It's time to stop believing everything you hear out there about Instagram Reels, what you should do and what you should not do because let's be real, everyone's account and audiences are completely different. What works for me might not necessarily work for you.
Today, we're going to bust some popular myths about Instagram Reels that have been going around for way too long.
Myth # 1 - Adding a cover to your Reel will reduce its reach
While this is completely false, I don't suggest spending too much time creating covers. As a busy creator and business owner, I like to spend my time on other activities that will help me either grow my brand or my business and creating covers is not one of them.
My suggestion is to add the first frame of the Reel as the cover, making sure you add an enticing title, big enough for people to be able to read and know what your Reel is about when they land on your feed.
Myth #2 - Using trending audios or songs will make you go viral
While a trending song or audio will help you boost views, what makes a Reel go viral is when it evokes emotion in viewers to the point they want to share it or save it. So it comes down to your content, the value, and the message. A trending audio won't fix bad content.
Besides, remember that using the wrong audio could end up putting your content in front of the eyes of the wrong people and that's the last thing you want.
Myth #3 - Instagram Reels have to be perfectly edited
This is so not true! Reels are meant to be raw and spontaneous, so there is no need for them to be perfectly edited. In fact, many creators prefer to use the app's editing tools for a more authentic look and feel.
We go back to value and message. If you can deliver that in a simple and authentic way, it will resonate so much more with your audience than an overly edited Reel.
Besides, 2023 is all about working smarter and no one wants to spend hours and hours editing a Reel, creating the fanciest transitions or effects to try to convey a message.
Simple is better - less connection and more perfection.
Myth #4 - The shorter the Reel the better it performs
While it's true that a shorter Reel will have a higher retention rate, remember 2023 is about connection, and let me tell you a 7s Reel is conveying nothing to your audience nor helping you connect with them more.
Not to say that if you want to grow your personal brand or generate sales for your business, 7s Reels are not the way to go.
There are no rules when it comes to the length of a Reel. Keep them long enough to share your message and short enough to not bore your audience. At the end of the day, it's all about them, not about you!
Before continuing, I want to remind you about my free No BS Reels Guide for 'Reel' success where you'll learn the first steps to start creating standout original content to grow your personal brand and your business.
Myth #5 - Reels take a lot of time to create
Unless you're doing a dance that takes multiple tries, a fancy transition or a special effect, the most effective Reels should not take you that long.
Longer talking Reels might take a bit longer, but once you get the hang of them, you'll get them done in no time.
On top of this, there are a lot of easy Reels you can do that can still create an impact in your audience like B-Rolls, quotes, or even using templates on CapCut or the templates inside Instagram which will take you less than 10 min to create. Remember, it's all about the messaging.
Myth # 6 - The success of your Reel is based on how many views it gets
I will never get tired to repeat this, but virality does not equal success. At least not in 2023.
Short-form video content is so powerful and allows you to build and position your personal brand by sharing your thoughts, opinions, and skills and generating sales by using marketing psychology-like triggers. Views have nothing to do with either of these two.
Remember that you can measure the success of a Reel based on the purpose of this Reel and once again, your purpose should never be to go viral.
Myth # 7 - You should use 5 hashtags, no wait 7... I mean 15, FFS, use all 30!
Oh, the hashtag talk! The truth is that it doesn't matter, and you should definitely stop wasting time on hashtags.
Same as with audio, hashtags won't make up for crapy content. Work on your content, messaging, and delivery first, and THEN think about hashtags.
Remember hashtags are shifting more towards keywords for categorization so use as many as relevant, so you don't confuse the algorithm.
Alright! These were the 7 Reels myths you should STOP believing in 2023
Don't forget to grab my free Reels guide to start learning the first steps towards 'Reel' success!
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