A diverse group of young people stand in a tight circle and hold their smartphones in front of them. Their eyes are on their phones and they're all smiling.
Launched in August 2020, Instagram Reels is a feature that allows users to create short videos. Reels are made of 15-second clips and can be customized with audio and effects. — Getty Images/Xavier Lorenzo

Instagram's Reels feature allows you to create short, engaging videos for your followers, and it’s an excellent tool you can use to grow your business. Here are five ways to use Reels as part of your marketing strategy.

[Read more: How to Use Instagram Stories to Promote Your Business]

Showcase new products

Creating Instagram Reels is an excellent way to showcase any new products your company is offering. Even brands that have high engagement with their target audience still struggle to get the word out about a new product or service.

Instagram Reels is the perfect place to highlight your new offering without it looking like an outright ad. The function lets you show how the product works, how it benefits your customers and any unique features it provides.

Provide educational content

You can also use Instagram Reels to provide educational content for your customers. Providing informative, evergreen content for your audience is a great way to build your reputation as an authority in your industry.

Plus, this type of content is a great way to engage a new target audience and build a rapport with people who aren’t yet customers. You can create product demonstrations, answer FAQs or create humorous videos talking about common topics in your industry.

[Read more: How to Repurpose Your Marketing Content to Save Time and Money While Driving Revenue]

Provide behind-the-scenes sneak peeks

You can also use Reels to give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your business. For instance, you can create a video showing how you create new content or how things work in your manufacturing plant.

Alternatively, you can use Reels to let customers get to know different members of your team. For example, you could make a Reel with one of your employees giving a tour of your business.

Instagram Reels is a great way to announce new products or services you’re about to launch.

Engage with your audience

People want to know the brands they buy from, so finding ways to interact with your audience is vital. Instagram Reels allows you to engage with your audience in a way that feels more authentic.

Here are a few ways you can do this:

  • Make an announcement about an upcoming product or service.
  • Ask your audience to submit questions and answer them in different Reels.
  • Talk about how your company got started.
  • Share a funny story about something that happened at work.

[Read more: 7 Businesses You Can Start and Grow on Instagram]

Announce new deals or special offers

Instagram Reels is a great way to announce new products or services you’re about to launch. Of course, this can’t replace your traditional marketing strategy, but it’s a great way to make announcements and see more organic growth.

You can also use Reels to announce limited-time offers, special deals and other marketing pushes like Black Friday sales. Since you can integrate your online shop with Instagram, Instagram Reels can bring people directly from this social media platform to your e-commerce store.

Of course, you have to be careful about doing this, so you don’t come across as salesy. But odds are, your best customers are already following you on Instagram. So this is a great way to increase the likelihood they’ll learn about your new products and promotions.

Place ads

Finally, you can use Instagram Reels to post advertisements in a place you know your target audience will see them. This can be a great way to diversify your marketing beyond Google ads or email marketing.

And when you place an ad on Instagram, you know that the people seeing it are either your followers or people in your social network. This increases the likelihood that people will engage with your ads and can provide a better return on investment.

Plus, Instagram allows users to tap on the ad and go directly to your shop, which increases your odds of success even more.

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

Follow us on Instagram for more expert tips & business owners’ stories.

CO—is committed to helping you start, run and grow your small business. Learn more about the benefits of small business membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, here.

Brought to you by
Grow your business with marketing automation
Did you know that marketing automation can amplify lead generation by more than 450%? Take action to grow your business, sign up for a free account today!
Sign Up Now!

Connect with vendors who can meet your needs

Answer a few questions to tell us more about what you're looking for, and we'll help you reach vendors who can provide you with more information, pricing, and products.



Published