At SHIFT, we know our clients and friends are constantly looking for innovative ways to connect with their audience. A big focus of the session was on Instagram and Facebook Reels as another route to connect. With more than 3.24 billion people using Meta apps daily, there are big opportunities to engage our audiences through Reels ads.

The Power of Reels Ads

Reels ads have proven to be a catalyst for driving engagement and building meaningful connections with audiences.

A few Meta’s statistics:

• 50% of content on Instagram is now AI-recommended, and Reels are a significant part of that shift.
• 3.5 billion Reels are shared every day across Facebook and Instagram, with 50% of the time spent on Instagram being devoted to Reels alone.
• 60% of time spent on Facebook and Instagram is now focused on video content.
• Reels have transformed the way people interact with content on social media, particularly for those under 35 – you could say this makes them an essential part of any business’s social content marketing strategy.

Why Reels Matter for Brands

Some other impressive stats from the social giant, beyond pure engagement, show that Reels also offer a direct connection to consumers’ wallets.

According to Meta's research:

• 87% of Gen Z users have followed a business after watching a Reel.
• 80% have purchased a product after watching Reels.
• With this in mind, Reels could be deemed valuable for conversion too—but the key is harnessing creativity effectively to build authentic connections with your audience. Like most marketing, it’s all about converting attention.

Creative Essentials: The Key to Success

So, how can businesses take full advantage of Reels? It all comes down to creativity.

Meta’s research highlights three essential strategies:

• Build for Vertical – Create content specifically tailored to the 9:16 vertical format of Reels. Doing so ensures that the ads take full advantage of the screen space and grab viewers’ attention.
• Incorporate Audio – Including sound in your video ads is crucial. Reels with audio significantly outperform those without. In fact, campaigns using 9:16 video with audio saw a 34% lower cost per result (CPR) compared to image ads.
• Stay in the Safe Zone – Ensure your content adheres to best practices, like placing key visual and text elements in the middle of the screen to avoid cropping on different devices.

Campaigns incorporating these creative essentials saw a 2x higher delivery to the Reels placement compared to those using less optimised video formats.

Turning Attention Into Action

Reels are not just about brand visibility; again, according to Meta, they are a proven mechanism to turn attention into action. By combining Reels ads with Meta’s ecosystem and focusing on creativity, businesses have the opportunity to build a deeper, perhaps more action-oriented, connection with their audience. To be fair, we have seen this first hand, but we also know other channels, and non-paid marketing has an influence.

To quote Meta, "Reels are where creativity meets connection—turning everyday content into actionable, business-boosting results."

There is definitely a lot more to this, and it’s key to get a holistic, impartial view of how all channels work together, understanding the strength of each. Use attribution modelling where possible.

So, with that in mind, give us a shout if you want to chat - Hello@shiftactivemedia.com.