Creating a Reel on Facebook: The Ultimate Guide for Marketers and Business Owners

Creating a Reel on Facebook could be the first step you take towards a more impactful social media presence this year. Over 90% of marketers believe short-form video is a cornerstone of effective marketing in today’s fast-paced digital world, and it’s easy to see why.

Ever since TikTok surged into the spotlight, becoming one of the fastest-growing social apps of all time, short video has taken the world by storm. Countless platforms have implemented their own short-form video solutions, from Instagram’s Reels to YouTube’s Shorts.

Facebook Reels might be slightly late to the party, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable to marketers and business owners. In fact, Facebook says there are over 200 billion “Reel plays” on the platform every day. So, how do you make a Facebook Reel, and more importantly, how do you make sure it has the right impact on your audience?

Here’s everything you need to know.

What are Facebook Reels? Understanding Reels on Facebook

Facebook Reels are short-form videos, usually less than 30 seconds long, filmed in vertical mode (on a smartphone), and enhanced with music, special effects, and filters. They’re used worldwide by content creators, marketers, and influencers alike. 

Facebook launched Reels a little later than most platforms; the feature became available globally in 2022, compared to Instagram Reels, which appeared in 2020. Now, however, Facebook Reels are available in over 150 countries worldwide, and they appear in Facebook Feeds, Groups, and menus.

Notably, Facebook Reels and Instagram Reels are actually linked across the apps (which makes sense since both platforms belong to Meta). However, Facebook Reels are a little different. These videos appear to users regardless of whether they follow you, giving you greater reach. 

Plus, Facebook gives users a few additional targeting options for Reels, allowing them to pinpoint the right audience. 

Creating a Reel on Facebook: The Step-by-Step Guide

Sometimes, the thought of embracing a new feature on any social media platform can be nerve-wracking. Fortunately, creating a Reel on Facebook is pretty straightforward. It’s not that different from using Reels for Instagram marketing. Here’s how you can get started.

First, log into your Facebook account, then scroll to the top of the page, where you’ll see your profile picture, the alarm icon (for notifications), the messenger button, and the “+” symbol. Click on the “+” symbol to access the “Create” menu, and select “Reel”:

Creating a Reel on Facebook: Uploading Content

Once you’ve clicked on the “Reel” button, you’ll be taken to a page where you can upload videos or access existing content from your system’s gallery. If you want to record a new video, you can simply click the video icon to start recording. You’ll also be able to use effects like Facebook’s green screen or upload an image to use as a green screen background. 

If you want to use an existing video, click on the “Add Video” button, or drag-and-drop the content you want to use into the dashboard. Once you’ve finished splicing your content together, or creating it, click the “Next” button. 

Adding Effects to Facebook Reels

On the next page, you’ll be able to experiment with editing your Reel using the built-in tools available from Facebook. You can crop your video, adjust its length, add audio, and enhance your Reel with stickers, filters, text, and more. 

Once you’re done adding all of your extras, hit “Next.” 

Adding Descriptions, Hashtags, and Sharing Your Reel

Finally, you’ll be asked to add a description to your Reel, similar to a “Caption” for an Instagram Reel. You can include hashtags here (to help boost visibility), and you’ll be able to choose who can see your Reel. Make sure you set the Reel to “Public” to reach as many people as possible.

You can also boost the impact of your Reels might tagging relevant people in the video with the “Tag People” option, and you can set a relevant location for the video.

Once you’re done, simply hit “Share,” and your Reel will be visible to everyone. 

Ways to Use Facebook Reels for Business Growth

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Reels have become extremely popular among influencers and everyday content creators, but they can be an incredible tool for business leaders and marketing teams, too. Facebook says that the Reel algorithm focuses on helping users “discover new content” relevant to their interests.

This means that Reels can be an excellent to expand your reach on Facebook, connect with new customers, and potentially grow your business. While there’s no single way to use Facebook Reels, the key to success is creating content that elevates your brand’s reputation, entertains customers, and delivers value to your target audience. 

Some examples of how you can make a Facebook Reel that facilitates growth include:

• Using Reels to Showcase Products: One of the most popular ways businesses use Facebook Reels is to show off their products. A 30-second video is a great way to draw attention to a specific feature of your product or give people a clear view of what it can do. 
• Highlighting your brand identity: Reels are supposed to be fun, entertaining, and authentic. That makes them excellent for showing customers what makes your brand different. You can use your Reels to offer behind-the-scenes insights into your brand’s personality and values. 
• Introducing your Team: Reels can also be a great way to showcase the people behind your brand. Spotlighting your team members, asking them to share their thoughts and feelings, or just sharing a day in the life of a colleague can help humanize your brand.
• Host challenges and events: Similar to TikTok, you can use Facebook Reels to host challenges and events, which can boost engagement between your company and your target audience. You could even run competitions asking customers to create Reels.

How to Make a Facebook Reel That Boosts Engagement

Now that you have your step-by-step guide to creating a Reel on Facebook (and what you can use Reels for), the next step is learning how to make a Facebook Reel that really stands out. Since Reels have become extremely popular on the platform, you will need a strategy to ensure you’re standing out from the crowd. Here are our top tips for success. 

1. Don’t Start Creating a Reel on Facebook without a Purpose

Let’s start with the basics, every piece of content you promote on social media needs to serve a purpose. Don’t just create Reels because your competitors are, ask yourself what you want to accomplish with these short-form videos. Do you want to draw attention to your company and increase brand awareness with a Reel that showcases your business and team?

Do you want to give your customers useful advice or show them how to use a feature on your new product? Maybe you want to announce something new in a quick and eye-catching way like HubSpot does with this Reel:

Establishing a clear goal will help you to identify what your Reel video should include, and it will also guide you when it comes to choosing which audiences you target. 

2. Plan Your Facebook Reel

Just like TikTok videos, Reels are supposed to be fast-paced, organic, and authentic, so you shouldn’t need to create a full “video script.” However, it does make sense to plan a little before you start creating. Remember, Facebook Reels should be short (no more than 30 seconds) and recorded in vertical mode to ensure they work well for mobile viewers. 

When planning your Reel, the most important thing to keep in mind is how you’re going to instantly grab your viewer’s attention. Within the first 3 seconds, your customers will decide whether or not they’re going to keep watching. Using creative visuals to grab attention, making a memorable statement, or even using text to introduce your video can convince customers to keep watching.

3. Use High-Quality Video

Your Facebook followers probably aren’t expecting a studio-quality video on your Reels page, but they do expect to see professionalism. In most cases, Facebook will compress your video, and if your uploads are already high-quality, this will reduce the risk of any blurriness or pixelation. 

The good news is you don’t necessarily need an expensive camera to achieve the right results. All you need to do is ensure your camera settings are correct. Go to your “Settings and Privacy” page on Facebook, click on “Settings,” and make sure your video quality is optimized. 

It also makes sense to take advantage of the editing tools Facebook offers. When you create your Reels, you’ll be able to add audio, adjust your speed, use a green screen, and even add various filters and AR effects. Experiment with your editing options to make your Reels stand out.

4. Be Entertaining (Have Some Fun)

A lot of companies make the same mistake when it comes to creating social media videos. They assume they should be spending all of their time focusing on promoting their products. While spotlighting whatever you offer is a good idea, don’t forget to be entertaining.

Around 33% of Facebook users visit the platform for entertainment, and most of the people who watch Reels are looking for it. With that in mind, think of how you can make your Reels more interesting or exciting for your target audience. 

Check out the current trends to see what topics customers are paying attention to right now. Experiment with stickers and effects that make your Reels more engaging. Add a little humor or playfulness into the mix. Don’t bore your audience. 

5. Write Relevant, Descriptive Captions (With Hashtags)

Another thing to keep in mind when creating a Reel on Facebook is that it’s not just the video content that’s going to grab your customer’s attention. Engaging, lengthy captions that grab your customer’s attention are a great way to keep them interacting with your brand for longer.

While viewers are reading your captions, your Reel will be playing behind them on a loop, increasing your view count. Write a caption that tells customers how to solve their problems, introduces interesting ideas, or asks customers questions. 

Remember, while hashtags on Facebook might not be as important as they are on X or Instagram, they’re still crucial for helping you reach a wider audience. Make sure you’re using relevant hashtags in your caption to boost your chances of connecting with the right customers. 

6. Make Sure Your Reels are Genuinely Valuable

As well as ensuring your Reels are entertaining, you should also be working hard to ensure they deliver something of value to your target audience. Research your target audience and find out what they actually care about before creating your video. Think about the questions you frequently get from customers, or the concerns they raise with your customer service team.

Your Reels should give your customers something they can use in their lives, whether it’s a tip, or just something fun they can share with friends. Ask yourself whether the Reel you create is going to make someone laugh, help them achieve their goals, or ensure they overcome a challenge. 

Most importantly, make sure the content you create is relatable and human. Remember, high-quality humanized content will help you build an emotional connection with your audience that can lead to greater brand loyalty and conversions. 

7. Make Reels Often (and Post them at the Right Times)

Unlike Instagram Stories, Reels aren’t designed to simply vanish over time. That means that if you only post a new Reel once a year, your content is quickly going to seem outdated. Creating Reels regularly helps to ensure your business looks fresh and current. 

It’s also a great way to ensure you’re constantly taking advantage of the ability Facebook Reels have to expand your target audience. Use your content calendar to allocate regular times during your week to create a Reel on Facebook and promote it. 

It’s also a good idea to look at your insights and audience analytics to ensure you’re publishing your Reels at the right time. If you already have insights into your Facebook audience, find out when they’re most likely to be online and schedule your Reels to go live during those times.

8. Collaborate with Other Creators

Collaborating with other creators and influencers in your industry is a great way to accomplish more when you’re creating a Reel on Facebook. By working with partners, you boost your chances of reaching new audiences and strengthen your credibility as a brand. 

However, before you dive into a collaboration, it’s important to have the right strategy. Make sure your team and the people you’re working with have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish with your Reels. Work together on a strategy that will be mutually beneficial to both partners and make sure you’re tagging creators and using branded hashtags in your captions.

Remember, as well as working with influencers, you can also consider collaborating with customers and asking them to create video reviews you can use in your Reels. This is a great way to show credibility to your customers and potentially increase sales. 

9. Take Advantage of Audio

Since TikTok changed the social media marketing world, the days of scrolling through videos without audio have almost come to an end. These days, audio plays a big part in the scrolling experience. 

Trending music can be an excellent way to capture the attention of your target audience and showcase your personality. It can also be a good way to give yourself more visibility on the platform. You can take inspiration from the audio tracks that are trending on TikTok to guide you but don’t underestimate the benefits of creating unique content. 

Facebook and Instagram are currently rewarding original audio with much greater reach, as it helps their algorithms identify original creators. You don’t necessarily need to create music either, a simple and relatable voice over can be more than enough.

10. Make the Most of Your Video Content

There are various reasons why some companies don’t take full advantage of Reels on Facebook. One reason is that they don’t have a lot of time to create fresh content from scratch. If that’s the case for you, consider repurposing some of your existing video content to create Reels. 

You can use editing tools to convert YouTube videos into vertical videos, which is ideal for Reels. You could even repurpose the content you’re already posting on Instagram and TikTok. 

Additionally, once you do create a Reel, there’s nothing to stop you from using it across a range of other platforms to capture audience attention. Turn your Reels into Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or TikTok videos for a bigger return on your investment. 

11. Monitor Your Analytics and Optimize

Finally, just like with any marketing strategy, it’s important to ensure every time you create a Reel on Facebook, you’re gathering data about how it performs. Use your Facebook Analytics to gain insights from your Reels that can guide your future marketing plan and how you use your marketing budget.

You can use the metrics you gather to learn more about your target audience, the kind of content they’re looking for, and when they’re most likely to engage with Reels. 

You can also use these insights to find out which of your Reels and other marketing methods are driving the most traffic to your website or increasing sales. 

Make the Most out of Your Facebook Reels

Creating a Reel on Facebook is easy. Learning how to design Reels that boost audience engagement, increase sales, and generate opportunities is a little more challenging. The steps above should help you to produce more eye-catching, powerful Reels that resonate with your target audience.

However, if you’re still struggling to get the most out of your social media strategy, it might help to get a little extra support. A Facebook marketing expert or social media strategist could help you optimize your Reels and increase your return on investment. 

Reach out to Growth Collective today to be matched with an expert who will drive your Reels strategy to the next level. 

FAQ

What is a Facebook Reel vs a Story?

A Facebook Reel is a type of short-form video you can create on Facebook to promote your brand. They’re similar to Stories, but Stories can also include photos and other features. Additionally, Reels exist in your feed indefinitely, while Stories disappear after 24 hours. 

Is it better to post a Reel or Story on Facebook?

Both Reels and Stories are excellent tools for any Facebook marketing plan. However, Reels are shown to a wider public audience, including people who don’t already follow your company on the platform. This means you have a better chance of your content being viewed by millions of people.

Do Reels do well on Facebook?

Reels are one of the most popular forms of content on Facebook. They give people a fast-paced way to access information and entertainment and appear in a range of environments. They’re also ideal for customers who want to discover new content or brands.