Yes, my Instagram is not rich in Reels right now, however, I constantly check the recommendations and analyze the statistics of other accounts. Many years of implementing brands‘ missions has been worth it , and I can easily break down any successful or unsuccessful Reel into its elements.
Here‘s the formula for a talking Reel that can go viral and get a million views:
First: The hook
It’s the most important thing. You have no more than two seconds to grab someone‘s attention. It‘s appropriate to use “clickbaity“ questions here. For example:
HOW I vacationed in Bali for 10 pounds?
HOW MUCH does David Beckham make?
WHY do some women have a mustache ?
It is important that it‘s not complete rubbish, in the spirit of “Why does a Snickers walk on two legs?”. Talk about the question that worries the audience and what they‘re interested in.
And the question itself should sound fresh, there should be a feeling of new knowledge, new information.
So instead of:
Why isn’t your reach growing? (I’ve heard it a million times over)
We say:
How to cheat the algorithm and reach a million people?
It‘s important not to missout on this moment. 50% of success is hidden in the attention / hook stage.
Second: Get straight to the point
Without any introductions, give people the content they’re looking for. Otherwise, after a brilliant hook, they‘ll quickly be bored and swipe to the next video. This will totally mess up your stats and kick you out of recommendations. Every second counts.
You can insert the phrase “watch to the end” , but this needs to be tested.
It is important to speak fast. Don‘t fall asleep while you talk. It is also desirable to add a change of angles or a change of frames, so that the picture does not stand still, but it moves. Zoom in, then zoom out, show the left, right, then the bottom. Hold it up against the backdrop of the wall, against the backdrop of the kitchen, the view from the window.
Check the most viewed “Talking Reels” in your recommendations, they don’t stand still. Many viewers do not pay attention to this at all, but subconsciously they scroll past boring frames and watch dynamic videos.
Third: A call to “follow and share”
Don‘t make any attempt to sell. From Reels, it is important to reach a new audience and them to you. Sell them your products later through posts and stories.
But the call to follow or share with friends must be done. It is important to keep the focus on one action.
A story with a bunch of calls to action does not work well: like, follow, comment, send to your mother, send to your brother, tell your story, drink tea, go to sleep …
When a person isn‘t given a specific task to focus on what exactly they need to do, they will end up doing absolutely nothing. And so on. Focus on one action and ask for it.
If you feel that people will more willingly share this video, then ask them to do so.
Tell them WHY your friend should watch this video, for example: “send this video about burnout to your colleague so they can rest too.”
And if you feel that people will be unlikely to share this video, but they would rather want to know more about you and follow, focus on asking them to follow.
Tell the person WHAT they will find in your profile, for example: “I ALWAYS make videos about losing weight, so follow and learn more”.
That’s all. If you do it right, if the account is not killed by giveaways and shady strategies, then it is highly likely that your video will get good reach. IF they‘remade according to this structure.