{"id":59371,"date":"2022-11-16T21:01:54","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T13:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=59371"},"modified":"2022-11-16T17:03:36","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T09:03:36","slug":"instagram-reels-growing-followers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/instagram-reels-growing-followers\/","title":{"rendered":"Instagram Reels for Designers – How I Grew 4x in One Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

Instagram Reels<\/a> \u2014 infinite feed with short vertical videos \u2014 were initially introduced in the middle of 2020<\/a> but got viral and spread worldwide only by the end of 2021.<\/p>\n

This good-quality copy of TikTok<\/a> from Mark Zuckerberg is becoming a real game-changer nowadays. Here are some of the reasons why you should start shooting your Reels:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The previous prominent Instagram feature \u2014 Stories \u2014 became popular quickly because it shows your personality<\/strong> in the natural environment. Stories help you be closer to your audience and build a long-term relationship with your followers. <\/li>\n
  2. Instagram Posts and Carousels are great tools to showcase your professional content<\/strong> and convert viewers and followers into clients.<\/li>\n
  3. But the major problem with all previous formats (which existed before Reels) was gaining new visitors. You can either add many hashtags to your posts (and get 1-2 new followers) or set up a Facebook Ad campaign to show your profile to your target audience<\/strong>. <\/li>\n
  4. Instagram Reels is this missing piece of the puzzle, helping you gain a new audience for free<\/strong> and convert it into followers and clients. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In 2021 I spent about $3000 and 12 months to get 2500 live followers using Facebook Ads. In 2022 I\u2019ve spent $0 and 1 month to get 9000 more people. That\u2019s the key idea of using Instagram Reels to promote your professional blog and get new clients in 2022.<\/p>\n

    \"Instagram<\/figure>\n

    Let me tell you more about the steps I accomplished to build the working flow of lead generation for design.<\/p>\n

    1. Define Your Niche<\/h2>\n

    The first thing you need to do is to find your niche. The problem here is the balance \u2014 between general and specific. If you are a designer, you shouldn\u2019t focus on all types of design at once.<\/p>\n

    \n
    Imagine an account posting about graphic design, interiors, UX, product design, and art. Would you subscribe to a profile like this? Nope!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    Don\u2019t worry about limiting your potential followers base. Even if you post about UX Research<\/a>, you will find your audience and clients.<\/p>\n

    The opposite problem is being too specific.<\/p>\n

    For instance, if you\u2019re publishing Reels only about UX Research in FoodTech companies, you significantly decrease the total number of viewers.<\/p>\n

    Try to find a perfect balance.<\/p>\n

    2. Analyze What Users Love<\/h2>\n

    This part of the plan looks the most relaxing to me. You need to watch tons of Reels and TikTok videos focusing on their virality and analytics. Try to find niche-related videos and analyze them.<\/p>\n

    You can even build a Google Sheet to calculate the different topics\u2019 engagement rates (amount of likes and comments\/total amount of views).<\/p>\n

    \n
    If you\u2019re working with UX and Web Designers, use the built-in search to find the most popular or most liked videos with specific hashtags: #uxdesign or #uxdesigntips<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    I coded a simple Python script parsing other designers\u2019 Reels and getting their views, likes, comments, and followers statistics. And here are some insights I got so far:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The most viral topics<\/strong> in UX Design Reels are Figma tutorials<\/em>, New tools overviews<\/a><\/em>, and Collections of Icons<\/a><\/em>, Fonts<\/em>, and Illustrations<\/em>. Junior Designers love this free and eye-catching stuff. <\/li>\n
    2. The day of the week and time<\/strong> of publication have zero impact on the Reels\u2019 views and interactions. <\/li>\n
    3. The most popular videos<\/strong> are usually the ones that are shared and\/or saved actively. The more users save your Reels, the more views you get. <\/li>\n
    4. Generate your content ideas.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Content research is not only about analytics and data. While looking through other users\u2019 videos, you can save the most interesting and engaging ones from replicating them in the future.<\/p>\n

      Yep, you heard it right \u2014 replicate!<\/p>\n

      \n
      Copying others\u2019 videos by bringing your personality are normal for Reels and TikTok. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      Copying, in this case, doesn\u2019t mean plagiarism. You should at least reshoot the video yourself. At most \u2014 add your voice-over, add more details and share your professional opinion.<\/p>\n

      3. Organize Your Insights<\/h2>\n

      I prefer to use the app called Things<\/a>. It\u2019s made to organize your daily tasks and reminders. You can easily split your ideas into categories, add tags and schedule them on specific dates.<\/p>\n

      \"things<\/figure>\n

      My personal love is Home Screen Widget<\/strong> and integration with the Apple Shortcuts<\/strong> app. I can add it to the necessary folder whenever I have a new idea \u2014 quick and easy. A few days later, when I wake up, I can easily understand which one to shoot or edit today.<\/p>\n

      By the way, about shooting\u2026<\/p>\n

      4. Record and Edit Your Video<\/h2>\n

      When you have a list of Reels ideas, it\u2019s time to shoot. Instagram Reels or TikToks are not always about you staying in front of the camera. Most of my videos are just screen recordings with voice-over added on editing. But there are still some shots that may improve your engagement:<\/p>\n

      Start With a Hook<\/h3>\n

      Find a catching title for your Reel and show it in the first 2 to 3 seconds. Most of my videos start with something like:<\/p>\n