INTRODUCTION
According to Instagram, more than 140 billion Reels are viewed across Instagram and Facebook each day. In addition, research from HypeAuditor reveals that Reels have the highest reach and the most engagement compared to other content types on Instagram.
While Reels can help your hotel or hospitality brand broaden its reach, it can also be time-consuming to consistently produce short-form video content that resonates with viewers. That’s why your Reels strategy should use insights to help guide and improve your creative efforts so you can maximize performance moving forward.
Following are some ways hospitality brands can improve their Reels by using data.
MONITOR REELS PLAYS
Recent updates to insights for Instagram Reels include the addition of subcategories for plays and watch times. The “Plays” parameter now includes a breakdown of initial plays, or the number of times your Reel plays for at least 1 millisecond for the first time in a session, as well as replays, or the number of times your Reel is rewatched for at least 1 millisecond after the initial play.
While initial plays can give you a rough understanding of the number of users who watched at least part of your Reel, the 1-millisecond trigger could easily be attributed to someone scrolling through their feed versus actually viewing your Reel. Replays, on the other hand, could be more useful, as they can be a measure of the number of times your Reel was watched all the way through. Both can impact delivery on the platform, so you still want high values for each.
Compare these values across all your Reels to help determine the types of content viewers are watching. For instance, you may find that Reels that include travel tips or overall guest experiences are replayed more often than ones that talk about specific services. Strive to replicate or embody the spirit of the Reels with the most plays, particularly replays, to produce content that is more likely to captivate viewers.
Of note, the subcategories for plays are only visible when viewing insights for individual Reels. If you are looking at your overall Reels insights, then you need to filter by plays to start. Then select the Reels with a higher number of total plays to analyze further.
LOOK AT WATCH TIMES AND AUDIENCE RETENTION
Like plays, watch time is split into two parameters–watch time and average watch time. Instagram defines watch time as the total amount of time your Reel was played, including the amount of time it was replayed. Average watch time, on the other hand, is the average amount of time your Reel was played by those who watched (e.g., watch time divided by initial plays).
Use the latter to help guide the format or hone in on the ideal length for your future Reels. For example, if the average watch time for the majority of your Reels is 10 sec., you could incorporate new engagement techniques at the beginning or provide an incentive to keep viewers watching past that point. In other words, the average watch time could indicate that you lost the interest of viewers past that point.
Reference the audience retention chart, which shows the percentage of viewers watching at various time stamps, to further understand how your audience is consuming your Reels. For instance, you can see at which points viewership starts to fall off. Compare those drop-off points with the content in your Reel to see if you can identify what may have caused people to stop watching. Then you can test alternate methods for delivering your message to avoid losing your audience.
CHECK YOUR REELS INTERACTIONS
Monitor Reels interactions including likes, saves, shares and comments to gain insights about how people are receiving your Reels. Aim to replicate the format or revisit the content included in Reels that have high volumes of likes, saves and shares, as those metrics indicate people reacted positively to your content. Shares and saves, in particular, can indicate that viewers found the Reel valuable or have intent to take action.
Shares also help extend the reach of your Reel since viewers are either posting it to their story, sharing it via direct message to their connections or publishing it to a different social media platform, among other sharing methods.
Comments also indicate engagement, but they may also offer specific feedback you can use to guide future content creation. For instance, you may learn what people like or don’t like about an offer or amenity you highlighted in your Reel. You can use that information to not only improve your Reels, but also to help with your overall marketing objectives.
Reels with a high number of interactions are also favored by Instagram’s algorithm, which can make them more visible among both followers and non-followers.
KEEP AN EYE ON TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES
Visit the “Tips and resources” section of your professional dashboard to access guides and suggested Reels (e.g., Reels with high engagement) other brands and creators are making. This can help you identify what’s resonating with Instagram users or find inspiration for your next batch of Reels.
For example, you may see trending formats, which you can copy directly from some Reels, or themes that you can make work for your hospitality brand. Unfortunately, much of the trending audio isn’t accessible for business accounts due to copyright issues, but you can still use original audio from other trending Reels or select tracks that embody the spirit of trending tracks. You also should use relevant hashtags that are included in trending Reels to help gain exposure for your content.
In addition, make sure to follow common best practices, and watch for updates from Instagram (you could follow @instagramforbusiness, for instance).
To align with current best practices, you should create storytelling content that is entertaining, digestible and relatable. For example, you should aim to grab attention within the first 5 sec. and add voiceovers and small bursts of text throughout your Reel to help get your point across. You also should speak directly to the audience to connect with viewers.
If you create your Reels with external software, then keep the Reels format in mind (e.g., stay within content “safe” zones).