In this post, I’m sharing 5 mistakes to avoid when making Reels so you get the best results every time you post.

You know how important Reels are, right?

I talk about it all the time because Reels completely transformed my Instagram & allowed me to revive a completely dead account.

Seriously…I was SO frustrated & I just could not seem to grow, even though I was following a strategy that I thought would work. But, then, Instagram introduced Reels & I jumped on them right away. Fast forward a year+ and I haven’t looked back. We’re NOW at 100K followers strong and I’m blown away by the incredible results my students are seeing by consistently posting Reels, too. 

It’s no secret that Reels have the potential to do incredible things for your Instagram & if you’re wondering why—let me break it down for you:

→  Instagram is competitive. And they’re trying to keep users on their app. This means they’re prioritizing Reels and creators who make short video content. 

→  Reels are a new feature. And Instagram wants you to use it. This means they’re more likely to push your Reels out to a broader audience than other types of content. This is why Reels are the #1 way to grow on Instagram right now.

→  Your audience loves them. Really! Reels are easy to consume, engaging, and so much fun. What’s not to love?

Reels have the biggest ROI. Compared to other features on Instagram, Reels have the biggest ROI. It’s worth your time to create Reels because they offer 28x the potential reach & offer the BEST chance for incredible engagement compared to Stories or posts.

Soooooo…you know that you need to be making Reels & you’ve tried your hand at them…but if you’re not getting the best results & you want to know what you can do to improve the Reels you’re creating, keep reading! I am sharing 5 things to avoid when you’re making Reels.

Here are some mistakes to avoid when making Reels:

#1 Not Sharing Your Reel To Your Story

Friend, you NEED to share your Reel to your Story if you want the best results & the most views every time you post. 

Why?

For a couple of reasons. First, sharing your Reel to your Story lets people know that you posted new content & they should go and check it out. But that’s not the only reason you need to share Reels to your Stories. It’s also an amazing engagement hack because ALL views count. That’s right…even the views from your Stories count toward your Reel’s results. 

#2 Deleting Reels

I know it can be discouraging if your Reel isn’t performing the way you think it should be…but don’t delete it! Fight the urge to remove any lower-view Reels from your feed. Sometimes, Reels take a while to go viral. They continue to pick up views & get pushed up to people for 7-14 days after they’ve been posted, and sometimes it takes even longer. This means you’re missing out on a major opportunity to get views if you delete your Reels from your feed.

#3 Posting Reels With A Watermark

I know how much time it saves to repurpose your content—it’s one thing I do all the time because it’s an effective way to reach different audiences on different platforms. But…resist the urge to download your TikToks and repost them straight to your Reels. You do not want to be posting Reels that have a watermark because Instagram is much less likely to promote them if they have a visible mark.

#4 Not Sharing Your Reel To Your Feed

Don’t make this mistake when you’re posting your Reels! It’s easy to turn on “share to feed” and you want to make sure it’s always on when you go to post. Why? Because it will help you get more views and it’s great for visibility. It’s like having your Reel posted in two places—instead of one! New followers are more likely to scroll your feed & probably won’t even make it to your Reels tab the first time they are viewing your profile, which is why it’s so important to make sure your Reels are added to your feed, too! 

#5 Not Having a Cover Image

It’s essential to have a cover image if you want people to actually take the time to watch your Reel. It lets your followers know what they can expect inside your Reel & tells them why they need to stop & see this! Having a cover image helps people recognize that the Reel is from YOU, too—especially if it includes your brand colors, fonts, and graphics. Your cover image is what grabs their attention and gets them excited to watch.

If you found these mistakes to avoid when making Reels & you want more tips on how to make incredible Reels that will help you grow on Instagram—I’m here to help! Just head over to my Instagram & follow me because I share SO many strategies, tips & tricks to help you when you are trying to use Instagram for your business. Click here to follow me on Instagram.