How to Create Tip Videos for Instagram Reels

Not too long ago, TikTok took the social media world by storm. And now Instagram has given their answer to their newest social media competitor: Instagram Reels. With this feature, Instagram users can create TikTok-style videos without ever having to leave the Instagram app.

Many businesses and brands are already successfully incorporating Instagram Reels into their marketing strategy. NBA franchises are getting 22% higher engagement with Instagram Reels than with Instagram Stories or traditional Instagram posts, and Louis Vuitton is currently averaging about 7 million views per Reel.

So how can you use Instagram Reels to your advantage? There are many ways, of course, but one of the most effective (and most popular) pieces of content to utilize on Reels is niche educational content. That’s why we’re going to show you how to create tip videos for Instagram Reels. 

How to Create Tip Videos for Instagram Reels

If you’ve spent any time at all on Instagram Reels, you’ve probably seen a tip video by now. Tip videos are one of the most popular forms of content circulating on Instagram Reels. Why? For one, it’s easy to make a quick tip fit easily into the very limited time constraints (Instagram Reels can only be 30 seconds long).

Tip videos are also popular because it’s a fun and eye-catching way to establish your niche and own it. You can use tip videos on Instagram Reels to demonstrate your knowledge, provide value to your target audience, and establish yourself as an expert.

So how can you create tip videos for Instagram Reels? We’ve laid out a quick guide:

1. Pick Your Content

Decide what tips you want to lay out in the video. Make sure it’s short (remember, 30 seconds max), simple, and specific to your niche. Fashion brands might do a tip video on five ways to style a scarf, while a food blogger could focus on three ways to serve a poached egg. Brainstorm tips that your target audience would be interested in and start with those.

2. Create Your Video

The set-up of Instagram Reels is very similar to TikTok. You can choose to film a video directly in the app or upload one you’ve already filmed, you can add audio, change the speed, add effects, and more. For a detailed walkthrough on how to use these different elements, check out this blog post.

3. Optimize Your Video

To make sure your tip videos perform well, you’ll want to optimize them for Instagram Reels. One of the most important elements you’ll want to add to your tip video to optimize performance is subtitles. With so many social media videos being watched on mute (80% to be precise), subtitles are absolutely necessary to help your tip videos stand out on Instagram Reels. And adding them is easy when you use Zubtitle.

With Zubtitle, you can add captions, headlines, logos and more to your videos. Plus, you can trim your video quickly so it's the perfect length and resize it, which is a vital step when you’re optimizing your video for Instagram Reels. With one easy click, you can resize your video to vertical (which is the ideal size for Instagram Reels).

4. Add Your Tips

After you’ve filmed or uploaded your video, you’ll have the option to add elements very similar to Instagram Stories (stickers, text, doodles, etc.). This is where you’ll probably want to add your tips in text form. For some inspiration on how to style your tip videos for Instagram Reels, check out the videos below:

5. Pick a Cover Image

Once you’ve added text and any other elements you want, you can tap the right arrow at the bottom of the screen to navigate to the Share page. This is where you can change the cover image of your Reel, if you want. Just tap on the thumbnail image and drag your finger across the video player at the bottom to select your desired image.

Pro Tip: Try to pick an image that will pique your viewer’s interest and look great in thumbnail form.

6. Share Your Tip Video

The last thing you need to do is add a caption. You can use up to 2,200 characters and 30 hashtags, just like a standard Instagram post. This is also where you’ll choose whether or not you want your new Instagram Reel to appear on your profile grid. We recommend that you do in order to reach your existing followers, in addition to reaching new ones organically. To do so just make sure you select the option “Also Share to Feed” with the designated slider button. 

Do you want to create awesome videos for Instagram (and other social media platforms)?

Zubtitle makes it easy by providing you with a comprehensive video editing tool that helps your video perform optimally on social media. With our free plan, you can create two videos per month. To create up to 10 videos per month (and remove the Zubtitle watermark), check out our standard plan.