Instagram Reels Statistics Marketers Should Know in 2026

Instagram Reels have moved well beyond their early role as Instagram's answer to TikTok. Reels now play an integral part of how brands reach new audiences, creators distribute their work, and Instagram keeps people watching video.

That does not mean every Reel automatically travels further than every carousel or produces better results than TikTok. In fact, Reels perform differently depending on account size, video length, industry, and the metric being measured. They can lead Instagram for reach and sharing while still losing to another format for saves, views, or engagement.

The statistics below draw from data in 2026 and, wherever possible, based on content posted. Because 2026 is still underway, these should be read as year-to-date benchmarks rather than final full-year results.

Instagram Reels Growth and Performance Statistics

Reels remain central to Instagram publishing, but their role has become more defined. Brands are producing more of them, people are watching them for longer, and sharing is growing much faster than passive reactions.

At the same time, the wider content environment has become more competitive. The strongest Reels are increasingly the ones that give viewers a reason to stay, respond, or send the video to somebody else.

1. Brands Published Nearly 35% More Instagram Reels

Brands published nearly 35% more Reels in early 2026 than during the comparable period in 2025, according to Metricool's 2026 Instagram Study. The study examined 24,364,803 Instagram posts from 375,118 accounts worldwide, comparing January and February across the two years.

That increase puts Reels at the center of an Instagram feed that is already busier than it was a year ago. More brands are using video for product demonstrations, creator collaborations, behind-the-scenes footage, explainers, and campaign storytelling. The opportunity is still there, but simply publishing a Reel is no longer enough to make a brand distinctive.

For marketers, the important question is what the additional output is accomplishing. A larger production calendar makes sense when each Reel has a defined role, such as discovery, education, social proof, or conversion. Volume without that purpose adds more content to an already crowded feed.

2. Reels Generate More Than Four Times the Interactions of Single-Image Posts

Metricool found that the average Reel generated more than four times as many interactions as a single-image post in 2026. Movement, voice, demonstration, and pacing give viewers more opportunities to react than a single frame usually can.

This makes Reels particularly useful when a product benefits from being seen in action. A skincare brand can show texture and application. A software company can demonstrate a workflow. A travel brand can take viewers through an experience instead of asking one photograph to carry the entire story.

The comparison does not make single images obsolete. It shows that a static post needs a clearer reason to exist. Strong photography, announcements, and distinctive campaign visuals can still work, while Reels are better suited to ideas that benefit from progression or explanation.

3. Reels Were the Only Instagram Format to Increase Their Engagement Rate

The same study recorded a 24.76% year-over-year increase in the engagement rate for Reels. They were the only Instagram format in the analysis to move in that direction.

The increase becomes more meaningful when viewed alongside the rise in publishing. Brands put out considerably more Reels, yet engagement still improved rather than being diluted by the additional supply. Audiences appear willing to interact with more video when the content gives them something timely, useful, or entertaining.

Still, the result should guide creative decisions rather than become a blanket instruction to replace every format with video. Carousels remain especially effective for saves and repeat reference. Reels are doing their best work when the goal is to capture attention and invite an immediate response.

4. Average Reel Watch Time Reached 8.5 Seconds

Average Reel watch time increased from roughly 4 seconds in 2025 to 8.5 seconds in 2026. That represents an increase of about 117%, while total Reel viewing time rose 139%, according to Metricool's analysis of 2026 Instagram trends.

Eight and a half seconds may sound short until it is placed inside a fast-moving vertical feed. Viewers make several decisions during that window: whether the opening is relevant, whether the pace holds, and whether the promised idea is worth finishing. Doubling that window gives brands more room to tell a story, but it also raises expectations for everything that follows the opening.

This is why a strong hook should connect directly to the substance of the Reel. A dramatic first frame may stop the scroll, but the next few seconds must deliver on it. When the opening and the payoff feel disconnected, the additional watch-time opportunity disappears quickly.

5. Reel Shares Increased by More Than 67%

Shares on Instagram Reels rose 67.19% year over year, substantially faster than the 16.68% increase in likes. The gap points to a change in how people express interest: sending a useful or relatable video is becoming more significant than tapping the like button.

For brands, a share puts content into a new conversation. A recipe can move into a family group chat, a workplace observation can reach a colleague, and a product demonstration can be sent to somebody considering a purchase. The Reel continues traveling because a viewer decided it was relevant to someone else.

That makes shareability a creative consideration rather than a line added to the caption. The concept itself needs a social reason to travel. Practical advice, recognizable situations, surprising comparisons, and clear recommendations naturally give viewers somebody to send the Reel to.

6. Reels Receive 65% of Their Views Within Three Days

Reels collect around 65% of their views and 61% of their interactions during their first three days. Day one alone accounts for approximately 30% of a Reel's lifetime views, according to Metricool's 2026 reach analysis.

That three-day window changes how a publishing team should think about distribution. A Reel should not be scheduled and immediately forgotten. Sharing it to Stories, responding to early comments, coordinating creator or employee engagement, and monitoring audience questions can help the post make the most of its most active period.

It also gives marketers a sensible evaluation schedule. The first few hours show whether the hook is working, while the first 72 hours provide a stronger early-performance picture. Judging a Reel after ten minutes is premature, but waiting several weeks to react leaves little opportunity to learn from the moment when most activity occurred.

Instagram Reels Reach Statistics

The idea that Reels always produce the most reach on Instagram is close enough to sound convincing and broad enough to cause poor planning. In 2026, account size makes a clear difference.

Reels are especially useful for smaller and midsize accounts looking beyond their existing audience. Larger brands still benefit from video, but the advantage over carousels becomes less certain as the follower count rises.

7. Reels Have a 9.78% Reach Rate for Accounts With 1,000-5,000 Followers

Socialinsider's analysis of 140,000 Reels published by business pages between January and June 2026 found that accounts with 1,000-5,000 followers averaged a 9.78% Reel reach rate. That compared with 8.80% for carousels and 7% for images.

The difference gives smaller brands and creators a practical opening. Reels can place an account in front of people who have never followed it, which makes the format useful when the immediate objective is discovery rather than deeper engagement from an established community.

The benchmark should still be treated as a starting point for comparison with similar accounts. A business serving a narrow local audience may see very different reach from a media brand publishing broadly relatable entertainment. The most valuable comparison is with accounts of a similar size, industry, and content style.

8. The Reels Reach Advantage Continues Up to 50,000 Followers

For accounts with 5,000-10,000 followers, Reels averaged a 7.55% reach rate, narrowly ahead of carousels at 7.40%. At 10,000-50,000 followers, Reels reached 7.10%, compared with 6.40% for carousels and 5.50% for images.

The shrinking gap is important. Reels still lead, but the advantage becomes smaller as the audience grows. A developing brand can use video as its primary discovery format while gradually building a more balanced content program around carousels, images, Stories, and creator partnerships.

For influencer campaigns, the result also supports looking beyond follower totals. A smaller creator whose Reels consistently reach outside their audience may offer better discovery value than a larger account whose content circulates mainly among existing followers.

9. Carousels Overtake Reels Above 50,000 Followers

The pattern reverses once an account crosses 50,000 followers. At 50,000-100,000 followers, carousel reach averaged 5.85%, slightly above the 5.60% recorded by Reels. Among accounts with 100,000-1 million followers, carousels reached 6%, compared with 5% for Reels.

Macro creators already have established audiences, so content that earns swipes, saves, and repeat exposure can work especially well. Instagram may also resurface a carousel using another slide, giving it an additional opportunity to attract attention in the feed.

This is a strong argument for matching format to purpose. Large brands can use Reels for product storytelling, personality, creator content, and sharing while relying on carousels for detailed education and save-worthy information. Choosing between them should come down to the intended audience action.

Instagram Reels Length and Retention Statistics

Instagram now gives creators far more room than the original 15-second Reels format. The data, however, suggests that the strongest organic performance still sits inside a relatively focused window.

Longer videos can work when the idea earns the additional time. For general reach and engagement, the evidence points marketers toward Reels that are substantial enough to develop a thought and concise enough to maintain momentum.

10. Reels Between 30 and 60 Seconds Generate the Highest Reach Rate

The same Socialinsider Reel study found that videos lasting 30-60 seconds produced the highest average reach rate at 5.60%. Reels under 30 seconds averaged 5.20%, while those lasting 60-90 seconds came close at 5.30%.

The result challenges the assumption that the shortest possible video always has the best chance of traveling. A very short clip may be easy to finish, but it also has less time to build context, demonstrate something useful, or create a memorable payoff.

Thirty to 60 seconds gives marketers enough room for a compact story. A Reel can identify a problem, show a process, and deliver a conclusion without asking the viewer for a lengthy commitment. It is a useful default for tutorials, comparisons, creator recommendations, and product demonstrations.

11. Reach Falls to 3.5% for Reels Longer Than Two Minutes

The same analysis found a 4.30% reach rate for Reels lasting 90-120 seconds. Once videos exceeded two minutes, average reach fell to 3.50%.

The decline does not mean every two-minute Reel will struggle. It means the content has to work harder to justify its length. A detailed tutorial, interview excerpt, or transformation story may need that space, while a simple announcement rarely does.

Before extending a Reel, marketers should ask whether each section adds information, tension, or proof. If the idea can be delivered cleanly in 45 seconds, stretching it to two minutes creates more opportunities for viewers to leave without adding more value.

12. Reels Lasting 45-60 Seconds Produce the Highest Engagement

A separate Socialinsider study of 6 million Reels published between January and June 2026 examined length in greater detail. Reels lasting 45-60 seconds recorded a 0.35% engagement rate, the highest of any length bracket in the study.

Reels under 30 seconds averaged 0.28%, while the 30-45-second, 60-90-second, and 90-120-second groups each averaged 0.30%. Videos lasting 120-180 seconds performed slightly better at 0.33%, showing that longer content can still hold up when the subject warrants it.

The 45-60-second range, therefore, works because it offers enough time to move beyond a hook. Brands can establish a situation, provide evidence, and reach a satisfying conclusion. That fuller arc gives viewers more to respond to than a clip that ends before the idea has properly developed.

13. The 45-60-Second Range Also Generates the Most Median Views

The same length bracket led for views, producing a median of 10,374 views per Reel. Reels lasting 60-90 seconds followed at 9,790, while those lasting 120-180 seconds still reached a median of 9,000 views.

By comparison, Reels under 30 seconds generated 4,700 median views. This is another reminder that brevity alone does not create reach. Short-form videos still need a complete idea, and ending quickly offers little benefit when the viewer has not received enough value to share, comment, or visit the profile.

For planning purposes, 45-60 seconds is a strong testing baseline rather than a mandatory runtime. A brand should compare its own top-performing videos by length, topic, and format. The useful insight is that marketers have more room to tell a story than conventional short-form advice often suggests.

14. Engagement Drops to 0.15% Beyond Three Minutes

Reels longer than 180 seconds recorded a 0.15% engagement rate and 4,428 median views. Both numbers were the lowest or close to the lowest results in the length analysis.

Part of that drop connects to Instagram's distribution rules. The Instagram Help Center says Reels can now run for up to 20 minutes, but videos longer than three minutes will not be recommended to new audiences.

That makes three minutes a strategic boundary. Longer Reels can serve existing followers who already care about the subject, while content intended for discovery should generally stay below it. The technical maximum tells creators what they can publish; the recommendation cutoff tells marketers how that decision may affect growth.

Instagram Reels Viewer Behavior and Publishing Benchmarks

Reach tells marketers how many people encountered a Reel. Skip rates, reposts, and publishing patterns reveal more about what happens around that exposure.

These figures are especially useful for setting realistic expectations. A high initial skip rate is common, reposts naturally rise with account size, and a sustainable publishing schedule looks different for a small team than for a global brand.

15. More Than 60% of Viewers Skip Reels Within Three Seconds

Average three-second skip rates ranged from 65.50% for accounts with 1,000-5,000 followers to 60.50% for accounts with 100,000-1 million followers. The middle brackets followed the same gradual pattern, with skip rates declining as account size increased.

The numbers show how unforgiving the opening can be. Even established brands lose a majority of initial viewers within three seconds. The goal is therefore less about eliminating skips and more about improving against an appropriate benchmark.

Smaller accounts should make the subject immediately recognizable. The opening frame, spoken line, and on-screen text should tell the viewer what they are about to receive. A slow logo reveal or generic introduction consumes most of the decision window before the actual story begins.

16. Larger Accounts Have Slightly Lower Reel Skip Rates

Accounts with 5,000-10,000 followers averaged a 65.30% skip rate, followed by 63.40% at 10,000-50,000 and 62.60% at 50,000-100,000. The improvement is consistent, even if the overall difference between the smallest and largest groups is only five percentage points.

Recognition likely helps. Viewers may give a familiar creator or brand an extra moment because they already understand the account's value. Larger organizations may also have more developed production systems, recurring formats, and clearer visual identities.

Smaller brands can build the same familiarity through repetition. A consistent opening style, recognizable presenter, or recurring series helps viewers understand the content faster. The aim is to become identifiable before the viewer decides to keep scrolling.

17. Reels Generate More Reposts Than Carousels or Images

Reels received more reposts than other Instagram formats at every account size in Socialinsider's study. Accounts with 1,000-5,000 followers averaged two reposts per Reel, compared with one for carousels and images.

The difference expanded with scale. Accounts with 100,000-1 million followers averaged ten reposts per Reel, eight per carousel, and five per image. Video appears especially well suited to the public act of sharing content with one's own audience.

Reposts deserve a place in campaign reporting because they represent distribution and endorsement at the same time. The viewer is doing more than reacting privately. They are putting the brand's content in front of another audience and associating themselves with it.

18. Smaller Brands Publish About Eight Reels per Month

Business accounts with 1,000-5,000 followers published an average of eight Reels per month. Output rose to ten Reels at 5,000-10,000 followers and 13 at 10,000-50,000.

These figures translate to roughly two or three Reels per week for smaller and midsize accounts. That is a more realistic benchmark than generic advice telling every brand to publish daily, regardless of its team, budget, or approval process.

Consistency matters, but consistency has to survive beyond one campaign sprint. A sustainable schedule that produces two focused Reels each week is more valuable than a daily plan that exhausts the team and lowers the quality of every video.

19. Large Accounts Publish Up to 20 Reels per Month

Accounts with 50,000-100,000 followers averaged 17 Reels per month, while those with 100,000-1 million published 20. Larger organizations often have the internal teams, agencies, creator relationships, and content libraries needed to maintain that pace.

The number should be read as a market benchmark rather than a prescription. Higher publishing frequency does not prove that volume caused stronger performance. It shows what similarly sized business accounts were producing during the study period.

Brands should work backward from the number of strong concepts they can support. Creator footage, event coverage, customer stories, product demonstrations, and expert commentary can make a higher cadence manageable. Repeating the same promotional message 20 times cannot.

20. Hospitality Brands Record the Highest Reel Engagement Rate

Hospitality and hotel accounts led Socialinsider's industry comparison with a 0.38% Reel engagement rate. Restaurants and cafés followed at 0.23%, with travel at 0.20%.

These categories naturally contain movement, atmosphere, transformation, and experience. A Reel can take viewers inside a hotel room, through a restaurant service, or across a destination in ways that a single image cannot reproduce. The format and the product are naturally aligned.

For hospitality marketers, the benchmark supports showing the experience rather than describing it. Room reveals, staff perspectives, local recommendations, guest itineraries, and creator visits give potential customers a clearer sense of what spending time with the brand would feel like.

21. E-Commerce Reel Engagement Averages 0.05%

At the other end of the industry table, eCommerce accounts averaged a 0.05% Reel engagement rate. Fashion and apparel and jewelry each recorded 0.07%, while retail and telecom reached 0.10%.

Lower engagement does not automatically make Reels a poor investment for these sectors. Product-heavy feeds face intense competition, and viewers may watch, click, or purchase without leaving a public reaction. Engagement rate captures only part of the customer journey.

These brands should connect Reel reporting to product-page visits, assisted conversions, saves, shares, and creator codes. The content also needs to move beyond a rotating product shot. Demonstrations, comparisons, styling ideas, customer footage, and problem-solving hooks give shoppers a reason to keep watching.

Instagram Reels vs. TikTok and YouTube Shorts

Instagram Reels exist inside a broader short-form video market. Brands often publish across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, but the same video can produce very different results on each platform.

The 2026 comparisons show that Instagram remains valuable for brands with an existing presence and a mixed-format strategy. TikTok leads on active engagement, while YouTube Shorts can deliver far more views across comparable account sizes.

22. Instagram Reels Generate 29% Fewer Views Than TikTok Videos

Metricool found that Instagram Reels generated approximately 29% fewer views than TikTok videos on average. Reels also produced 14% fewer interactions.

TikTok remains built around video discovery from the moment the app opens, while Reels compete for attention within a wider Instagram environment that includes Stories, carousels, images, direct messages, and profiles. That difference shapes both audience expectations and distribution.

Brands publishing to both platforms should adapt the edit instead of uploading an identical file everywhere. TikTok can reward a faster, more informal opening, while Instagram Reels can connect the video to an established profile, product catalog, creator partnership, or wider campaign narrative.

23. Reels Average a 0.45% Engagement Rate in a Cross-Platform Comparison

An analysis of 69 million TikTok videos, Reels, and YouTube Shorts found a 0.45% engagement rate for Instagram Reels in 2026. TikTok averaged 2.60%, while YouTube Shorts recorded 0.30%.

TikTok's lead is substantial, although the platform formulas are not identical. Socialinsider calculates TikTok engagement using likes, comments, and shares, while its Reels and Shorts calculations use likes and comments. The comparison is directionally helpful, but marketers should avoid treating the percentages as perfectly interchangeable.

The result also explains why cross-platform reporting needs a shared business objective. A campaign may generate more public interaction on TikTok, stronger profile activity on Instagram, and more video views on YouTube. Declaring one winner without defining the intended outcome leaves out the decision marketers actually need to make.

24. Reels Average 20 Comments per Video

Instagram Reels averaged 20 comments per video in the same study. That placed them between TikTok, with 50 comments, and YouTube Shorts, with ten.

Comments show that Reels can support conversation, even though TikTok produces more of it on average. Instagram brands can also continue those conversations through profile visits and direct messages, placing the Reel inside a broader relationship with the audience.

Content designed to invite a response should give viewers something specific to address. A choice, useful disagreement, familiar experience, or direct question creates a clearer opening than a generic request to “share your thoughts.”

25. Reels Outperform TikTok Views for Accounts Below 10,000 Followers

Among accounts with fewer than 5,000 followers, Reels averaged 625 views compared with 350 for TikTok. At 5,000-10,000 followers, Reels averaged 1,182 views, ahead of TikTok's 945.

That is encouraging for smaller Instagram-first brands. An account does not need to abandon its existing community to pursue short-form discovery elsewhere. Reels can provide competitive early-stage visibility while remaining connected to the rest of the brand's Instagram presence.

Once accounts passed 10,000 followers, TikTok moved ahead. At 100,000-1 million followers, TikTok averaged 34,900 views versus 18,300 for Reels. The platform decision therefore becomes more consequential as the account and production program grow.

26. YouTube Shorts Lead Views at Every Account Size

YouTube Shorts recorded the highest average views in every follower bracket within Socialinsider's comparison. Accounts below 5,000 followers averaged 15,160 Shorts views, while accounts with 100,000-1 million followers averaged 58,400.

Shorts benefit from YouTube's large recommendation system and can continue introducing viewers to a channel's longer videos. That gives the format a different strategic role from a Reel that lives inside an Instagram brand profile.

For teams already producing vertical video, Shorts offer a compelling additional distribution channel. The creative still needs to be adapted to YouTube's viewing environment, particularly when the goal is to lead people from a short clip into a longer review, tutorial, interview, or product story.

Instagram Reels Audience and Commerce Statistics

Some of the freshest Reels audience and commerce research comes from India, one of Instagram's largest and most video-oriented markets. These findings should remain clearly identified as Indian rather than being generalized to every country.

The study is still valuable for international marketers because it shows what happens when Reels become a daily entertainment, creator-discovery, and shopping environment at significant scale.

27. Eighty-Nine Percent of Gen Z Users in India Engage With Reels Daily

A 2026 Meta-commissioned Ipsos study found that 89% of surveyed Gen Z users in India engaged with Reels daily. The research covered more than 4,000 respondents across 23 locations, including metropolitan, Tier 2 and Tier 3, and rural areas.

Daily use at that level makes Reels part of how younger audiences encounter entertainment, creators, trends, and brands. A campaign does not enter a separate advertising environment. It enters a stream that people already use to understand what is culturally relevant.

Brands trying to reach this audience need creative that belongs in that stream. Creator voices, recognizable situations, regional relevance, and concise storytelling are likely to feel more natural than conventional ads repackaged into a vertical frame.

28. Daily Reels Use Reaches 85% Among Women in India

The study also found 85% daily Reels engagement among women and 88% among NCCS A audiences, a socioeconomic classification commonly used in Indian market research.

These figures show that Reels are reaching consumers across valuable demographic and purchasing groups, giving brands room to build campaigns around beauty, finance, automotive, travel, food, and household decisions.

The breadth of the audience also makes generic creative less effective. Brands should consider language, location, life stage, and community context when choosing creators and developing the story. Large reach becomes more useful when the content still feels specific to the people seeing it.

29. Beauty and Fashion Are the Most Engaged Reels Categories in India

Beauty and makeup and fashion and trends each reached 52% engagement in the category findings. Lifestyle and fitness and wellness followed at 42%, with comedy at 39%, sports at 38%, and travel at 37%.

The leading categories are highly visual, creator-friendly, and easy to connect to everyday identity. They also support repeatable formats such as tutorials, transformations, routines, reviews, styling ideas, and reactions.

Brands outside these categories can still learn from the structure. The common thread is recognizable human activity rather than polished product display. A financial service can show a real decision. A software company can solve a familiar frustration. A retailer can build a story around the person using the product.

30. Reels Deliver Nearly 60% Higher Creator Engagement in India

Meta's study found that Reels generated nearly 60% higher creator engagement than the other short-form video platforms included in the survey.

The result reinforces the value of creators as more than media placements. They bring established storytelling styles, community context, and credibility that a brand account may struggle to reproduce on its own.

For marketers, creator selection should go beyond follower totals. A creator's format, audience relationship, recurring themes, and ability to make the brand relevant to everyday life will shape whether the Reel feels worth watching and sharing.

31. Reels Influence Discovery, Consideration, and Purchases in India

The Ipsos research connected Reels with 81% product discovery, 66% consideration, and 47% purchase influence among surveyed users. The strongest effects appeared across categories including online shopping, automotive, and financial services.

The progression matters because it positions Reels across more than the awareness stage. A viewer can encounter a product through a creator, watch it being used, compare it with alternatives, and move closer to a purchase without leaving the wider Instagram environment.

Brands should build Reel programs around that complete journey. Broad creator content can introduce the product, demonstrations and reviews can answer questions, and retargeted or product-linked Reels can help convert existing interest. Measuring only views misses the later actions the format may support.

What the 2026 Instagram Reels Statistics Mean for Marketers

The clearest conclusion from the 2026 data is that Reels have matured. Brands are publishing more of them, viewers are watching for longer, and sharing is rising quickly. Yet the format no longer carries an automatic advantage in every situation.

Smaller accounts can use Reels to expand their reach, while larger accounts may find carousels more competitive for visibility and saves. Videos around 45–60 seconds offer a strong starting point, but the best runtime still depends on the story. The first three seconds determine whether the viewer stays, and the first three days contain most of the Reel's activity.

Reels also need to be understood as one part of a wider short-form strategy. TikTok produces stronger average video engagement, and YouTube Shorts can deliver much higher views. Instagram's strength lies in connecting video discovery with profiles, creators, direct messages, product activity, and the rest of a brand's content.

The practical approach is to give each Reel a clear job. Create for the audience action the campaign needs, choose a length that serves the idea, and compare performance with accounts that resemble your own. In 2026, the brands getting the most from Reels are treating the format as a storytelling and distribution system, not a box to tick on the content calendar.

How Does Instagram Reels Work?

To create Instagram Reels, just choose the Reels option at the bottom of the Instagram camera. You’ll then see the Reels editing tools on the left side of your screen. These editing tools include:

• Audio: Search for and choose a song or sound from the Instagram music library. You can also use your own audio by simply recording a Reel with live audio. Keep in mind that when you share a Reel with original audio, your audio will be attributed to you and other users can create Reels with your audio by selecting Use Audio from your Reel (if you have a public account).
• AR Effects: You can choose from several AR effects in Instagram’s effect gallery. These effects are created both by Instagram and users all over the world and can be used to record multiple clips with different effects.
• Timer and Countdown: Instagram Reels has a timer feature that lets you record your video clips hands-free. Once you press record, you’ll get a countdown from three before the camera starts recording for the amount of time you’ve chosen.
• Align: Instagram Reels has a really cool align feature that helps you line up objects from a previous clip before recording your next clip. This helps you create seamless transitions for things like outfit changes (a popular TikTok effect) or adding new friends into your Reel.
• Speed: You can choose to speed up or slow down part of the video or audio you’re using for your Instagram Reels. This can help you stay on a beat or make slow-motion videos.

It's also advised to learn how to optimize your Instagram posts to get the most out of your Reels posting.

How Do Brands Use Instagram Reels?

Since Reels are the best-performing Instagram content type, it makes sense for brands to use them extensively. Many brands have seen excellent results with Reels so far, and they will continue to use this content type in the future.

For example, Christine Colling, Later's social media manager, says,

However, to get these results, brands don't merely create random videos and upload them to Reels. Instead, they follow specific strategies and tactics tailored to this format.

Here's what brands use Instagram Reels for.

Show Products and Services 

The most obvious and simple use case for Reels is to show products and services. That's why most brands use Reels to display their products in a more dynamic and creative way. For example, Anastasia Beverly Hills uses Reels to show its new products in action, such as the Guava Blurring Serum Blush. The beauty brand has created a short Reel to bring attention to their new blush.

As you can see, the Reel doesn't have to be so long. It should just contain enough content to get people to engage. With just a snippet of the product, the beauty brand was able to get 34 comments and nearly 1,500 likes on their Reel.

Similarly, brands also use Reels to show their services. For example, American Express has created a Reel to show their new Centurion Lounge at DCA. The Reel highlights the grandeur of the lounge and its amenities, which can entice more people to visit the lounge.

Provide Behind-the-Scene Content

Often, when brands are in the process of launching a new product or a campaign, they create behind-the-scenes content to build anticipation and excitement. This strategy works well on Reels.

Suppose you're working with a top influencer or celebrity and want to create hype around the collaboration. You can share a teaser Reel on your Instagram channel, giving followers a glimpse of what's to come. This tactic gets people talking about your project.

Sometimes, brands also give their followers insider looks with Reels. For example, they may take you backstage to a fashion show or show you the process of creating a new product. American Express does this, too. During the Wimbledon championship, American Express created a Reel to give their followers an insider look at their Cardmember lounge.

Similarly, Hollister created a Reel to show the BTS of their collaboration with Darryl Brown. The Reel shows close-ups of the clothes and the models, giving followers a sneak peek into what to expect to see in stores.

Collect and Share UGC

The rise of UGC has made it important for brands to incorporate it into their social media strategy. There are many ways brands use Reels to show UGC. For example, they may create a Reel of all the positive reviews they have received during a campaign or sale.

Similarly, brands may share Reels created by their followers featuring their products. For instance, Laneige uses UGC to show its products in a natural, not-so-salesy way. Such videos get a ton of engagement since they feature real people using and enjoying the products.

Collaborate With Influencers

Instagram influencers help brands reach their young and active target audiences. Brands often combine the relatability of influencers with the reach of Reels to create powerful marketing campaigns.

For example, Fresh Pet, a pet food company, works with influencers who are dog parents to share Reels of their dogs trying Fresh Pet products. This showcases real-life examples of the product in use, making it more authentic and trustworthy for potential customers.

The same goes for Lysol. The brand partners with influencers who would use their products in their daily lives, such as moms or professional cleaners. For example, in a Reel-based collaboration, the brand partnered with Karla, a micro-influencer who works as an equipment handler.

Since her job involves washing team uniforms, she can show Lysol Laundry Sanitizer's effectiveness without making the promotion seem forced. Views are also likely to trust her since the product aligns with her expertise. 

Participate in Challenges and Trends

Instagram challenges and trends are a great way to create a chance of virality for your Reels. You can also use trending sounds to boost your reach. When it comes to trends, there's a new one every day. You can pick and choose based on your audience and whether the trend goes with your brand image.

For example, Duolingo is famous for jumping on every trend that gains popularity on the platform. They've even created a Reel showing their owl mascot in Team USA's Olympics gear for the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the Reel, they have followed the trend, which includes people showing their sporting failures with the caption ''sad to announce that I did not make the cut for the 2024 Olympics.''

Participating in trends can increase engagement on your Reels, even from people who don't follow you, since trending Reels show up on the Explore page and in the Reels tab.

Announce or Tease New Launches

There was a time when only movies and TV shows released teasers to create hype, but now this strategy has trickled down to the marketing world. Many brands create Reels to tease new product launches or announcements. Even better, they get influencers on board to make sure the pre-release Reel reaches a larger audience.

That's what Veggies Made Great did. They sent their Breakfast Potato Bakes to influencers before rolling them into stores nationwide. Influencers created Reels showing themselves making and enjoying the product. This helped boost sales when the product officially launched.

Wrapping Up

Instagram Reels is a nice addition to Instagram’s features and offers something slightly different from Stories since the content doesn’t disappear after 24 hours. As the feature becomes more mature, it will be interesting to see how brands and influencers are able to leverage the popularity of the Instagram platform to make Reels work for their businesses. 

Check back often to get all the latest Instagram Reels statistics!

About the Author

Jacinda Santora

Writer

Jacinda Santora is a copywriter, marketing consultant, and owner of JMS Copy. She enjoys using her SEO expertise combined with experience in and a deep love for all things marketing to create high-quality marketing-related content