Everyones wants to stay relevant on Instagram and photographers are fighting the ever-changing algorithm for their work to be discovered and seen. 

If there’s one thing we know for sure, it's this: video content is king and it’s here to stay. And Instagram Reels are leading that game, so if you’re still not posting reels maybe it’s time to reconsider.

Angela Shae here, the founder of Social Templates Co. In short, we create reel templates specifically for photographers, so I know a thing or two about what helps with reach and engagement. I’ve compiled a list of tips below to help you understand how to get better reach on Instagram through your video content.

1. Keep your reels short. When creating a photo heavy reel, aim for 7 to 8 seconds per reel so that you’re giving your audience a reason to rewatch the video again or to explore your profile. Use short reels as lead magnets to drive traffic to your account, so once someone comes across your reel they can head to your account and binge the rest of your content. Reels are not a place for long and slow slideshows, but instead should be packaged in a way to peak interest of the viewer and get them over to your profile, hit follow, and eventually book with you. 
2. Add a hook to your Instagram reel to grab attention from the start and keep your audience watching till the end. Give people context as to what they are watching and provide valuable and engaging information in the caption. Watch Time is one of the most important metrics for Instagram reels. Watch Time meaning what percentage of the reel does the person watch. Do they make it to the end and rewatch? This is what signals to the algorithm that your content is interesting to the viewer and that’s how your content gets pushed out to more people (or goes viral). A shorter reel with a caption jam packed with valuable information also contributes to watch time as the reel keeps replaying while someone is reading the caption.
3. Integrate ManyChat into Instagram Reels and automate your responses. Direct your audience towards a freebie, resource, website, booking link, etc. This is the secret little tool that many creators are using to start conversations. ManyChat is a Meta approved bot that can do automations for you when people type in a key word that triggers the automation (think “comment INSPO and I’ll send you a link to an inspiration board with outfit ideas for your engagement session). This is the easiest way to end up in people’s DMs while providing them something of value. Once you have a conversation going in the DMs, this establishes a “relationship” or “connection” on Instagram and signals to the algorithm to prioritize showing your content to this account closer to the front. 
4. Create SAVABLE and SHAREABLE content. Think about the human behavior when scrolling reels. When something resonates, we save to reference later or send to a friend. When your potential client comes across your reel, how can you package your reel so they save or share? Share favorite 5 venues in your area, inspiration for engagement session, how to structure your wedding timeline for stress-free day, ect. Use your photography work to connect with your audience but add an additional layer by providing valuable content with text.
5. Ensure that you crop images and videos appropriately for maximum visual impact. Use the ENTIRE screen, so no black bars at the top and bottom of your reel. I’m talking 9x16 ratio. We also recommend you size your images to 1080x1920px for best results on Instagram and videos should be exported at 1080p, 30fps. Anything larger than that will be compressed down by Instagram, and Instagram compression often destroys the quality and instead of your reels looking sharp, it’ll be fuzzy and blurry.
6. Capture those BTS snippets. It’s so easy to forget but I can’t stress this enough, as it makes the reel way more engaging as opposed to just a photo slideshow. Ask an assistant to grab some content for you, use an iPhone gimbal with body tracking (these are less expensive than you think!), use a simple hot shoe attachment off Amazon, invest in a pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses or simply remember to pause, take out your phone and capture content for yourself AND to share with the client after the shoot.