Analyzing my past Instagram Reels: what I did right, what I did wrong and what I learned.

I was going through my photos app the other day and I found some Instagram reels that I had posted on my Social Media for Everyone Instagram account over two years ago.

At the time I had been prepping for the launch of my course, Social Media for Everyone, and figured I should finally try my hand at the “reels thing”.

[Read my story of starting that brand new Instagram account from scratch here].

It was really interesting looking back at those past reels, and I want to share what I did right, what I did wrong, and my final thoughts on using reels to promote your brand on Instagram.

Ready? Let's dive in!

First, here’s what I did right...

You'll notice that this list is a lot smaller than the "what I did wrong list" ??

The aesthetic of my reels was consistent and eye-catching. I really liked the look and feel of the reels I created.

I used shorter captions that were direct, concise and to the point. Even if they had no CTA, ha!

I actually posted reels! This is big! Because I decided to actually execute my plan, I learned a great deal on how to improve my workflow, content and the reels themselves.

Here's what I did wrong...

I filmed these reels directly through the Instagram app. Argh! I am so mad about this. When you film directly through the Instagram app you do not have access to the raw video footage, but only the completed reel. And I can’t re-use that.

When you can, always film with your camera app, and use a tool like CapCut to edit it before uploading it to IG.

I was really heavy on the filters. My partner was like, “look how young you look!” And I was like, that was only 2 years ago ??

I only used trending audio. This means my reels were competing with tens of thousands of others that used the same audio.

I had no solid call-to-action in the caption. I had no "next steps" for the viewers. These are actions like, asking them to follow my account, save the post for later, or send me a DM.

I did not batch my reels. I recorded everything the day of. It was stressful and took up A LOT of time.

I had no strategy for my reels. I had no plan. I was scrolling endlessly trying to find popular audio that I thought applied to my expertise. I spent way too much time filming, re-filming, editing, and posting without any clear direction.

Here’s what I learned...

Reels have a long lifespan. Just because they might not have gone "viral", they will continue to be viewed long after you post. They may see a resurgence if the audio you used gains popularity. Others will continue to be played by followers and people who find your account.

There is a compounding effect. Each reel seems to build on the previous one. No need to be discouraged when you start out, just continue to lay the foundation.

I felt so ridiculous filming them at the time. But looking back they aren't as embarrassing as I thought they were. Right?? ?? What's important is that I could clearly see the effort and earnestness I had at the time of posting.

Whew, all that info from some silly reels? I guess so!

And it's a good thing. I'm taking all those learnings and applying them to my new Instagram account I've started for my own professional brand (@digitalmegadams). I talk about how to make money online, leverage digital marketing in your business, and (of course), my struggles with promoting oneself on social. I’d love to connect with you over there, be sure to say “Hi!”

P.S: If you’re interested in the IG reel strategy I have been using implementing for my reels, check it out here. It’s called Reel Saloon, and it has been a game changer! There'd be NO WAY I’d be able to post at least a reel per day without it…I’d still be stuck on my first one, LOL.