Creating Reels is fun. But when millions of people around the world are doing it, you’ve got to get creative. Otherwise, nobody will notice what you share. And let’s be honest, some likes and comments, despite how controversial it is, have the power to make your day.
Let’s find out which Instagram Reels ideas can help you stand out from the crowd.
1. Steal Like an Artist
Picasso once said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” But the advice here is not to steal anyone’s content, just the general ideas and frameworks.
Let’s put it this way: if you see a particular type of content performing well, then tap into your expertise and create unique and original content in that format, using similar effects, music, or acts.
For instance, if a song is trending, then use it to produce something different from what everyone else is creating with that same song. That way, people will stop scrolling to check it out because it’s popular already, and if it’s good and unique, they’ll stay and watch.
2. Use Your Expertise
Instagram Reels are known for being fun; there’s no doubt that entertainment is the main element, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t learning. If you’re a psychologist, entrepreneur, life coach, doctor, or expert in any other field, you can teach these skills through short Reels.
All you have to do is make a list of the topics you can explain in under a minute, and create a Reel for each one. But before you publish it, make sure to edit your video to make it look more presentable, have good background music, and add subtitles if possible.
3. Recipes
The world is full of foodies and busy people. So, if you know some recipes that can be cooked quickly for breakfast or evening snacks, share them with people. This way, you can attract an audience from all around the world.
To make it work, have someone film your process of cooking the dish and be sure to add instructions, ingredients’ names with measurements, and some good music to it.
4. Fast-Forward Painting
If you happen to be a good painter, show off your painting skills. Have someone record you from multiple angles or use a tripod to make a video of yourself while painting. Finally, edit your video, add some music to it, and make sure to increase the playback speed before uploading the final Reel.
5. Show Your Pets
If you have pets, all you need is a camera. Just record them doing whatever in the world pets get up to, and share. People will watch it. If you add some text to the video like “watch my dog [doing something]”, people will stop in their tracks just to watch your dog doing that thing. And again, don’t forget to add good music to it.
6. Create Your Own Series
Yes, you can create your own series. If you love writing, create a plot, write the characters—which you will probably play—and start writing mini 15-60 seconds episodes.
To do this, you can either create simple videos using a tripod or take help from someone to shoot them for you from multiple angles.
For reference, take a look at the Instagram account of Nicholas Flannery. Most of his mini-episodes (Reels) are based on the life of his main character, Rich White Lady. He publishes whole seasons and even trailers of his story.
7. Amazing Transformations
You know those movies where a nerd kid would somehow transform into a super cool popular kid, like Spider-Man or Princess Diaries? Well, we still make these types of films because they work and people like them. So, why not create transformation Reels?
Some ideas that you can try:
- Your transformation from childhood to now.
- Your body transformation after working out for a specific period.
- The transition from working in an office to chilling on a beach.
8. Recreate Scenes
Whenever you run out of ideas, just recreate the scenes from popular movies or TV shows. Run a quick Google search on what are the most-watched movies or TV series right now. Pick a funny, romantic, courageous, or lesson-learning scene, learn the script, and film it.
Some popular shows that you can consider taking scenes from are Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Vampire Diaries, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Suits.
9. Behind the Scenes of Situations at Work
Whenever you come across a situation that you think others may have a similar opinion about, note it down. For instance, email thread wars, one-on-one meetings, distractions while working from home, internet problems, the challenges of your specific job, and so on.
Use those ideas to create unique workplace behind-the-scenes Reels.
10. Answer the Most Asked Questions
You like views, people want answers. So, give them what they want to get what you want. And if you don’t know what they want to know, ask your friend Google. Here are some of the most asked questions on Google:
- How to tie a tie?
- How to make pancakes?
- What if…?
- How to delete your Instagram account?
- How to be…?
- How to pronounce…?
Fill in the blanks and put a comedic spin on it.
Better yet, you can simply ask your followers what they want to know and create Reels on those topics.
Moreover, if you have a niche-based Instagram account, you can also go and check Quora, course sites like Udemy, Reddit communities, and even forums. You’ll be surprised by the number of ideas you can get for your content. Evaluate what type of questions people post or what they are discussing in the comment threads.
But whatever you do, make sure to add the question in the thumbnail of your Reel and keep it short and simple.
11. Hop on Trends Faster
Trends do perform well and can earn you views, likes, comments, and the popularity you’ve desired since creating your account. But make Reels on them before everyone else does, so you can get the views before they get boring.
Spend a few minutes scrolling through the profiles of the influencers in your niche early in the day. If there’s anything they’ve created that’s attracting views, use the audio and create a Reel doing the trend as soon as you can.
12. Show Off Your Creative Skills to Attract Recruiters or Clients
If you’re in a creative industry like photography, choreography, video editing, social media managing, or marketing, Instagram can be your goldmine. You can use it as your live portfolio. It’ll tell potential recruiters and clients that you know what you’re doing, that people already like it, and that you can help them do it too.
For reference, take a look at the channel of Fiori, she publishes pro-quality editing videos. You can create your portfolio the same way with Reels.
Stand Out From the Crowd With Instagram Reels
If you’ve been stuck on what to do for your Instagram Reels, now you have plenty of ideas to get started with. Refer back to this article next time you want to spice up your Reels and stand out from the crowd.
