5 Instagram Hacks for the Perfect Reel

While Instagram Reels are no longer a novelty, they continue to be more popular than any other feature. Content creators, in particular, use the short clips to draw attention to themselves on Instagram. To help you stand out from the crowd, we have collected 5 Instagram hacks for your Reels that will help you to get even more engagement.

Hack #1: Adjust your Reel content to match the feed

Instagram Reels have the same format as Instagram Stories. They are displayed in portrait mode when viewed. In the feed, your followers will initially see the Reel in a square format. Only when they open it will it be played in 9:16 format. It can also happen that it is displayed in 1: 1 format in the Explore Feed. To avoid the mistake of having parts of your face or text blocks cut off at the top and bottom, make sure to place the important content in the middle. For example, it would be a shame if you create a tutorial for the perfect brows, and your eyebrows don’t even appear in the picture when your followers scroll through their feed. Or the same goes for if the important text you insert is no longer visible because you have placed it at the bottom of the picture.

Here is how you can prevent it: Create your Reel video (either with Instagram or another app) and save it in the gallery on your smartphone. Then open the Instagram app again and tap on the plus icon as if you were posting something. Next, select the saved Reel from your gallery and preview it. When it plays, you can see if everything fits into the format or if something is cut off.

Hack #2: Use filters like the green screen effect on your Reels

You can access the same effects and filters in Instagram Reels as in Stories. You either use the filters you have already saved in your camera or search the gallery for a new effect.

With the green screen effect, you are sure to attract a lot of attention. You can record yourself when the background is initially displayed in green—and now comes the special effect: You tap on “Select media” and choose a photo or video from your smartphone gallery, which then opens. This picture or video is then displayed as the background. A real eye-catcher! With this effect, you can sit on a sunny beach or watch the sky fade to night while hiding the chaos that might be your living room!

By the way, you can use all Instagram filters, even if you create your Reels with another app. To do this, record the video in Story mode on Insta and save it on your smartphone. You can then edit it in an app of your choice.

Hack #3: Insert voiceover or music into Reels

You probably already know that you can add music to your Instagram Reels. The audio feature has now been rolled out to almost all users. With the small music icon on the left, you can access the Instagram music library and search for your favourite songs. If you have problems inserting music, you can go to an Instagram Reel of your choice from another content creator and tap on the desired music title. Here you have the option to select “Use audio” and insert the song into your Reel in this way.

With an app like InShot, you can superimpose an audio track, for example, a voiceover, on a video. If you are doing a room tour or a shopping haul, you first film a video with your camera and then save it on your smartphone. In the InShot app, you can now press the Record button and record your voiceover.

Hack #4: Share Instagram Reels in Feed and Story—but do it right!

You have probably already figured out that you should share your Reels and Stories in your feed. The more you draw attention to yourself and your content, the more likely your reach will increase. First, however, you should heed the following important tip.

Don’t just select “Share in Story”, but first create a suitable cover image that fits your Reel. Canva, for example, is perfect for this. You can also take a selfie each time before you record your Reel. Put this photo over the Reel preview when you are in Story editing mode. In addition, you can add a text to your Story such as “New Reel online”. In any case, you should use a “Tap Here” GIF so that your followers know that they can get to the Reel here. Therefore, your followers don’t just look at it in the Story, but also go to your feed and watch it there. In this way, they interact with your Reel—which is great for your reach! In this YouTube tutorial, you can see exactly how the trick with the Story works; just start watching from minute 6:00!

To share the Reel in your feed, you should also use an appealing cover picture that you take specifically for this purpose. This will keep your feed nice and tidy. Don’t just choose a video clip from your Reel, but a photo from your gallery and add a text if necessary.

Tip: It is often forgotten, but the hashtags are also crucial on Instagram Reels. Make sure to use appropriate hashtags in the caption so that your Reel is displayed with these hashtags.

Hack #5: Text at the end of the Reel for more engagement

The Instagram algorithm evaluates it positively when users view your Reel multiple times. To achieve this, you can trick the user a little. If you create a Reel with text overlays, you can ensure that a larger amount of text is displayed for a short time in the end. Or you can choose a slightly smaller font. But use with care; you shouldn’t annoy the users by making your text so illegible that they cannot read what it says even after the third time watching.

You shouldn’t use this trick on every Reel. Instead, listen to your gut feeling and ask yourself how you would react. That short “wait, what was that all about?” moment is enough to get people to watch it one more time. This way, you can get more engagement and increase your visibility on Insta.

By the way: If you often create Instagram Reels with text content, the following tip might help you. Use the dictation function when you enter the texts so that you don’t have to type each word individually!
Now you are a real Reel pro, and you can get started. You can also find lots of Reel inspiration related to fashion, beauty and interior on our Instagram account @stylinkofficial_eu. Have fun creating!