Posted by When Instagram started 11 years ago, they were purely a photo-sharing app that users enjoyed. Ever since then, its customer base has grown immensely and has even attracted business owners thanks to the features they have released.
Instagram has even shared that mobile-shot Stories ads have a 63% chance of outperforming ads that were shot in a studio. This is a huge advantage for businesses since you can make the most out of the videos you share on this social media platform.
Recently, Instagram released a new feature called Instagram Reels. Instagram launched this feature in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Canada, France, the UK, and the US.
The social media app explained this feature as a fun way to share 60-second videos with effects, audio, and creative tools. These clips can then be shared with your followers on the Feed and on the Explore page.
And with the growing popularity of video marketing, it’s no longer a surprise why Instagram released the feature to the public. Instead of using Instagram Stories or IGTV, Reels gives you more creative options by adding music, disappearing text, effects, and many more.
In addition to this, Instagram Reels get shown to more people who are not necessarily your followers. As a result, you have a higher discoverability rate compared to an ordinary Story. The reel also stays on your feed rather than expiring.
These are just a few reasons why you should start incorporating Reels into your Instagram marketing strategy.
How to Promote Your Service-Based Business with Instagram Reels
Research shows that millions of people around the world are actively using Instagram. This starts with India with an audience size of 180 million users, the US with 170 million users, and Brazil with 110 million users.
Using these numbers, you can make the most out of your strategy and let people discover your service-based business. You can use Reels to tell your brand’s story in a fun way so that your followers will feel connected to you.
The good thing about Reels is that you can immediately start using your Instagram Business Account to create content to share. You do not need to start from scratch since you already have several followers waiting for you to share new content.
A good rule of thumb in using Reels in your Instagram marketing strategy is to be consistent. You can start with one Reel a week and increase that number gradually, depending on what type of content your audience enjoys.
You can list down different ideas on the content you wish to share on your Reel. And when you’re ready, you can sit down and start creating your first Reel.
1. Check Your Website’s Overall Web Hosting Performance
Before anything, you have to make sure your website is not experiencing any downtimes or has page loading speed problems. You can do this by checking the performance of your web host provider.
When you include Instagram as part of your marketing strategy, it will link to your website. And people who come across your social media page will visit your website from there. If your website is not loading properly, there is a huge chance that the visitor will close the page.
Any business owner or marketer will tell you that this is a bad practice. You need to make sure your website is running smoothly so you don’t encounter such incidents.
2. Give a Sneak Peek Behind-the-Scenes of Your Business
So you’ve decided to use Instagram Reels to highlight your business. But as a service-based business, how do you do that? One suggestion is to give a sneak peek behind the scenes of your business that captures what your brand does in a nutshell.
This is because people like to feel involved and part of a community. Even with your Instagram account, followers will feel like they’re part of a community when you let them see some behind-the-scenes posts.
Take this post as an example:
Jordi Koalitic is known as an expert in creative photography. In this particular Reels video, he shared a behind-the-scenes look at how he achieves his final product. This can be a good way to let his followers see the magic that goes behind his craft.
You can also do a timelapse video showcasing a project’s start to finish. When you share this kind of content, your followers get to feel like they are part of your team and that they are actually there with you every step of the way.
Here’s another example to look at:
Blankslatereno shared this Reel to show his followers the before and after of one of his projects. It lets people see what goes on behind his work and the transformation he does in each property he works with.
This kind of content is an easy and effective way to let people see what your business is about. Whether you’re a popular brand or just a small start-up, you can let people see an unedited side of your brand and how things work.
3. Create Short How-To’s Videos
A how-to video is also a great Instagram marketing strategy that you should consider using. This type of content lets you showcase your brand’s authority and gives value to your audience.
You can share bite-sized yet valuable pieces of information that will help your audience in their buying journey. You can also take things up a notch by encouraging your audience to ask a question on your Reels.
By doing so, you get to prove to your audience that your brand knows its stuff. And for this, they will rely on you for producing useful how-to videos that will really teach them a thing or two.
In this video, Black Forest Wood Co. shares a glimpse at how their Furniture Oil finishes a table. They have been making custom furniture since 1993. By letting their audience see a how-to video, they get to teach others what to expect with the products they make.
4. Collaborate with Micro-Influencers
Influencer marketing has been an effective marketing method that lets you connect with more traffic and potential customers. As a matter of fact, the global influencer market has been estimated to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.4% from 2019 to 2024.
It is expected to grow into a $22.3 billion industry by 2024, a far cry from its $5.5 billion market in 2019.
One of the reasons behind the success of influencer marketing is because the Gen Z audience hates traditional marketing. When given the chance, they will skip viewing ads and will even go as far as installing ad blockers on their devices.
Since they grew up during the internet age, they rarely watch TV or listen to traditional radio. Not to mention, they have learned how to filter out advertising messages. This is where influencer marketing steps in.
By using unique and creative influencer marketing strategies, the younger generation gets to feel a connection to the brand. They do not see these as an opportunity to market to them but as a unique experience that their trusted influencer went through.
A recent study also found that 84% of marketing professionals believe that influencer marketing is an extremely effective strategy. Out of that number, 35.3% believe this is a strategy that delivers the best ROI.
With such a strong effectivity rate, it’s no longer a surprise why you should consider tapping into micro-influencers on Instagram and TikTok.
Of course, you also have to remember that not every influencer with a huge following will be right for your brand and campaign goals. You can’t just pick out an influencer because they have thousands of followers, especially if they have a different niche.
Looking for the best influencers can be a challenge. In fact, 16.3% of marketers agree. When you work with the wrong influencer, it can be disastrous for your brand. You have to find someone who will make the campaign look natural and reach the right audience.
As such, you need to filter out the different influencers to look for one who shares the same values as you do. The best way you can do this is by answering these questions:
- Who are you trying to reach?
- What are the demographics of your target audience?
- Do you wish to attract and engage consumers from specific geolocation?
- Which channels are your target customers most active on?
- What hashtags do they follow on social media?
By answering these questions, you can find the right influencer who will deliver ROI to your influencer campaign. The good news is, there are tools that you can use to help you find influencers to work with.
Once you find potential influencers, the next thing you need to do is to reach out to them effectively. You will then need to sign a contract with them and negotiate for success. This way, you can be clear with your expectations and their deliverables.
5. Show Them What You Can Do
One of the most effective marketing strategies you can do as a service-based business is to show your audience what you can do.
If you are an animator, you can use Instagram Reels as an opportunity to highlight your craft. You can include a short clip to one of your projects. Since it will only last 60 seconds, you do not need to show the entire video of the animation.
This strategy also works if you are a marketing agency. With Reels, you can show your audience a short video that highlights your skills and the quality of work that you can produce.
You know the old saying “Actions speak louder than words,” this is particularly true in a service-based business. And thankfully, Instagram is a great tool for you to use to highlight your service.
6. Repurpose Your Top-Performing Content
Another idea for content to use on your Reels is to repurpose evergreen or top-performing content. You can do this by introducing it in a new way, especially if you already posted a similar video in the past.
This is a good practice to include in your Instagram marketing strategy, especially if you wish to introduce your brand to your new followers and viewers. They don’t need to scroll through your feed to learn more about your brand.
One way you can repurpose your top-performing content is to turn them into social media content. For example, if you have a blog, you can take a few important ideas from an evergreen blog post and turn that into a visual graphic.
Since social media users heavily rely on visuals for engagement, you can engage with your audience more. They do not need to read your blog post and instead, just take a few bits of information that they find useful.
7. Feature Testimonials from Your Existing Clients
It’s also a good idea to feature testimonials from your existing clients through the form of user-generated content (UGC). If you frequently promote your own brand on social media, you will likely lose 45% of your followers. This is because you will sound repetitive and ingenuine.
On the other hand, if you reach out to your existing clients and ask them to write an unbiased review about your service, you will build trust from new customers.
In fact, customers usually turn to UGC reviews before they make a buying decision. While you’re at it, don’t succumb to writing fake reviews as these can easily be spotted. When your followers find a fake review, they will lose trust in your brand.
Kinside is a child care management tool that allows parents to look for trusted care providers for their children. Companies also get the help they need with Kinside by offering childcare benefits to their employees.
In this example, Kinside highlighted a review that one of their customers left behind.
If you come across a detailed review of your business, you can reach out to that customer and ask them to make a video while using the product. This is a great way they can influence your followers to trust your business.
Statistics show that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from other people, even from people they don’t know.
You can use this content to highlight your service and build trust with your audience.
Key Takeaways
It’s no secret that social media platforms are always changing. Despite these changes, it still is an extremely popular tool to use to promote your business. You can only keep on adapting to these changes and use them to win the hearts of your target audience.
For more information on how you can include Reels in your Instagram marketing strategy, subscribe to the Crowdfire app. You’ll be able to get more useful tips for your service-based business.