Lesson 2: How to create Reels & save them as Drafts

Instagram Reels are videos that can be up to 60 seconds long. You can add audio, effects, and new creative tools to your reels. 

Reels are a great way how to grow your Instagram account and reach new audience. 

Features in Reels

  • Audio: Search for a song from the Instagram music library. You can also use your own original audio by simply recording a reel with it. When you share a reel with original audio, your audio will be attributed to you, and if you have a public account, people can create reels with your audio by selecting “Use Audio” from your reel. You can save the music from reels, by clicking on it and “save Audio”
  • Length: Choose how long the reel will be. You can choose from 15, 30 or 60 seconds, however, you are free to share any length – shorter than 15 second, but not longer than 60 second. 
  • Speed: Choose to speed up or slow down part of the video or audio you selected. This can help you stay on a beat or make slow motion videos.
  • Effects: Select one of the many effects in IG effect gallery, created both by Instagram and creators all over the world, to record multiple clips with different effects.
  • Touch Up – is a cosmetic feature that acts as a filter, smoothing the skin for example
  • Timer : Set the timer to record any of your clips hands-free. Once you press record, you’ll see a 3-2-1 countdown, before recording begins for the amount of time you selected

How to create a Reel – a step by step process

Step 1 Open the homepage of your Instagram Account. You can access and create Reels in three different ways: the Instagram home screen (+ icon), or via the Instagram Stories.

Step 2 – First, choose the length and audio for your Reel

Step 3 – When you open Audio, you can choose from the suggested music, you can see more music or the music you saved. You can also use the search to get any specific music you need.

Step 4 – After you choose the right audio for your Reel, you can select which part of the music you want to use.

Step 5 – You can create video before, so when you open Reel, you can click on the gallery icon in the left bottom corner and upload videos or images.

Step 6 – When you click on the video or image to upload, you are able to choose the length of that vide or image. Drag the sides to get the desired length. Then click “Add”. 

I also use the app on my mobile call: Instories , which is an app for creating videos for Stories actually. There are many beautiful templates, you can choose from and create beautiful effects with your videos or images. Have a look at this reel I made for promoting the my Lighting Guide – I used this app for creating a short videos that I put together after.

Step 7 – adjust uploaded video to fit the audio

Step 8 – Click on Preview and see the entire Reel. From there, you can add some special effects, text, icons, as you do in your Stories

Step 9 – adjust when the text or icons will appear in the Reel

Step 10 – write the caption, add hashtags and share your Reel!

Reel insights – how to access them

You can see how your reel has performed from the insights.

Saving audio and reels

You can save reels and audios from others too:


Key takeaway

  • Reels are the best way how to grow your Instagram at this moment and attract new audience
  • Are a great way too how to promote your freebies, blogposts, projects or products.
  • Reels are short videos – up to 60 seconds, and you can add various effects, text or filters. 
  • Reels should be created for your audience, which means, the content should be in line with what your audience is excited to hear about.
  • Create a variety of Reels to understand what type of Reel performs better and create more of such Reels
  • Focus on creating a mix of Reels and Posts, you can also combine the same topic and deliver it via both features. 
  • To increase the reach of Reels, after publishing, it’s recommended to engage with the Reels of others. 
  • Create Reels that are unique, different from others. Market is getting overcrowded with Reels, therefore be creative, find something that will make you unique. 
  • Get inspired by other people, study their Reels, composition, lighting, camera angles, how they cut the video, the rhythm and the story they capture in various scenes.