This summer, I had an Instagram Reel go viral! And it was a really interesting thing to witness, and I wanted to reflect on it today.
Video does not come super natural to me (I mean, hello, I have a podcast. That should tell you all that you need to know about how I feel about video). So, the fact that I do Reels at all, let alone have had some go viral, is shocking because it’s just not my jam. But I will add, that after practicing for a while, they have become easier to do!
The Reel that went viral was me lip syncing to the popular “I don’t know what you heard about me” audio clip. When I heard that clip, I knew I wanted to do something like I did for this Reel as I have had instances at preschool or the post office or wherever where people say that they follow me on social media. When that happens, it’s kind of embarrassing…because what I do on social media is kind of embarrassing (but I still do it anyways ;)).
And honestly, it’s pretty funny that this is the Reel that went viral. I had put a good amount of production into my other Reels, but this is one that I did very quickly. I was getting ready to leave the house, didn’t have makeup on or my hair done, I had coffee in my hand as I was about to get in my car, and I’m pretty sure my neighbors were watching. And guess what? It took me 30 seconds. And this Reel that I spent 30 seconds on went viral!
This is what we are talking about today – my thoughts on this, why I think it went viral, things that I did to help me gain about 2k followers from it, and what I plan to do going forward for Reels:
- Why Reels do well on Instagram
- Creating relatable content
- Questioning the “mom relatability” of this Reel
- Creating content under the umbrella of your personal brand/niche-related content
- How this Reel helped me in the ‘Know-like-trust funnel’
- Having a “bingeable” account
- Auditing your account
- Responding to comments on posts/Reels
- My plan going forward
- What to do if Reels aren’t your jam
A few highlights from this episode:
[6:34] – Video is hot! We can fight it all we want, but short-form video is something that we as consumers and viewers want. It’s what we’re watching, it’s what we’re engaging with. And so, it’s something that continues to do really well.
[9:08] – I gained a little over two thousand followers and have kept most of them for the most part. And I think the reason for that is because it was still reflective of the rest of my content.
[11:05] – In the case of a personal brand, I think you should be showing an array of content. You should be talking about multiple things! And if it’s all under the umbrella of your personal brand and still has the same flair and personality that the rest of your content does, I think it can be done in a way that grows your brand. It gives people a peek behind the curtain into the personal side.
[18:50] – I recommend connecting with those people and responding and creating those interactions because I think it’s a great way to build a community and to build trust.
[24:33] – At the end of the day, you are the boss. Instagram is not the boss. So how can you use a tool like Reels and make it work for you, in a way that feels authentic to your business?
The takeaway for me through this all is that Reels can do really incredible things to grow your account and to help grow your business, but if it’s something that you don’t want to experiment with at all right now, that’s okay too. Reels are definitely being pushed on Instagram, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do other types of posts. You just have to decide what is best for you! And I would encourage that if you think Reels won’t work for your brand, to keep brainstorming and exploring different ways you could use them!
I want to hear from you! What is your favorite thing about Reels? Least favorite? Have you started creating Reels yet? Have you had a Reel go viral?
Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. Click here to join in!
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