Reels on Instagram are content that stands out for showing actions in a fun and spontaneous way, but behind what may seem like practically improvised content, there is a great deal of work that we must do to obtain a Reel that fits what we want to show. . And this entails a lot of work and some steps to follow even before we start recording the Reel..
Now that you are clear about how to use Reels and each of its tools, it is time to get down to work with it. When we create a Reel, although it is fresh and dynamic content, we should not leave things to chance, for this reason it will be important that we script the development of our Reel following the steps that we are going to explain so that the result is what we are looking for.
First of all, you must be clear about some aspects of the Reel, which we are going to explain below:
Aspects of the Reel that we must define before writing its script
- Theme of the Reel (What do we want to show?)
- Number of clips in the Reel and what we are going to show in each one.
- Tone that we are going to use in the Reel (didactic, informative, humorous tone…)
- Type of audio that we are going to include: With music, using voice-over..
- If we are going to include text or not, and if we are going to use text all the time or just to highlight words that are said during the Reel.
- Duration of the Reel, to adapt the content to the time available.
Note
If you want to come up with content ideas that will work in Reels, you can try “repeating” content that you have already uploaded to stories, posts, etc. and with which you have received good results. By doing this, you make sure that this content is liked by your followers and therefore, that the Reel that you are going to do will be liked.
Now, we are going to explain the steps to follow to plan the creation of your Reel and how to carry out this process:
How to create Instagram Reels: Steps to create content in Reels
Now that you know what the content to make is, we can start the process of creating the Reels, from the beginning. It is important not to leave loose ends and that you know how you want the result of your Reels to be from start to finish. And for this you have to follow the steps that we are going to explain below in order:
Step 1: Script
The first thing you are going to have to do is write a script of how you want your Reel to be. Here you will include what is going to be shown in it, if you are going to include texts, what they will be and where they will go, if you are going to include a Storytelling the thread of what is going to be told..
In summary, Here we leave you the most important points that you must make from the beginning:
Write a script. This script must include:
- What will be displayed on the Reel.
- If the Reel is going to include text, the phrases that will be and when they will appear.
- If the Reel is going to include a Voice-over, what we are going to count during the Reel.
Other information to take into account before starting to record the Reel:
- The main 20 seconds are very important to retain the user, since it is the time in which a first impact is created on it and whether or not they see our full Reel can depend on that. That is why he thinks that at this time there must be something surprising or that arouses intrigue as a spectator, that is, a hook.
- When you publish your Reel, you will have to add a caption which is the text that appears at the bottom of the Reel. Decide how you are going to approach it and how you want to address the public: Asking a question to encourage interaction, providing extra information that is not said in the Reel, including hashtags...
Step 2: Recording
Now that you have decided how your Reel is going to be and the elements that it will consist of, it is time to record the different clips of the Reel..
For this, use the camera of your mobile device taking into account the following points:
Record your videos in vertical format
The vertical format is the one used in the Reels videos, for this reason it is important that when you record your videos to create the Reels, you do so respecting this format. This way they will be consistent with the other content that is published within this section of Instagram.
Record multiple takes of each clip
By recording multiple takes of each clip you ensure that you have more material to choose from. With this, the final result of the Reel will adjust more to the objective that you wanted.
It is not necessary that there are too many, but you do have a few to be able to compare which is the best and include it in your Reel (3 or 4 will be enough)
Record in high quality
The smartphone mobile phones that we use every day already have cameras powerful enough and with quality for you to record good videos to include in your Reel. Remember to set a high video quality for this to get better results.
Use the light in your favor
A good light is one of the best resources to get our results much better when we record a video. For this reason, use the light to your advantage, choose different locations or angles and never record your videos in areas that are too dark or against the light.
use a tripod
Using a tripod we make sure that the plane is fixed and that the recording does not come out shaky. This way we will be focusing all the time on what interests us and we will give our Reel clips a much more professional result.
Choose the location
When we record a video it is important that we take into account everything that surrounds us: If it is a room, that it be correctly ordered; if it is a landscape, that we show areas without visual contamination and that they do not take attention away from what we want to show... If we want to focus attention on something in particular, a smooth or white background will be great allies. Everything will depend on the type of content we are creating.
Clean the camera to record your Reel
Although it seems obvious, our phone's camera accumulates a lot of dirt. By cleaning the lens we will obtain a much better result and a much sharper image with this simple gesture.
Focus what you want to record
Don't shoot too close, and don't shoot too far. Also remember that what we want to show and where we want attention to be focused must appear centered on the screen while recording.
Step 3: Edit
Now that we have the recorded clips, it was time to set up our Reel using the best videos. In this step we must be creative to try to differentiate ourselves from the rest and make our Reel more striking.
The procedure to be carried out in this step will be the following:
- When you are going to make the Reel, choose the clips that will be part of it.
- To save time, you can use pre-established templates that the Instagram App includes or that other people have seen in their Reels. In this course link we already explain how templates are used in Reel.
Note
You can also create your Reel from scratch and cut into the clips the parts you want to be shown in it.
- Add music or audio to your Reel
As we have already highlighted in the course on several occasions, music and audio play a fundamental role in the Reel. For this reason it is very important that you choose one taking into account the theme of your Reel and the trends of the moment.
In the following link we refresh you how music is added in the Instagram Reels:
- At the end of the Reel, include a call to action
You can include this in several ways in your Reel: Either in the form of text at the end of it, in the audio, etc. But the important thing is that we address the person who is looking at the screen, making it clear what our intention or objective is with respect to them.
Note
Although we have mentioned these options to you, there are many more Reel creation options that we have been showing you in depth during the course and that, depending on the type of Reel you want to create, you may need to use at certain times.
Step 4: Post-production
Now that you have the base of the Reel, that is, the video clips, you are going to have to add the text, the voice-over, or both on the video to provide an extra impact on our followers. Below we explain how it is done.
Add text to an Instagram Reel
Before adding text to our Instagram Reel, remember that you must do it correctly, taking into account the following points:
- Use the correct size for the text: The text should not be so large that it covers elements in the video or so small that it cannot be read.
- Use a nice and clear font: Remember not to clutter the screen. The text should not have more prominence than the image.
- A clear font will be easier and more readable for people who are looking at the Reel. Avoid fonts that have a more baroque typeface or that are more difficult to read, especially if we quickly glance over it.
- Put texts that appear and disappear: If we want to focus attention on some specific words, it seems a very good idea that they appear only when we are mentioning them in the Reel.
To add text to your Reel, here you will find all the information you need explained in detail and step by step:
Add voiceover in Instagram Reel
Another very striking resource is to do Storytelling or add a voiceover to Instagram Reels. For this, keep in mind the following points:
- Have written what you are going to tell: Creating this little script will make it easier for you to follow the thread.
- Speak in a normal tone, and not too slow and not too fast. Make intonation changes to prevent the message from being too flat.
- Remember the purpose: Entertain, teach…
In this link we remind you of the step by step on how to put the voiceover on your Instagram Reel:
Step 5 Publication
In this last step is where we must add the cover and the Caption, and for this we must take into account the following:
Add the cover to the Reel
To add the cover to the Reel we can do it using a clip from the Reel that we are going to publish or we can upload a photo. Remember that the screen must be striking and reflect at a single glance what we want to show in the Reel.
There are also tools external to Instagram (such as Canva) that can help us make covers when we want to add text to it.
Add Caption to Reel
The Caption would be the kind of description that appears at the bottom of the Reel with which we can play in many ways depending on what our objective is.
This is the ideal site to add CTAs and Hasgtags that help and facilitate viewers to interact with the Reel, and in the following links we explain how to add both, what they are and what they are for:
With this, you already know the approach to take when you are going to make an Instagram Reel and how important are the points to take into account before starting..
By making these ideas clear, the organization and management in the creation of the Reel will be much easier, making you obtain much better results. In this way, if you know what you want to do from the beginning and how to develop it, you will not give room for any type of failure.
And it is that, even in the most spontaneous content, such as the Reels, there must be a planning to be carried out and after this chapter of the course you already have the key points clear. Now that you know this, start thinking about what you want to show in your Reels, make a script before you carry it out and start with it.