Have you jumped on the Instagram Reels train yet? If you haven’t, you need to. It is the newest and best way to create content that will build your brand and we’re breaking down how to use Instagram reels to build your brand.
IE 228: How to Use Instagram Reels to Build Your Brand with Britney Crosson
I don’t know about you, but Reels have felt intimidating to me as an introvert. But I know that they are one of the best ways to reach my audience with video content that mirrors the other content that I am creating.
In today’s episode, we talk about the best tips for creating Reels, the common mistakes people make, and how to stay authentic to your brand while having fun.
My guest, Britney Crosson is the owner of Fun Love Media. She started out doing freelance work before launching her own business, focusing on content creation and social media management.
Britney is also the host of the Social Sunshine podcast.
Using a Performing Background For Social Media
Britney has a background in performing, and as a performer, the social media space came very naturally to her. She got her start by assisting her friends with their social media presence.
As a performer, you sometimes have to fight to find the right role, but the job of social media management and content creation fell into Britney’s lap.
Britney tries to create and share as much information as she can to help her readers and listeners grow their social media.
Using Social Media for Fun
Instagram Reels are the latest and greatest when it comes to the tools that are available to us on social media.
Britney had been using TikTok to create micro-video content (15-20 second videos) in 2020. As a performer, TikTok was a fun platform for her to utilize.
For as long as she had been using social media, she had tried to be authentic to who she truly is, but she had never left it all out on the table like she did when she started using TikTok to sing and dance and just have fun.
People responded incredibly positively to her videos. They loved the joy she was spreading.
Staying Authentic and On Brand
Britney was thrilled when Instagram Reels launched because her Instagram audience is so unique. They are your “qualified buyers.” She knew that she could do something great with her Instagram Reels for her audience and that it would grow her business.
The growth from utilizing Reels has been astounding for Britney. She has had a few of her videos go viral, which she talked about in an episode of her podcast.
In a 5-month time frame, Britney’s account has grown by 5,000 followers. She credits that to her use of Reels, while utilizing authentic content and staying on brand.
How Often Should I Post Reels?
When you have viral videos, you will get people viewing your video who are not your “ideal audience.” If you are focused on building your audience and targeting your people from the beginning, you can count on your people seeing your Reels.
Britney has seen growth through different avenues, from her several different business ventures.
Growth is a long game. Gaining 5,000 followers in 5 months is not typical. Consistency is what will get you growth.
Britney posts 5 or more Reels a week. Frequency depends on your goal. If your goal is to grow because of your content, not by using ads or coaching, etc., you should be creating and sharing content often.
If you are using other methods to grow, you might only need to post 2-3 times a week. Instagram Reels are still new, and the market is not supersaturated, so you can take advantage of it and use it as a growth tool.
You can even post your Instagram Reels to your main feed in place of a static feed post. This frees you up from having to create both Reels and static feed content.
Staying True to Yourself
When Britney decided to finally leave it all on the table and be her truest self on social media, using her skill set, it allowed her audience to have a video visual of exactly who she is.
Britney has stayed focused on who she is. She has found ways to weave inspirational messages into her videos of her doing what she loves: singing, dancing, and performing.
Britney dances on her Peloton and her treadmill while sharing inspirational messages. Her very first viral video was of her dancing on her treadmill, and the words on the screen were explaining the story of why she decided to start doing that.
So why dancing? Britney wishes that life was a musical and that it was completely normal to break out into singing and dancing. She is always dancing, including on her treadmill. She has been a runner for years and has always loved dancing while running.
In 2020 she decided to just set up her camera and record it. Those first videos were very safe and cautious, and over time she has become more and more confident and continues to give the people exactly what they want.
The Mistakes You Can Make With Reels
The biggest mistake you can make when it comes to Instagram Reels is choosing not to use them.
Instagram Reels provide you with the opportunity to grow in an area that is brand new and not overly crowded.
It is so important to make sure you are creating and sharing Reels consistently and often.
If you are using Reels consistently and often, but you are not staying on brand, that is a huge mistake. It can be easy to get caught up in creating a Reel that is just fun or different, but you have to stay on brand.
Figure Out How to Stay On Brand
It might take you some time to figure out exactly what your Reels will look like if you are set on staying on brand, but it is more important to stay true to your brand than to just create content for fun.
You can scroll through Reels and find inspiration and then put your own brand’s twist on it. Your Reels need to be helpful to your audience so they need to be about what your audience is interested in.
Another mistake you might be making in your Reels is never showing your face. People want to see the person behind the Reel. Even if it’s just for a second, let the audience see the person doing the content creation.
How to Create Your Reels
Britney started by using some of her previously made TikToks and posted them on Instagram. As time has gone on, she has utilized the Reels feature on Instagram to create her Reels.
You can choose what app you want to use to create your Instagram Reels, but just using the Instagram feature allows you to not only use Instagram filters, but also all different kinds of trending music. They make it super simple to create in the app.
Britney batches her Reels. She created ten in one sitting (or dancing) recently. That took her about an hour or two. It might take you longer if you are not used to creating yet, but they don’t have to take you hours.
She will occasionally create videos at random when she has a spur-of-the-moment creative idea. She can save these videos to her drafts and post them whenever she is ready.
Use Your Old Content
Go into your Instagram, podcast, blog, or anywhere else that you have content. Find ways to create Reels based on that content and the ideas you find there.
People will not remember those words you posted months ago, and if they do, the video provides it to them in a different, new, and fun format.
Britney is providing you with a freebie that will give you even more tips to help you when it comes to creating Instagram Reels.
Send Britney a DM on Instagram and tell her you listened to this episode, she would love to chat with you. You can find out more about her and her business on her website.
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