Launched in 2020 as Instagram’s answer to TikTok, Instagram Reels quickly has become a go-to content format for consumers and brands. Now, Instagram Reels are reshared more than 4.5 billion times a day, according to Meta, driving engagement and discovery like never before.
Reels has become a favorite among users. Instagram’s algorithm also favors Reels, featuring them in the app’s feed and Explore page. For businesses and influencers looking to expand their reach and connect with audiences more dynamically, mastering Instagram Reels is no longer optional—learning how to use Instagram Reels for growth and engagement is essential.
In this guide, we’ll cover why Instagram Reels are worth your time and investment, and how you can bake them into your social media strategy to grow your Instagram following.
What are Instagram Reels?
Reels are Instagram’s video format. You can record and share Reels from the app with the Instagram camera, or upload existing videos from your camera roll to your Instagram account.
Like Instagram Stories, Reels are designed for you to share short, fun, original video content with other Instagram users (who now number three billion). However, unlike Instagram Stories, Reels do not disappear after 24 hours, enabling you to post Instagram Reels and continue generating views and business long afterward.
The biggest difference between Reels and other Instagram formats is that Reels get promoted to non-followers (as long as your account is not set to private). A 2025 study by CreatorsJet found that Instagram Reels have 2.25 times the reach of single-image posts, making them a powerful tool for reaching new audiences.
When you post a Reel, it shows up both in your profile feed and the dedicated Reels tab. Users can access Reels from the Explore page and through the dedicated Reels icon at the bottom of the screen. While scrolling through the Reels feed, videos automatically transition from one to the next, increasing overall engagement on this post format.
Instagram Reels come with various creative tools to create seamless transitions between multiple clips; overlay text, stickers, and AR effects; and add original audio or audio clips from the Instagram music library. You can also monetize Reels by using them to promote your products.
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Start free trialInstagram Reels vs. TikTok
Instagram Reels and TikToks are both video formats. The main difference is that what’s trending on TikTok right now might not be trending on Instagram. This is due in part to TikTok’s slightly younger user base, and because the Instagram algorithm is different from the TikTok algorithm.
Social media consultant and Link in Bio author Rachel Karten recommends cross-posting half of your short videos to both Instagram and TikTok. This content should be trend-agnostic. The other half of your posts should be platform-specific, based on the trends happening on each platform right now.
|
Instagram Reels |
TikTok |
|
|
Maximum video length |
Up to 20 minutes, but Instagram’s algorithm won’t recommend videos longer than three minutes |
Up to 10 minutes long for in-app recording or 60 minutes long for uploads |
|
Target audience |
Millennials and older Gen Z |
Gen Z (but adoption by other demographics is growing) |
|
Style |
More polished |
More trend-driven |
How does the Instagram Reels algorithm work?
A once-experimental feature, Reels are now integral to the Instagram app. According to Meta, users spend half their time on Instagram watching Reels. Because users watch Instagram Reels in a continuous-scroll fashion similar to TikTok, the format has its own recommendation algorithm separate from that of static image posts.
Instagram recommends Reels by using an AI-powered method it calls Reels Chaining. Some of the signals the AI uses when deciding which Reels to recommend are:
- Video length
- Total number of views
- Number of views lasting at least three seconds
- Number of views with the sound on
- Number of likes
- Time users spent watching
- Number of users who followed after watching
How to create Instagram Reels
ALT: Collage of Instagram interface showing the process of creating a Reel of yellow and white fabric.
CAPTION: Source: Instagram
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating Instagram Reels on a mobile device. You can also upload previously recorded video within the app or from a desktop computer.
- Open the Instagram app. Tap the plus sign at the bottom of the screen and swipe between content types to select “Reel.”
- Tap the Record button at the bottom of the screen to start recording. You’ll see the video length in the upper right corner. Tap the same button to stop recording.
- Tap “Next” in the bottom right corner. You can now edit your Reel by adding audio (suggested at the top of the screen). Swipe up to access additional editing features. When you’re done editing, tap “Next.”
- You can now add a caption, edit your cover image, and tag people or a location. When you’re done, tap “Save draft” or “Share.”
Best practices for Instagram Reels
- Enhance your Reels with trending audio
- Be authentic
- Hook viewers within the first three seconds
- Use Instagram Collabs to co-post
- Tag products
Here are some tips for maximizing the features at your disposal and creating an engaging Reel:
Enhance your Reels with trending audio
To enhance the impact of your Instagram Reels, add an audio clip like a voice-over, music, or a trending track to your Reel. You can record your own original audio, or consult Instagram’s music library to add trending audio to your Reel.
Instagram’s algorithm takes audio into account when making recommendations, so using the same sounds found in trending Reels can help you get your video in front of more viewers. Just make sure you have permission to use a trending sound or song before you add music or voice-overs that belong to other creators.
Be authentic
“Consumers know when they’re being sold to,” Michelle Ravazi, co-founder of protein brownie company Elavi, says on an episode of Shopify Masters. “When we can share a funny story or educate on the product or talk about the greater industry as a whole, then we allow our consumers to trust us and feel like there’s a heart and soul to the brand and there’s humans behind it.”
For Michelle, authenticity means creating unpolished Instagram Reels that show the reality of owning a business. In one Reel, Michelle explains why the packaging design for Elavi’s Peanut Butter Chocolate flavor doesn’t match the brownie inside:
Hook viewers within the first three seconds
One of the factors the Instagram algorithm uses to determine whether to recommend your Reel is how many people watched your video for at least three seconds. Of course you want viewers to stay and watch your Reel all the way through, but those first three seconds are crucial for making your Reels stand out.
Here’s a great example from microwave cookware brand Anyday. This video about chopping and freezing onions starts with an over-the-top claim—“I’m convinced chopping onions is a form of punishment”—before showing viewers how to prep onions ahead of time by chopping and freezing in the brand’s silicone freezer trays.
Use Instagram Collabs to co-post
Instagram Collabs is a feature that allows up to five users to create Reels together. Unlike Instagram reposts, a collaborative post lives on each account’s Instagram feed and appears as if it was created by each collaborator.
One person must initiate the collaboration—ideally the person with the most followers. According to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, “The initiator is the most important in terms of reach. So have the largest account—if you’re trying to maximize reach—initiate the collaboration.”
Collabs can be a great way to partner with another brand to get in front of both audiences, or to feature an influencer or public-facing founder. This Reel from makeup brand Ciele Cosmetics and skin care company Dieux does a little bit of both. In the Reel, Ciele co-founder Nikki DeRoest does makeup on Dieux co-founder Charlotte Palermino. Both of the brands and both of the founders shared the video, helping it reach the widest possible audience.
Tag products
One of the advantages of setting up a shop on Instagram is the ability to tag products in Reels to make them shoppable. This is especially useful if you want to later turn your Reel into an Instagram ad.
Shoppable Instagram Reels have a small shopping bag icon in the bottom left corner and a “View shop” banner at the bottom of the video. Users can tap on the shopping bag or banner to learn more about the product.
Here’s an example of how this looks in a Reel from accessories brand Clare V.:
ALT: Collage of Clare V. Instagram Reel and product page for cashmere crew socks.
CAPTION: Source: Instagram
Use Reels to increase your Instagram reach
Now that you understand Instagram Reels, you’re equipped with the tools to experiment with this content format to build brand awareness and acquire new shoppers for your Shopify store.
With Instagram’s growing user base, Shopify store owners need to keep an eye out for new features and use them from the get-go. Instagram favors new users of its features and boosts their profile for new audiences as well as their existing followers. By using new features as they’re released, you can get the Instagram algorithm to favor you and more effectively use Instagram Reels for growth and engagement.
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How to use Instagram Reels FAQ
How do I get Reels on my Instagram?
All types of Instagram accounts can share and create Reels. If you don’t have the option, try updating your app to the latest version, log out and log back in, or restart your phone.
Why are Reels not showing up on Instagram?
Make sure your Instagram app is updated to the latest version. If that doesn’t work, clear the Instagram app’s cache data on your device and try logging out and back in again. Sometimes there’s a glitch, but this will rectify itself after a while.
Can you see who watches your Reels on Instagram?
While you can see the total number of views on your Reels, you can’t see specific accounts that have watched them like you can with Stories. The view count is visible in the bottom left corner of each Reel cover in the Reels tab.
How many Reels should I post a week?
Social media consultant Rachel Karten recommends businesses share three to five Reels per week. If you can post more, great. But consistency is more important than how often you post on Instagram. Figure out the posting cadence that realistically works for you, and stick to it.
What size should Instagram Reels be?
Instagram Reels should have an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS, and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels. The cover photo needs to be 420 by 654 pixels or 1:1.55 ratio.
What is the best time to post Instagram Reels?
The best time to post on Instagram depends on your follower base. You can use the app’s built-in analytics feature, Instagram Insights, to see how posting time affects engagement.
If you’re new to Instagram, start with these posting times based on research from Social Pilot:
- Monday: 3 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m.
- Tuesday: 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m.
- Wednesday: 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m.
- Thursday: 6 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m.
- Friday: 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 5 p.m.
- Sunday: 5 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m.
What are the best content types for Instagram Reels?
Some of the best content types for Instagram Reels include:
- Product how-tos
- Inspiration
- Behind the scenes
- Teasers and sneak peeks
- Problems and solutions
- User-generated content (UGC)
