Jun. 09, 2025
Found out that Instagram reels are getting all eyes on them? Want to leverage them as part of your marketing strategy?
Goto Eopac Machinery to know more.
That’s a fantastic idea!
The main issue you may have is that you don’t know the best practices for creating eye-catching and algorithm-compatible reels.
No worries at all—we’ve got you, mate!
We’ve prepared a concise guide explaining the entire process of creating fab reels in easy-to-follow steps.
Specifically, you’ll learn:
So, let’s get started!
As Benjamin Franklin famously stated, “by failing to plan, you’re preparing to fail”.
The same principle applies to your marketing efforts. If you want to create a killer Instagram reel video, you should prepare your marketing strategy and follow it through to completion.
Before getting to that stage, though, you need to have a list of content ideas that you can schedule. We call this content collection a storyboard.
A storyboard is a detailed outline that depicts your social media perspective. It’s a sequence of squares containing concepts for content pieces.
There are many ways to create your storyboard—from pen and paper to Google Sheets or storyboarding tools like Plot and Studiobinder.
Regardless of the tool used to create it, a typical storyboard should contain details like:
As you can see, a storyboard captures the creative direction of a content calendar, and it’s an initial part of the strategy.
The strategy is a part of any marketing effort since it defines the actions, goals, and personas involved. It’s the secret sauce in many campaigns and successful Instagram reels.
Creating a winning strategy requires effort and knowledge, which is one of the most crucial parts of producing high-quality, engaging content.
Follow these steps to create an effective Instagram reel strategy:
The strategy will guide you to an Instagram reel campaign's ideation, production, and measuring stages.
Note: Usually, the first part of any marketing campaign is a strategy that follows a storyboard containing creative directions.
Now that all the planning is done, it’s time to take action.
As you’ve gathered content ideas that align with your Instagram marketing strategy, the time for content creation has come.
This step of making an Instagram reel requires time and effort to film the appropriate clips to get your reel live.
When creating reel content, there are basically two options that you should consider:
Let’s look into both.
The idea of using existing footage is to repurpose videos to fit the Instagram reel guidelines.
The best thing is that you can edit existing clips to make shorter video content and create multiple reels. This will save you the time and effort that come with filming content from scratch.
You can also use original Instagram features that allow you to remix reel content produced and uploaded by other users or creators.
To use this feature, simply press the three dots (...) in the top right corner of any reel and tap the “Remix” button.
Then you have two choices: add your reel by the side of the original video or play it after the original video.
You can upload videos on Instagram by:
Now we’ve covered the less creative method of creating reel material, let’s dive into the filming process.
The most creative part of this guide is about to start, so prepare your and ring lights, and you’re ready to go!
Start filming by holding the round white recording button. A pink border will appear around the circle showing the length of your video.
You can also start filming by pressing the reels tab on your Instagram account and tapping the reel icon at the top of the screen.
In the filming screen on the Instagram app, there are some tools that help you shoot your videos, including:
If these technical details and settings give you a headache, there’s also the option of outsourcing your video content production to influencers.
Collaboration tools like Insense can save you time and effort while finding the best content creators to nail your reel campaigns.
Not only will influencers make content creation easier for you but they will also boost your posts’ engagement rates. User-generated content (UGC) is loved by users and can help your content to go viral.
Once you’ve filmed your clips, click the “Preview” button so that you can add text, artificial reality (AR) effects, stickers, animations, or gifs to your reels.
Note: Remember to download your videos before moving on to the next steps. This will ensure that you’ve saved the content you’ve produced.
This step will help you to perfect your reel.
When reviewing a reel, it is important to identify if its design fits in with the social media platform’s aesthetics.
In fact, Instagram has uploaded a carousel to its creator’s profile about the best practices for reels.
Based on Instagram guidelines, creators should use built-in features on their reels and music from the Instagram music library while avoiding uploading original content from other social platforms like TikTok.
So, content creators and marketers have to identify if their produced content satisfies the Instagram algorithm and its parameters.
Basically, creators should pay attention to creating short-form, entertaining videos that add value to their audience.
This way, they ensure that their reels will be visible to more people and attract the audience’s attention.
Once your content satisfies all these factors, then it’s time to use creative tools like text, filters, or camera effects.
To access filters and AR effects, press the sparkles icon on the top of your reel editor. There are many trending effects, like greenscreen and much more.
All these features are quite similar to those of Instagram stories, so chances are you’re already familiar with them.
However, it’s best to keep in mind that some features are more important for reels than they are for stories. For instance, maybe the most important feature when creating reels is text.
Text is more important than you can imagine. This is because many users have their phones on mute by default, so you can’t attract them by using trending music.
Adding text can be a great hook idea to attract Instagram users before scrolling away from your content.
Ensuring you’ve followed Instagram guidelines will boost engagement to your social media posts.
And, as we just touched on the basics of the original effects and features of Instagram, we’ll dive into the world of editing next.
Where to start and where to finish when it comes to Instagram reel content editing? Editing can be tough. But worry not!
We’ll guide you through the whole process covering all the necessary steps to create compelling reels that even beginners can handle by using original editing tools.
First and foremost, we have the length and the order of your content. You can access Instagram's built-in editor tool through the “Trim” button in the bottom left corner. This option allows you to shorten your clips, remove specific scenes, or even delete them.
Then you can edit your music through the relevant button on the editor’s screen.
There are many options in terms of music—from decreasing the original audio volume and adding a voiceover record to importing a sound from another video clip or even adding trending sound effects to help your reel go viral.
One great feature to add to your reel is closed captions. You can access this feature by tapping the square smiley face icon on the top of your screen and selecting “Captions”.
When Instagram transcribes your content, it allows you to customize the fonts and the style of Instagram captions.
Normally, Instagram’s transcription makes spelling mistakes. So, ensure you review and adjust the caption before uploading the reel.
In the same tab, you can access several stickers that boost audience engagement, such as polls, quizzes, and questions.
These features encourage users to interact with Instagram reels directly.
Make sure to create a valuable piece of content that aligns with your social media marketing objectives.
Video editing is done! Now there are only a few adjustments before you can share the content with your brand’s followers.
After the editing part, the moment of truth is coming. All you have to do is upload your reel and embrace the glory.
This is by far the easiest part of creating an Instagram reel.
When you’re done editing, tap the “Next” button to prepare what your followers will see in their Instagram feeds.
Next, you need to:
Now you’re ready to press the “Share” button to immediately post reels and reach new audiences.
If you’ve followed each step up to this point, you’ve done it. Your reel is uploaded!
Let’s wrap things up!
There you have it!
You now have a detailed plan for creating compelling Instagram reels in five easy steps.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website reel wrapper.
Although we’ve divided the whole process into smaller and actionable steps, it still requires a fair chunk of work.
The essential part is shooting the content or finding collaborators to manage this step.
Insense makes this process easier since we help brands identify the best partners through a database of 35,000+ creators who produce reels and repurpose content in multiple forms.
Ready to shoot your first Instagram Reel? Here’s how to post a Reel on Instagram:
First, head to your profile and tap the “+” in the upper right corner, and then tap “Reel:”
Reels can be recorded in a series of clips, in a single stream, or shot externally and uploaded.
Or, you can use Instagram Reels templates. Tap the "Templates" button to find recommended, trending, and saved Reels Templates.
If you select "Made for you", you can create Reels from your archive.
To add external clips from your camera roll to your Instagram Reels, select the “+” icon in the bottom left corner or swipe up:
To shoot footage internally in the Reels app, hold the recording circle in the bottom middle of the screen:
You’ll also have the option to edit your footage with tools like layout, dual, timer, speed, scale, gesture control, and more:
And to really bring your content to life, take advantage of Instagram’s many tools (you'll recognize most of these if you regularly post Instagram Stories):
Text: Say more by adding text to your Reels.
Draw: Use the draw tool to add some extra flare.
Stickers: Include closed captions, GIFs, the time, and a plethora of fun Instagram stickers.
AR effects: Search from Instagram’s endless gallery of AR effects created by Instagram and creators around the world.
Filters: Swipe left to access filters for your Reels.
Audio: Add audio from Instagram’s music library at this stage — in addition to recording a voiceover, or including sound effects.
You can finish there by tapping "Next" or you can continue to edit your video by pressing "Edit Video."
Here is where you can get more granular with your editing. Select an individual clip (highlighted in yellow) and select "Speed", "Split", "Replace" or "Discard."
Once you're happy with the edit, press the arrow in the bottom right corner.
Then, choose a cover photo, write a caption, toggle whether you’d like to share your Reel to the Instagram feed, tag people and products, rename your audio, add a location, add a reminder, and toggle if you’d like to Recommend on Facebook:
TIP: Looking for aesthetic Instagram Reel cover photos? Download Later's free bundle of 50+ Instagram Canva templates.
Finally, tap “Share.”
And just like that, you’ve successfully posted your very first Reel — job done!
For more tips on how to shoot and post your next Instagram Reel, bookmark this blog post: How to Create Instagram Reels like a Pro in 4 Easy Steps.
Later's social media management tools are used by millions of brands, creators, and social media managers — making it the best app to post and schedule Instagram Reels from your PC, desktop, or computer.
And the best part? You can do it all for free.
Here’s how to get started in five simple steps:
Sign up (or login) to Later on your desktop and tap “Add Social Profile.”
Then, select “Instagram” and connect your account.
From there, upload your edited Reels video to the Media Library:
TIP: Looking to edit your Instagram Reels? We're sharing seven of the best apps for editing Reels in this blog post.
Drag your video to the Calendar to open the Post Builder. Tap Post Type, and select Reels from the dropdown menu:
Write your caption and include strategic hashtags and keywords to maximize your Instagram Reels reach:
Here you’ll have the option to crop your Instagram Reels size and adjust the length of your footage with the “Trim” tool:
Tap Edit Cover to select a frame from the video for the cover:
NOTE: Due to API restrictions, you can only upload custom cover images for Reels when scheduling through Later on desktop.
Select the date and time you’d like to post your Reel on Instagram:
Next, scroll down to Settings, and under “Share to Feed”, toggle whether you’d like your Reel to appear in your Instagram profile grid or not. Then tap Save:
When it’s time to post, your video will publish automatically, no late-night logins required!
NOTE: Reels auto-publish is only available for Instagram Business and Creator profiles, and due to API restrictions, only original audio can be used for auto-publishing.
To get around this, select “Notification” when scheduling your post to receive a manual prompt to post from the Later app.
You’ll get everything you need delivered straight to your mobile device and you can then add trending audio.
Start planning your Instagram Reels content in advance with Later's scheduling tools. Create a free account, today!
We know 69% of video is watched without sound, so adding on-screen text and subtitles to your videos is a no-brainer when it comes to reaching more users.
Not only are subtitles great for people who watch without sound, but they keep your content accessible for those with hearing difficulties:
To add video subtitles, you can use Instagram's closed caption sticker.
Tap on the sticker icon and select "Captions."
It may take a few seconds for the audio to transcribe.
Once they've pulled through, you can review and edit the text to make sure it's correct.
TIP: Make sure your closed captions are visible in every part of the Instagram app by positioning them in the center of your screen.
For even more Instagram Reels tips to supercharge your strategy, bookmark this post: The Top Instagram Reels Hacks You Need to Know.
Similar to TikTok, Reels trends come and go quickly.
To hop on a trend before it becomes old news, take a few minutes each morning to scroll through the Instagram Reels tab and other creators’ profiles to see what they’re sharing.
Is there anything consistently popping up — a particular song? An audio clip?
If so, click on the music to see how many other brands or creators have used the audio, and save it for later.
Or, bookmark this Reels trends resource for the trends you need to hop on.
The best way to drive traffic from Reels is by including a clear call-to-action (CTA) that encourages people to head to your link in bio.
This could be with on-screen text placement, a verbal call-out, in your video caption, or all of the above:
You can use a link in bio tool, like Later's Linkin.bio, to create a mini landing page with multiple link buttons and clickable images.
This is a great way of getting more value from your link in bio, and it only takes a few minutes to set up.
Make the most of your Instagram link in bio for free with Linkin.bio by Later — create an account today.
One of the best ways to go viral on Instagram Reels is by finding your niche and posting consistently.
There are so many Instagram users with a wide range of interests and hobbies. No matter what your brand or business does, there’s a niche for you!
If you’re a bakery, you could go behind-the-scenes in the kitchen like @jennaraecakes.
Or, if you’re a skincare brand, you could provide product tips like @glowrecipe:
Even if your first few Reels don’t garner a ton of traction or engagement, keep going.
Just like anything else on social media, it’s all about trial and error.
Another great way for brands to connect with a niche audience? Working with influencers and creators, of course.
Later's influencer marketing platform, Later Influence, makes it easy to find influencers who make creative content in your niche. Book a demo here to see how it works.
Including 3-5 hashtags can be a great way to help the Instagram algorithm understand your content and serve it to relevant audiences.
For example, using hashtags like #VeganRecipes, #PlantBased, and #WhatVegansEat will indicate to the Instagram Reels algorithm that your content is about vegan cooking — which may increase the likelihood of it being served to users who are actively engaging with similar content:
Every little bit helps!
TIP: For some hashtag inspiration, check out Later’s Hashtag Suggestion feature. With it, you can discover the best hashtags for your account in seconds!
For more reel stretch wrapperinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
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