How Long Can an Instagram Reel Be in 2024?
Reviewed by Huzaifa Haroon- Initially set at 15 seconds, the maximum duration for Instagram Reels has been increased to 90 seconds to allow creators more time for their content.
- Successful reels come from consistency, sticking to a specific genre, using relevant hashtags for better discoverability, and continuously upgrading content quality and engagement.
- They are crucial for visibility and engagement on the platform, offering a fast way to become an influencer and monetize content through brand collaborations.
Instagram Reels is a dynamic and engaging feature that allows users to create and share short-form content. Simply put, if you want to be an Instagram influencer, utilizing reels is the fastest way. Let’s explore how long an Instagram reel can be and what an ideal reel looks like.
Table of Contents
The History of Reels
In today’s age, most social media platforms have a feature for short-form video content. YouTube has YouTube Shorts, Instagram, and Facebook have reels, and TikTok is itself a short-form content platform. However, it wasn’t always like this. Back in 2016, Music.ly merged with TikTok, bringing the best features of both platforms together.
Instead of making videos and then editing them on third-party applications, TikTok made it easy for creators to make and edit their content through the application. The app’s algorithm was also optimized to suggest relevant content to users, keeping them engaged. These features made TikTok a success, attracting millions of users worldwide.
Other social media platforms soon followed suit and started releasing their features for short-form content. In 2020, Instagram launched Reels, its counterpart to TikTok, to attract its users to their platform. The initial Reels were quite different from what they are today. Creating reels was difficult for the creators and the suggestion algorithm was weak.
With time, Reels improved with the introduction of new features such as adding stickers and music to your reels and improving the editing options.
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Why Instagram Reels?
Whenever you open your Instagram feed, what is it full of? Reels right and there is a specific reason for this. In today’s fast-moving world, people have a deficient attention span. Information and entertainment in a short amount of time, is what users are looking for. Hence, if you want to become an influencer, or want to advertise your product, making Instagram reels is the most efficient way.
Not only that, but Instagram has also made it convenient for users to share reels. In just two simple clicks which take about a second, you can send a reel to a lot of people, especially if you share it in a group chat. Hence, if you make content that resonates with a large chunk of the audience, it will automatically get shared with other users.
It is also easier to monetize your content on Instagram. Although it is not very easy, if you get substantial views on your content, you can apply for monetization. On the flip side, TikTok the only competitor of Instagram Reels, does not provide its users with this facility.
Instagram is also very popular for brand promotions. Even small-scale creators with fewer followers are reached out by brands for collaboration. This ensures that even as you are growing on the platform, you can earn additional cash through this stream.
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How Long Can an Instagram Reel Be?
When Reels was released back in 2020, the time frame of a reel was capped at 15 seconds. However, soon Instagram realised that this limit was not adequate and started increasing this limit through updates. As of February 2024, Instagram reels have a time limit of 90 seconds. For most creators, this is sufficient as they can easily create meaningful content in this time cap.
This doesn’t mean that you can not upload a reel longer than 90 seconds. When we tried to upload a 130-second video as a reel, Instagram automatically cut it off at the 90-second mark. We received no warning throughout the uploading process, so just be careful and keep any reel you want to create under ninety seconds.
How to Create An Effective Reel
As talked about before, if you want to make it on Instagram, Reels is the way to go. But how exactly do you create engaging reels that reach the intended audience? We are going to be sharing some useful tips below that will make your reels distinguished and successful.
1. Be Consistent
The thing that matters the most is being consistent. When you upload more content, it appears more on user’s feeds. Hence, when people see you more, they are more likely to follow you, and not miss any of your content. Not only will you gain more followers, but you will also gain a loyal following, which will stick with you through thick and thin.
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2. Stick to a Genre
Especially as a beginner, you must contain yourself to a specific genre of content. If you are uploading memes, or uploading informative content, etc., don’t jump fields. When you only upload content of a specific category, Instagram’s algorithm can easily suggest you content to more users.
For example, we enjoy memes a lot and keep liking and sharing memes throughout the day. Whenever we open our feed, it is full of memes from different accounts. When you only post memes, your content will be suggested to all the users like us, growing your page and providing us with entertainment.
In case you are keen on making different types of content, have a separate page for each type. This way you can simultaneously grow a lot of pages.
3. Use Hashtags
Always make sure to add plenty of hashtags to your posts. When you add hashtags, it makes it easier for Instagram to categorize and suggest your content. This doesn’t mean that you bombard your post’s caption with useless hashtags. Only add relevant and non-conflicting hashtags.
4. Keep Upgrading
Alongside being consistent, it is also important that you keep improving your content. As seen with many creators, when they stop innovating, they get stuck at a certain level and see no more growth. So, keep trying to improve your content and never be afraid to reinvest in your content, as ultimately your investments will pay off.
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Conclusion
Instagram reels are a very useful feature that can help you in becoming a successful content creator. Just try to be unique and follow the tips above. Feel free to drop down any queries or suggestions below. Until next time. Ciao
FAQs
An Instagram reel can be as long as ninety seconds. Any video uploaded beyond that time frame will simply be cut off.
Reels was introduced to Instagram back in August 2020.
Try to bring uniqueness to your content and follow the points listed in the guide.
Reviewed by Huzaifa Haroon
