What Does Instagram Reels Mean for Influencer Marketing?

Instagram Reels, TikTok’s biggest rival, just launched in the U.S. to millions of users! Instagram has been beta testing Instagram Reels internationally in countries including, Germany, India, Brazil and France leading up to this big launch, and is now live in over 50 countries with 1.5+ Billion users around the world.

The big question is: What does Instagram Reels mean for influencer marketing?

Influencers that already have a strong presence on Instagram can easily add Reels into their repertoire. Reels is already becoming the go-to destination for fast, fun content. Influencers are already creating recipes, DIY hacks, and the always popular dance numbers in short 15-second videos powered by an expansive music library.

Brands have a real opportunity to capitalize on this new channel before Reels inevitably becomes another go-to destination for consumers looking for entertainment. At Linqia we’re already tracking the influencers who are creating the most captivating content and can find the right content creators to bring your product to life in a new, fun way.

Navigate to your ‘Explore’ page to get started!

How to Create Instagram Reels

Just like TikTok, Instagram Reels allows you to “record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools”. After clicking the ‘+ button’ where you would normally create a Story, you’ll see a tab labeled ‘Reels’, and the new editing tools to use including Audio, AR effects, Timer and Countdown, Align, and Speed!

To record your new Reel, you’re able to film it in segments by stopping and starting with the click of a button, or just pull a video you created externally from your photo gallery.

Sharing and Viewing Instagram Reels

The advantage to Instagram Reels is that you can share your Reels with both your followers and it will be publicly available to ALL Instagram users in the Explore feed (if your account is Public), just like TikTok. Each Reel you create can be shared via your Feed, Story, and Direct Message to friends to get maximum exposure.

The holy grail is to get your Reel ‘Featured’ by Instagram! Instagram’s algorithm combs through all of the Reels and selects certain ones that they determine are most engaging and slap a ‘Featured’ tag on them, exposing that Reel to millions of users. This is equivalent to users making it to the ‘For You’ page on TikTok.

Sharing and Viewing Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels is a brand new social channel that’s up for the taking if you’re a brand or influencer. As new channels have launched in the past like SnapChat, TikTok, and Vine, the early adopters have benefited greatly from being the first on the platforms.

Brands who have already jumped on Reels are ahead of the curve and will get their video in front of a massive audience navigating the new feature, but waiting to jump in. Also, as brands and influencers have a large following, there’s likely a better chance to be ‘Featured’ and expose their Reels to a widespread audience.

Here are some examples of brands already taking advantage of Reels: