We hope all of our clients had the chance to tune into our live Masterclass with business guru Brandee Gaar! If not, you won't want to miss this summary of Corrine’s discussion with her on how to use Instagram Reels to promote your business.

Why Instagram Reels?

With the popularity of Tiktok taking short video creation to the next level, it’s apparent that short-form video creation isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. That’s why Instagram released their newest feature Reels, which is a way to create short videos right on the Instagram platform!

Our guest Brandee Gaar is a business and social media guru for wedding professionals and has a lot of experience making inspiring, fun, and educational Instagram Reels. She even offers a course you can take to take a deeper dive into Instagram Reels - sign up below!

Masterclass Cliffnotes

Brandee shared so many helpful pieces of information on Reels, we wanted to highlight some of the key takeaways:

• Only use social channels that dramatically "move your needle." We do not have time to juggle everything that is not directly advancing your business.
• 82% of all couples are shopping for vendors on Instagram!
• To turn your post into dollars, you have to engage with your followers on social media by replying to comments and starting conversations.
• It may be challenging at the beginning to show your face, but seeing your face brings a human element to your brand.
• It's okay to not go viral. The main focus of your Reels should be to connect with your ideal customers. Going viral can bring potential followers to your Instagram that are not interested in purchasing from you.
• Your Reels should inspire, evoke emotion, and/or educate.
• Reels are favored by Instagram currently and are organically pushed to people that do not follow you.
• The ideal amount of hashtags to use is 30, with a minimum of 10 to 15. Do not use the same hashtags on every post or you will be shadowbanned. Be location-specific on your hashtags.
• Create your Reels in batches. Block off 2 hours and create 10 to 15 at once.
• Creativity Hack: Reels are meant to be copied. That is why they are created. Put your own spin on the sound bites you see. Click the 3 dots next to the Reel you like and save it. Click the 3 lines on your profile to see your saved Reels. This will house your inspiration on what you'd like to do.
• Businesses only receive access to copyright-free music. Instagram already filters this for you.
• Instagram likes to see consistency in posting Reels - make sure to do at least 2 Reels a week.
• Save your videos of events and post them later instead of in-the-moment. For example, if you do a wedding on a Saturday, wait until Monday to post as a Reel.
• Wedding professionals should have a strong presence on Instagram and Pinterest. Download your Reels and upload them as Story pins on Pinterest. Once clicked, it can go straight to your Instagram page. You can also post Reels as regular pins or blogs.
• Facebook is not a strong needle mover for our industry. Post fewer, quality posts.
• Invest in a tripod and a ring light for easy recording wherever you are - that's all you need. Reels should not be overproduced, they should be very natural/candid.
• Use Canva to create cover templates for your Reels videos to create a nice grid design.
• Reels do not have insights yet into how they are helping your business grow. Make sure to watch how many views you have and how many followers you get within the first 24-48 hours.
• The cost of using Reels is much less compared to spending countless amounts on advertising where you see no growth.
• The typical Instagram post lasts in the feed for 36 hours. A Reel lasts for weeks!

Download our guide with these helpful tips along with 10 Reels Ideas for Florists & Event Professionals in the PDF below!

In summary: You do not need to have tons of views on a Reel to make an impact. Give your followers some educational, organic content and they will be sure to love it. Mostly remember to have fun with it!

About Our Guest

Brandee Gaar is a luxury event planner, thought leader, educational speaker, and host of the "She Who Dares" Podcast. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Business Administration and Hospitality Management, Brandee was blessed to be a part of the opening team at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, Florida where she planned large-scale corporate events for seven years. Brandee then decided it was time for her to follow her passion and opened up her own business, Blush, in June of 2007 which quickly became known for its over-the-top events and high touch standard of customer service. Brandee is passionate about teaching new and aspiring entrepreneurs her exact strategies in growing two six-figure businesses. She provides expert tools for those who are ready to grow their side hustle into a full-time passion. Her goal is to help new businesses beat the statistics by starting with a success-minded focus!

Brandee offers a 101 Wedding Pro-specific Reels online course outlining ideas and also has a YouTube course that teaches users exactly how to make a Reel!

Head to https://brandeegaar.com/ to sign up for one of her classes today!