share a posted reel. Besides, Instagram Reels allow creators to showcase their true personalities in a relaxing way. This makes them more authentic, triggering actions through emotional connections.

To Increase Revenue and Sales

Instagram recently rolled out Shoppable Reels. Using this eCommerce feature, brands and businesses can now tag products when creating Reels. These make the Reels fully shoppable. Whenever a viewer taps on the product tag, the user can directly buy the item without leaving the Instagram app. Shoppable Reels are a game-changer for Instagram ads. Being featured on the Instagram Explore Page makes it easier for a large number of audiences to find a product. Brands can use their resources with Shoppable Reels in the most innovative way. They can add a product link, a CTA like “Shop Now,” a shopping bag icon, etc. Shopping from Creators is another new way to turn Reels into a shoppable post. Creators can now use branded product tags when creating Reels. The tags make it easier for viewers to buy the items featured directly on its checkout feature. This can be the next big step to influencer marketing. At the same time, it is also a way to revolutionize online shopping. 

Launched in 2019, Instagram Reels are now available to over 50 countries. In the past 6 months, such short-form video content has been boosting Instagram engagement and reach to the roof. So, if a brand is not using it today, it’s now time to make Reels!

Reference: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/367075

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Short-Form Video Trends Marketers Should Keep Watch in 2021

Let’s face reality! Everybody loves videos. Videos of babies’ firsts, cute cats, singing stars – name it, and people will love it. The fact is, people shared video 2x more than any form of online content online. According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, around 84% of consumers buy a product or service after watching a branded video content. Today, with the short attention span of people online, short-form videos are becoming a trend. They are commonly used by a social media agency Hong Kong as marketing strategies on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. Yet, video technologies have significantly evolved – so has marketing. Below are short-form video trends that marketers should keep watch of in 2021.

WHAT ARE SHORT-FORM VIDEOS?

There is no universal number to gauge how long short-form videos are. Most often, short-form video ads are 5 to 10 seconds long. An Instagram Reel is 30 seconds long, a TikTok clip is 60 seconds long, while short-form videos on Twitter are commonly 2 minutes and 20 seconds long. Still, any video that lasts for 2 minutes and 30 seconds is still short-form video content. A video marketing agency Hong Kong listed the most popular ways to share short-form videos among social media platforms nowadays. These are the following.

Facebook Stories

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was quoted saying that “Stories is a big part of the future of video sharing.” This is why Stories have been a relevant feature among Facebook’s family of apps. Facebook Stories allows users to share animations, photos, or videos that disappear within 24 hours. Videos on Facebook Stories last for about 20 seconds. Unlike regular Facebook posts, Facebook Stories doesn’t have the like and comment features. Whenever a viewer comments or reacts to Facebook Stories, the message or reaction will directly be sent as a message to the profile’s Messenger app. Facebook Stories can be seen on top of a news feed. These make them prominently discoverable by around half a billion people viewing them every day.

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories are like Facebook Stories. They are photos or videos that disappear within a 24-hour time frame after being posted. Yet, there are some features Instagrammers can use to enhance Instagram Stories that Facebook Stories doesn’t have. These include branded content links, stickers, hashtags, Live Stories, mentions, and reshares.

Instagram Reels

Reels are Instagram’s TikTok clone. They are music video clips that last up to 30 seconds. Unlike Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels don’t disappear within 24 hours. They stay permanently on an Instagram profile unless deleted by the owner. Instagrammers can record Reels either one at a time, all at once, or through their phone galleries. They can be shared via DMs, Stories, or on the Explore Page of Instagram. Reels shared via Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours unless the owner adds them to an Instagram Reels tab.

TikTok Clips

TikTok Clips are fun and engaging short music clips that last for 60 seconds. Today, there are around 698 million TikTok users globally. People can find videos of almost all interests on TikTok. They can include categories in dancing, DIY, gaming, sports, tricks, tutorial, etc. Users can pick up new skills to connect and share with the TikTok community. TikTok videos are commonly joyful and upbeat. That is why people are really entertained when viewing them.

SHORT-FORM VIDEO TRENDS IN 2021

Short-form videos are engaging and low-commitment ways for brands to connect to their audiences. Through these short clips, people can get a good laugh or learn something new quickly. Yet, short-form videos require more authentic and creative approaches if used in marketing. As such, brands should find out what’s trending and relate it to the brand’s nature of business. Here are some short-form video trends marketers should keep watch in 2021. The best thing is that they don’t require a big budget and a complex production hoopla.

Behind-the-Scene Videos

Consumers today seek out authenticity and transparency among brands. They are very smart to determine whether a video connects to their emotions or is purely for marketing purposes. Behind-the-scene videos are a short-form video trend that captures the emotions of a large part of online viewers today. Brands can feature the team behind their products or connect their CEOs to their target audience. Around 70% of consumers felt more connected to a brand after seeing their CEOS on short-form video content on social media platforms. So, it can pull back the management curtain and engage the viewers on a more personal level.

Educational Content

Think of DIYs, explainer videos, how-tos, and unboxing. These short-form videos can help people learn new things in a matter of seconds or minutes. Studies showed that viewers prefer seeing educational short-form videos from brands. These added-value contents help people in their day-to-day living. Mot short-form videos start with a popular dance or song to grab the viewer’s attention. The content shows a common problem that the viewers might be facing. In the end, a call to action (CTA) rounds up the video to solve the problem. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

While not exactly a trend, FAQs can be great short-form video content. They can be a significant element of the increasing voice search among consumers today. Brands can write a list of FAQs and create a short-form video for each of them. Then, they can upload these short-form videos on a brand’s website, Google My Business page, or YouTube.  

User-Generated Content

UGC short-form videos are created by consumers rather than brands. They are a big trend among brands today because they greatly influence buying decisions. Most people prefer recommendations and referrals from colleagues, family, and friends. Short-form videos of user ratings, reviews, and testimonials are as effective as word-of-mouth advertising. They evoke emotions and promote trust.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Marketers should keep a close watch on short-form video trends. The digital world is changing fast, and the key to marketing success is being up to date.

Reference: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/short-form-video-trends