Finally we waited! Russian Instagram has become as full-fledged as it is all over the world.

The era of "not available in your region" is gone forever. Now the music in Stories is available in our region, and in the neighboring and throughout the vast country. This feature was one of the most anticipated updates. Firstly, the feeling of being deprived has gone away and the content has become more holistic. The sound together with the picture conveys more atmosphere and meaning. Secondly, music affects coverage. Pay attention to which tracks are trending and use them. This will help increase views and gather more audience around your account.

The second function is video Reels. In short, it is an analog of TikTok inside Instagram with similar mechanics and principles of operation. Vertical videos that can be watched with a solid ribbon. Moreover, the rails are not only those to whom you are subscribed, but also top content.

Like IGTV, we can show Reels videos in the general feed or only in its section. Make reposts in storis. Just like regular posts and IGTV, Reels is displayed in the "Recommended" section.

The process of creating Reels videos is not complicated, rather intuitive. Inside the Instagram application itself, there are basic editing capabilities, special effects, music overlay and voiceover. You can also upload ready-made videos here.

Reels is entertainment content. Shoot videos with a special mood:

• timelapse or slow motion;
• visual and aesthetic, which give rise to emotions;
• musical;
• sticky (ASMR, patterns, action in the frame).

Let's talk about promotion through Reels.

Reels is a really working tool that helps to get free subscribers. Bloggers who live in countries where the Reels feature has been available for a long time have already gained from 2,000 to 22,000 followers on content alone. Although Instagram traffic is lower in Russia now than in TikTok, but perhaps it's a matter of time.

In any case, this is a new way to become popular on Instagram without investing money. It can be assumed that the algorithms of the short video are the same as the "recommendations", but there is no official information on this issue yet.

Don't ignore what Instagram itself gives you in your hands. Make your tape fascinating, see what others are shooting. Note what's in the top: what kind of music, what kind of editing, compare TikTok trends and do the same.

If you are running TikTok, you can duplicate these videos in Reels. However, videos created directly on Instagram get much more views compared to those imported from TikTok. Thus, Instagram encourages the creation of unique videos using its own platform.

If you still don't have TikTok, then this is a reason to think. Now this platform is considered good for promotion for certain types of businesses. The introduction of Reels in Instagram is a signal that he takes TikTok seriously as a competitor. IG has created a similar platform to bring some of the traffic back to itself.

After all, it's true that Zoomers (generation Z, after 1997), followed by Millennials, watch videos more, but at the same time they require quality and at least some kind of plot. In addition, beautiful, curious content arouses interest in its author. Through the Reels video, users may want to get to know you, see what else you broadcast on the network. This will increase traffic to your account or website.

Verdict: Use! Use all the opportunities for growth and sales that social networks offer us. Reels is no exception.