Instagram Reels Ideas for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs: Boost Your Brand Visibility
There’s no doubt that Instagram Reels and TikTok have changed the social media scene for good, and that video content is here to stay - whether we like it or not. Reels can be an incredibly powerful tool for small businesses and entrepreneurs to help boost brand visibility and connect with a broader audience. If you’re a female business owner looking to grow your digital presence and gain new clients, leveraging Reels can be a game-changer. At Your AJency, we’ve put together a list of Instagram Reels ideas and tips to help female business owners stand out in the crowded social media landscape.
10 Instagram Reels Ideas and Tips for Small Business owners or Entrepreneurs
Show Behind-the-Scenes (BTS) Content
Why it Works:
People love seeing the process behind their favourite products or services. BTS content humanises your brand and builds a deeper connection with your audience.
Ideas:
Daily Operations: Showcase a day in the life at your business. Highlight different team members and their roles (if applicable).
Product Creation: Film the process of creating your products, from concept to final product. You could even include the packing process.
Office Tour: Give a quick tour of your workspace, showing your audience where the magic happens.
2. Share Tips and Tutorials
Why it Works:
Providing value through tips and tutorials positions you as an expert in your field. Educational content is increasingly popular as it encourages followers to save and share your content, which will help to increase your reach. Just remember to add a CTA at the end of your reel/caption!
Ideas:
How-To Videos: Create short, informative videos that teach your audience something related to your business. For example, a skincare brand can share quick beauty tips.
Problem-Solving: Address common problems your audience faces and offer solutions. This not only helps them and makes your content relatable, but also showcases your expertise.
DIY Projects: If applicable, share fun DIY projects that your audience can try at home. For instance, if you work in the fitness industry you could show a quick home workout that would complement an in-gym workout.
3. Highlight Customer Testimonials and Reviews
Why it Works:
Social proof (aka client reviews and testimonials) can be a powerful tool. Sharing positive feedback from satisfied customers can build trust and influence potential clients. If you want to read more about why it’s so important to ask clients for a review, read our blog.
Ideas:
Video Testimonials: Ask happy customers to share their experiences on video.
Review Highlights: Use Reels to highlight positive reviews from different platforms.
Before and After: Showcase transformation stories or results from clients who have worked with you.
4. Promote Special Offers and Events
Why it Works:
If you’re launching a new product or service, creating a sense of urgency can drive immediate action from your audience. Reels are perfect for announcing limited-time offers or upcoming events as they can help improve your reach when compared with static posts.
Ideas:
Flash Sales: Announce flash sales or exclusive discounts through a Reel.
Event Announcements: Promote upcoming events, webinars, or workshops.
Countdowns & Teasers: Use countdowns or a reel teasing a new product for product launches or special promotions to build anticipation.
5. Collaborate with Influencers and Partners
Why it Works:
At Your AJency, we believe wholeheartedly in the power of collaboration! We’ve written about it on our blog a number of times, and we also practice what we preach and regularly collaborate with other female founders. Collaborations can expose your brand to new audiences and add credibility and a good partnership with an influencer can help amplify your message and attract followers who trust their recommendations. Read more about how to collaborate as a small business here.
Ideas:
Guest Appearances: Feature influencers or industry experts in your Reels.
Collaborative Projects: Partner with other businesses or influencers for joint campaigns.
Takeovers: Let an influencer take over your Instagram account for a day and create Reels content.
6. Share User-Generated Content
Why it Works:
User-generated content (UGC) is essentially content that people in your community have created using your product or service, that you can then share. UGC is great at building community and trust because it shows that real people use and love your products.
Ideas:
Customer Reels: Encourage customers to create their own Reels featuring your products and share them on your profile.
Features: Regularly feature UGC on your Reels to show appreciation and build community.
7. Leverage Trending Sounds and Challenges
Why it Works:
If you find yourself asking why trending audio is important or how to find trending audio on Instagram, don’t worry - you’re not alone! But if you’re consistently producing good content, trending audio can help catapult your Reels into becoming viral. Jumping on trending sounds (or even filming your own version of trending challenges) can increase your content's visibility due to the Instagram algorithm favouring popular trends. Just remember that your content still needs to fit your business and provide use to your audience - be that educational, enjoyment or just by engaging them!
Ideas:
Trending Audio: Use popular music or sounds in your Reels to make them more discoverable.
Challenges: Participate in or create your own challenges that relate to your brand.
Humour and Fun: Don’t be afraid to show your brand’s playful side by joining fun trends.
8. Educational Content
Why it Works:
Educational content establishes your brand as knowledgeable and trustworthy. It can also keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.
Ideas:
Industry Insights: Share insights or recent trends in your industry.
FAQs: Answer frequently asked questions about your products or services.
Expert Advice: Provide expert advice or tips that can help your audience in their personal or professional lives.
9. Celebrate Milestones and Achievements
Why it Works:
Celebrating milestones publicly shows growth and success. It also encourages your audience to join in your celebration which will ultimately strengthen the community you’re building and create a warm audience for your business.
Ideas:
Anniversary Celebrations: Celebrate your business anniversaries or milestones with your followers.
Growth Highlights: Share your growth journey, such as hitting follower milestones or expanding your team.
Awards and Recognitions: Highlight any awards or recognitions your business receives.
10. Engage with Your Audience
Why it Works:
Ultimately, the whole point of social media is to be exactly that - social. That’s why it’s so important that when you’re creating content, you’re also spending time engaging directly with your followers. No matter how good your reels are, having high levels of engagement can make all the difference in establishing a strong social media presence. It will help foster a loyal community and make your audience feel valued. These ideas typically work best as stories or lives (Q&A) but make sure you save the content - you could always use it in a montage reel!
Ideas:
Q&A Sessions: Host Q&A sessions where you answer questions from your audience.
Polls and Opinions: Use polls to get opinions or feedback from your audience on new ideas or products.
Shoutouts: Give shoutouts to loyal customers or followers to build a strong community.
How to Learn More About how to improve your Instagram Reels
If you want to learn more about how Instagram reels can be a hugely powerful tool for your small business, here are a couple of great business resources we think you’ll love!
These two are “Reel” experts and their membership is a great investment if you’re looking for a community of female business owners, looking to up their game in creating reels! To read some exclusive tips that Kirsty and Andie shared with the Your AJency community, head over to this blog.
A must-follow channel on Instagram to keep you updated with the latest algorithm changes and tips to maximise your social media potential! Follow them for ideas on easy reels you can create, as well as content ideas for stories.
Your AJency have teamed up with the incredible Abi at Tailor-Made Social to offer a totally unique one-stop-shop package for female business owners who need help with their social media content.
You’ll get:
⚡️1-hour Power Up session with me to brainstorm killer content ideas with a focus on your brand goals and target audience.
🎥 3-hour shoot with Abi: receive over 100 social media videos (including that all-important b-roll!) that will make your brand shine.
🗣️ We strategise and dig deeper on your behalf behind-the-scenes between your power up session and the content shoot.
Ready to get started on improving your reels? Get in touch today or follow Your AJency or Tailor-Made Social on Instagram to find out more.
Remember, consistency is key, and showing up authentically will always help you grow a community. Happy Reeling!
If you want more practical tips and expert advice on how to grow your female-owned business delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our Pep Talk newsletter.
