Instagram Reels, aiming to compete with TikTok, may be new to the market. But just like it was with TikTok, we shouldn’t overlook it to stay relevant in our social media presence.

Reels will undoubtedly become a part of your Instagram strategy, especially if you are marketing a brand, business, or creator. However, Reels have not launched any Ads features and their Explore page content is manually curated by employees. Its full business features are not fully developed at this moment, which may make it more difficult for businesses to understand how to penetrate Instagram Reels. 

However, marketing is not limited to business or product-focused posts. Learning from our experience with TikTok, day-to-day posts can have a significant impact on online presence, spreading awareness about your brands’ values and engaging people into your community. This means your brand should invest in building awareness and community while Instagram develops more features for your business. The same goes for influencers, good content can impact you in a number of ways, even before figuring out the details of its algorithm. Here are some ideas on what to post that will be beneficial for your brand.

1. Product Reviews

One of the best ways to introduce your products without overwhelming your audience is through product reviews. This format seems natural and conversational, thus is easier for the audience to understand. But most importantly, this type of content is a great way to generate trust among your audience. Product reviews give a clear and honest view of your brand or the brand you are endorsing and eases the audience into making a purchase decision. Trust and credibility will continue to be important as social commerce grows alongside the new feature, Reels. 

2. User-Generated Content

Incorporating User Generated Content (UGC) will also help you gain that audience trust, mainly by creating a sense of inclusion. UGC can come from users' reviews or other user's content that feature your product, sound, or anything that represents you or your brand. As influencers, actively joining trends can be a form of joining the community. Starting a trend or inviting submissions of UGC can also be a good way for social media campaigns. 

3. Behind-The-Scenes Footages

Video content is a great way to humanize your brand, whether you are an influencer or a brand. This makes your brand more relatable and thus, likeable. Aside from trust and community, humanizing yourself is important to build loyalty among your audience. The more they are able to identify with you or your brand, the more they are willing to vouch for your brand in their own platforms. These behind-the-scenes footages can show how you create your content or your company's daily activities. This is also an opportunity to showcase your personal or brand values to establish your identity even further.