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With Instagram topping well over 1 billion monthly users, it’s undoubtedly one of the most popular social media apps on the planet. And to keep up those numbers it has to constantly innovate to stay ahead of the competition. The latest development in its armoury is that of Instagram Reels.

If you haven’t yet explored this new tool, or are only a recent convert to Instagram, then read our guide on this exciting new change to the platform.

While staying relevant with the latest content is a great way to keep your followers happy, if your phone breaks down, is lost, stolen or damaged then your online influence won’t help. That’s why protecting your tech with insurance for a mobile phone is a must for any social media enthusiast.

Instagram Reels - the next big thing

Instagram Reels is one of the latest upgrades introduced by the social media giant and has been seen as a direct response to the ever-growing influence of rival platform TikTok.

The latest ‘next big thing’ to hit the market, Reels offers users a set of creative tools to help record and edit fun, engaging, and short videos with a whole host of special effects.

Similar to TikTok, you can add audio, text, special effects and stickers and then share them to your Instagram Reels feed, Stories and directly.

Indeed, if your account proves popular and begins trending then your reels could be featured on the Explore Feed – taking your content outside of your followers and building your audience!

How to make and share an Instagram Reel

There are two ways to create a reel. Either film a video clip there and then or upload one from your phone’s camera roll. Reels can be recorded as a series of clips, or all at once.

Creating your very first reel is easy if you just follow these five steps:

Step 1: Select Reels at the bottom of your phone screen and tap it.

Step 2: Use a variety of tools to help create the perfect recording. These include:

• Audio – Search for audio from the Instagram music library and add it to your video. Reels also lets you choose what part of the track you want. You can also use your own original audio if you prefer.
• Speed – Change the speed of your video to match the beat or make high-speed or slow-motion videos.
• Effects – Select any one of the arrays of special effects or augmented reality filters to your video. Anything from Charcoal to Iridescent Glitter!
• Timer and Countdown – Set the length of your video (either 15 seconds or 30 seconds) and include a countdown for easy hands-free recording.

Step 3: When you’ve selected what you need, tap and hold the record button to begin. During the recording, you can tap the record button to end a clip, and then tap it again to start a new clip. If you do this the Align tool will appear. This tool lets you line up objects from the previous clips before recording your next one. If you want to create seamless transitions (for example, when changing costumes) then this is an invaluable tool.

If you want to watch, trim, or delete any previous clips, simply tap the back arrow and select the clip to edit it further.

Step 4: Once you’re happy with the complete recording, you can use the draw and text tools to add Instagram stickers, drawings, and text to your reel.

Step 5: Tap the next button to the right of your reel to access the Share page. Here you can save a draft of your reel, change the cover thumbnail, add a caption and hashtags, and tag your friends.

After you’ve shared your reel, it will live on a separate Reels tab on your profile and on your main profile grid. When you share reels using certain songs, hashtags, or effects, your reel may also appear on dedicated pages when someone clicks on that song, hashtag, or effect.

Using Instagram Reels for business

Many businesses use Instagram to build a community and grow their reach. And with so many people using their mobile phones for their business as well as personal lives then Instagram Reels feels like a great opportunity.

Here are four ways you could use it in your marketing strategy:

1. Reuse video content – If you’re a TikTok fan already or have some pre-existing video content then think about what you can reuse. You can both develop new types of content and expose your existing content to new audiences.
2. Share educational content – Whatever business you’re in there’s bound to be know-how you can share with followers, giving them added value and bringing new opportunities your way.
3. Showcase products – Instagram will share your videos with the wider community, not just your followers. What a golden opportunity to get your products in front of potential new customers!
4. Showcase your talent – Letting people get to know you and your company will build trust and relationships. Authentic content that’s original and fun will be sure to lead to high engagement and increased business opportunities.

When you’re investing this amount of time, make sure to have the best mobile phone insurance in place to protect this important business tool.

Mobile phone insurance from Gadget Cover

We can all be guilty of spending too much time on social media, and with exciting innovations like Instagram Reels it’s easy to see why.

To make mobile phone insurance easy and straightforward, Gadget Cover’s team of specialists are always searching to find the best policies to suit all requirements.

That’s why policies arranged through Gadget Cover can include protection from accidental damage, liquid damage, theft, breakdown and unauthorised usage. Policyholders who pay an extra premium can also protect against loss.

Additional benefits can include:

• Worldwide cover to include use of your mobile phone anywhere in the world, up to 180 days in any one year.
• Cover for accessories up to £150 if they’re lost, stolen or damaged at the same time as your mobile phone.
• Family cover so that if your partner loses or damages your phone you’re also covered.

Get a quick quote for mobile phone insurance today.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.