Instagram Reels can be used for free by anyone with an Instagram account. All you have to do is create an account on Instagram and start uploading your photos and videos. This makes it accessible for everyone who wants to use it. Which includes artists that don't have much money to spend on marketing campaigns.
This feature allows you to connect with your customers in a more personal way. Since videos tend to be short, they're perfect for when you're trying to reach someone without investing a lot of time into your message.
Did you know that creating Instagram Reels for your art practice can be one of the best ways to increase followers and engagement on Instagram? And, if you’ve ever wondered how to get on the Explore page (that Instagram search page that has lots of thumbnails of neat things to check out), the greatest strategy to increase your chances is to create Reels. Think of all the visibility you get when you land there!
Reels are the best way to grow your Instagram account. According to DataReportal, in April 2022 there were 1.452 billion users on Instagram. Instagram prioritizes videos that aren’t visibly recycled from third-party apps. You’ll want to create original content in the Reels editor to help boost your visibility.
How To Get More Views On Instagram Reels
If you want to get more views on Instagram Reels, you need to know how the Instagram algorithm works. Okay, okay, you’ll never know *exactly* how it works but there are a few things we do know about it that will help you.
One is to focus on creating quality content over quantity. Having a lot of followers is great for sure. But if your videos are boring and uninteresting, then your audience will not watch them. And the algorithm won’t show it to that many people. So consider, what would be fun or informative to share?
Use trending songs and create suspense in your video. You’ve likely seen teasers that say "wait till the end". If you do this, remember to bring the twist at the end and not to fool your audience or this strategy could backfire on you. If all goes according to your promise, they’ll want to watch the Reel completely to see what happens. This is a great strategy to help viewers watch for longer which tells the algorithm that what you’ve shared is worth sharing with more people.
And, have a clear call to action at the end of each video. You've got their eyes enjoying your work now let them know what to do if they want more of this goodness. This will get you more views, and increase your engagement rate.
How Do You Increase Engagement With Reels On Instagram?
People are more likely to take action when you give them directions. It may seem obvious to you what you want people to do next to engage with your Reels, but that may not be the case for them. Here are some great options:
Tell them to follow you. Say it. And tell them in the caption copy. Yes, it may seem like, "duh, of course, they know they can follow me" but if you want them to pause their scroll you've gotta tell them to go follow your account.
Tell them to bookmark this post so they can come back to it later. This is especially great for DIYs and how-to content. And it boosts your engagement rate which means your Reel gets shown to more people.
Tell them to go to the link in your profile to sign up for your newsletter. They can also get the free print that comes with it, shop your latest art drop, or sign up for your workshop.
You can do all these in the caption (aka the text part of your post) but you can also verbally tell them to go take these actions. It makes it easy for them. These directions are calls to action. Read the article How To Engage Your Art Audience for more call-to-action ideas and how to use them.
How To Use Instagram Reels To Get More Followers
When you post consistently on Instagram, your followers will learn what to expect. Some will even track your schedule. I recommend experimenting with how frequently you post and see how they react. If your followers and engagement increase from posting daily, continue to do that.
As I’ve mentioned, Reels have incredible reach because they’re favored by the algorithm. This means you can get a lot of views from your followers and from non-followers. This is because public accounts like yours are discoverable in the Reels tab which increases reach which increases followers.
The Key Takeaway
You’ve now got some fresh insights into how you can go about creating and using Instagram Reels in order to increase your engagement. I’m using these techniques and they’re helping me so I know they can help you, too.
A good Reel will drive traffic to your blog or website, give people an incentive to follow you, and lead to more views on your videos in general. They’re a powerful marketing tool if used with a little thought and intention.
If you’re not sure what to share, here are some Instagram Reel Ideas For Artists you can try today.