All posts by : Wilfredo Carrasquillo

Whether you’re a new or seasoned social media manager, managing a brand’s social presence can be overwhelming. After all, you’re behind every post and every interaction with potential customers so the pressure is on.

One way to ease that and make sure you’re at the top of your game is with a social media checklist. In this article, we’ll cover the daily and monthly tasks every social media manager needs to succeed.

Social Media Tasks

Before we get into the checklist, we’re going to break down the work of a social media manager into four pillars.

Sharing – You must post on social media regularly to grow and maintain an audience.
Engaging – Connecting with your audience, via polls, responding to comments and DMs, and reposting user-generated content, is key to building that brand loyalty.
Monitoring – It’s important to know how your brand is perceived online, so you’ll need to monitor mentions of your brand as well as topics within your industry.
Reviewing and Optimizing – If you’re not reviewing your performance, how can you improve? This is a necessary part of every social media strategy.

If you don’t share often, you’ll struggle to build an audience. Without an audience, you won’t have much to engage with. This also means that you’ll have little to no data about what works well and nothing to optimize or review.

This is all to say that to have a robust social media presence, you must be strong in all four areas. Now, let’s dive into the daily tasks you’ll need to complete in this role.

Social Media Daily Checklist

On a daily basis, you will be focused on the first three pillars: sharing, engaging, and monitoring.

While there is some reviewing and optimizing that can happen daily, you can better identify patterns when you do so on a monthly basis once you have compiled a good data set.

1. Sharing content.

Your number one priority on social media should be sharing content.

That’s what will allow you to reach your target audience, attract them to your brand, and keep them engaged.

When we surveyed 310 U.S.-based marketers in 2022, we found that most social media marketers post between four to six times a week on social media platforms.

While that is the average, some marketers post more or less depending on the platform. For instance, 29% of marketers surveyed said they post on Facebook every day while 35% said they do the same on Twitter.

However, when asked about Pinterest, most marketers surveyed only post two to three times a week.

Of course, how often you post will depend on a variety of factors including the return on investment.

Something else to consider is that sharing content doesn’t only mean from your brand. It can include user-generated content or content from another non-competitor that would add value to your audience.

2. Responding to comments and DMs.

One of the easiest ways to engage your audience is by responding to their comments.

If you’re struggling to generate comments in the first place, try starting a conversation and asking your audience to join it.

In this post, sunscreen brand KINLÒ asks its audience to share ways they protect their skin.

In that same vein, you can ask your audience to tag a friend that would enjoy your post.

Another way to engage your audience is by responding to direct messages. Often, consumers will reach out to brands on social media to learn more about the brand, ask specific questions related to shared content, or get help.

It’s important that you review these questions every day to leave a positive impression on your audience. If you take too long to answer, they may lose interest or escalate the issue by complaining to the public.

You can take it one step further by working internally with your customer support team to develop an escalation process once a customer reaches out via social media.

3. Monitor brand mentions and industry-related content.

When you’re growing your business, it’s vital that you know how your brand is being perceived online and what is being said about it.

According to our 2022 social media marketing report, 35% of marketers surveyed track brand mentions and hashtags on social media.

Thankfully with social media, that information is within reach. You can easily set up alerts to be noticed whenever your brand is tagged or mentioned on social media.

You can also routinely do searches on platforms like TikTok where alerts aren’t readily available.

This will allow you to gauge brand sentiment and quickly address concerns from your target audience.

Pro-tip: HubSpot’s social media management software includes a brand monitoring tool that will help you stay on top of all mentions and even track your competitors.

4. Identify trends and buzzy content.

Trends come and go just about every week on social media.

The trick is jumping in as they’re growing in popularity and knowing when they’ve died out.

The best way to find trends is by simply being on social media – social listening. You may start to notice a particular sound being used often or a song being added to every Reel you come across.

Some social platforms will tell you exactly what’s trending, like on TikTok’s “Discover” tab and Twitter’s “Trending” tab.

There are also accounts that are dedicated to finding trends as they happen and explaining their origin. This will help you determine which ones are worth joining and which ones you should stay out of.

As a brand, everything you put out there is a representation of your values. That’s why it’s important that you be extra careful when assessing trends.

See what videos other brands and users are creating with that trend. Are they funny and creative? Are they offensive? Do they align with your brand?

If not, it’s always OK to skip because there’ll be another one coming around the corner.

5. Answer queries on forums.

When we think of social media, we often think of content-sharing apps like TikTok, Twitter, and Twitch.

However, some social apps – think Reddit and Quora – focus instead on conversations and community.

You may be surprised to find how many conversations people may be having about your brand on these websites. In addition to being a great source of information surrounding brand sentiment, you can also learn a lot about your audience’s challenges and pain points.

You can then leverage that information into value-packed posts to attract your audience.

6. Connect with brand evangelists.

Building brand loyalty is no easy feat. So once you’ve accomplished it, you have to invest time to maintain it.

This means connecting with your brand evangelists on a regular basis.

Yes! 😍

— Brandon Blackwood (@BBlackwoodNYC)
April 27, 2022

This can look like commenting on their content and/or sharing it on your platform, giving them access to exclusive content, shouting them out, and inviting them to participate during live streams.

While social media can be filled with parasocial relationships, don’t let that be the case for you and your audience.

Social Media Monthly Checklist

1. Check your analytics.

Data is every brand’s most sacred asset. It holds incredibly valuable insights about your target audience.

On social media, your data will tell you the type of content your audience enjoys, what grabs their attention, and what generates conversions.

It will also help you identify trends. In fact, when we asked social media marketers “How do you predict which social media trends are worth investing in?” The top answer was by analyzing their social media analytics.

So, which metrics are marketers reviewing? Here are the top five, according to our survey:

Likes and comments (41%)
Sales (41%)
Traffic to their website (41%)
Impressions and views (40%)
Brand mentions and hashtags (35%)

If you have at least one month’s worth of data, you can start finding out which posts perform the best and dig into the why.

Through your analytics, you can also assess which social platforms are worth investing in. According to our survey, the top three metrics marketers look at to make this decision are:

Impressions/views
Sales
Follower or subscriber count

Whether you’re already succeeding or struggling on social media, reviewing your data will always set you up for a better month ahead.

2. Set goals.

Once you’ve reviewed your analytics and know what went well and what can be improved, you can set your goals for next month.

For instance, say you notice that last month’s videos outperformed any other content type and generated 2,000 visits to your website. For next month, you can up the number of videos you post and set a visit goal of 3,000.

Whether it’s increasing your reach, generating more engagement, or driving more traffic to your website, setting goals will serve as your north star and allow you to schedule content that aligns with these goals.

3. Schedule next month’s content.

When you’re managing multiple social media accounts, you have to plan your content ahead of time. Otherwise, you risk under planning and not having enough content.

You’ve already set your goals for the month. So now, it’s just a matter of creating content that best aligns with them.

For instance, say you want to increase your reach and last month’s data shows that your most shared content relates to three main topics. You can then center next month’s content on these three topics.

When scheduling content, you should also consult other teams to determine if there are any events, announcements, or campaigns that you will need to share.

The earlier you have your creative assets – images, videos, copy – the easier it will be to create your content calendar.

Pro-tip: We created a social media content calendar template to make planning posts and coordinating campaigns easy.

There you have it – a detailed social media checklist that will have you on top of your game every day.

Creating an effective content workflow is a lot like baking a cake. If you accidentally pour unfinished batter into an unprepared pan, the damage is done. You can’t go back and prep the pan after the fact.

Imagine your cake batter is your content, and the cake pan is its publication. If your content goes straight from the writer to your consumers, you are running a lot of risks. You must first edit and fact-check the content before publication and distribution. Readers become disinterested or upset at careless, incorrect content. And once the information is out there, it is nearly impossible to recover.

Having the right people in place on your content team is not enough. To create quality content every time you post, your company needs to outline its processes in a content workflow.

In this post, we’ll cover the topic of content workflow — what it is, how to manage it, and how you can create one for your business.

Strategists, writers, editors, and managers are people you would have on your content team. Their tasks, seen in a workflow, include planning, writing, editing, publishing, and more; however, each function is not necessary for every content type.

Depending on the content type, your workflow will change. Businesses can publish various content like newsletters, blog posts, and social media posts. The content workflow is different for each asset. For example, compare the publication of a newsletter and a social media post. The most evident difference in this process is that the content types go through different channels. Once you break down the workflows, you will discover that each may require separate people, processes, tools, and resources.

With so many moving pieces necessary for creating a content workflow, managing the process becomes a top priority.

Content Workflow Management

If left untamed, your content workflow can become complicated and confusing for your team. To successfully manage your workflow, start by outlining the processes, people, and tools involved in the content creation process.

Processes

To manage your content workflow, identify the steps needed to create content. They are:

Strategizing
Planning
Creating
Reviewing
Publishing
Analyzing

While this is the basic workflow for content, each step has supplementary processes depending on the content type. You can build these extra steps as you create your content workflow. At this stage, it’s helpful to outline a content strategy.

People

An effective content workflow focuses on the processes needed to publish content, but people are arguably the most vital part. One aspect of managing content workflow is identifying and managing key players. These people are responsible for fulfilling the steps in the content creation process listed above. For example, for strategizing, you’d need a strategist. For reviewing, you’d need an editor.

In conjunction with managing your people and their processes, content workflow management also covers the tools needed to complete the work.

Tools

For your content team to fulfill their roles and work through content creation processes, they need tools. Content has to be created, edited, shared or managed somewhere. Managing your team’s content workflow means managing the tools it needs.

Content management systems, like CMS Hub, are essential for publishing blog posts. Canva and Adobe Photoshop are great tools for design. These are just three of the many tools your company might add to its content tech stack.

As the content marketing industry booms, your business needs to expand to accommodate this growth. This expansion reflects an increase in the people, processes, and tools associated with your content workflow. The more comprehensive your workflow becomes, the more daunting it is to manage; however, integrating content workflow software can solve the problem.

Content Workflow Software

Content workflow software, or a workflow management system, is a program that manages the content creation process through planning, production, and publication. Instead of teams using multiple methods and approaches to monitor the content process, workflow management systems help you create a centralized location for your team to visualize its processes. It promotes the execution of your content strategy in alignment with company goals.

The added benefits of using content workflow software include:

An increase in productivity
A reduction in errors
An improvement in workplace collaboration

Increase In Productivity

Without using a content workflow software tool, team members are left with extra work and time wasted. These issues are removed with content workflow software because it is automated. It eliminates sending email updates because the software sends them for you. Content teams don’t have to guess the timeline of a project because the system manages it for them. Everything happens quickly and efficiently.

Reduction In Errors

Nothing is perfect, and you can’t expect the same from your content workflow. Even so, content workflow software helps reduce errors. It helps your team stay ahead of deadlines. It allows you to identify what processes in the content workflow need adjustment. Content management software gives your company the tools for improving your workflow.

Improvement In Workplace Collaboration

Content management software improves workplace collaboration between team members and the apps and platforms they use. Executing your content strategy requires many different people who use various tools. Workflow management software allows your team to notify and update another member while the software integrates with several content management systems, email providers, messaging services, and social media platforms.

To take advantage of the benefits of using content workflow software, learn more about Marketing Hub and how its marketing automation technology simplifies tasks.

Content Workflow Template

Content workflow software is fundamental in keeping up with your content strategy; however, you need the appropriate steps to build your workflow. Only then can you get the most out of the software. Where do you begin? Here’s how you can create your content workflow.

How to Create a Content Workflow

The people, processes, and tools necessary for executing your content strategy are helpful markers in creating your content workflow. To create a content workflow, you need to:

Decide what content to create.
Create a breakdown of actionable tasks.
Assign roles.
Determine the time associated with each task.
Document your content workflow.

Decide what content to create.

First, decide “what” you are creating. Is it a social media post? Is it a newsletter? Your company has the choice of creating many content types like infographics, blog posts, video content, and more, and you will need to create a workflow for each.

Create a breakdown of actionable tasks.

Once you are focused on a particular content type, outline the necessary steps needed to get it from strategy to publication. Consider this sample workflow for a blog post. Its process might look like this:

Strategizing > Planning > Creating > Editing > Publishing > Analyzing

While these are broad tasks for creating a blog, this is where it needs to expand. Strategizing typically includes performing content audits, creating buyer personas, and conducting keyword research. Editing might involve implementing SEO techniques or adding images and links.

Every step in the process needs to be accounted for so it can be assigned to the appropriate team member.

Assign roles.

After you have the tasks for your content process, it’s time to decide who does them. This step can help identify if anyone is at capacity in their role and if you need to bring in additional members. Using our blog example above, this is how you might assign roles.

Strategizing > Content Strategist
Planning > Content Manager
Writing > Copywriter
Editing > Editor
Publishing > Content Manager
Analyzing > Content Manager

After assigning responsibility for each task, determine how much time is necessary for completion.

Determine the time needed for each task.

To determine how much time you need for each task, consult your content team. How much time does your writer say it takes them to write a 500-word post? What about a 2500-word post? Use the length of time they give you and build in additional time. It can help your company avoid working with tight timelines or missing deadlines.

After this step, your content workflow might look like:

Strategizing > Content Strategist (1 day)
Planning > Content Manager (<1 day)
Writing > Copywriter (2 days)
Editing > Editor (1 day)
Publishing > Content Manager (<1 day)
Analyzing > Content Manager (Ongoing)

Once you have outlined a process for the tasks, people, and length of time needed for creating your content, your content workflow is complete.

Document your content workflow.

The last step in creating your content workflow is documenting it. Companies typically use standard operating procedures (SOPs) to keep their teams aligned with the process. Marketing Hub, Trello, and Evernote are examples of systems that give teams easy access to documents like SOPs.

Content workflows work, so you don’t have to.

Content creation isn’t simple. There are many elements in publishing content and successfully executing your content strategy. Creating a content workflow helps your team stay on task by increasing productivity, reducing errors, and improving workplace collaboration. The predetermined flow of each process makes it easy, but managing individual tasks becomes increasingly chaotic without content workflow software.

When managing how your content transforms from an idea to publication, content workflows handle the heavy lifting.

If there’s one thing that Instagram understood with the creation of Instagram Reels it’s that it’s not just content that’s king — it’s video content. With TikTok surpassing 1 billion global downloads within 18 months of its launch, the app’s endless feed of short, entertaining video clips quickly became an internet sensation.

But, in August 2020 — as countries like the U.S. considered banning TikTok due to privacy concerns — Instagram launched Reels as a set of new audio and video editing features similar to what users would find on TikTok. Flashforward to 2022, and this burgeoning video feature now accounts for up to 20% of user activity on Instagram.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to see why Reels remain a major play for Instagram — so we’re here to explain everything you need to know about Reels in order to use them to your advantage.

Aside from allowing users to record videos with sound or audio overlays, the Reel camera and editor also include the following features on mobile:

Editing tools: Create augmented reality effects, transitions, and the ability to speed up or slow down videos.
Audio attribution: Overlay the sound in videos with audio from other user uploads (while the app gives sound credits to the original account).
Stitchable takes: Make a video with just one long take or a combination of quicker takes.
Duets: Add your Reel to one made from another account for side-by-side interaction. Find the Reel you’d like to duet with and click the circle settings to “Remix a Reel.”
Instagram Shareability: Share Reels with just friends on your Stories or profile, or publicly in the Reels tab or Explore page.

Since June 2021, it’s worth noting that ads are now supported in the Reels tab, the Explore page, and your Feed once a user taps into the Reel scroll. With the range of ways Reels appear to Instagram users — especially where people who don’t follow your brand reside — your business has the opportunity to reach new audiences across the globe.

Here’s an example of what a Reels ad for your brand could appear as below:

Video Source

What’s distinct about Reels ads — and Stories ads — is that Instagram allows users to decide which ads appear to them. If they do not wish to see the ad, they can simply skip it or select the menu in the bottom right to hide or report it.

Step 1: Enter Reels mode within Instagram.

First, you need to know how to get to Reels on Instagram. You can start your Reels in 3 ways:

Select the
+ symbol at the top right of your homepage and tap Reels.

Open the Instagram Stories camera and tap
Reels.
Select the Reels tab on the bottom of the app and tap the top right camera:

When you arrive at your Reels screen it should look something like this:

If so, you are now ready to begin recording, adding videos, editing, and overlaying audio if you haven’t found the right sound yet.

Step 2: Begin recording a video or adding pre-saved clips.

Before you record or create your Instagram Reel first make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app. Then access the Reels screen according to your preference. Once you arrive at the Reels screen:

Simply hold the center circle button and begin recording to start filming a clip.
Tap the square in the bottom left corner to add videos from your camera roll, TikTok, or other platforms.
Begin piecing together video clips or recording a longer video for a total of up to 60 seconds.

If you let go of the record button but still have time left in your Reel video, you can hold the button again to start a second clip that starts immediately after the first ends. As you record one or multiple clips for your Reel, the progress bar and countdown at the top of the screen will show you how much recording time you have left.

How to Add Effects to Reels

To add effects to your video simultaneously, you can select the editing option located on the left side of the Reels screen:

Change the design of your video by tapping
Layout and choosing one of the grid options provided like this dual-screen.

Slow or increase your video playback by choosing the
Speed your video to set the pace.
Go hands-free and record by timer when you select the stopwatch symbol.

Choose between a 3 or 10-second timer, then drag the meter by the number of seconds you want your clip to be. To stop recording, re-tap the center circle button as you like.

Add a filter for additional creativity by selecting one from the bottom of your screen.

The filters for Reels are similar to Instagram Stories and many of these effects crossover between both video formats.

Step 3: Find audio for Reels.

Now it’s time to select audio and add it to your Reel. The audio feature enables you to overlay a pre-recorded sound from other users, songs available on Instagram, or your own audio.

If you are creating content around a specific song or sound bite, you may begin with this step prior to recording or adding clips. In either case, follow these steps to find the right tune to complete your Reel.

Select the
Audio musical note on the left side of your Reel screen.
Search music in the search bar or browse Instagram’s song or audio suggestions.
Choose the part of the song or sound you will apply to your video.

Then, voila — your audio is now added to your Reel. Make sure that you preview how it will align with your video by tapping Next, then adjusting clips accordingly.

How to Use Original Audio on Instagram Reels

Pro tip — if you do not see a Reel song you like, you can always add your own. To import your own sound:

Select the
Import button next to the Saved button.
Add the video with the audio you’d like to use.

Your Original audio is added and you are now credited for the sound — meaning your Instagram profile icon will as the audio icon.

How to Find Trending Instagram Reel Songs and Sounds

If you want to find trending Instagram Reels audio, there are a few different options available. One of the easiest ways is to browse through Instagram itself: scroll through the Reel sounds used by popular accounts or search popular hashtags like #trending songs or #trending audio.

You can also find trending Reel songs and sounds to use by tapping the Reels you find on your Explore page, clicking the song name on the bottom left corner, and taking a look at how many people have made Reels with that sound.

Once you decide if a song is popular — and upward trending — you can then save it for when you’re ready to bring your Reel to life.

How to Save Music on Instagram

If the sound is indeed too good to let it scroll past you, simply select Save Audio to keep it.

This audio will now live in your Saved folder so you can add it to a Reel when you’re ready.

You can also receive periodic notifications from Instagram letting you know if a song saved to make a Reel has passed a certain threshold.

So whether you’re looking for background music to add an extra flair to your Reel or letting the audio take you viral, there are plenty of resources for finding the right sound that’s in tune with your vision to quickly get your Reel posted.

Step 4: Post a Reel on Instagram.

Now that you have created your Instagram Reel and found the perfect track, posting it to Instagram is easy. To have your Reel live in no time:

Select
Next on the bottom right corner of your Reels screen to reach the sharing window.
Choose the best cover for your Reel by tapping
Edit cover on the top of your screen.

Select or deselect
Also share to Feed to tell Instagram whether or not you want your Reel to be seen on your Instagram profile.
If you do not want to post it to your Feed, make sure the slider is gray and not blue.

Add your caption and hashtags as you would with your regular Instagram posts.After you decide whether to share your Reel to the Feed, at the bottom of the screen you have the chance to:

Tag people or brands in the video.
Rename Audio used in the video to your liking.
Add Location information on where Reel was shot.
Add Fundraiser events you are supporting.
Recommend on Facebook or show your Reel to anyone on the platform — Facebook friend or not.

Include a paid partnership label when you tap Advanced Settings at the bottom.

Once you’ve added all of your preferences, you can now select the Share to Reels button in blue:

You’ve officially shared your Reel on Instagram! But if you start these steps and decide your minute — or less — masterpiece requires further edits, you can always save the Reel as a draft so you don’t have to restart:

Finally, Reels can also be sent as direct messages or even posted to your Instagram Stories, similar to the grid posts you publish to your Feed.

Instagram Reels FAQ

Do Reels show up on your Feed?

Your Reel will show up on your Feed like any other Instagram post with a film clapperboard icon on the top right of the video. So feel free to scroll through them like you would a traditional video upload:

They have the standard 1:1 square ratio or a 1080px by 1080px Instagram post size on your grid. But once tapped, they will have their distinct 9:16 aspect ratio with a width and length of 1080px by 1920px:

Plus, your caption will sit under the Reel like the rest of your Instagram post captions whenever you choose the best time to post them.

When’s the best time to post reels on Instagram?

As far as we know, there is no “right” time to post Instagram Reels per se, but like any other form of Instagram content, the timing of your posts can play a role in their engagement metrics. If you want your Reel to be seen by as many people as possible, then you should post during peak times: the time of day when most of your audience is active on Instagram.

You can find out what your peak time is by using your Business or Creator Instagram account and tapping Insights to go to your Professional Dashboard.

Here you will see when your audience is most active, their interactions, their likes, and more metrics that give you a better understanding of how to best reach your audience.

How to See Instagram Reels Insights

Once you tap Insights on your profile feed, you will be brought to your Insights Overview.

To see what days or hours your audience is most interactive:

First, select
Total Followers.Next, scroll to the bottom of the screen.Then, view
Most Active Times.

Select Hours to see how many accounts are active at specific times of day by tapping the blue columns. Use the arrows to switch days:

Select
Days to see how active your followers are on different days of the week by tapping the blue columns.

After you gauge how likely your audience is to interact with your Reel at a given time or day, you can now take it a step further and monitor your Reel’s performance:

Return to your
Insights Overview and select
Accounts Engaged.
Scroll down to
Reels Interactions.
See your most popular Reels according to likes.

By reviewing your Reels and audience Insights, you will be able to plan your content around what’s most engaging to your followers and post when they’re most likely to enjoy it.

What You Need to Know About the Instagram Reels Algorithm

Like most Instagram content, Reels are ranked by Instagram’s algorithm. This algorithm is based on a number of different factors that include post engagement, length, content, and more.

What you should remember about the algorithm is that there is no trick of the trade to rank higher in users’ feeds. While there are Instagram users who may try to garner high engagement through methods like contests and giveaways, these tactics will not necessarily lead to long-term success.

But what you can do to help your Reel content appeal to the Reels algorithm is keep these points in mind:

Create content that is short, sweet, and relevant to the current social times.
Post regularly so Instagram can expect you to produce a consistent amount of Reel content.
Be creative with your content and help lead trends instead of just following them.
Use Instagram’s tools to edit and improve your videos.
Add niche Instagram hashtags that are relevant to your products, services, and base.

So with a little bit of creativity and production direction, you can be a Reel connoisseur in no time.

Viral Brand Reels Examples

Whether you’re looking to create fun and engaging content to connect with your audience, or simply trying out a new Instagram marketing strategy, a Reel is a versatile tool that can help you achieve your goals. Especially, considering that Reels has increased Instagram engagement for brands like the NBA at a rate of 22% compared to the traditional Instagram videos.

But what can it do for your brand as you aim to increase awareness, reach, or sales? Let’s take a look at some examples of how brands are leveraging Reels today to do just that:

1. Nike: A Brand Story

If you want your customers to believe in your brand, they need to believe in your story. For instance, one brand with exceptional storytelling on and off Instagram is — you guessed it — Nike. In this Reel, they let us into the lives of athletes who use Nike to train, win, and most importantly, live their lives.

Watch the screen as the Reel pivots between the NBA Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo as a child to him now as an NBA champion and listen to his emotional declaration on doing whatever it takes to succeed.

But what makes this spotlight on Giannis so impactful — 5 million views strong and counting — in just seconds is that this feeling is one many can relate to, especially their competitive base. Then, with the simple yet iconic black screen and white swoop, Nike is telling you that will help you win — that Nike is a part of what it takes. That’s a narrative that has made many backs this legendary brand.

2. HelloFresh: Products in Action

If your Instagram is all about selling a product, Reels are the perfect platform to show the quality of your creation in detail. If you’re promoting a service, Reels offers an opportunity to give your customers and followers a taste of what you do and how you do it.

For instance, take recipe ingredient delivery service HelloFresh:

This brand often uses Reels to cook their own recipes and showcase the delicious ingredients they provide for easy home cooking. By doing so, they are showing us the quality of healthy ingredients, ease of use, and taste satisfaction — the tenets of their products and services — and encouraging consumers to give it a try themselves.

3. Schiaparelli: A Behind-the-Scenes Peek

In this Reel, Italian fashion house Schiaparelli takes us behind the scenes of their haute couture design process, giving us a window into their brand that we wouldn’t have had otherwise — without a fashion degree.

By allowing us into the fold of their luxurious fabric selection, expert stitching, and creative fashion boards, the brand is showing us the expert execution it takes to create a one-of-a-kind Schiaparelli piece. We can now derive the value of the product through its craftsmanship, a value the brand knows, but one we may not immediately recognize.

The point is that now is the time to experiment with Reels to showcase your brand to the public. So constantly try new ways to create your Reel content. These short and snackable clips offer a unique opportunity for you to highlight your products, services, and personality in an authentic way. So consider these tips to put your brand’s best Reel forward on your next post.

Instagram Reels vs. TikTok

As you consider Reels, TikTok, and other emerging social media platforms in your marketing strategy, it’s important to weigh the pros, cons, and key marketing takeaways when determining if a channel or feature is right for your team.

Here are just a few things to remember as you consider Reels:

Reels compete against a unique, viral sensation.

Although Instagram has a huge audience that is loyal to its platform, many Gen Z users are used to going to TikTok for viral videos and general entertainment. Because the app has pulled in astounding fan loyalty in its short lifespan, you might find that Reels don’t have the same viral opportunities that TikTok videos might have.

What works on TikTok might not work on Reels.

TikTok is a highly experimental platform with a younger, but huge, global audience. Because of these factors, there aren’t many rules about what you should and shouldn’t post on there. Meanwhile, Instagram has been around for years, has a slightly older audience, and has some content norms or audience expectations set in place.

If you’ve already posted a handful of TikTok videos and want to test them on Reels, you can consider uploading a few, watching how they perform, and learning more about what works well on both platforms.

However, as you learn the differences between TikTok and Instagram audiences, you might find that high-performing TikToks aren’t as engaging to your Reels audience. If this is the case, you might want to consider creating specialized content for Reels.

Reels Take Your Instagram Marketing Up A Notch

Although you’ll want to keep the points above in mind as you consider testing out Reels, you’ll also want to remember the opportunities it offers. For example, Reels might be a great option for you if you’ve mastered Instagram, know what content your audiences want, and are eager to test out TikTok-styled content. If you do begin to test out Reels, it can’t hurt to brush up on your Instagram marketing skills and Instagram platform knowledge to ensure that your profile, other content, and — ultimately — your Reels will be on point for your brand and optimized for brand awareness.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in September 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness in June 2022.

Instagram is an incredibly popular social media app for teens — in fact, roughly 41% of U.S. teens use Instagram as of January 2021.

But the app can be a tricky platform for teens since it inherently fosters social comparison. In fact, Meta reports one in three teen girls say Instagram makes their body image worse.

Additionally, teens who are unsatisfied with their lives are more negatively impacted by Instagram.

Fortunately, Instagram’s team aims to change that, in part with a new nudge feature. Let’s dive into what this new feature does, and what it could mean for marketers.

How Instagram’s New Nudge Feature Works

Research has found social media digital nudges can help people become more reflective of their social media usage, potentially decrease their time on the apps, and make their overall experience more pleasant.

One study found 58% of respondents say nudges make their social media experience better by helping them become more mindful of their time on platforms like Instagram.

Instagram’s new nudge feature for teens aims to leverage this powerful research by making it more difficult for teens to dive too deeply into certain potentially unhealthy topics — like teen girls consistently comparing themselves to the same three influencers.

If a teen spends too long on Instagram’s Explore page perusing posts with a particular theme, the platform will display a notification with suggestions for other types of posts. This works in two ways:

Helps teens discover new topics beyond their current interests
Encourages teens to pause and assess whether they want to continue looking at the type of content they’re currently seeking out

As Instagram puts it, “This nudge is designed to encourage teens to discover something new and excludes certain topics that may be associated with appearance comparison.”

Instagram has taken other steps to encourage positive teen behavior when it comes to their platform, including the launch of another feature, Take A Break, which is a reminder that pops up after a teen has spent a considerable amount of time on the platform, as well as tips for what they can do instead.

The nudge feature is a positive step in the right direction for reducing the time teens spend perusing unhelpful content, and reminding teens to stay mindful of what they consume on the app.

It’s important to note, the feature works no matter what type of content teens are scrolling. As Instagram spokesperson Liza Crenshaw explained to The Verge, “The notification shows up after scrolling on any topic for a number of consecutive posts. But, what we include in the recommendations of what to switch to excludes content that may be associated with appearance comparison.”

If you’re a content creator or marketer whose target audience includes teens, then this could impact how much time teens spend on your posts — but the more you aim to create healthy, uplifting content for teens, the more likely teens are to mindfully return to your content.

Consider, for instance, @laurajaneillustrations, an Instagram account filled with “content to make you feel GOOD about yourself”, like the one below:

There are plenty of influencers, non-profits, and brands that create inspiring, positive, helpful content, and these are the brands that will be best-suited for these digital nudges. Dosomething.org, for instance, has an Instagram account filled with inspiring content on how young people across the world can make a social impact.

Nike is another brand that focuses on powerful, uplifting messages on Instagram, and regularly showcases a diverse range of athletes on the company’s profile.

Instagram aims to support young creators in this venture by creating an Expert Steering Committee, which will be a panel made up of child psychology and digital literacy experts who will provide evidence-based ways for creators to use language that supports teen’s emotional well-being and self image.

More likely than not, your business won’t be too impacted by this new feature. The nudge feature will focus on reminding teens to look elsewhere when they’ve spent exuberant amounts of time on one type of content. It’s a healthy step towards reducing the time some teens might spend on appearance-based content.

Ultimately, if your brand focuses on creating positive, diverse content for your audience, then you shouldn’t be too affected by the nudge feature.

Video marketers report that it offers the highest ROI of any media format, but those who use it still face challenges with the strategy.

The HubSpot Blog Video Marketing Report surveyed 500+ video marketers and asked them about their top challenges, and we’ve compiled them in this post. Read on to learn what marketers are dealing with and how to overcome them in your strategy.

Top Video Marketing Challenges in 2022

The top five video marketing challenges are:

Lack of time to create video content.
Difficulty creating an effective video strategy.
Inadequate budget to create video content.
Difficulty with the video creation process (producing, filming, editing videos).
Lack of content ideas.

Let’s go more in-depth into each of these challenges and how you can address them if you also struggle with them.

1. Lack of time to create video content.

Marketers wear many hats and create multiple different types of content on multiple channels, so it makes sense that finding the time to balance everything can be a challenge.

As a result, it’s no surprise that lacking time to create video content is the top reported challenge for video marketers. When it comes to a lack of time, they also note that the most consuming part is pre-production, which involves coming up with ideas, writing a transcript, casting, etc.

One of the best ways to remedy a lack of time to create video content is to have an effective video strategy.

2. Difficulty creating an effective video strategy.

A video strategy can be crucial to success for video marketers. Still, those who already leverage the format say that it is the second most challenging part of video marketing.

If you’re hoping to overcome this challenge, the process for creating a video marketing strategy is similar to all others: identify your target audience, align with relevant stakeholders, create timelines and budgets, choose distribution channels, develop messaging, and decide on how you’ll track success.

Marketers say that some additional factors to consider when creating your strategy are:

How you’ll effectively promote your video content.
How you’ll capture attention in the first few seconds.
How you’ll keep your videos short and concise.

3. Inadequate budget to create video content.

A video marketing budget accounts for everything that goes into the video creation process, from storyboarding to promoting your videos to get a high ROI.

If you’re having trouble coming up with a budget, here is how marketers often break down theirs:

24% is dedicated to production,
20% is dedicated to pre-production,
20% is dedicated to post-production.

4. Difficulty with the video creation process (producing, filming, editing videos).

Our survey found the following tips from marketers when it comes to the video creation process:

Investing in your own video equipment is worthwhile in the long run, as 62% of marketers who own equipment describe the creation process as “easy.”
The most popular video editing software is Adobe Premiere Pro.
44% of marketers use an iPhone as their primary camera for video content.

Some other ways to make the video creation process run more smoothly are to create a script and prepare your shot list, organize your studio ahead of time to ensure you have everything you need, and prep talent by giving them the script ahead of time.

5. Lack of content ideas.

29% of marketers say that a lack of content ideas is a significant marketing challenge. Here are some high-quality and effective content ideas if you’re struggling with the same issue:

Content showcasing products or services has the highest ROI, according to marketers who use it.
Content showcasing your brand’s values is the second most leveraged type of content and the second most effective at generating leads and engagement.
Trendy content related to cultural moments and news stories gets significant engagement.
Relatable content is on the rise for the newest investments in 2022.

Consumers like watching videos, so meet them where they already are.

Consumers’ habits clearly show that video is a top-consumed and enjoyed media format. As a result, overcoming the common video marketing challenges will help you meet audience demand, generate engagement, and leave a lasting impression.