Today, we’re talking about the top 6 Reels mistakes that I see brands consistently making with their Instagram Reels strategy and creation. I’m breaking down what I think can hold brands back from growing with Instagram Reels – and how to fix them. Don’t forget, I also offer a free Instagram Reels class if you want more help with how to grow your reach, followers, and customers with Reels in 2 hours! You can sign up for that HERE. For now, let’s jump into those six mistakes! 

1) WORRYING ABOUT HASHTAGS OR POSTING TIME (TOO MUCH)

The first mistake I see is business owners worrying about their Reels too much – in particular, about which hashtags to use and when to post the Reels. Honestly, worrying about both of these things is a waste of time and just holds you back. Neither the hashtags or time of day is going to make or break your Reels’ performance. From the testing I’ve done and helping students with Reels, seriously, the hashtags don’t truly impact your Reel. Remember that Instagram’s goal is to keep people on the platform – and if you’re using their software and creating good content, that’s what matters most. In the end, I truly believe that your Reels will do what they’re going to do no matter what time you post it or what hashtags you use.

PS. I recently talked about using hashtags on Instagram posts in 2022. Check that out here!

2) ONLY FOCUSING ON VIEWS

The second mistake I see is that brands and business owners focus on views and going viral with a Reel. But, it’s not really about that. It’s more important to follow on engagement and your genuine followers. Think about the end goal of why you’re creating Reels. If it’s just to get views, it’s not really going to help you long-term with your brand growth. Instead, you should be focusing on the community that you’re building with your audience – that’s who will become your customers. 

I want to encourage you that it’s completely normal to not get more views than the followers you have. A lot of my Reels don’t get more views than the amount of followers I have – and that’s a good rule of them. Going viral isn’t going to truly help you in the long run. I’d rather you make Reels that are impactful in YOUR community.

3) ONLY COPYING TRENDS

The next mistake for Instagram Reels is ONLY copying trends. I know I talk a lot about jumping on trends – and I truly believe that can help. But, what I want you to avoid doing is copying a Reel you see. Don’t use the same movements, text, and context as someone else. Take a trend and make it your own. I think it’s better to pick up a trend that’s happening in another niche and then being able to spin it into your own brand/business. Try to use trends while staying original so that your Reel stands out – not blend in. Remember, to just make sure you put your own spin on the trends you find, and continue to explore what kind of Reels work best for your brand and community. 

4) MAKING REELS THAT DON’T MAKE SENSE

What I mean by this is that I see brands making Reels that have nothing to do with their niche or account because they just want to go viral. Instead, the opposite happens. They get low views and no traction. So, make sure that the Reels that you make for your brand MAKE SENSE for your business. 90% of the time, you want to be sure that your Reel fits in with your account. It’s great to do those personal and funny Reels every once in a while, but if someone randomly finds you, you want to be sure the majority of what you post really ties back into your brand. This helps make sure when people find you (and stick around!), they stay because they like your brand and then become a follower and hopefully customer. 

This may not help you go viral, but it WILL help you grow your audience if you stay on brand with your Reels! 

5) ONLY POSTING REELS

The 5th mistake is that I see brands ONLY posting Reels. While video is definitely the direction many platforms are going, it’s important to still use the rest of the Instagram app and it’s features. Continue to create different kinds of Instagram content: there’s stories, lives, videos, and posts. Reels are great to grow your audience and connect with them, but there’s still SO many other ways to build connection points too. Don’t forget about them.

If you’re only posting Reels, you’re not going to connect with everyone. Each kind of content Instagram allows you to use helps to invite your followers into your online community even more. You should absolutely be utilizing those methods. These other options can help make sure those people that found you on Reels have great content they want to engage with so they get to know you and your brand. 

6) NOT BATCH RECORDING REELS

The last mistake I see when it comes to Instagram Reels is business owners who try to create Reels one at a time. I’m all about working smarter not harder, so I encourage you to think about batching your Reels creation so that you have content to post for weeks at a time. If you’re going to go through the trouble of getting set up to record, you should absolutely take advantage of that and record multiple Reels at a time! I’m all about batch editing, too. This helps make sure that you’re really taking advantage of the time you do have to do this work.

Learn more about how I batch my Instagram Reels HERE in my free class – and I do teach about this process in more depth during my Reels Mini Course! 

BONUS MISTAKE: 7) DELETING YOUR REELS

Okay, I’ve got one more mistake I see brands making with Instagram Reels… and that’s deleting them if they don’t “do well” right away. Instagram Reels can actually take off weeks after you post them. By deleting them, you’re missing out on the chance to connect with new followers and community members. Try not to focus too much on the Reel’s engagement right away (see mistake #2!). If your Reels make sense for your brand and will attract the right people, have confidence in them. Instead of just deleting and forgetting about them, use it as information for what you create next! 

These are my top 6 mistakes for Instagram Reels! I love what Reels can do to help you grow your community and account, so I hope that you find the power of them too. If you have questions or want some extra support, I’ve got a FREE Reels Growth Facebook Community that you can join. I absolutely love getting to chat with everyone and help them work through their questions about Reels!