Instagram Reels: Borrow Tips & Tricks from TikTok to Go Viral

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

• Part 1: Introduction
• Part 2: Instagram Reels vs. TikTok
• Part 3: How to create your First Reel: A Beginners Guide
• Part 4: Want to go Viral? Get Inspired from TikTok

1 - Introduction

“Are Instagram Reels popular?” – Anonymous.

If you are also wondering, then the statistics regarding the popularity of Instagram Reels will blow your head. Till now, IG launched its 'Reels' feature in approx. 50 countries. It was the step as an outcome to challenge the short-form video creator TikTok. Keeping in mind the ease of using this latest Instagram's inbuilt feature, various brands and influencers are correctly leveraging its popularity by releasing the reels on strategic times to get noticed. 

So, what time is best to post on Instagram Reels? Also, know how to use Instagram Reels. It's better to determine its best release times so that the chances of content going viral increase manifold. 

Given below are the best timings to post IG Reels according to the research study of Influencermarketinghub, 2020.

• Monday: 6 AM, 10 AM, 10 PM
• Tuesday: 2 AM, 4 AM, 9 AM
• Wednesday: 7 AM, 10 AM, 11 PM
• Thursday: 9 AM, 12 AM, 7 PM
• Friday: 5 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM
• Saturday: 11 AM, 7 PM, 8 PM
• Sunday: 7 AM, 8 AM, 4 PM

We will now discuss the differences and similarities between TikTok and IG Reels, along with some inspirational tips and a step-by-step guide to Instagram Reels.

2 – Instagram Reels vs. TikTok

As we already know, IG Reels (TikTok’s rival) is currently creating the most buzz around social media and gained traction over TikTok (mostly because of the TikTok ban).

So, let’s understand the Instagram Reels vs. TikTok with the similarities and differences table given below.

Similarities between Instagram Reels and TikTok

Differences between Instagram Reels and TikTok

3 – How to create your First Reel: A Beginners Guide

Well, there are no such significant steps required to create Instagram Reels. So, let's understand how to use Instagram Reels in the informative step-by-step guide given below.

Step 1:Log in to the Instagram app.

Step 2:Swipe to the camera and select Reels.

Step 3:Consider the editing options, as shown in the image below, and create customized videos based on these tools.

Editing Features of Instagram Reels

Let’s now consider various editing features provided by IG Reels.

Audio

You can either use your video or pick up music from the Instagram music library, as shown below.

AR Filters

Select from various augmented reality features to provide effects and record multiple clips.

Timer

Use the countdown timer to record video clips without the help of a phone. You can press long the record button and set the timer up to 15 seconds.

Align

Use the Align feature to make smooth transitions such as between adding new friends and changing outfits.

Speed

Use the speed controls to speed up or slow down the selected portion of audio or video.

After your recording is over, add caption or hashtags, and hit the Share button, as shown below.

4 – Want to go Viral? Get Inspired from TikTok

TikTok is also one of the biggest social media platforms where users habitually use various tips and tricks to go viral.

So, it would help if you also thought of borrowing some tips and tricks from TikTok to go viral on Instagram Reels.

Use trending music and sounds.

It is always worth to include trending videos and sounds into the IG Reels. You can select your songs but creating content over trending topics tends to hit the trend among other videos.

Create your bang

You must grab the user's attention quickly by giving a sort of bang in the initial seconds. Users are swiping up to your video, and if they don't get what they want to see, then IG Reels is a time waste aspect for you. The idea is not to create random stuff but to target the specific users according to your niche so that the videos get noticed and ranked well.

Competitor Research

The competitor research is another borrowed feature from TikTok, where you can check out various brands and social media influencers about what they are creating. It’s a great way to find trending hashtags as well.

Check your existing metrics.

If you ever analyzed TikTok accounts of big influencers, they show up a fair amount of overall metrics, including video content. Keep an eye on your Instagram bio and check if it has the right amount of words and a call to action. You can consider other factors of metrics as the ideal post timing and use of specific hashtags etc.

Trigger people to comment on!

You can include some random details also so that people get induced to comment on your Instagram Reels. These unexpected details can be anything such as mentioning some weird stuff or writing great captions etc.

Be Relatable

Being relatable is the most crucial tip to go viral over Instagram. Don't show off and be real; it's the most critical way to win the hearts even on any platform. Well, being relatable also means to be hateable, inspirational, or aspirational.

Conclusion

So, this is how to use Instagram Reels and its related viral marketing strategies. Well, we haven’t ignored TikTok while talking about Instagram Reels due to a correlation between both the platforms, as discussed above. Thus, the viral marketing strategies used on TikTok are wholly applicable here as well.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox