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Why and How to Use Instagram Reels to Market Your Shopify Store

  • 15 minute read

Instagram is undoubtedly the best social media platform to be on right now. With 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram allows brands to connect with their potential shoppers, build a relationship, and grow a loyal following. This is why brands need to jump on every new feature released on the platform, including the latest content format— Instagram Reels. 

Instagram Reels allows you to create interactive videos, add effects and stitch the video together right within the app. This content has an ‘Explore’ page of its own where people can view different reels back on the kind of content they like and engage with the profile more.

As an online store, Reels are a great asset to help you with your customer acquisition and amplify your social media growth. Let’s dive into why Instagram Reels are worth investing in and how you can create reels for your Shopify store’s Instagram profile.

Benefits of Creating Instagram Reels on Your Profile 

Instagram has positioned Reels as a discovery content, which viewers can swipe through and watch. The platform shows your Reels to consumers whose browsing history and preferences match the kind of content you create. This way, your visibility to new and relevant audiences is high, allowing you to acquire them as followers. 

For example, if you have been liking posts on home decor, you’re going to start seeing a lot of Reels from brands that sell home decor, getting you to discover their products! 

Using this interactive video format, you can create your content right within the app, no extra software or equipment needed. You can make use of the filters and effects to transform a simple idea into a killer visual. 

Many brands use Reels to tell stories and build a connection with new viewers so that they want to learn more about the brand. What’s more, Instagram is promoting Reels more, showing them on the newsfeed and even creating a dedicated page where consumers can scroll through them. 

As an online store, you need to start creating Reels right away to reach new audiences easily. Instagram’s Reel creation tools make it easier for anyone to get started with this format. With the range of filters, effects, and transitions available, you can create a fun Reel in no time!

Types of Reels You Can Create for Your Shopify Brand 

As a video format, there are a lot of ways you can use Reels for your Shopify brand to increase reach. Here are 6 types of reels you can experiment creating:

1. Product how-tos 

Show shoppers the different ways they can use your products with a Reel. Such content allows consumers to visualize the different uses that one product has and makes them eager to purchase the item if they are already interested.

Product how-tos are a great way to introduce your brand to new audiences as well since it doesn’t overwhelm the shopper with too much information about the brand in general.

 

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Today's #BlueTokaiRecipe marks the end of this three-part series featuring our favourite coffee experiments by @sprigandvine.in ✨This recipe uses Cascara, the dried skin of coffee cherries, which is brewed to make a delicious fruity tea with notes of apricot jam, and tart green apple. This recipe for a refreshing Citrus Cold Brew Cascara is exactly what the monsoon mugginess calls for. You can choose between plain or sparkling depending on what you're in the mood for! Ingredients: ¼ cup Cascara A few strips of orange peel (Malta oranges work well) 5-6 slices of ginger 500ml cool filtered water To serve: ice, orange slices, honey/maple syrup/jaggery syrup, mint leaves Method: Use a vegetable peeler to remove a few thick strips of the peel from a Malta orange. Lightly pound ginger slices in a pestle and mortar to release their juices. In a large jug/bottle/jar, add the Cascara along with the orange peel and ginger slices. Top with 500ml cool water; cover and store in the refrigerator for about 14 hours. To serve, strain the Cascara into a glass filled with ice. Add some honey, jaggery or maple syrup to sweeten, and garnish with orange slices and mint leaves if desired. Tip: If you're in the mood for something sparkling, make a spritzer by topping the Cascara Cold Brew with some soda or tonic!

A post shared by Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters (@bluetokaicoffee) on

2. Give inspiration

You don’t just need to stick to your own products when creating Reels. You can broaden your scope to also create Reels that pertain to the needs that consumers have within your industry. 

Use your Reels to give shoppers an idea of how they can improve their lifestyle and establish yourself as an expert within your industry. 

For instance, many furniture brands are creating Reels to show how people can do up their houses for WFH scenes and even transform it back to the lounge once their workday is over.

On the other hand, if you have an online fashion and clothing store, you can make mini-videos on different ways to style your collection or showcase how your customers are donning your clothing range.

 

3. Behind the scenes

Give shoppers a look into who you are and who your brand is by creating a behind-the-scenes Reel. Use the video to show how you came up with specific designs or products, the inspiration behind it, and even show how they are made. These behind the scenes can also include peeks into how your team collaborates or the culture among your team members. 

This look inside your brand can make you more relatable. Viewers would perceive your brand to be more transparent, making them want to be associated with you.

 

4. Teasers

Do you have a new campaign or new product coming up? Use Reels to give a 15-second peek into the new release. You can create a teaser of the design, some planning or preparation clips, or even give clues and ask your viewers to guess what you’re launching.

With such a teaser, you can hook new audiences to the mystery and make them follow your profile so that they can learn about the product or campaign better.

 

5. Show how it solves problems

Consumers are loving the fun content being shared as Reels. You can create such lighthearted content too by making creative Reels on how your brand makes people’s day better or how it solves a specific pain point.

Use your Reels to show how people’s lives would be without your products or show how your products add to your shoppers’ life. For instance, if you sell coffee, you could create a Reel on how people experience their day without coffee and then show how life is with coffee.

6. User-generated content

You don’t need to create content from scratch to make your Reels. Tap into user-generated content, showing how other customers are using your products. Such content is sure to build credibility since it won’t be pushing any polished and marketed content. 

Instead, these Reels will be more authentic and from the viewpoint of a customer. Due to this, your UGC Reels will get better reach and allow you to build credibility for your brand.

How to Create Reels for Your Shopify Store’s Instagram Profile

At first glance, creating a Reel may seem super complex. But, with a quick tour and testing, you can master the art of stitching together different clips and creating magic out of your Reels.

Here are a few editing tools and elements available for anyone creating a Reel:

1. Clips

When recording a Reel, you can stop and change your frame and start recording again. On the left side of the record button, you can find all the clips you recorded and remove or rearrange them to stitch together your video.

2. Audio

Add separate audio like a voiceover, a famous track, or even music to your Reel. You can choose from a library of music or pre-record a voiceover and add them to your video.

3. Speed

Speed up or slow down parts of your video or audio to create the vibe you are looking for, whether you want a slow-mo video to capture emotions and focus on your product or make your video sync to a specific beat.

4. Effects

Choose from Instagram’s extensive library of filters and AR effects to transform your video and bring your creative ideas to life. Instagram has filters like a green screen that allow you to add a natural-looking background to the subject in your clip.

5. Timer

Add a timer for when you want the app to start recording. This allows you to put your phone on a stand or tripod and record hands-free. 

6. Align

If you are focusing on a specific object and creating separate clips that use different backgrounds, you can use the align tool while shooting to align the object within the frame.

Get Started With Reels to Increase Your Shopify Store Reach on Instagram

We hope this guide helps you get started with Instagram Reel and allows you to leverage this content format to grow your Instagram following and acquire new shoppers for your Shopify store.

With Instagram’s growing user base, it’s important for Shopify stores to keep an eye out for new features and use them from the get-go. Instagram favours new users of their features and boosts their profile for new audiences as well as their existing follower base. By using new features as they are released, you can get the Instagram algorithm to favour you.

But the point here is a little different. Considering how popular Instagram Reels is in your audience, we think it’s the right time to tap in! 

Want to learn more about using Instagram to sell more? Don’t forget to check out these guides: 

And if you’re clicking pictures for your Instagram or for your store using your smartphone, don’t forget to read this guide:

Ready to sell on Instagram? Tap into the power of Instagram reels! 

Topics:
Digital Marketing Instagram Marketing Social Media Marketing