Instagram Reels have quickly become a powerful tool for content creators, brands, and businesses to engage with their audience, showcase their creativity, and boost conversions. But, Reels are flooded with content every day from millions of users, so you need to stand out from the crowd with a winning strategy. 

If you’re looking to create high-quality Reels and optimize your content, then we’re showing you exactly how to garner more views and engagement on your Reels. 

Ready to dive in? Let’s go!

1. Create high-quality content

Instagram is a visually-driven platform, packed with aesthetically pleasing images and videos. So, make sure your Reels content is optimized for the platform with high-quality videos that are in the right aspect ratio of 9:16. 

Plus, you’ll want to pay attention to lighting, framing, and composition to make sure your key messages or subjects are in the center of the screen. Use natural light wherever possible or invest in professional lighting equipment to ensure your content is as high-quality and well-lit as it can be.  

2. Lead with a strong hook

The first few seconds of your Reel are crucial in grabbing viewers’ attention. Use the beginning of your Reel to immediately pique curiosity or spark interest. You’ll want to create Reels content that involves a narrative and tells a story starting from your very first frame. 

Here are a few scroll-stopping hooks that will help you do just that. 

• Start with an attention-grabbing visual: use your first frame to capture the user’s attention with striking visuals. 

• Start with a thought-provoking question: start your Reel off by posing an intriguing question or statement that compels viewers to find out more. 

• Showcase the end result upfront: if you’re sharing a transformation or a process, start with the outcome or the end result at the very start. This builds curiosity about the process and encourages viewers to stick around all the way to the end to see how it was achieved. 

3. Use trending audio 

Where would your Reels be without trending audio? Using trending audio in your Instagram Reels can help increase their discoverability and appeal to a wider audience, where they’ll be boosted in Instagram’s algorithm and end up on users’ explore pages of the Reels tab, even if they’re not following you. 

So, how do you find trending audio? The Explore page and Reels tab are your go-to place for discovering popular audios that are currently trending. Incorporate them into your Reels videos and this can help attract new viewers who are actively engaging with similar content.

4. Use Reels templates 

Much like trending audios are super helpful in boosting the visibility and engagement of your Reels, so are Reels templates. Reels templates are pre-made layouts that help you create engaging content that’s on trend and boosts your reach and engagement. 

All you need to do is hit the ‘use template’ button on an existing Reel and upload a specific number of video clips and your video clips will be automatically synced to the trending audio. By harnessing Reels templates, you can speed up your content creation process and repurpose some of the most popular Reels trends with minimal effort. 

5. Use captions and text overlays

Have you heard of social SEO? In case you’re not up to speed, social SEO is used to optimize your social media content for maximum reach and engagement. That means you’ve got to add text-based elements to your Instagram Reels which helps people browsing find your content with ease. 

So, how do you optimize your Reels content to increase your visibility? If you’re speaking in your Reels, make sure to say your SEO keywords in the video and use Instagram’s auto-generated caption feature to ensure your keywords appear in the overlays of your Reels. 

That way you’re not only optimizing your content for social SEO but ensuring your content is as inclusive and accessible to a wider and diverse audience as possible. 

6. Post consistently 

Consistency is key when it comes to Instagram Reels. Create a regular posting schedule on Instagram and be sure to include as many Reels as you find realistic to create. 

Instagram’s algorithm tends to favor accounts that consistently post high-quality and engaging content. By regularly sharing Reels, you signal to the algorithm that you’re an active and valuable creator, potentially resulting in higher visibility on the Explore page and increased organic reach.

Plus, a regular posting schedule helps set expectations for your audience where your audience will anticipate and look forward to your new Reels. This can lead to higher engagement as your audience becomes used to your content and they actively seek it out too. 

7. Schedule your content when your audience is most active

Posting your content on the right day and time can significantly boost your views and garner more engagement. You’ll want to nail your posting time according to when your audience is most active. 

You can use Plann’s Analytics tools to determine the right time to post based on your audience’s online behaviors. 

By scheduling your Reels to be published when your audience is most active, you increase the likelihood of immediate engagement and visibility. Plus, if your content is viewed by more users just after you post, it also has a better chance of appearing on Instagram’s Explore page and reaching an even wider audience. 

8. Track your analytics

Lastly, no good Instagram Reels strategy is complete without analyzing and understanding your analytics. Pay attention to important metrics like views, likes, comments, shares, and even audience retention to understand how your target audience is resonating with your content. 

From there you can understand what your audience is interested in, allowing you to optimize your future Reels content based on what your audience is resonating with. 

Plann’s Analytics will give you a deep dive into individual posts and their performance with all the important metrics and engagement rates, so you can make continuous improvements to your Reels strategy. 

Ready to supercharge your success on social media?

Looking for an all-in-one content creation suite that allows you to manage your social media channels effortlessly? From mapping out your strategy, and designing your graphics to repurposing your content, you’ll find everything you need inside Plann. 

Go on, and redeem your 7-day free trial of Plann Plus. If you don’t like it, keep using Plann for free!