Have you considered adding short videos, like Reels and TikToks, to your marketing content repertoire, but just don’t know where to start? No matter what social media platform you use, we have some tips to make the video creation process smoother for you.

Reels “Reel-y” Do Make A Difference

First, let’s talk about why Reels on Instagram could be beneficial for your business’ social media strategy. According to Socialinsider Blog and Influencer Marketing Hub, Reels on average have 2x the impression rate of any other type of post, like a static image. The impression rate is even greater for accounts with smaller followings.

Check out the numbers from a client’s Reel last month; one week after posting, the Reel had 2x the amount of views and engagement than their other posts. Reels could help your business’ Instagram game too!

Now let’s get into our 3 tips for your next Reel.

1. Select the Audio First

The best first step when creating a Reel is to decide on the audio—this can be music, speech, sounds, etc. You can use audio from the Instagram audio library or record original audio. The audio establishes the general rhythm, beat, and tone of the Reel, which then guides the look and feel of the video itself. Animating transitions to the beat of your audio can help your content become more engaging and visually satisfying.

Here’s a client example: DISCO, whose goal is to make music management and discovery simpler, needed a new version of a video ad that aligned with the provided music track. Timing the animations to the beat of the music can drum up excitement not only for the visuals, but for the audio itself as well.

Side note: a professional animator, like your team at Linden, can help you fine-tune the timing of transitions, but you can start out by using an animation preset in Canva or trying the auto-sync feature in the app of your choice.

2. Create a Narrative Flow

While your Reel certainly doesn’t require an entire plotline, a basic narrative flow can help viewers better understand the context for the content they are seeing. For a Reel that relies on videography, you can start with an eye-catching shot that establishes the scene or shows what the end result will be.

Let’s look at an example. We created a Reel for Lila’s that acted as a “walkthrough” so people could experience what it was like at Lila’s. You’ll see the video starts with a shot of the outside of the building, which establishes the setting. Bonus points, this shot also acts as a way for people to recognize Lila’s when they visit.

Alternatively, if your content is mostly graphics, it can be better to start with the main message (or Call To Action), then share the details about the product/event/etc.

As you start leading your audience to the conclusion, it’s important to choose a progression of shots that aren’t too similar back to back. Looking again at the Lila’s Reel, there are multiple shots of both the bar and patio area, but by interspersing these clips with other lounging areas, it properly shows off how diverse and exciting the space is. And, by starting off with an outdoor daytime shot of Lila’s and ending with an evening indoor shot, we created a sense of time passing within the narrative.

And finally, let’s talk about the ending! After concluding the narrative you developed through the video clips, you will want to finish the Reel with your company’s logo or brand mark. While it may in some cases be relevant to include the company name in the beginning of a video, concluding with the logo or brand mark can help create a clean ending and form a natural conclusion to the content.

Let’s look at another example. SonoPath wanted a Reel about their upcoming event. So we started with the main message “join us!,” which was then followed by more details and concluded with their logo.

3. Stay In Motion

One of the key components to keeping your audience engaged is to keep things in motion for as much time as possible. According to the House of Marketers, video content like TikToks and Reels have three seconds to capture their audience’s attention.

For Reels made up of video clips, this tends to be taken care of. But for Reels that are made up of graphics, it’s important to be intentional. For foreground elements of the graphics, that can look like continually scaling elements up or moving them across the screen. For background elements of the graphics, that can mean anything from a shifting color gradient to an undulating pattern.

Keeping things moving helps retain attention and ensures that your content doesn’t appear stale. Fine-tuning these aspects is important for preventing any dizzying effects—moving things too quickly for a viewer to read or completely absorb. Even if the motion is subtle, it will help to enhance the overall quality of your animation.

Sonopath’s TikTok is a great example of this concept as well.

Reel Creation Bonus Tips

• Reels (or posts) with 3rd party effects, such as filters, can’t be boosted (used as ads) on Instagram.
• Using a trending sound can help your video reach a wider audience.
• The user interface of the app you choose to post on will have buttons and captions. Make sure to take a look at the final layout of these beforehand so you don’t have any important information hidden behind them in your content.

In the evolving world of marketing, motion work has become a game-changer for businesses. Embracing this evolution in marketing content is not just a trend—it’s a strategic move to stay relevant and capture the attention of your target audience in the ever-changing digital landscape. So, whether your company has a robust social media presence yet or not, adding Reels to your repertoire could help unlock the potential they offer for your company’s success.

Looking for help on incorporating videos into your social media strategy?