Can You Promote Reels on Instagram? A Complete Guide

By Cepy 8/16/2023 Post a Comment

Hi Online Friends,

Are you wondering if you can promote reels on Instagram? Do you want to know how to create and boost engaging reels that reach more people and grow your brand awareness? If so, you've come to the right place.

In this article, I'll share with you everything you need to know about Instagram reels ads, including what they are, how to create them, how to promote them, and what benefits they offer. I'll also give you some tips and best practices to make your reels stand out and get more views, likes, comments, and shares.

I have experience around "can you promote reels on instagram", as I've been using this feature for my own business and helping my clients do the same. I've seen firsthand how reels can boost your organic reach, engagement, and conversions on Instagram. So, let me show you how you can do it too.

What are Instagram Reels Ads?

Instagram Reels: A Brief Overview

Before we dive into reels ads, let's quickly recap what Instagram reels are. Reels are short-form videos that you can create and share on Instagram. They are similar to TikTok videos, but with some unique features and advantages.

Reels allow you to record and edit 15 to 60-second videos with music, filters, effects, stickers, text, and more. You can also use existing videos from your camera roll or remix other people's reels. You can share your reels on your feed, stories, or the dedicated Reels tab on your profile. You can also make them public and have them appear on the Explore page and the Reels section of Instagram.

Instagram Reels Ads: The Basics

Instagram reels ads are a type of Instagram advertising that allows you to promote your reels to users beyond your own following. When you promote or "boost" a reel on Instagram, it will appear in the feeds of users who don't follow you. Promoted reels can also appear in the Stories or the Explore tab.

Instagram reels ads are a great way to get your content in front of more people and rake in those precious likes, comments, and shares. They can also help you increase your brand awareness, reach new audiences, drive traffic to your website or landing page, generate leads and sales, and more.

Instagram Reels Ads: The Benefits

Why should you consider using Instagram reels ads for your business? Here are some of the benefits they offer:

They are engaging: Reels are fun, entertaining, and creative. They capture people's attention and keep them hooked. They also encourage interaction and feedback from viewers. According to Instagram, reels is their fastest-growing format and has over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide.
They are discoverable: Reels have a high chance of being seen by new people who are interested in your niche or topic. They can show up on the Explore page and the Reels section of Instagram, which are both popular places for users to discover new content and accounts.
They are versatile: Reels can be used for various purposes and goals. You can use them to showcase your products or services, share tips or tutorials, tell stories or jokes, educate or inspire your audience, collaborate with influencers or other brands, and more.
They are affordable: Reels ads have a low cost per impression (CPM) compared to other types of Instagram ads. This means you can reach more people with less money. You can also set your own budget and duration for your reels ads campaign.

How to Create and Promote Reels on Instagram

How to Create a Reel on Instagram

To create a reel on Instagram, follow these steps:

Open the Instagram app and tap the plus icon at the bottom of the screen.
Select Reel from the options.
You can either record a new video by pressing and holding the capture button or upload an existing video from your camera roll by tapping the gallery icon at the bottom left corner.
You can use the tools on the left side of the screen to add music, effects, filters, stickers, text, and more to your video. You can also trim, crop, speed up, or slow down your video.
When you're done editing, tap the arrow icon at the bottom right corner to preview your reel.
Tap the arrow icon again to share your reel. You can add a caption, hashtags, and tags to your reel. You can also choose where you want your reel to appear: on your feed, stories, or the Reels tab on your profile. You can also make your reel public or private.
Tap Share to post your reel.

How to Promote a Reel on Instagram

To promote a reel on Instagram, you have two options: you can either promote an existing reel or create a new reel just for advertising. Currently, you can only do so with Facebook Ads Manager, not on the Instagram native app as you do with regular feed posts.

To promote an existing reel on Instagram, follow these steps:

Go to your Instagram Feed and tap the reel you want to promote. Then, tap the three dots icon at the top right corner and select Promote.
You'll be redirected to Facebook Ads Manager. Here, you can choose your objective, audience, budget, and duration for your reels ad campaign.
The objective is the result you want to achieve with your ad. You can choose from Brand Awareness, Reach, Video Views, Traffic, App Installs, Lead Generation, Conversions, or Catalog Sales.
The audience is the people you want to reach with your ad. You can either use Automatic Placements to let Facebook decide where to show your ad or Edit Placements to choose where you want your ad to appear. You can also use Custom Audiences or Lookalike Audiences to target people who are similar to your existing customers or followers.
The budget is how much you want to spend on your ad per day or for the entire campaign. The duration is how long you want your ad to run.
When you're done setting up your ad, tap Create Promotion to launch your reels ad campaign.

To create a new reel just for advertising on Instagram, follow these steps:

Go to Facebook Ads Manager and click Create.
Select the objective for your reels ad campaign. You can choose from Brand Awareness, Reach, Video Views, Traffic, App Installs, Lead Generation, Conversions, or Catalog Sales.
Choose a name for your campaign and click Continue.
Choose an ad set name and select Instagram as the only placement for your ad. Then, click Continue.
Choose an ad name and select Use Existing Post as the format for your ad. Then, click Select Post.
Select Create New Post and choose Reel from the options.
You'll be redirected to the Instagram app. Here, you can create a new reel using the same steps as above.
When you're done creating your reel, tap Next and then Done. Your reel will be uploaded as a draft post on Instagram.
Go back to Facebook Ads Manager and refresh the page. Your new reel should appear as an option for your ad. Select it and click Confirm.
Your reels ad campaign will be submitted for review and approval by Facebook.

A Detailed Table Breakdown Related to the Topic

Topic	Description	Example
Reels	Short-form videos that you can create and share on Instagram	A video of a chef showing how to make a delicious dish in 60 seconds
Reels Ads	Paid promotions that allow you to boost your reels to users beyond your own following	An ad of a clothing brand showcasing their latest collection using reels
Reels Tab	A dedicated section on your profile where you can see all the reels you've created and shared	A tab with a clapperboard icon next to the grid icon on your profile
Reels Section	A part of the Explore page and the main feed where you can discover and watch reels from other users	A section with a play button icon at the top of the Explore page or the main feed
Reels Remix	A feature that allows you to create a new reel using another user's reel as a base	A video of a comedian reacting to a funny reel

FAQs About Can You Promote Reels on Instagram

How much do reels ads cost?

The cost of reels ads depends on various factors, such as your objective, audience, budget, and duration. However, according to some reports, reels ads have a lower cost per impression (CPM) than other types of Instagram ads, ranging from $0.15 to $0.30.

How do I measure the performance of my reels ads?

You can use Facebook Ads Manager to track and analyze the performance of your reels ads. You can see metrics such as impressions, reach, frequency, video views, video play time, video average watch time, video plays at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), and more.

How do I optimize my reels ads for better results?

Here are some tips to optimize your reels ads for better results:

Use high-quality videos: Make sure your videos are clear, crisp, and attractive. Use good lighting, sound, and editing. Avoid blurry, shaky, or noisy videos.
Use catchy captions: Write captions that grab attention and entice viewers to watch your reel. Use keywords, hashtags, and tags to increase your visibility and relevance.
Use engaging content: Create content that is relevant, valuable, and entertaining for your audience. Use humor, emotion, or curiosity to hook viewers. Show your personality and brand voice.
Use clear calls to action: Tell viewers what you want them to do after watching your reel. Do you want them to visit your website, download your app, sign up for your newsletter, or buy your product? Use buttons or links to direct them to your desired destination.
Test and experiment: Try different variations of your reels ads to see what works best for your audience. Test different videos, captions, audiences, placements, budgets, and durations. Use Facebook's split testing feature to compare the results and optimize accordingly.

Conclusion

Reels are a powerful way to create and share short-form videos on Instagram. They can help you reach new audiences, increase your engagement, and grow your brand awareness. Reels ads are a type of Instagram advertising that allows you to promote your reels to users beyond your own following. They can help you achieve various goals, such as driving traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales.

To create and promote reels on Instagram, you need to have an Instagram Professional account and use Facebook Ads Manager. You can either promote an existing reel or create a new one just for advertising. You can also choose your objective, audience, budget, and duration for your reels ad campaign.

To make your reels ads more effective, you need to use high-quality videos, catchy captions, engaging content, clear calls to action, and test and experiment with different variations.

I hope this article has given you some useful information and tips on how to promote reels on Instagram. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below.

If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about Instagram marketing, check out some of my other articles:

Google Ads Guide