Instagram recently announced its new focus on Reels and its move to simplify the video experience within the app. While some celebrities have spoken out against this shift, the behavior trends of Instagram users have given Meta all the data needed to support the platform’s new direction.
Coffee brands, for instance, see 25% of their engagement from Instagram driven by Reels. However, Reels only make up 15% of the content they post on the platform. We see this same pattern ring true across industries like hospitals, colleges, and food and beverages.
So what does this mean for brands leveraging Instagram to expand their marketing reach? It means: Start getting comfortable posting Reels!
From a recent study among social media marketing professionals, we know 31% of marketing professionals consider creating relevant video content one of their biggest challenges going into the 2022 Holiday Season. If the thought of creating more video content makes you nervous too, you can rest easy and keep in mind authenticity is often a key attribute in creating effective content on Social Media.
As you create Reels, remember that audiences are not looking for a perfectly polished brand video. They want raw, lofi content, that by nature, should not require tons of creative resources. The secret to success lies in knowing what content will perform best based for your target segment and marketing objectives.
Lucky for you, our ListenFirst team of social media analysts know a thing or two about how to extract the insights that will give you the direction you need.
Below are four ways you can leverage ListenFirst to discover what makes Instagram Reels successful in your industry.
#1 Review how your audience reacts to Reels related to your other branded content on Instagram.
Considering Instagram is making significant efforts to bring Reels content to the top of users’ feed, it’s likely that Reels are the most engaging content for your brand’s account. Of course you’ll want to confirm this with real data.
View your top performing Instagram content to see which post type garners the most engagement. Then look for patterns across all the different posts types to understand what factors, i.e. topics, influencers, colors, hashtags, etc., are drawing the most attention.
#2 Understand how short-form videos perform based on the channel in which they are posted.
As you know Instagram is one of many platforms where viewers can watch short-form videos. It’s helpful to take a look at how your short-form video performance varies across different channels like TikTok and YouTube, as well.
#3 Identify the Reels that are stealing consumer attention in your market.
ListenFirst makes it easy to quickly view the top performing Instagram Reels in your industry. With an easy-to-read table and quick links to watch each Reel play out, it’s essentially a dynamic leaderboard for Reels in your competitive landscape.
#4 Benchmark the performance of your Reels against others in your industry
Put your performance metrics in context and gain a clear understanding of how your Reels performed compared to Reels from your competitors.
Choose what metric is most important to you and then filter by that to understand if your post drew in more views, comments, or shares, compared to other Reels in your market. Or see who’s Reels consistently perform above benchmark and explore why that is.
There are so many ways to slice the data. Just let your strategic marketing goals guide the process so you can stay focused of what matters most.
Did you Know?…
ListenFirst allows users to analyze the performance of Reels that were posted as far back as August 2020, when Reels first launched. This can reveal interesting insights for brands who want a deeper understanding of how their short-form videos have performed over-time and across different channels.
No matter what your social media goals may be, incorporating Instagram Reels into your social media strategy is most likely going to be a solid investment. But, before building your Reels strategy, do your due diligence to understand what topical or creative trends lead to top performing Reels within your content or in your industry at large.
Check our upcoming webinar, Are You For Reels? How Brands Can Optimize Instagram’s Secret Weapon, to hear from a panel of expert analysts on this very topic.
Curious to see how you can access these insights quickly using ListenFirst? Reach out for a demo.
