Your Foolproof Guide to Viral Instagram Reels

Are you properly utilising Instagram Reels as a form of social media marketing for your business? If not, you should be, because the potential to “blow up” on Instagram and go viral is massive when it comes to the Reels feature!

Instagram Reels allow users to create fun and engaging short videos that can have sound, effects, and music added to them, just like TikTok. The primary purpose of Reels is to entertain, but incorporating Reels into your content strategy can also yield major brand recognition for the following reasons:

Reels perform better in the IG algorithm

Because Reels are still relatively new to the platform (they’ve only been around since late 2020), Instagram actually rewards users who take advantage of the feature by boosting their content and making it more prevalent in the algorithm. This is just one reason you want to be creating Reels at least a few times a month.

Visibility

Reels have outstanding visibility compared to the rest of Instagram’s posting features. They are much more likely to land on the “Explore” page, making it easier for new users to discover your content and join your community. Another visibility perk is the dedicated “Reels” tab that allows users to scroll through a separate feed that features Reels created by all users, not just those they are following.

Personal brand promotion

Reels are a more fun, casual style of content, which means they give you a permission slip to truly show off your personal brand and let loose a little. This can be a great opportunity to help your audience get to know more about you, your personality, and what you stand for as a business owner!

Now that you know why Reels are an absolute must in your social media content strategy, let’s talk about how you can achieve success and start creating Reels that consistently go viral.

What does it mean for a Reel to go viral?

“Viral” looks different for everybody, depending on your existing social media presence and engagement. There’s no set number of views or shares that determine whether or not your content is officially “viral.” Instead, it’s a matter of whether or not your content is reaching significantly more people than it usually does. If you post a Reel and you get 3x, 5x, or 10x your usual amount of views — it’s safe to say you’re on the right track to virility.

What makes a Reel go viral?

Most viral Reels check off one of the following boxes:

Educational: content that is providing value to viewers.
Inspirational: sharing a journey, transformation, or aspirational story
Relatable: content that your audience can relate and connect to on a deeper level

Viral Reels also tend to feature well-timed music and trending “sounds” that other users are also using.

How to go viral

Share your Reels to your IG Feed.

When creating Reels, be sure to click the button that says “Also share to Feed.” This will ensure that your followers see your Reel via your regular Feed as well as the Reels-specific Feed. The more that your existing followers view, like, comment, and share your Reel, the more likely the algorithm is to boost it out to users who aren’t following you and increase your overall visibility.

Make sure it has an enticing hook.
People consume so much content every single day that in order for your Reel to stand out, it needs to capture their attention right away. They need to know within moments if the video is worth their time, otherwise they’ll scroll right past it. You can do this by coming up with an interesting, entertaining, or curiosity-provoking hook to start off your Reel.

Here are some examples of effective hooks:

“This is how I did _____…”
“My top secret to _____…”
“Don’t make this mistake!”
“Do you want _____? Here’s how to get it…”

Create original, interesting content.
The key to mastering creative Reels is to use pre-existing trends as inspiration, but put your own twist on whatever is trending. By adding your own personal perspective, you can take any idea (even one that seems over-saturated) and create something fresh, unique, and engaging. To find a trend and brainstorm your own ideas, scroll through the Reels tab and take a second to note any recurring sounds or concepts you see. Pro Tip: Trends come and go on Reels very quickly, so don’t hesitate to jump on the trends that appeal to you as you see them for maximum viral potential.

Find your niche and post consistently.
There are so many Instagram users with a wide range of hobbies, interests, and needs. The best way to reach YOUR people is to get super-specific about who you are creating content for and what that particular demographic wants to see. From there, it’s up to you to commit to posting Reels at least 2-3x per week for best results. Think about it — the chance of one Reel going viral may not be very high, but if you’re posting multiple times per week (and following the tips in this blog post), those odds just skyrocketed! Pro Tip: Don’t delete a Reel that doesn’t perform well right off the bat. It’s totally possible for it to go viral over time!

Use text and captions on your Reels.
A lot of Instagram users scroll without sound. Adding on-screen text and subtitles to your videos is a no-brainer way to make sure you don’t alienate anyone in your audience. Be sure to position your text and captions in the middle of the screen so that they are visible!

Keep it short, sweet, and digestible.

You don’t need to max out the time on all of your Reels. In fact, the goal is to convey your point in a way that is as simple and digestible as possible for your audience — so the reality is that the shorter the Reel, the easier this is to actually do. Keeping the action moving is what keeps people interested. If your Reel is too long, people will lose interest and swipe away (which can also hurt your place in the algorithm).

Aim for high-quality video footage.

You DO NOT need to have a professional camera to create a beautiful, high-quality Reel! In fact, your phone camera will do just fine. However, there are two major factors that determine whether or not the quality of your video is good enough to achieve viral status: the lighting and the resolution. If your footage is dark and grainy, it may be too difficult for your viewers to see and they’ll lose interest as a result. You can always purchase a ring light and tripod to help with capturing better footage if you have trouble finding good light to film in.

Getting an Instagram Reel to go viral is far from impossible with the right strategy and formula. Practice truly does make perfect in this scenario. Focus on creation, consistency, and creativity and the rest will follow!

You can also book a strategy call with me if you want to consult with an expert business and marketing consultant on how to create a killer Reels strategy that is primed for virility. If this is you, click here to learn more about booking with me!