Topics and niche 💡
The first thing you want to decide is of course what your reel is about. If it fits into a certain category within Instagram, whether it be comedy, cooking, or life advice, this is what will determine who is going to eventually be 'served' your reel. As we know, Instagram's algorithm uses machine learning technology to determine which posts it shows to which users, and this means any different when it comes to reels. This means it's likely that the niche your reel fits into will help determine exactly who sees it, and the more mass-appeal it has, the more likely you are to go viral. Remember this as you create your first few reels. If your goal is to go viral, going to want to ask yourself what would appeal to a large number of people, what would everyone 'get' and not have to be 'in on the joke' to understand? Some ideas to help frame your viral reels:
. Post something topical that is being talked about and is relevant in popular culture today. . Craft your reel around life moments, activities, or struggles that people can relate to.
. Check out some of the trends within your niche, and try one out for yourself.
1. Use hashtags #
Just like all other Instagram content, you can use hashtags on reels to categorize what you post. This is actually one of the key ways to get your reels noticed because it signals to Instagram the topic area that you are posting in. With the platform's added intel on its users and what they are into, it can then determine who to show your reel to. So, just like you would with your other Instagram content, get specific when you pick which hashtags you want to use on your reels so that they are served to the right people. Remember, Reels now also appear in hashtag searches, so if you manage to get your Reel to rank in a search, although ‘reel-y’ hit the jackpot.
The limit for hashtags is the same when it comes to reels, but most users opt for around 3-10. This is likely a reflex learnt from TikTok, and not for any reason in particular. You can use the maximum of 30 without worrying about parts of your video not being visible, as if your caption is on the longer side, Instagram will collapse it to fit their format - meaning users will physically have to expand your caption to see it in full.
2. Pay attention to your existing metrics 📈
The analytics surrounding your account that you have already amassed can be invaluable when it comes to your reels. You should pay attention to when your audience is the most active, and examine which reels gain the most traction according to the time and day that you post them.
You can also look at your hashtag metrics to up the chances of your reel appearing in a hashtag search. If you have a high-rank ratio for a specific hashtag, it's a good idea to use that hashtag on your reel as it betters your chances of ranking.
If Instagram knows an audience is receptive to a trend, its algorithm will serve more of those videos, to more users - referring technically how it becomes a trend. One of the ways the platform can pick up on this is by the number of times users are putting a certain track on their videos. If a sound or song is being used consistently on a number of different significant reels, that song will show in the recommended section of tracks. If you use one of these popular tracks, you have a greater chance of reaching new followers and viewers, and in turn, going viral.
4. BONUS TIP: You can use templates on your reels
Because people really care about the aesthetics of their feed, a feature like reels can make it hard for creators to understand how to include it with the rest of their posts. Some choose not to share it to their feed but could be missing out on the chance to go viral by doing so.
One of the ways to make your reels fit with your aesthetic is by using templates and filters that match with the rest of what you post. Some great apps to use are:
5. Add Text in the Middle and Beginning
Instragram Reels videos are typically shown in the feeds without sound when a user is scrolling. It's why on IGTV it's becoming more common to add headlines and subtitles to get people to put the sound on.
When it comes to reels, you need to add text directly in the middle area that sums up the value or purpose of the video.
So when someone scrolls the feed, all videos are typically without sound. That's why on IGTV it is becoming more common to add headlines and subtitles to get people to turn the sound on.
When it comes to reels, you need to add text that sums up the value and purpose of the video. By adding this text and placing it in the middle, you are sending information to the viewer what the video is all about, so they turn the sound on and watch it.
A good way to use overlays on reels is to tell a story with text and video / images. Wherein every scene you sum up the value in text. This will help the viewer absorb the information and means a higher chance they will stay to the end - and even watch it again.
You are feeding the brain tons of value both through video and text. By adding text you are also increasing the chances of them finishing the video and spending more time on the content which the algorithm favors massively.
6. Upload a cover
Whenever anyone scrolls your feed or your reels feed you want to get them to click, right?
By adding a nice cover that sums up the value of the post, with an image and headline similar to what you do on YouTube, it will entice people to tap your post to view.
Use Canva to easily create covers and start playing around with themes. If someone is scrolling through the home feed or hashtag pages and your reels come up with a clear thumbnail image, considering a much higher chance they will click on it.
Yes, there are places where they are seen your thumbnail. For example, if someone scrolls on the home feed or if they are going through the reels feed already - the thumbnail concerns show.
A good tip here is to just use a screen shot of the first few seconds of your reel, where you have the hook, and preferably some text layer too so it's immediately obvious what the video is about.
Make it engaging so people want to click. If you have time to create beautiful thumbnails using Canva every time you post, go for it, but most people have that time for a reel, it's understandable.
So try to plan your first few seconds on your reels carefully with a hook, add text, and take a screenshot. And you are good to go!
If you follow all of these steps you may have the chance of becoming one of Instagram´s featured Reels videos.
Where you will then be assigned the featured “logo” or stamp of approval from Instagram. This shows other users that your content is good which in turn will start generating some serious views.
We hope you gained some insights on how to go viral using Instagram reels. We waited to see what you create! If you want to explore how to use the best hashtags to help you go viral,
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