If you find yourself pushing back against Reels, I feel you. There is a lot of buzz out there that can feel overwhelming…
“Instagram is only pushing Reels”
“You have to create Reels to grow”
First, I want to assure you that all of that is a bit extreme. I will never tell you that you HAVE to do Reels. You don’t have to do anything. You are allowed to do this thing any way you want. It is your business, your account, and you are in control.
There are so many options when it comes to content formats on Instagram—stories, static feed posts, carousels, reels, live—and they all exist for a reason.
But…..
If you are pushing back again Reels because you think there is only one way to do them, I want you to keep reading. If you think the only way to do Reels is to learn some dance made up by a 13 year old, or lip synch over a quote from The Office, you are wrong.
There are simple ways to create Reels that don’t take you hours to create. You don’t even have to show your face if you don’t want to. If you’ve hung out with me for awhile, you’ve heard me say this once or twice….anything can be content. The same goes for Reels—anything can be a Reel.
There is no doubt that Reels are going to get more reach than any other type of post. That is just a fact. But that doesn’t necessarily translate to more business.
I encourage you to try one of these 5 easy Reels ideas. Maybe you won’t think they are so bad after all when you just do them. Don’t stress about them being perfect. Just start practicing and see what happens. I promise it’s not as bad as you think.
5 Easy Reels Ideas
Animated Text Reel
This has to be the easiest reel to create. So if you are just getting started, start here.
Did you know that any video on Instagram is now technically a Reel? So if you are planning to post an image with text on it, all you have to do is animate the text and download it as an MP4 and you have a Reel. This can be done in just second in Canva. Here’s an example.
Walking Video
You’ve likely seen these videos on Stories or Reels. Just simple film your feet while you’re walking and put text and/or audio over it. Boom! You have a reel!
Behind The Scenes Video
Film yourself working, your process or a time lapse video of you working. Add trending audio over the video and you have yourself a Reel. One tip – film these kind of videos whenever you can so you can build a library of these types of videos to use whenever you need.
Repurpose a Story into a Reel
If you can create Stories, you can create Reels. And if you are just starting out with Reels, this is a great way to do it without creating new content. Head to your Insights and look at your most engaging Stories as a starting point for repurposing. If you audience found something helpful or inspiring, give it a place in your permanent feed as a Reel.
Use trending audio over any video
There is so much trending audio out there that can be paired with your photos or videos to get you more reach. There are three things I like to look for when selecting trending audio:
- Look for the arrow up and to right to know the audio is trending
- Choose trending audio with less than 1000 reels using it
- Think about if the audio can be applied to any industry
When you find a trending audio you like, hop on it quickly to ride the trending wave longer.
Want help coming up with Reels ideas? I would love to help! Book a Pick My Brain session and let’s make some magic together!
amanda holliday 