Video is the preferred media of internet users. That is why it keeps gaining popularity on social media. A company that does not use Reels yet, has to start doing it, in 2024. Below, you will the information that you need to know on the Instagram reel length so that your marketing campaigns can be as useful as can be.
What are Reels?
Reels are short videos that can go from 15 seconds, all the way up to 90. In it, you can show anything that you want (as long as it is appropriate, of course) to lure the viewer into wanting to know more about the product or the service that you offer. But the great thing about reels is that you can modify them in a large variety of ways, to make them more entertaining for your viewers, by adding filters, captions, interactive backgrounds, and stickers.
If you wonder what the difference is between Instagram Reels and Stories, then the answer is that the first one will remain on your profile, while the other one will disappear after 24 hours. Also, Reels have become a priority to the company, so they are favored in the way they create the Instagram algorithm. In other words: Exactly what companies are looking for, in order to get the most visibility on this social media.
What is the Best Instagram Reel Length?
Companies that don’t use videos often, online, have to understand one thing before they start, and it is the perfect Instagram reel length to keep users attention. There are various lengths available, with 15 seconds being the default one. Then, a user can switch it to 30, 60, or 90 seconds, which is the new maximum. However, the best way to start using Reels is, to begin with, the minimum length. Entertaining is never easy. Doing so on social media is even harder. Why? They benefit from so many creators that chances are, if you haven’t caught the attention of the viewer in a few seconds, he will have already moved on to the next post.
Therefore, what a marketing director needs to do, when he starts to create Reels for the company, is to focus on the very first images and words that he will use, in order to create interest to watch the whole clip. With the 15 seconds provided, he will have to impact the viewer’s mind in such a way that he will want to know more about the company, its products, and services, or better yet, that he will be interested in buying them right away. If the person in charge is able to do that, and get concrete results from his Reels, then he can decide to move up to 30 seconds.
Why Create Longer Reels?
When you create content, you have to keep in mind why you are doing it. No one will give you an award for creativity on Instagram. The objective is to sell. And to do so, you need to get to the point, rapidly. That is why 15 seconds should suffice in most cases. But there are moments when you should go up to 30, 60, or 90 seconds, and here are some of these exceptions:
To Launch A Product or A Service
There is nothing that internet users like more than discovering new products and services when they roam online. And so, that gives you the opportunity to go beyond the limit of a 15 seconds clip. However, as you go about creating it, ask yourself if the seconds that you are adding are really making a difference to the person that will watch it. When the answer is no, this is when you need to stop and cut down to the previous length where you were, before you understood that there was no interest to continue the video, anymore.
For Tutorials
If the viewers of your Instagram accounts are partly customers that have bought your products already, you may want to create tutorial videos, every once in a while, to facilitate their use. This is a great way to cut costs on customer services. In such a case, don’t hesitate to use the full 90 seconds that are available to you, but only if you need them, of course.