Reels or photos – how to sell more effectively on Instagram?

In this article you'll find out, among other things:

• what defines Reels?
• how do you use them to build a strong company image on Instagram?
• how do you get the most out of what they can do?
• what should you do to improve your reach and audience engagement with Reels?
• how do you increase sales with creative videos?

What are Reels on Instagram?

Reels are a feature that lets Instagram users create short videos (max. 60 seconds) that work as an attractive form of communication. They're inspired by TikTok, because Instagram wants an edge over its rival and is borrowing the elements that made that platform a success. Reels became especially popular thanks to the remix option, which lets users record their own video referring back to another user's clip (TikTok gives us that option too). Unlike Instagram Stories, Reels don't disappear within 24 hours. On top of that, Instagram users can write comments that are visible publicly, not just to the author. Promoted Reels will show up in Feed, Stories, on the Reels tab, on the Explore page, on effects, hashtag and audio pages, and in the Reels section of a given Instagram account. If they're published to Feed – we'll also see them in the main profile grid.

What should an effective Reel look like?

Looking good isn't everything! For a video to work, it should:

• solve your target audience's problems – work out what difficulties the people you want to reach might be facing, so you can fit the videos you make to their needs;
• be credible – the video format on its own definitely makes it feel like you're showing something more natural and real than a photo, because photos are very often run through all sorts of filters and audiences trust them less and less;
• be received by your audience as valuable, as something that helped them in some way. Only then will users want to follow the profile, keep up with what it posts and, in turn, buy its products and services;
• make people laugh and produce the so-called “wooow effect” – remember not to publish only substantive content, but also the kind that stirs up different emotions, a smile included.
• bring out the advantages and benefits of the products or services – spell out what the viewer gains by buying, how it will affect their life and what it makes easier. For example – buy a vacuum blender from Kohersen and you'll prepare meals that stay fresh for longer;
• show the human side of the brand, meaning the people connected with it, because that helps build closer relationships.

Find what sets you apart from the competition and build a strong brand image

What does it take to get noticed by your audience? The trick is to show what sets your company apart and to say it in your Reels. That could be, say, basing your cosmetics formulas on the knowledge of the ancient Slavs, or making original rodent treats with unique names, put together from nothing but natural ingredients. A company profile should definitely carry Reels of different kinds: product, promotional, brand-image, humorous or educational – all of them underlining what makes the brand unique.

To catch the attention of as many people as possible, it's worth publishing videos featuring members of your team: they let your audience get to know the company better, which makes them more willing to trust it. Keep in mind that the videos have to fit the company. What does that mean? Following whatever trend is currently running won't always work for a particular brand. You have to think your plans through carefully and stick to a well-considered communication strategy. Consistent messaging is what makes the image you've chosen stick with your audience.

Grow engagement and your follower count

Engagement depends closely on the type of profile – public or private. Depending on which one you pick, you can significantly increase the chance that what you publish is seen by your audience.

Comparison — Public (open)

• Any Instagram or Facebook user can see and share your Reels.
• People who don't follow the profile can see its Reels on the Reels tab and on effects, hashtag and audio pages.
• Any Instagram user can record a Reel using a given audio track and then remix it.

Comparison — Private (closed)

• Only the people following a given creator can see and share their Reels.
• When someone shares a Reel posted on that particular profile, only people who follow the profile will see it.
• Nobody will be able to record a Reel using that creator's original audio track, or to remix their Reels.

If you want to grow your business effectively, you should definitely pick a public profile, because the Reels you publish will also be seen by new, potential customers who don't follow your profile yet. They can see the video on the Reels tab and on effects, hashtag and audio pages, which lets your reach grow. What's more, thanks to the remix feature other Instagram users can create videos in response to a Reel you've shared, which helps you reach more people, potential customers among them. On top of that, other users can reply to your video with a Reel of their own! It will carry a comment sticker, the person's profile name and their profile picture.

Crank up your sales with Reels

We've already gone through ways to grow reach and follower count using Reels. What else can you do to spark engagement and, with it, maximize your chances of winning more customers?

• Make sure your company profile publishes Reels that show the products or services you offer with influencers in them! Creators who are well known in the Instagram community will help you grow your reach and get you in front of new users, who are very likely to become your audience and later your customers. Just make sure to pick influencers connected to the industry your business works in, so you reach the target audience you care about.
• Use the potential of remixes – get your audience to record a video to your Reel. To pull that off, you can create an interesting trend that, like the ones on TikTok, gets copied by Instagram users. It could be, say, an audio track that nudges people into a specific activity.
• Encourage your audience to answer your Reels in the same format! Two-way communication then gets more creative, and it grows your reach as well. You could run a contest where the entry is a video recorded in response to your Reel!

Case Studies: by publishing Reels regularly on an animal-themed profile we run, we grew reach by nearly 35% and audience engagement by 20%! The result? More purchases in the online stores and more active users on the account. All of it down to fitting what we did to the algorithms, watching how individual videos performed and using what Reels make possible (audio and effects among other things).

Summary

Remember, even if the cost of making Reels (including the time it takes – the idea, the shoot, post-production and so on) is higher than for posts with a static graphic, a carousel or a photo gallery, they can produce better results and, in the end, more effective selling, so short video is well worth bringing into your communication. What used to deliver good results may no longer be as effective today, which is why it pays to test different kinds of content. Bear in mind that communication trends on social media are largely set by algorithms, which push users toward specific actions – like recording Reels – in order to make the communication they run work harder. Social platforms definitely “have a soft spot” for video content of every kind. So if you care about the best possible reach and a steady flow of potential customers, you should be open to change and publish not only static posts, but Reels too!