Here’s the thing.
Not all of us are Adobe Premiere whiz kids and CapCut extraordinaires.
Some of us had only just figured out how to take professional-looking photos and plan an aesthetic feed when Instagram threw the ultimate curve ball – Reels.
Snappy short-form video content is in, which means learning an entirely new skill set or slowly fading into the Instagram ether…
…Or does it?
Below, you’ll find Instagram Reels ideas that don’t require you to level up into a video editing genius. You’ll find no cinematic footage, transitions, or spending 3-hours trying to “cut on the beat” here.
Instead, we’ve compiled quick tips and easy ideas that are engaging, fun and will help you grow on Instagram.
Let’s go!
Low Effort Instagram Reels Ideas
Lip Sync For Your Life
Channel your inner drag queen, find trending audio, relate it to your niche, and you have a winning recipe to go viral on Instagram Reels.
While you do need to show your face and learn the words, lip-syncing usually requires a single take. It’s the fastest way to bank a bunch of Instagram Reels in an hour and avoid the black hole of jump cuts.
*shudders*
Nail your lip sync, add text overlay to the top of your video, and you’re done!
How can you “relate an audio” back to your business? Think about how you can tie it back to your brand values or how you help your customers.
Here’s an example.
Imagine you’re a business coach against hustle culture. You’ll want to look for audio that supports that message, like the infamous “I don’t dream of labour” audio clip.
Or look for an audio clip that you can apply to something that happens in your industry. If you’re a wedding photographer or videographer, you know the pain of trying to get a shot and random people stepping in front of the camera.
Share your gripes. Put a humorous twist on it. Sit back and watch the views roll in.
View this post on Instagram
Create a Timelapse Video
Not a fan of lip-syncing? No problem, my friend.
Let me introduce you to the easiest Instagram Reels idea ever – timelapse videos.
It starts with you filming clips of you living your day-to-day life. Open the camera app, scroll to the timelapse feature, and hit record.
Whether you’re on vacation or want to show your followers the behind-the-scenes of your life as a business owner, you can use these moments to connect with your followers and promote your brand.
When you’re done, find an audio clip, upload your timelapse footage, and you have an Instagram Reel.
Easy peasy.
Why do timelapse videos work so well as an Instagram Reel? It’s attention-grabbing. With the video footage moving at such a fast pace, it forces viewers to slow down and concentrate on the entire clip.
It also feels more intimate. There is a trend on Instagram to show less curated feeds. A time-lapse video gives viewers a sneak peek into the behind-the-scenes of your life without jump cuts and filtered photos.
Overlay the video with a short caption, and most viewers will have to watch the Reel twice, boosting your retention rate and signalling the algorithm to push the video out to more users.
View this post on Instagram
Use a Single Clip
There’s a rule of thumb on Instagram Reels. Apparently, you need to cut every 2-seconds to stop users from scrolling past your video.
Ugh. As if.
What a lot of effort, right?
Luckily, you can buck this rule and still rake in the views. All you need to an audio clip and a single video clip. No jump cuts are required. Huzzah!
…But there is a catch.
Your single clip video needs to be engaging. You want to choose something with movement (whether it’s the camera panning or you’re moving around), and the audio or the video clip either needs to throw people off guard or compliment each other.
Here are two examples of Reels using the single clip method for some inspiration:
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Use Canva to Create Instagram Reels
Looking for a low-effort, maximum gains method to promote your services? Head on over to Canva, a free online graphic design tool.
The app does two incredible things:
1. You can turn any video or image into a GIF.
2. You can upload GIFs and use them in your design.
It’s an excellent way to show off your personality, add humour to your content, and avoid learning the latest transition trend.
How do you find GIFs? Giphy.
It’s the best site to find a pop culture moment or a clip from a movie to use in your Reel. Type a keyword in the search bar and browse the results until you find a GIF you like. When you’re done, save it to your computer and upload the video to Canva.
View this post on Instagram
How to Find Trending Sounds and Music for Instagram Reels
Want to go viral on Instagram Reels? You need to master the art of finding audio when it’s in a sweet spot. The sound is just starting to take off but hasn’t reached its peak popularity yet.
Why?
Once everyone hops onto the trend, it takes over the algorithm, and people scroll past out of boredom. When a sound is new and gaining traction, it has higher attention rates, and your content stands a better chance of landing on the Explore Page.
Here are some tips for finding sounds and music for your Instagram Reels idea:
• Open TikTok: The trends usually start on TikTok and make their way over to Instagram Reels.
• Stalk users in your niche: See what sounds their audience responds to most.
• Spend time on Instagram Reels and the Explore Page: While this can be time-consuming, it’s an easy way to see what the algorithm likes.
Use Instagram Reels to Grow Your Business
It’s time to get creative and put all these tips into action! Sign up for your free Plann account today, and start mapping out the next week or month’s worth of Instagram Reels ideas.
• Use the Strategy feature and Plann what you’re going to post around specific themes.
• Save time by creating hashtag sets.
• Hold yourself accountable with the Calendar feature to receive content prompts and to make sure you have enough content to stay consistent.
What are you waiting for? Let’s start Planning your Instagram Reels domination.
