Instagram Reels exploded onto the scene in 2020. Developed as Facebook’s rival to TikTok, Reels have dominated the feed and explorer page.
For coaches in the health and fitness industry, this feature has become a go-to for sharing quick, easy workouts, recipes, life-hacks, and more. If you haven’t noticed lately, I’d encourage you to hop over to your feed and tally up how many Reels you see—the number might surprise you.
If you’ve yet to throw a reel out there onto the ‘Gram, you’re probably thinking, “why do Reels even matter?”
Here’s why: Instagram (and other social platforms) are pushing video content hard—harder than the Atkins diet in the ‘60s. It’s what the people crave!
Like the awesome online coach that you are, you’ve decided it’s time to hop on the Instagram Reel bandwagon and give it the old coach’s try.
But not without some help…
Today, we’ll walk you through how to create kick-ass Reels. We’re talking double-tapping, audience-growing kinds of Reels.
Note: if you’re more of a visual learner? Hop over to this video tutorial from Sam Sheffer, where he’ll talk through the steps.
Let’s talk Reels…
1. Pick your topic.
Before recording, you need to figure out what you want to post. Just like the rest of your content, Reels need to offer something valuable, interesting, or entertaining to your audience. Reels can be educational info, behind the scenes clips, product highlights, whatever is working for your audience.
Don’t know where to start? Here are 50 content topics we’ve put together. Go ahead and peruse our list for ideas.
2. Prep for recording.
Choose your Audio
To access your Reels camera, tap the camera icon in the top left corner of your Instagram home feed. Then, at the bottom, select “Reels.”
On the left, you’ll see a menu of tools. Tap the top tool with the music note icon. Here you can choose a song to use for your video. Scroll through the featured tracks or use the search bar to find something specific.
You can tap the play button on the right to hear a preview of the song. Once you’ve found one that fits, tap the song to add it to your video. Next, use the slider at the bottom to select what part of the song you want to use. Then tap done.
Select your Speed
The next effect allows you to adjust the speed of your video. To adjust your Reels speed, tap the skip button icon on the left-side toolbar. You’ll see playback speed options ranging from x.3 to x3.
If you chose a slower playback speed, you’ll hear your selected audio play very quickly while you record your video.
If you choose a faster playback speed, your audio will sound slow while you’re recording. This way, when you’ve completed your video, the audio will play at its regular speed, but your video will move slowly or quickly.
Select your Effects
The next tool is Effects. Select the smiley-face icon, then scroll through the options at the bottom of the screen.
Here, you’ll find the same kinds of effects you can use on your Instagram stories, like colored filters, face effects, whatever you could imagine.
Set your Timer
The last tool is your timer, and it lets you record clips hands-free.
Select the timer icon and then use the slider to select how long you want the clip to be. You could choose to record just a few seconds or the full 15-seconds. Then, tap “Set Timer.”
If you’ve set a timer, when you press record, you’ll see a 3-second countdown before recording begins. Then, the recording will automatically stop once the duration you’ve selected for that clip runs out.
3. Record your Reel.
Now it’s time to record your reel. The big record button is front and center. Tap it to start recording. Drag your thumb up or down from the record button to zoom in and out during recording. Already have some great footage on your phone? You can add this media by tapping the camera roll button in the bottom left corner of your screen.
Once you’ve recorded one clip, you’ll see another tool appear at the bottom of the toolbar. This tool is called Align. If you want smooth transitions between clips, this tool is a huge time-saver.
When selected, you’ll see a transparent still of your last recorded frame so that you can line the people or objects up perfectly for your next shot.
Continue recording clips until you’re finished. With each new clip you record, you can change the speed and effects if you want. However, if you change the song, it’ll replace the song you originally selected.
4. Review, Edit, and Share
Once you’ve recorded your clips, you can tap the forward arrow at the bottom of your screen. Now you can add text, stickers, gifs, and doodles like any Instagram story. When you’re done editing, tap the arrow at the bottom.
Before posting, you’ll be instructed to create a caption for your Reels. If you tap the image on the left, you can select a cover frame for your reel. Use the slider at the bottom to select an image from your video. Or tap “Add from Camera Roll” to upload a different image to use as the cover. When you’re finished, tap “Done.”
It’s time for the send-off. When you’re happy with your reel, toggle the “share to feed” button on or off, then tap “Share” at the bottom.
If you’re not quite ready to share your reel with the world, you can save it for later by selecting “Save as Draft.”
Start reelin’ them in!
Tactical tips on social media aren’t the only things we offer coaches. We’re teaching coaches like you how to use group training to unlock their businesses’ potential.
In the meantime, start reelin’ in those Instagram followers. If you’re just starting out with Insta Reels, don’t be shy. There’s a lot to love and a lot to learn about this new feature. Need a little support at first? Go ahead and tag us in your first reel and we’ll send it some love!