10 tips for successful restaurant Instagram reels

The Instagram Reel: not only the format most appreciated by Internet users today, but also the one most valued by the network's algorithm. But don't know where to start? How can you create quality video content without being professional? What trends should you be following? What features should you use? How can you convert thanks to your Reel? We've got the answers in this article!

What is a Reel and why should you use them on your restaurant's Instagram page? 

Our client Quai Ouest's (Groupe Bertrand) Instagram page gained a minimum of +100 followers a day throughout August. On August 17, the restaurant even gained +1,000 followers. These results were achieved thanks to the publication of a Reel at the beginning of August, which accumulated +400,000 views and 11,000 registrations, causing traffic to explode at Quai Ouest!

Social network Instagram launched Reels in 2020: short videos ranging from 15 to 90 seconds, in vertical 9:16 format! Compared to traditional video posts, Reels generate a rate of engagement 22% higher! Why is this? Fun, creative topics, short, rhythmic duration, full of interactive features. An immersive dynamic that immerses users in the video, quickly arousing their interest, curiosity and desire to see and know more. Thanks to its viral reach, a restaurant's Instagram Reel can reach hundreds of thousands of views. So, let's go?

Our 10 tips for high-performance Instagram reels for your restaurant

Reel Instagram is therefore an unavoidable lever to help your restaurant gain notoriety and visibility. But only if you execute your videos well. Which doesn't necessarily mean you have to be a professional video enthusiast, but just follow certain tips, which we'll give you here! You'll finally be able to create high-impact Reels, visible to thousands of interested Internet users!

1. Grab attention in the first few seconds of your Instagram Reel

The beginning of your video must make the viewer want to watch the rest! You have to grab their attention right from the start! If you don't, they'll move on to the next video in 1 click. To achieve this, choose an appetizing first shot, a punchy opening line like "Where can I find the best Neapolitan pizzas in Paris? or "follow us behind the scenes...", or a contest to be announced from the very first second. You absolutely must choose the 1st images of your Reel! Example with our client Impact Berliner Kebap

2. Rhythm your video with upbeat music

To keep Instagram users on your Reel, there's nothing better than a lively soundtrack to your various content. You want to make people want to come to your restaurant, so show them off in just a few seconds: good food, drinks, a great atmosphere... Unlike normal posts, Instagram Reels let you avoid monotonous video thanks to dynamic content in which short pieces of video follow each other in quick succession.

3. Choose trendy music for your Reel Instagram

It' s best to use music that appeals to your audience, to get them to immerse themselves in your Reel Instagram. Use the most listened-to tracks of the moment, to "ride the wave" and reach as many interested parties as possible. There's an easy way to find out what music is buzzing on Instagram. When you see an arrow next to the music, it means it's currently gaining in popularity. Click on it and you'll get the number of Reels created on that music! (image below)

4. Use existing Reel to maximize your chances of success on Instagram

Difficult to find the inspiration to create a new Reel on a regular basis? No time to keep up with the latest trends? No problem! Instagram lets you use the same template as a Reel you've loved, that's worked well! Just click on "Use template". Instagram also lets you remix an existing Reel to make it your own! All you have to do is take a Reel that you liked and/or did well, and reproduce the same content. And if you want to be completely guided, there's the "Grooves" option! Instagram does all the editing for you, from start to finish: from music selection to rhythmic transitions! (images below)

5. Be creative in your video design

With hundreds of thousands of Reels published every day on Instagram, set yourself apart from the competition! As we've seen, Reels allow you to link different videos together. Play with the transitions between them for a playful, original and dynamic look! To help you do just that, Instagram has rolled out the "Align" feature, which shows you the last image taken in the background, blurred to make it easier to create your transitions.

To do this: Create a Reel > choose the 1st video > click on the "align" button in the left-hand menu > create the next video with a transition aligned with the first (image below).

Once you've filmed your shots, you can add even more creativity by adding filters, stickers, gifs, drawings, voice-overs and writing. Please note: place your elements towards the center and not in the less visible areas due to the Reels' different functionalities (image below).

6. Take advantage of the features available to create an Instagram Reel

Polls or quizzes: use the features features provided by Instagram to invite users to interact with your Reel. Because more clicks mean more engagement, and therefore more visibility! What's more, you'll create a close relationship with your subscribers, by asking for their opinion, making them guess the right answer...

7. Maintain aesthetic consistency on your profile

When you finalize your Reel, you have the choice between publishing it only in the dedicated "Reel" section of your profile or publishing it in addition on your general feed. If you decide to publish it on your global page too, be careful to keep it visually consistent with your other posts! To do this, edit the cover photo of your Reel Instagram before posting. Choose a nice photo that relates to your video content. Otherwise Instagram uses a freeze frame of the video as a cover photo, which often lacks aesthetic appeal.

8. Keep a daily eye on current trends

Trends on social media change very quickly! For a Reel Instagram to go viral and gain popularity, it has to meet consumer expectations. And when it comes to food, new trends surface every day! So if you want to keep up to date, keep an eye on the accounts that are creating the buzz, subscribe to newsletters such as Leptitdigital, Siècle digital, Blog du modérateur...  

9. Create a caption for your Instagram Reel to maximize distribution and facilitate conversion

Even if it's video content, the caption is essential to your post. It represents a strategic place of expression to add details that facilitate conversion, such as a tempting description of the dishes, your opening hours and days... Don't forget to include between 8 and 10 hashtags to maximize the distribution of your post!

When publishing, we also recommend that you use the "Add topics" feature to facilitate the discovery of your Reel. You can select up to 3 tags that describe the video content, like keywords.

10. Regularly publish quality content that makes people want to come to the restaurant.

To work, a Reel doesn't necessarily have to be shot with a professional camera. It's the quality that counts! It's the content of your Reel that really makes the difference and creates the buzz. As a restaurateur, you have a wide choice of content to produce to immerse Internet users in your world : videos of all kinds to showcase your menu, the deliciousness of your plates, the making of cocktails, the culmination of a dish, your teams, the room, the atmosphere, your story.... But also funny videos like challenges between members of your teams, videos interviewing customers in the street... 

And as with posts, Instagram's golden rule remains the same: publish Reels at a regular frequency so that the algorithm values your restaurant's page.

Malou helps you save time designing your Reels!

Producing video content takes time. And even more so when that short video has to meet all the above criteria to work well! So here at Malou, we've decided to help you find inspiration, and publish your Reels without wasting time!

From our all-in-one solution, a dedicated tab provides the restaurateur with inspiration for generating content. Here, they can find posts from accounts close to their concept, accounts they admire, or accounts that are always on top of new trends, sorted by engagement rate, date, number of likes or comments.

Once he's inspired by our solution, he uploads his videos, creates his Reel, chooses his cover photo by previewing the rendering in his feed, then schedules the publication of his content. Thanks to Reel scheduling, the restaurateur can devote a dedicated moment each month to creating his videos, plan everything out and concentrate on his business for the rest of the month!

Would you like to find out more? Would you like to see a demo of these features? Don't hesitate to contact us at contact@malou.io!