Instagram Reels Hacks

Let’s talk about Reels & how can we make them work for us – to grow our audience and nurture our existing community. Follow along for our Favorite Instagram Reels hacks. Join us!

01 Browse existing Reels and get inspired, then put your own twist on it

While browsing, ask yourself: Is there a real estate spin I can take on this audio clip or content?

This is one of our favorite Instagram Reels hacks because it’s fun to look through Reels and think about ways to put a real estate spin on it.

Coffee & Contracts Members, browse the Content Vault for trending Reel ideas, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter where we deliver 3 trending Reels (with ideas to make them real estate related!).

02 Use Closed Captions

A staggering 85% of videos on social media are watched without sound (Later.com), so adding subtitles is a MUST. 

Facebook, IGTV, Instagram Stories, and YouTube generate automatic captions. Note: social platforms are always adding new features and capabilities – if captions aren’t currently available on your platform of choice, check back again soon.

Instructions for adding captions to your Instagram Stories can be found here.

03 Keep Captions Brief & to the point

Because of the brevity of Instagram Reels, it’s best to keep the captions short and sweet. This gives your viewer a solid overview of your message while not overwhelming them. Put the extended version of your message in a static feed, or blog post where viewers can refer back to and take their time with the content.

Tip: In the Reels caption, focus on writing an engaging one-liner less than 55 characters. This string of text is what will be visible when viewers stumble upon your Reel, so make it attention-grabbing! Don’t be shy to include a CTA in your caption; inviting your audience to take the next step on a freebie you offer or to leave a comment.

04 Remove 3rd Party App Watermarks

Instagram recently confirmed it de-prioritizes video content with third party watermarks – this means they are less likely to be featured in Instagram’s Reels tab or Explore Page

To remove the TikTok watermark:

• Screen record your TikTok video before uploading it
• Crop the screen recording in photos to remove the TikTok watermark
• Later.com recommends using apps like Snaptik App, MusicallyDown, or Apowersoft’s Online Watermark Removal. 

05 Be mindful of on-screen text placement

Whether you’re adding your own text or using closed captioning, be sure to place text away from the edges of the screen to avoid cropping. If a viewer lands on your video and can’t see the messaging, it’s likely they’ll scroll past, ultimately reducing the video’s engagement over time.

When adding text, keep it within a 4:5 ratio. Coffee & Contract Members, use our templates to get sizing and spacing right every time.

06 Jump on trends quickly

As you’ve seen, Reel and TikTok trends come and go in the blink of an eye. To stay abrest of the latest trends, take a few minutes to scroll through Reels and TikToks each day. Keep an eye out for repeat audio clips, songs, or even dances. If there’s a clip you’d like to re-create, tap on the music icon to see how others are re-using the sound bite and get inspiration.