30 Reels in 30 Days

Yes. You read that right. Megan and I are embarking on a 30 reels in 30 days challenge that started August 1. Are we crazy? Yup. Will we be successful? I hope so. Why are we doing this? Read below…

Instagram recently announced it’s pivot to prioritize video (over photos). While we don’t see photos being phased out on instagram, this sent a shockwave through the photography community. It had many of us trying to figure out what to do and how to do it. 

I’m a photographer…..how can I start incorporating video into my feed in a way that fits me and my brand?

Megan and I talk on the podcast this week all about ways to incorporate video into your shooting process. We share lots of REALLY good and easy ideas you can implement, but we also started talking about reels.

Reels are THE thing right now. They are proving to be a great way to reach not just your audience, but also engage others and potentially grow your platform.

So, with a feeling of optimism and enthusiasm, we decided (on a whim) we were going to jump headfirst into this whole trend and commit to posting 30 reels in 30 days.

 

What kind of reels are you posting?

I am doing a mix of behind-the-scenes reels, photography business reels and parenting reels. It directly correlates to what I already share on my feed and in my stories. I am sticking with things that make sense for me and my brand. This is the kind of content I know my followers like to engage with.

Meg is showing her before and afters for her Hello Storyteller Presets, and her summer travels with her girls as well as some lifestyle collabs that she is a part of, which is also what she currently shares on her feed and in her stories.

Our suggestion: Stick to what you know and what you’re comfortable with. Not to say that you can’t branch out and try something totally different, but if the idea of creating reels is overwhelming for you, stay in the lane that you’re most comfortable with.

 

But, HOW are you getting all this video footage for the reels?

I recently got a mount for my camera that holds my phone. This is the one I use: Ronin Phone Mount

Why I like it: It fits right on top of my camera. I pop my phone in at the beginning of a session/wedding/outing with my kids and all I have to do is hit “record” and not pay any attention to it at all after that.

It also rotates. So if I want to shoot vertically and also record vertically, I can do so. This is SUPER helpful (especially because you NEED your video and photos to be shot vertically to fit the reels format best).

When I use it that way, it shows exactly what I see when I am shooting. This makes it perfect to create a behind-the-scenes footage compilation that ends with edited photos from the session.

Behind the Scenes Reel Example

 

Use Photos In Your Reels! Reels don’t HAVE to ONLY include video!

If the idea of incorporating video in seems like a lot, you don’t have to at all. You can 100% JUST use photos for your reels.

The biggest thing to remember is that vertical shot images work the best for reels. If you want to use images that are not shot vertically, we would recommend pulling those images into canva (www.canva.com).

Search for an instagram story template and then drop the horizontal photo in and pick a complimentary color for the background (like I did with the images below) to keep everything at the best resolution.

If you try to pull a horizontal image directly into a reel, it gets very pixelated and looks awful.

Photo Only Reel Example

 

 

 

A few tips to make MAKING reels easier 

1. Record your video OUTSIDE of the instagram/reel app. It’s SO much easier to pull the video in from your phone and trim it to fit than recording inside the app. Though, if you are trying to do a voiceover video, you will have to do it inside the app! Voice Over Reel Example
2. SAVE SAVE SAVE as you go!! You can save as draft! You will want to do that as you move through the process of creating it. NOTHING sucks more than getting all your video clips lined up and then theres glitch or you close out and BOOM – it’s gone. So make sure you save it as you go.
3. Write your captions in notes and then copy/paste it over to reels (this goes with the tip above). Spending time writing out a caption just to lose it will make you want to give up all together. Write it somewhere to save it and you can copy/paste it in!
4. USE A COVER PHOTO!!! It doesn’t even have to match the reel itself, but it will look good in your feed as long as you decide to keep it there. You WANT to push it to your feed to get the most bang for your buck, and this way it will look pretty! You can also adjust the crop of the cover photo for your feed square too, so make sure to do that.
5. Put the cover photo on LAST (just before you post). If you choose/crop a cover photo and save it as a draft, it typically doesn’t save – so once you hit post – that’s it. You can’t edit the reel and it’s no longer saved in drafts, so if you pull it down you have to re-create the WHOLE FREAKING THING. Save yourself the trouble and just pop it on right before you hit “post”
6. You can save trending reels music!! Take a scroll through the reels on your explore page. If you see a reel or hear a song that resonates to you, click on the song title at the bottom of the reel and hit “save”, then it will be in your saved music so you don’t have to search for it again. Also, I suggest making a note on your phone of what you want to do with the music as soon as you save it – make sure to jot down the song title (as it shows on the reel) and write your reel idea in your notes so you can keep it all straight.
7. HAVE FUN!! Reels are supposed to be fun, entertaining and engaging! Don’t stress out too much about them – keep it light and fun and make sure to put a CTA (call to action) on your reel and in the caption!

Want to learn about other areas of social media? Check out our course How To ROCK your Social Media with Megan Boggs!

Want to join our 30 Reels in 30 Days Challenge Group?

If you are feeling inspired and want to join our 30 Reels in 30 Days challenge group (and you don’t HAVE to do 30 in 30, you can choose a number that works for you each week for a month), then message either me or Meg via DM on Instagram and we’ll add you in!

Melissa: www.instagram.com/melissaortendahlphotography

Megan: www.instagram.com/hello_meganboggs