Everybody is talking about this. Instagram posts vs. reels. Which one is better? Which one to post? Some people say reels are better because they get you more exposure and better results. Others say the same about normal posts and that you don’t need reels at all.
It’s a big deal right now and that’s why in this article, we’re going to break it down.
So, are you ready to begin? If so, let’s dive in…
What’s The Difference?
The main reason why some people love reels and some still love classic posts is a personal preference.
That’s the truth. Some people just hate to be on video and some people find it easier to shoot videos than to design posts…
…or their posts were bad before and they didn’t get results, however, their video content is great and that’s why it is performing.
It’s also similar for those who created bad video content but are great at creating normal posts.
But the truth is that both content formats are working. The only difference is that reels are promoted more by Instagram.
That is because Instagram is trying to beat TikTok at their own game and because they want to transition a bit from image content into video as well.
But in the end, both formats work. There are image posts that reach millions of people and there are reels reaching millions of people.
However, reels are always likely going to get more exposure because of Instagram’s own effort to promote them.
But the real question is…
Which Content Format To Share?
This is going to solely depend on your content strategy.
If your brand is mainly focused on video, you can serve all of the 3 purposes that your content has to do through reels, which are:
- Attracting People
- Nurturing Your Audience
- Promoting
And they can do it really well. For example, reels that are supposed to attract new people are going to be created about trending stuff in your industry or something that has performed more than well before.
Nurturing reels is supposed to build your authority and relationships and trust with your audience.
So, you might use the 60 seconds to give a really in-depth tip or show something behind-the-scenes or tell a story, etc.
And then you can also use the 60-second video to share a promotional message that’s going to promote your products and services.
So, you can stick to just Instagram reel content if you want to.
And it is the same for posts. You can use them to attract, nurture, and promote as well.
So, if all of your Instagram content are just posts, then you can do all you need through normal posts.
But ask yourself, are you a person who, when scrolling through Instagram, consuming content checks only reels and skips all normal posts or skips reels and check only posts?
Or course not. And that’s why in the end you want to share both formats.
Again, if you share only Instagram reels, then you’re still likely going to get results. If you share only normal posts you’re still likely going to get great results.
However, at the end of the day, the best thing you can do is to share both content formats at the same time.
That way you’re going to reach the most people and get the best results.
So, for example, instead of sharing 7 reels per week, you can share 4 reels and 3 normal posts.
Or, if you insist on sharing the 7 reels a week, then you can share them and add 3 normal posts to them as well.
Sharing both content formats is going to help you reach a broader audience, get more Instagram followers and make sales.
However, regardless that both sides won the Instagram posts vs. reels fight, both things need to be created the right way if you want to get results…
How To Create Winning Instagram Content
Regardless of the content that you share, there need to be 3 pillars that the content needs to follow if you want to get results.
- Value
- Presentation
- Relevancy
If your Instagram reels or posts miss out on just one of them, then you’re not going to get any great results.
Let’s have a closer look at each of these content pillars and how they work.
Value
This is the first pillar that your content has to follow if you want to get great results.
Regardless of the piece of content that you share, it has to add value to the life of the person that is consuming it.
What’s really interesting is that most people have a false perception that value is just education.
It’s not.
There are 3 basic ways you can do that:
- Education
- Inspiration
- Entertainment
Look, the truth is that most of the viral reels are about total trash but they are entertaining and people find it valuable.
That’s why the reels are performing.
That alone should tell you that education is not the only thing that works. However, just because you get reach doesn’t mean it is good reach. It must not come at cost of hurting your brand. Entertainment doesn’t build trust and authority.
It hardly builds relationships as well. That’s why based on your brand and your strategy you must be really careful about what value type you are going to pick for yourself.
However, sharing the value is just the beginning. People also have to consume it and that’s why your content has to be well presented.
Presentation
This is the second pillar of great content that you just have to pay attention to.
If you won’t then your content is just going to bomb and you won’t perform. That’s because a value that’s not consumed is not valuable.
And without a great presentation, nobody is going to consume it. This part contains everything that makes the message easier and more desirable to consume. For example, design, message simplicity, graphic examples, video quality, audio quality, etc.
When the presentation is great, your content is going to perform the best. That’s for example a reason why well-designed post will always outperform poorly-designed post even though both share the same value.
But this is still not everything great content needs to do.
Relevancy
Just as value that doesn’t get consumed isn’t valuable, value that is irrelevant isn’t valuable as well. As I always say, “You can’t sell a steak to a vegan.”
Regardless of how great the message is, the vegan is not going to buy. It’s the same with content. Regardless of how valuable barbeque tips you share, vegans won’t find them valuable.
That’s because the value is irrelevant.
So, regardless of what type of content you share, ensure that the value point is always relevant to your dream customer. Also, don’t forget to tweak the presentation to be relevant to your dream customer as well.
Engineers like to consume content differently than, for example, kids.
Filip Konecny 