Instagram Reels Ideas: 21 Ways to Grow Your Brand in 2025

After seeing numerous Instagram reels, we’ve learned how to make the best one. But how do you know which reels are the right choice for your business? Staying on top of trending and viral reel formats gives your content the best chance of reaching new audiences. Instagram’s algorithm favors content that follows current trends, making trending reel ideas essential for maximum visibility and engagement.

And, how do you know if it’s worth spending time looking at other reels and taking into consideration other factors before finalizing your own? Here are 21 unique Instagram reels ideas that will get you thinking about new ways to reach your audience.

Although there are a number of Instagram Reels scheduling tools available, RecurPost is the finest one. It is a tool that allows you to schedule Instagram posts and will assist you in managing your posting to get the best results. Additionally, it will help you to analyze key metrics on your posting. The benefit of using a social media scheduler is that it will help you manage your time and make sure you have enough time to complete all of your activities.

What is Instagram Reel Creation?

Instagram Reel Creation enables users to create videos from their Instagram feed, sharing stories and highlighting meaningful moments.

Videos extend up to 60 seconds, automatically created from selected feed photos. Adding music, text, or stickers personalizes content for sharing with friends.

Having a RecurPost Account will make a significant impact on the success of your Instagram reels concept creation and implementation.

Share reels with Feed followers or, with a public account, make them available to the Instagram community through Explore. Reels in Explore enables creators to reach global audiences.

Creating Reels

Creating Instagram reel is really a very crucial part of the Instagram Posting Strategies. So you first need to select Reels from the Instagram camera’s bottom menu. On the left side of your screen, you’ll notice a selection of creative editing options to help you construct your reel, including:

• Audio: Look through the Instagram music collection for a tune. You can also add your own voice or soundtrack to make a reel out of it.
• Effects: Select one of the numerous effects in the Instagram effect collection to record several clips with different effects.
• Length: Instagram Reels can have a duration of 15, 30, 60, or 90 seconds.
• Speed: You can select to speed up or slow down a section of the video or audio in reels. This might help you keep time or create slow-motion reels.  
• Video Layout: To enable creating seamless transitions in your reels. Situations like costume changes or adding new faces to your reel, or from the lineup items from your previous clip.
• Timer: Set the timer to record any of your clips in hands-free mode.

Reels can be created in a sequence of clips (one at a time), all at once, or by uploading videos from your collection.

How to Boost Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels increase engagement and grow brands. These strategies boost your Reels:

1. Use Trending Audio & Effects – Trending Instagram note ideas or reel ideas often gain more visibility. Use popular songs, effects, and transitions to stay relevant.
2. Post at Peak Times – Uploading when your audience is most active increases views and interactions.
3. Leverage Hashtags & Instagram note line – Use niche-specific hashtags like #businessreelsideas and #instagrambrandingideas to reach the right audience.
4. Engage with Your Audience – Reply to comments, ask questions, and encourage shares for better engagement.
5. Experiment with Instagram Reel Text Ideas – Captivating on-screen text enhances storytelling and keeps viewers hooked.
6. Collaborate with Influencers – Partnering with creators in your niche can boost reach and credibility.
7. Repurpose & Share on Stories – Always share your Reels to your story and repurpose them across platforms for maximum exposure.

Best Brand Reels on Instagram

Many brands use Instagram Reels to create engaging and viral content. Here are some top examples:

• Nike – Uses powerful storytelling and high-energy sports clips to inspire audiences.
• Starbucks – Shares fun, aesthetic coffee-making videos using the best reels templates.
• GoPro – Showcases thrilling user-generated content with product reel ideas.
• Sephora – Engages viewers with makeup tutorials, before-and-after transformations, and informative reel ideas.
• Gymshark – Creates digital marketing reel ideas by sharing workout tips and transformation videos.

Digital Marketing Specific Reels Ideas

For marketers looking to showcase their expertise and services, these specialized reel formats drive engagement:

1. Analytics Reveal – Show real results from campaigns with before/after metrics using simple graphs and animations.
2. Marketing Myth Busters – Debunk common digital marketing misconceptions with data-backed explanations.
3. Platform Updates – Create quick tutorials on new features across social platforms that businesses should utilize.
4. Client Success Stories – Share condensed case studies with key metrics and visual representations of growth.
5. Marketing Hack Series – Demonstrate time-saving tools and techniques that improve marketing efficiency.

These digital marketing reel ideas position you as an authority while providing valuable content that your audience can implement immediately.

For small businesses, using Instagram reel ideas for small business like behind-the-scenes content, customer testimonials, and reel ideas for service-based businesses can help create brand awareness.

Event Promotional Reels Ideas

Promoting events through Instagram Reels requires a strategic approach that builds anticipation and drives attendance:

1. Event Countdown – Create a series of reels counting down to your event with increasing reveals about speakers, activities, or special announcements.
2. Venue Showcase – Film quick walkthroughs of your event space with text overlays highlighting key features and amenities.
3. Speaker/Performer Spotlights – Feature short clips from past performances or interviews with speakers to build credibility and excitement.
4. Behind-the-Scenes Preparation – Document the event setup process to create anticipation and show the care going into the experience.
5. Attendee Testimonials – After previous events, collect short testimonials to use in promotional reels for upcoming events.
6. Event Highlights Compilation – Create fast-paced montages from previous events set to trending audio to showcase the energy and value.

When promoting events through reels, focus on creating FOMO (fear of missing out) by highlighting unique aspects of the experience that cannot be replicated elsewhere.

Interesting Design Reels That Capture Attention

Design-focused reels attract high engagement from audiences who appreciate visual creativity:

1. Design Process Timelapses – Speed up your design process from concept to completion, showing the evolution of a project in 30-60 seconds.
2. Color Palette Exploration – Showcase how different color combinations change the mood and impact of a design with smooth transitions between options.
3. Typography Animations – Demonstrate how font choices affect messaging by animating text transformations between different typography styles.
4. Before/After Design Transformations – Reveal dramatic improvements in branding, websites, or marketing materials with clean transitions.
5. Design Principle Demonstrations – Illustrate fundamental design concepts like contrast, alignment, or proximity with visual examples.
6. Software Tool Tips – Share quick design hacks in popular tools like Canva, Photoshop, or Illustrator that improve efficiency.

Design-focused reels perform exceptionally well when they combine educational value with visual appeal, giving viewers both inspiration and practical takeaways they can apply to their own projects.

Candid 21 Instagram Reels Ideas for Small and Medium Businesses:

The Internet connects people with shared interests and launches businesses. Instagram Reels captures day-to-day events through videos. Users share projects, collaborate on ideas, or create entertaining content. Here are content ideas for Instagram Reels marketing:

1. Showcase Your Workplace with Reels: 

Showcase your workspace through Instagram Reels. Instagram reaches 1.440 billion people worldwide with 3-10 second attention spans. Present your best work in reels for lasting consumer impact. Non-followers discover reels through the Reels tab, Instagram feed home page, and Discover. RecurPost posts content on Feed, Stories, Carousels, and Instagram Reels for business.

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Make Reels a habit by first observing how others use them, then mastering Reels’ Video Editor. Save unfinished content as Drafts until ready. Instagram Reels captions enhance engagement through creative expression.

Don’t you have time to make graphics on your own?  You may still fill your calendar by using our free stock picture library. We have a treasure trove of high-quality photographs that you are welcome to use on your Instagram Reels. 

We have Canva integration that allows you to create stunning visuals.

Create and schedule Instagram Reels using Canva’s built-in editor. You can use Canva to alter photos and videos without leaving the RecurPost dashboard.  This means you can use Canva to create & design graphics through the RecurPost dashboard and schedule them on Instagram or Facebook.

You can now create and schedule Creative Instagram Reels ideas from the same screen, eliminating the need to hop between Canva and RecurPost. There will be no more downloading photographs and re-uploading them into your scheduler just to spot them. Also, it suggest you the best Instagram reels ideas for beginners.

2. Introduce yourself & team members in Reels: 

Whether managing a team or working independently, demonstrate the various roles you fulfill in your business. Alternatively, smile and wave at the camera with different surroundings or attire for each shot. Add screen text for detailed descriptions.

Apply these business reels ideas for larger companies or team introductions. Record team members waving or working, add name text, and edit to match music. Instagram reel text ideas work well for those uncomfortable on camera.

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Reels app offers limited in-app editing options, requiring external tools for creating appealing content. For those looking for Instagram reel ideas without face appearances, In-app editing sometimes causes desynchronized visuals and audio.

Therefore, many users find video editing tools for Instagram Reels useful. Besides, most professionals and content producers are familiar with Canva’s picture editing and graphic design tools, but did you realize the platform also has a video editor? It’s ideal for creating high-quality Instagram Reels that will do well in the algorithm.  

RecurPost allows you to use the Canva tool to create hundreds of customizable & best reels templates for all of your creative Instagram reel ideas. There are millions of free photos and illustrations to use in your reels. RecurPost is a social media scheduling tool that allows you to post videos to your Instagram profile automatically.

3. Share the making of your product:

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Sharing product creation through Instagram reels gives users insider access. Transparent companies attract more users. Transparency significantly influences companies by building confidence through raw, personal qualities.

Taking images of the materials or equipment you use in your product-based business provides fantastic Instagram content since it gives your clients a different perspective on how your products are made and opens up a dialogue about crafting. This is also one of the best digital marketing reel ideas.

For optimal impact, share your unique content with your target audience.  RecurPost is the first social media platform designed specifically for evergreen content promotion. 

4. Tell your story: 

Storytelling is another powerful Instagram reel concept. Stories evoke emotions and have existed since the Stone Age cave engravings. This ancient art elicits emotional responses from audiences through well-crafted narratives.

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Putting such art reel ideas into practice (and executing it effectively) is critical when it comes to communicating your brand’s narrative through images. Creative Instagram reels are undoubtedly your best buddy for this purpose since it is the new word-of-mouth marketing.

When it comes to sharing photos on Instagram, consider the following key questions as a guideline for incorporating storytelling on your Instagram Reels Ideas.

• What Is the Message I’m Sending?
• What Kinds of Emotions Will This Affiliate Marketing Reels Ideas Arouse?
• What Can I Do to Captivate Their Imagination?

5. Side-by-Side Comparison: Old vs. New Way: 

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A post shared by Lik Foon • Instagram growth & marketing (@likfoon)

Demonstrate how products or services simplify life through relatable side-by-side comparisons. Create fun, exaggerated contrasts between outdated methods and your streamlined solutions, e.g., “Video editing before vs. after AI tools.” Split-screen editing or skits illustrate differences that resonate with viewers. This approach works exceptionally for service-based businesses.

6. Sharing the packaging and labeling of the product: 

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A post shared by By Rukaiya (@daybreak.design)

Packaging receives significant focus as a crucial product offer component. Creating Instagram reels ideas aesthetic around your packaging process can showcase your brand’s visual identity while providing competitive advantages within marketing plans. This art, science, and technology prepare commodities for transportation and sale.

Marketers utilize product reel ideas to convince potential consumers to buy the goods. For numerous decades, package graphic design and physical design have been crucial and ever-changing phenomena.

7. AI-Powered Content Creation & Filters:

Showcase AI’s role in content creation through Reels, demonstrating AI-generated captions, subtitles, or voiceovers. Experiment with AI filters and AR effects matching your brand identity. Businesses using AI for brainstorming, design, or automation can create short videos showing efficiency or creativity improvements.

Learn how to use Instagram filters here.

8. Sharing how it started and how it’s going: 

Customer trust grows when brands demonstrate longevity and celebrate established customer relationships.

By exploring your company’s history and telling its tale, you’re not only investing in your company’s ability to motivate its management and staff from within. But also in your capacity to build relationships with new audiences and uphold the trust of your current clientele.

With the RecurPost Social Media Management Tool, you can schedule your creative Instagram reel video ideas that you want to share with your audience forever.  

9. Repurpose stories and content: 

Current Instagram trends and repurposing capabilities simplify content generation. RecurPost serves as an alternative to Hootsuite and Socialoomph for utilizing repurposing and content-generating features.

Moreover, little do you know that with RecurPost, brands and businesses can easily schedule Google Business Profile posts to promote their brand on Google and rank for local searches.

10. User-Generated Content (UGC) Challenges:  

 Launch hashtag challenges that transform audiences into brand advocates. Followers create Reels featuring products or services creatively. Repost the best submissions with commentary to show appreciation. Gamify participation through rewards, discounts, or featuring creative videos.

11. AI-Powered Customer Testimonials (Text-to-Voice or Animated):  

Share client testimonials and stories as Instagram reels to promote your brand. Transform customer reviews into engaging Reels using AI voiceovers with animated text and visuals.

Another option is to create a mini “customer of the week” series, highlighting real feedback with eye-catching motion graphics. This adds a fresh spin to traditional testimonials, making them more appealing and shareable.

Sign up for RecurPost and develop Evergreen Content Marketing for your own Stories.

12. Instagram Reels Ideas on your everyday life happenings: 

Share day-to-day events through Instagram reels. Update audiences about current projects. People connect with individuals and companies they follow to gain insights into daily operations. LinkedIn schedulers maintain an active presence across platforms. This creates belonging and shared success.

13. Party With Your Followers:  

Create Instagram Reels celebrating company birthdays. Involve followers in successes by sharing excitement during birthdays, staff celebrations, festivals, and holidays. Include quick encouragement messages.

14. Trending Memes & Pop Culture Reactions:

Tap into viral content by using trending audio clips, remixing memes, or reacting to niche-relevant pop culture moments. Use green screen effects to insert yourself into trending scenes while maintaining your brand’s unique perspective for authenticity.

15. Share Small Tips:  

Provide product and service recommendations through Instagram videos. Create 15-30 second reels addressing client concerns. Generate evergreen content for long-term customer impact. This establishes a reverse engineering process for your business.

In which you are discovered by your targeted customers who are seeking something on Google Search results before coming to your Instagram profile.

Google business reviews have the power to make or ruin a business. The first things that searchers will notice are them. RecurPost can be used to Schedule Facebook posts on your profiles, pages, and groups.

16. Respond to Comments and Queries:  

Use Instagram Reels to answer multiple customer comments and questions simultaneously. For new product launches with existing advertising, address user queries through dedicated Reels, responding to consumer questions.

17. Flash Sales & Limited-Time Drops with Hype-building Countdowns:  

Build suspense instead of simply announcing sales. Create high-energy Reels teasing upcoming launches with countdown stickers, teaser clips, and behind-the-scenes footage. Maintain excitement with expectation snippets and “last chance” reminders before sales end.

18. Share The Tools You Use:  

Communicate hard work narratives through Instagram Reels by showing the effort behind services or products. Share product-building tools with your audience.

Audiences want to know product evolution and technologies used. Reels account for 20% of Instagram user time according to Mark Zuckerberg.

19. Mini Influencer Collabs & Reaction Videos:  

Refresh influencer marketing by duetting or stitching content with expert insights rather than standard collaborations. Feature micro-influencers giving honest product reviews. React to customer testimonials conversationally, potentially acting out reviews.

20. Fast-Paced ‘Did You Know?’ Series: 

Create rapid-fire series sharing industry secrets, surprising facts, or niche tips in bite-sized formats. Use dynamic text overlays, quick-cut edits, and engaging visuals. Examples: “3 shocking facts about coffee roasting ☕🔥” or “Simple trick makes skincare routine 10x better.”

This is another idea for creating reels and posting them on social media, with an option of social media bulk scheduling using RecurPost. With scheduled tweets, you can also tweet your Instagram reels.

21. Before & After Reels: 

Create before-and-after stories about products or events using high-quality visuals, music, and video. Communicate product benefits without statistics for fresh launches. Instagram Reels allow marketers to approach target audiences, generate visual impact, and tell complete stories in 90 seconds.

If you’re unsure of the ideal image size to use when sharing on social media, check the Social Media Image Sizes Guide. An All-In-One Cheat Sheet for Major Platforms.

The Advantages of Creating Instagram Reels:

Instagram Reels offer quick company-building opportunities with Instagram having the highest average interaction rate among social networks. Reels spread brand awareness by pushing content to the Explore page and increasing follower involvement. This reduces time spent developing brand-specific content usable across multiple platforms.

IR can spread brand awareness effectively. It pushes new content on the Explore page and increases followers’ involvement. You will spend less time developing content that displays the brand’s individuality and content that can be used on several platforms.

Popular Reels Topics That Perform Well in 2025

Understanding which topics perform best on Instagram Reels helps you create content that resonates with audiences. Based on engagement metrics and algorithm performance, these topics consistently outperform others:

1. Educational Quick-Tips

Short, actionable advice in your niche performs exceptionally well as viewers appreciate valuable information delivered efficiently. These reels typically use text overlays with step-by-step instructions.

2. Behind-the-Scenes Content

Audiences connect with authentic glimpses into your business operations. This humanizes your brand and satisfies curiosity about how products are made or services are delivered.

3. Product Demonstrations

Showing your product in action with clear benefits demonstrated in under 30 seconds drives engagement and conversions better than static images.

4. Day-in-the-Life Content

Following a business owner or team member through their workday creates relatability and builds trust with your audience.

5. Transformation Videos

Before-and-after content performs consistently well across all industries, from physical products to service results.

When selecting topics for your reels, consider which of these categories aligns best with your brand while meeting your audience’s interests and needs.

How to flare up engagement on your Instagram Reels Ideas?

5 Ideas to Increase Engagement on Instagram Reels:

1. Use Social Media Tools to create 

Social media tools help brands achieve marketing objectives by simplifying photo editing and post scheduling across networks. Various marketing tools match different requirements and budgets.

• RecurPost 
• Hootsuite 
• Socialoomph 

When compared to all three, RecurPost Pricing is far lower than both of these tools, making it an ideal free Hootsuite alternative and socialoomph alternative. You can sign up for RecurPost and start with a 14-day free trial.

2. Closed captions should be included.

92% of viewers watch videos without sound. Add closed captions to provide richer viewing experiences.

3. Respond to Video Comments With… Yet Another Video

Instagram allows video responses to viewer comments instead of traditional text replies.

Take action on them using RecurPost Social Media Scheduler – Inbox allows you to read and respond to incoming messages. You can even create Instagram reels ideas funny responses to common questions, turning customer service into entertaining content while reading incoming chats, mentions, comments, and discussions quickly

4. Take Advantage of Current Trends

Monitor trends to observe popular video styles and music. Generate similar content to increase views and interaction. Capitalize on trends quickly for maximum impact.

5. Using the Collaborate feature

Instagram’s “collaborate” feature allows two accounts to share photos/videos appearing in both feeds and profiles. Brands and creators gain visibility by placing relevant content before new audiences.

Instagram Reels require short captions with relevant hashtags.

Instagram displays only the first 55 characters of Reel captions. Keep Reels captions short while main feed posts can have longer captions. Include pertinent hashtags within character limits to reach appropriate audiences.

We have an Instagram Reels Template Free Guide for you – Check Now!

Conclusion:

Instagram branding and social media Reel ideas constantly evolve. Producers must use these tools to maintain relevance with current trends. Comical AR effects or product showcases quickly convey information to audiences.

No universal guidelines exist for Instagram Reels. Employ spontaneity when creating content. The platform hosts content relevant to specific products, services, and target audiences.

In addition to utilizing RecurPost Social Media Scheduler for Instagram reel marketing, you can also use it to schedule pins on Pinterest Boards, as it is also an excellent Pinterest scheduler.

Do you want to learn how to improve your Pinterest traffic automatically? This blog by RecurPost can help you guide how to drive more Pinterest organic traffic with fewer & trusted efforts.

Instagram offers collaboration tools crediting original creators. Increase engagement by incorporating Reels into content strategies consistently and inventively.

Consistent posting ensures desired outcomes when building an Instagram presence. Don’t abandon Reels after initial attempts fail. Continue posting, as any Reel could potentially go viral.

Frequently Asked Questions

Debbie Moran

Debbie Moran is a Digital marketing strategist with 5+ years of experience producing advertising for brands and helping leaders showcase their brand to the correct audience. She has been a part of RecurPost since 2019 and handles all the activities required to grow our brand’s online presence.