New features on Instagram have been coming in hot lately! Reels is one of the latest and you might be wondering how to use it for business. Even though it was introduced by Instagram about six months ago to compete with Tik-Tok's short-form video content it's still going strong.I hear you ... Nooooo ... one more thing to add to the never-ending options in social media. And I also can hear your next thought (I know, it's a gift) -- that Reels seem to be a lot of people dancing. True, there is no shortage of that. Between us, I never realized there were so many great dancers out there!But that isn't why I'm telling you about Reels. I'm telling you that Reels for business is very effective.Why: If you are looking for more engagement and followers, they deliver. And they are easy to make (kind of)!What they are exactly: Think of Reels as something between Instagram Stories and IGTV. Instagram Stories are videos that disappear after 24 hours and they don’t live on your feed. IGTV is long-form video content and lives on your feed.Reels are 15- to 30-second video clips, but they live longer than 24 hours and can live in the feed.

How to Use Reels for Business

For business, here are four ideas of what to put on a Reel that will align with your brand and ideal client...

1. Share Educational Content

What tips, how-tos, hacks, or resources you can share in the form of a 15- or 30-second video?Pro Tip: It's not all about the "likes" on Reels, it's about the reach they give you to not only your own audience but beyond. On your insights you will see that Instagram breaks it down by how many of your followers and how many non-followers it reached. My Reels haven't gone "viral" but some have shown more reach than others as you can see below. When that happens, I just try to duplicate that type of content. But honestly, it's a mystery to even us marketers why some Reels do better than others.

2. Showcase Your Products or Service

And by that, I mean really, really show them, whether you sell physical or digital products.

Demos of you service or products
Customers using your products
Tutorials of your product
Customers using your products

Instagram Reels is a great option that allows you to show your product in action. Takeaway: Reels let you show, not just tell A good example of someone who uses Reels to show what she does is Lisa King. She is a graphic designer, food blogger and soup goddess. Her Instagram -- @mystudiokitchen20 -- is filled with action Reels of cooking. One of these went viral and garnered more than 500,000 impressions (the amount of people who have seen the Reel) on her pesto post! This and other Reels have helped grow her followers more than 100 percent in a very short time.

3. Showcase Your Community

Make it about your audience by...

Featuring a client
Showcasing a customer review
Showing how you've helped and how far they've come (good for personal trainers)
Giving a shout out to one of your favorite creative partners

Takeaway: Reels is an easy way to give back and share the Instagram love

4. Showcase Your Personality

If I've said it once, I've said it 100 times (and now one hundred and one times) ... people do business with people they like, know and trust. The easiest way to create that affinity is to show up. Often when I say that I'm talking about showing up with value and content. But here I really mean show up with your face. I know it's not easy, but it's the nature of the beast. Takeaway: Don't be afraid to show up Reeling it in If you are in full growth mode with your Instagram, I recommend posting to Reels three to four times a week. To make it easy, batch content on one day of the week. Takeaway: When you see the numbers, Reels can be addictive. It's the gateway drug to Instagram growth, and possibly your own video show!