Do you want to grow on Instagram and make more sales? Of course, you do. That's why you should avoid creating these 3 types of reels.
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There are a few differences between Instagram and TikTok (this is something I explain in depth in my TikTok masterclass) but, in general, the types of videos I will discuss in this blog post aren't great for either of the two platforms.
1) Trends:
Trends are usually videos that use a popular audio track, most often, it's one that people will lip-sync to. Here's an example by @shannonmckinstrie:
Don’t get me wrong: I love a good trending audio because it can be great to educate your audience on a particular topic in a fun way. I’m also not saying that you shouldn’t use them at all because they can certainly help you get a bit more reach than your "regular" audios.
✨ BUT ✨
It's important to me that you understand WHY and WHEN you should post WHICH videos, so you can leverage them as much as possible.
You might have identified that your biggest problem on social media right now is that you are not getting enough people into your marketing funnel. Now, if you know that trending reels help you with brand awareness, then you could use them strategically to get more people into your marketing funnel and solve this problem.
If, on the other hand, your main problem is that your followers don't convert into paying clients, you could use talking-head videos instead.
That being said, there are a few reasons why I would not recommend relying on trending audios alone for a few reasons:
1️⃣ Chasing trends every week doesn't allow you to plan much ahead:
In an ideal world, you would have time to create social media content every single day but if we are realistic, most entrepreneurs don't even manage to stay consistent over a longer period of time.
2️⃣ You don't stick out from the masses:
Instagram is a competitive space and if you just follow trends, you will drown in the 1000s of similar reels. Copying the same format as hundreds of others screams "I'm a follower, not a leader in my industry".
You want to be perceived as someone who has creative ideas and not as someone who does the same thing as everyone else. That’s not really the impression you want to make on a potential client, right? 🙃
3️⃣ You don't serve the whole customer funnel:
Trending reels serve the top of your funnel but don't nurture the rest of your audience. Most of the time, people will see your reels in the reels tab or as a recommendation in their feed. This means that they have probably never seen you before & you need to help them understand WHY they should give you a follow.
But if you just rely on trends, you always only serve one part of your marketing funnel. And that means that people will always be stuck in that first part and never really consider your business or convert into a paying client.
The second types of reels I wouldn't recommend if you want to grow & make more sales on Instagram are:
2) Reels that aren’t related to your core offer:
With videos, you also always want to make sure that they tie back in with your main offer. You could do this by highlighting common mistakes your audience makes, highlighting the consequences of what happens if they don't purchase or even showcasing what their life could look like after they have made that purchase.
Example for a service-based business:
If I was to sell an Instagram online course, I would want to point out common mistakes that my audience is making when it comes to Instagram strategy. This would then help my audience to understand that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to Instagram strategy. They will be more likely to buy this course from me because they see me as an expert in that field.
Example for a product-based business:
Let's say you run a skincare line. If you can point out that people often use their skincare in the wrong order, you show your audience that you're not just making products for the sake of making them but you actually understand what needs to go into the products and how people need to use them.
And lastly, there is a third type of video you shouldn't rely on too much:
3) Reels made for people who follow you already:
I don't want you to focus on reels that speak to people who are already following you.
I mentioned this already at the beginning but reels are really good at helping you get new eyes onto your content and because of that, you should strongly focus on videos that help you get discovered by new audiences.
❗️Hot tip: Incorporate a short intro in each one of your talking-head videos to help people understand why they should follow you.
For example: "Hi, I'm Julia, a nutritionist who loves to share tips on how to create a healthy diet without being restrictive".
Conclusion:
All in all, you want to create a variety of reels so you can serve the whole marketing funnel & make the most of the opportunities reels offer.
Talk soon,
Hanna