By Hannah Golding
Creating Reels
You might think you need access to lots of fancy paid-for apps to create a reel that will earn you a lot of engagement, but you’ll actually get the most engagement by creating your Reel directly through the Instagram app!
To create an Instagram Reel, start by selecting the ‘+’ icon at the top right of your Instagram Profile.
Then select ‘Reel’. Here you will see lots of creative editing tools on the left-hand side of your screen to help make your Reel, such as:
Audio: You can search for a song from the Instagram music library. Alternatively, you can use your own audio by simply recording Reel with it. If you share a Reel with your own audio, this audio will be attributed to you, and if your account is public, other users can create Reels with your audio by selecting ‘Use Audio’ from your Reel.
AR Effects: Here you can record multiple clips with different Instagram effects.
Timer and Countdown: You can record clips hands-free by setting the timer. Once you press record you will see a 3-second countdown before the recording begins for the amount of time you have selected.
Align: Line up objects from your previous clip before recording your next to help create seamless transitions between clips.
Speed: You can choose to speed up or slow down part of the video or audio you selected. This can help your video stay on beat or make slow-motion videos.
To record a Reel, hold down the capture button at the bottom of your screen. You will see a progress indicator at the top of your screen as you record, counting down the seconds you have left to record your Reel.
Keep in mind that Reels can be recorded all at once, in a series of clips, or even using video uploads that are already saved onto your mobile phone’s gallery.
When you are done recording, press the ‘Preview’ button. Here, you can add other effects to your videos like GIFs, stickers, text, music, and drawings using the icons in the top right-hand corner of your screen.
You can also select at which points in your video you want text to appear. Using the slider at the bottom of the screen can help you pinpoint your timings. For example, if you just want text to appear at the beginning of your Reel, set the slider so that it only covers the first few seconds of the video.
Sharing Reels
Once you are happy with your Reel, press the ‘Next’ button on the bottom right-hand side of your screen. Here, you can save a draft of your Reel, add a caption and hashtags, edit the video thumbnail, tag people, and select where you want your Reel to be shared. If your account is public, you can share your Reel to a dedicated space on the Explore page, where it has a chance to be seen by the wider Instagram community.
If your account is private, you can share your Reel with your followers, but users will not be able to use your original audio from Reels, and people will not be able to share your Reel with users who do not follow you.
You can also share your reel with your followers by posting it to your Instagram feed, which will appear under a new reels section on your Instagram profile.