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Instagram Reels have reshaped how brands develop reach, build relationships with their audiences, and maintain connections with their followers. Short, catchy video content is a great way to get discovered faster than standard post content – and with more engagement brought to your content. With a well-thought-out plan, Reels can lead you toward new customers and, ultimately, more engagement.

Knowing what works best with Reels you can follow tips that are simple, tried and tested, and easy to incorporate into your social media schedule. If you want to grow steadily and build trust with your audience, you’ve come to the right place.

10 Tips for Instagram Reels For Business:

Tips for Instagram Reels For Business:

Before you hit “post” on a new Reel, there are some simple steps you can take to help your content stand out, and amplify Reels likes and views. Building a solid foundation with your Instagram business profile and having a complete and clear plan will help you achieve what you desire and develop a steady-flowing audience following. Here is our simple guide to help you build the best possibility to succeed with Instagram Reels.

1.  Get Your Instagram Business Account Optimized:

Start with your profile, as it is your business card on Instagram. A polished profile welcomes trust and attracts the right attention. Take the time now to welcome your audience with:

  • Profile Photo:
    High-quality logo image or high-quality headshot image if you are a personal brand,whatever you decide to use. Incorporate key terms that are relevant to your industry and a call to action, like “Check out our latest Reels for deals.”
  • Contact options:
    Establish a business email, phone number, or direct message for easily accessible outreach.
  • Story Highlights: 

This is where you can save your best Reels, product tips, and customer testimonials so your followers can easily access this content.

Having a professional profile attracts legitimate followers, builds trust, and allows you to earn Reels likes from viewers who will become customers.

2. Set Solid Goals for Your Reels:

When you know what you want to achieve, it enhances specific objectives in every Reel that you create (using information to assist you is effective). Think about what you want to encourage most for your business, whether:

  • Brand Recognition
  • Product Promotion
  • Clicks to Your Website
  • Engagement (comments, shares, and Reels likes)

Goals are important and will keep you on track. Every video hits on something, whether it be bringing awareness to the top products you’re selling or taking a moment to give a human element to your brand.

3. Make Compelling Reels Content

Getting more Reels likes  for your business means creating videos that people want to watch, share and remember. Effective Reels don’t just happen by accident – they start strong, keep attention, and produce immediate, actionable value. Compelling content means being purposeful in every aspect of planning the reel and grabbing the viewer’s attention right away!

Grab Attention in the First Couple of Seconds

The best-performing Reels are usually the ones that grab attention immediately. Instagram users scroll quickly; you have a very small window for making a first impression—a matter of two or three seconds. If you don’t grab attention right from the start, users will keep on moving, which means you are missing out on Reels likes.

Ask a big question or make a bold statement:

Grabbing attention means sparking curiosity or intrigue, so your intro has the opportunity to get your viewers thinking. For example; “Want more customers in one week?” or “Stop wasting money on ads”

Show quick pacing: Edit to create energy:

 You want to use quick cuts, energetic music, and big body language so your viewers will remain locked in on your reel.

Show your main idea quickly: 

Give away the value right at the beginning, whether you’re providing a sneak-peek of your product or the tip you are about to share.

Show some before and afters:

The odds of engaging a person who wants quick wins are high if you show the transformation or results in the opening moments.

Use on-screen text: 

A person will want to verify your message, even when they are watching with the sound off. Use simple, bold on-screen text and keep it brief.

4. Use Trending Audio but Stay on Brand:

Instagram will usually promote a Reel or a trending song/sound that fits within your business. Keep audio that you see working for your industry, but always ensure it fits your tone and message. Your brand voice also matters just as much as being trending.

Create Eye-Catching Covers:

Think of Reel Covers as the movie posters that are positioned in your profile grid, a solid cover image will:

  • Be eye-catching and memorable
  • Provide a snapshot of your key theme or product
  • Be well-presented, and professional

You can either upload your own cover, or select a frame from your video, but either way you want it to look good at the smaller size when displayed in your grid.

5. Use Hashtags & Captions to Get Noticed 

 Use Hashtags & Captions to Get Noticed 

You might think hashtags and captions are inconsequential, but they are heavy lifters when you want to gain more Reels likes and views. They lead new viewers to your content and help viewers stay engaged and interact. 

Keep your captions succinct, clear, direct, and engaging. When people engage with your caption before your video, you’re already working to hold their attention before they begin watching your content, and Instagram users are moving quickly to engage with even the next Reel video. Put your message first and have a simple call-to-action (i.e., “Save this tip for next time”, “Which product would you try?”). Developing strong captions will help direct new and existing viewers and help them know what to do next.

  • When it comes to hashtags, quality (not quantity) is always better. Forget about throwing a dozen hashtags on your Reel—the practical answer is to use 3 to 5 very particular hygiene tags:
  • Consider creating a branded, unique hashtag for your business, and over the longevity of your business and social media traction, maybe viewers will use it in a post and help grow your organic reach over time. 

Use This Technique To Discover Strong Hashtags Fastly

Enter the keywords relevant to you into the Instagram search bar.

Scroll down the results page and see all the hashtags, and how many posts are associated with each hashtag.

Select hashtags with enough posts so you know there is activity, but not too many posts so you will get buried with your Reel.

Combining good captions with the right hashtags, you are on Instagram tapping into viewers on search who have arrived with an intention to find what you are offering. Each comment, share, and each time someone taps the heart icon is a signal to Instagram that your Reel is valuable to share, and will lead to new Reels likes on each post.

6. Keep Videos Short Simple and Get to the Value Fast:

No one’s attention span lasts long – particularly on Reels. Don’t forget to try and keep it around 7-15 seconds when you can, and get to the value as quickly as you can. 

Demonstrate to your audience how your product is beneficial or share a quick tip that solves their problem immediately. By giving value upfront, more people will be likely to watch till the end, like your video, and share it with others.

7. Invite Audience Participation & Engagement:

If you want to grow more exposure and more Reels likes,views, comments and shares you have to engage your viewers in participation. Instagram favors posts by the ability of posts to engage their audience in conversation and actions. Every interaction is a signal that the content is worthy to engage with. What is the easiest way to do this? You need to get creative, and original in the way you ask for participation.

Next to be creative, you have to remember to use calls to action (CTAs) as your new superpower. The best CTAs get your viewer a direction for the next step, and make it simple to participate.Try:

  • “Like if that resonates with you!”
  • “Tag a friend who needs this in their life!”
  • “Comment on your favorite product below.”
  • “Share this Reel in your story for extra tips.”

Be action oriented, and be simple. The more specific you are asking your audience to do something, the more likely they are to follow through.

8. Engage With Comments & DMs:

When someone likes, comments, or messages about the reel, respond! Respond quickly and with personality. People are looking to be seen and to be personally engaged. Engaging with your viewers will encourage them to re-like, get more followers, and even word of mouth growth for your business. 

  • There are steps to implement before and after you post Reels that will build your professional credibility, acquire more reels likes and views to grow your business on Instagram. All three components of your strategy – your Instagram profile, analytics, and content strategy – put you one ahead of your competition. 
  • In terms of the first few seconds, being consistently engaging is important because the Instagram algorithm rewards video content that keeps users watching. The longer people retain, the more likes and better reach on your Reels. Think of your reel intro like a movie trailer. If the trailer doesn’t tease the good stuff, then people tune out.
  • To refine your engagement, try watching your reel with the sound off and ask yourself, “Would I stop scrolling?” If the answer is no, tighten up the pacing and prioritize your strongest idea. You only have a split second to grab the attention of new viewers’ attention to gain more Reels likes and views, ultimately an audience for your business. 

9. Increasing Attention And Reach 

Increasing awareness of your Instagram Reels and getting more engagement means being more than just the creator of awesome videos. You want people to see your content easily and engage with it. Increasing audience attention and reach is about putting yourself in the audience’s shoes, using the right-to-invite features, and inspiring real engagement and interaction. Below are simple Instagram resources and content ideas that can help you grab the eyeballs and attention your business needs.

Consider Your Audience as You Plan Content:

Whoever is watching your Reels, think about who that is. Is it young shoppers? Working parents? Business owners? Create every clip based on their interests, problems and questions.

  • Use language and imagery that followers can relate to
  • Answer and solve specific problems they encounter
  • Demonstrate products in actual everyday scenarios

The more you communicate with your audience, the more people will be willing to interact and hit “like.”

10. Use Analytics to Improve Your Content:

After posting, see how each of your Reels does. Instagram Insights shows you the data on your Reels, such as:

  • Total Reels likes
  • Shares
  • Comments
  • The duration of viewing time

Spotting patterns: What topics, how did you deliver, which audios to use that got the most attention and engagement? Dig into what works and adjust what does not work. 

Conclusion

The basics of building more engagements to grow your business on Instagram starts with having clear goals, compelling visuals, and creating relevant content to your audience. Each of these tips have you working smarter by planning ahead and replying to comments. When you create value and engage your followers, you create a viewership that goes beyond views to almost a fan culture.

Even minor changes, such as choosing more complementary hashtags and better covers, will make a significant impact. Keep in mind that the best changes always start with action, so choose one, and try one of the tips above on your next Reel today. As you continue to show up and iterate.

Guest Author
Kayla Beatrice

Kayla Beatrice is in charge of social media content writing at uptopsocial.com, assisting brands to achieve success online. His expertise includes social media strategy and she’s a regular blogger on marketing platforms.