When the next big thing in social media arrives and everyone’s on it, there can be pressure to get involved so you’re not out of the loop.

Reels is Instagram’s version of Tik Tok, both giving users the ability to upload and/or watch short-form content from their feeds. Instagram has increased the time limit of Reels to 60 seconds with 15 and 30 seconds options.

We have been experimenting with Reels for quite some time now since it was officially launched last year, and engagement results have varied, however the reach it allows accounts is important to consider.

Whether you’re just wanting to upload to your personal feed or keen to get some ideas for branded content, we’ve summed up the issues that might be holding you back and how to get around them to start posting on Reels!

Problem: I can’t think of any ideas to post.

Solution: Is it cliché to tell you that the ideas are endless? There are creative options for all industries as long as you are targeting your audience with what they’d like to see. Trial and error is also something to keep in mind. Try uploading different styles and see how your audience reacts. Then, give them more of what they engaged with the most! This also applies to personal accounts but may be less of a worry if you’re doing it for fun.

Here are some Reels ideas to get you inspired:

BEAUTY: make-up or skincare tutorials; sharing the products in your routine; honest product reviews; reacting to breaking beauty news and launches.

FOOD: recipes (of course); best places to eat in your area; mystery box challenge à la Masterchef; try food for the first time and record your reaction.

FASHION: your outfits from the week; critiquing fashion collections, how to style a garment or full outfit for an occasion.

TRAVEL: take short clips while on holiday and edit them together for “My Holiday in 30 seconds”; best landmarks to visit; where to go on weekends away; where to go on day trips.

AUTO: details of vehicle and its features; discuss your dream cars; suggest the best options for different budgets; simple tutorials on maintenance; tips to get the best out of your vehicle.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: tips and tricks; document your experiences with a fitness class or diet; at-home workouts.

SPORT & FITNESS: Q&As with players and team members; quick workouts; behind the scenes of meetings and pep talks.

BEHIND THE SCENES: show the inner workings of a day in the life of an event or person; get real with your audience.

Problem: I don’t think I have a big enough audience to bother using Reels.

Solution: Although there is clear benefit to brands that use Reels, it is truly there for you to have fun with! You don’t need a huge following to enjoy creating fun content that your friends and family can see and engage with. If you get some new followers from it, or it goes viral, then that’s just a bonus!

Problem: I don’t like being on camera.

Solution: There are plenty of super engaged Reels videos where there is no face or voice. Use your photography and videography skills to capture what your video is about and you can choose a music track in-app to suit, or just keep the sounds from the video — think waves crashing, food sizzling, birds singing… so ASMR!

Of course, you can also add text to certain times in your reel. This can help with clarity when you’re not speaking: for example, writing the name of a place featured in the video.

It might be worth investing in a tripod phone holder (or something similar) if you are going to need to use your hands to demonstrate your skill or trick. Otherwise, recruit someone to film you!

Problem: I don’t know how to edit videos.

Solution: The editing function on Reels is fairly straight-forward and elementary. Have a play around one day — upload any video from your camera roll and see what you can do! Once you get the hang of it, it’s quite easy.

Within the editing stage, you’re able to trim your video/s down to key sections and delete parts you no longer want. Press the Add button to save progress and continue adding in content from your camera roll.

The Effects option looks to only be for live reel-making so if you want a filtered look, capture content with filters via Stories or the first step of Reels, and save videos to add in. Once you’ve loaded in all your content, you can add stickers, text and pen drawings as you would on Stories, and adjust the timings that they all appear using the trimming bar.

It’s a good idea to save progress as you go in case an accidental delete happens too! Once complete, choose the cover photo/thumbnail and post away!

We promise you’ll love using Reels whether you’re on a personal or business/creator account. It doesn’t have to be every single post on your feed but it’s a great format to change things up for that ultimate #aesthetic. Hope you get some use out of these ideas for Reels!