Instagram Reel equipment for 2023 and an Instagram Reel strategy for 2023 don’t need to be complicated!
You may have noticed that I’m back to posting on my own business Instagram. I stopped for almost a year. That’s certainly not something I’d normally recommend. However, I was in a place with my business where I didn’t need new clients, and I was a little overwhelmed.
I’m still in a great place with my business, but I’ve come back to Instagram to continue providing education. As such, I’m starting to think through what my strategy for 2023 will look like. I want to share a few of my thoughts, processes, and Instagram Reel equipment to help others and hold myself accountable.
Collecting Instagram Reel B-Roll
One of the key things that I’m going to do this year is to collect b-roll. If you’ve never heard that term before, it comes from the world of video production. I’m no expert videographer, but essentially, it’s the background content. Think of when you’re watching a movie, and it pans over New York City, or there’s a scene with people walking around. These scenes don’t include the main story, so why are they always included?
Essentially, they help paint an aesthetic picture and give some break time. It’s usually a chance to give some extra context or play a catchy song. It puts people into an emotional place and breaks up the content. YouTubers use this technique quite a lot. People don’t love sitting and watching someone talk at them for 15 minutes straight. They want some other content breaking it up so they can stay engaged.
The reason I’m incorporating this with Instagram Reels is that it allows me to use trending sounds or songs, put my own message in text over the video, and reuse content. A video of me working at my computer can be used with a variety of messages on Reels.
My plan is to collect a variety of b-roll shots that I can put together and use to create Reels anytime I want. Instead of needing to record a Reel where I’m lip-syncing to a specific sound, this gives me a lot more options.
What B-Roll am I Collecting?
One thing that I’ve been using a lot more is the time-lapse video. I have an iPhone, but it’s likely that Android phones have this feature as well. If you set up your phone to record for a few minutes in the time-lapse, you’ll end up with a video that works perfectly as Instagram Reel b-roll.
I’ll be setting aside time soon to collect a big set of b-roll. Here are the shots I’m hoping to get:
- Time-lapse video of working at my computer
- Time-lapse video of reading a book
- Time-lapse video of drinking coffee
- Videos of walking around Spokane
- Video of making coffee
- Video of me presenting
- Video of me setting up my laptop to work
- Videos of my dog
- Videos of me working on creating a social media calendar or writing a blog
Examples of Instagram Reels That Use the B-Roll Strategy
If you’re still confused about what a b-roll Instagram Reel looks like, here are a few examples to look at:
- Simple voiceover with time-lapse of people working
- Someone setting up their laptop with messaging over it
- City view video with message over it
- Video of candle flicker with content over it
The key here is to put some thoughts into aesthetics and mood. What feelings do you want to convey to your audience? That’s what b-roll is all about.
Reposting Content
Now, I’m not talking about reposting other people’s content here. Although, that can be effective. Check out the Boss Babe Instagram account if you don’t believe me. Many of their Instagram Reels were actually posted by someone else. They sourced the content and (hopefully) asked for permission to use it on their own page.
While that could be a strategy you use, my business is so much about me that it doesn’t feel quite right. Instead, I’m talking about reposting my own content. The life of a social media post is short, as is the memory of the average social media user. If you posted a Reel 3 months ago that did really well, post it again! You can change the caption or make some slight changes, but there’s nothing wrong with reposting.
The thing to remember is that you don’t want to get too repetitive. You should still have new content peppered in.
Original Content Reels
Prevailing wisdom used to be that you should focus on using trending sounds for your Instagram Reels. These can still be great, but the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, said that Instagram would start prioritizing original content more in 2023.
That means it’s helpful to do the talking head videos. The videos where you’re just talking to the camera to share some information. They don’t always need to be perfect, either. TikTok and BeReal mean that social media is moving away from a completely polished look. You can record a video while sitting in your car or when you’re not in ideal lighting.
Still aim for a good quality video, but don’t overthink it.
Instagram Reel Hooks
One thing that I’m really going to work on in my 2023 Instagram Reel strategy is the hook. You have so little time to get someone’s attention on social media. The first second matters! Make sure you say exactly what someone is going to get from your Reel at the beginning. That could be with text, visuals, or what you say.
Instagram Reel Captions
I’ve been watching a lot of videos from Vanessa Lau lately. She gives a lot of tips about Instagram, and I was particularly interested in how she does her captions for Instagram Reels. She keeps captions short and follows a two calls-to-action method.
The first call-to-action is what you want someone to do right away. It could say something like, “Comment with your favorite emoji if you agree,” or “Tag someone who needs to hear this message.” It’s usually, but not always, about engagement.
The second call-to-action is meant to be more of the next step you want someone to take. That could be “Check the link in my bio for a resource,” or “Send me a DM with the word ‘start’ if you want to get started with me.”
This is a fairly unique strategy, so why do I like it so much? Here are a few benefits:
- Instagram Reels are often viewed with only a very short caption. Having the first CTA right there makes it more likely that you’ll get that engagement.
- Instagram Reels tend to reach beyond your current followers. You want those new people to know what the next step to work with you is (the second CTA.)
- Your Reel likely has enough information to act on its own. The caption doesn’t need to repeat that; it can jump straight to the CTA.
Instagram Reel Equipment for 2023
I wrote a blog back in 2022 about some of my favorite equipment for Instagram Reels. A lot of that still applies. However, I want to focus on my two most used for 2023. I use these two for the b-roll I mentioned or my talking head videos.
When I’m doing a video where I’m talking, I like to use my hands. That means a desktop tripod is really helpful. If that’s not your style, though, there’s no shame in holding your phone and talking like you’re on FaceTime. Here’s the tripod that I use.
For time-lapse videos, you can also use the above tripod if you have a surface to set it on. However, it’s not always possible to get the right angle. For some videos, I use a full tripod that can be placed on the ground. The tripod below is what I use. However, you do also need a tripod mount to hold your phone, which I’ve also included below.
Follow Me On Instagram for 2023
Now that we have a breakdown of my Instagram Reel strategy for 2023 and my Instagram Reel equipment for 2023, it’s time to get to posting! Follow me on Instagram as I rebuild my page and get back to growing on Instagram.