When it comes to Instagram Reels, there’s no shortage of advice out there. But if you’re like most business owners, you’ve probably tried it all – dancing, trending audios, and yes, even that overly rehearsed sales pitch – and still, your Reels are missing the mark. So what gives?
I reached out to marketing coach and IG expert, Jenna Harding to get the real scoop on what actually makes Reels perform (and spoiler: it’s not about going viral).
We absolutely love Jenna’s approach to social media growth because it isn’t filled with empty promises or follower-count obsession. Instead, she shares the strategies that helped her turn just 5K Instagram followers into a quarter-million in sales.
If you’re ready to stop chasing likes and start seeing real business results from Instagram, this is the insider tea you don’t want to miss.
👇👇👇
Measuring success with Instagram Reels
K: Obviously, you reels are killing it! How the heck do you consistently create content that performs so well? (What do you think sets you apart and makes you successful?)
JENNA: Ok, so with my program members I call this a “Classic Jenna Non-Answer” where instead of answering your question, I pivot to a misconception the question is sort of indicating to me.
Firstly, when we talk about how a post performs, we wanna be specific in what kind of results we’re looking for. Saying posts “performed well” or, alternatively, saying they “flopped” is part of the mindset that can make IG soooo frustrating for business owners/creators.
What to do instead ➡️ Be intentional about what you want the post to accomplish.
Are you trying to get comments? Views? Sales? Stir the pot? Make your leads feel safe and trust you? Be super specific with the result you want, and then instead of judging a reel on a blanket “did well/did not do well” we can ask: “Did this piece of content accomplish its specific job?”
K: OK. So, how do you measure success on Instagram, and what metrics should we actually be focusing on?
JENNA: Sales calls scheduled, Website traffic, Leads who reach out, Email List Growth, and clients booked.
Biggest Instagram Reel Mistakes
K: What are some of the biggest mistakes you see business owners make on Instagram with reels, and how can we avoid them?
JENNA: A big one is selling in reels. This isn’t totally illegal, but think about it this way: If you scroll through reels and a stranger pops up in front of you with a sales pitch, how are you gonna respond to that? Probably not well— because you have no clue who they are and zero trust.
Reels, more than any other format of content, have the best chance of being seen by strangers, so I recommend primarily using them for GROWTH.
Or, at the very least, if you create a Sales Reel and it doesn’t get a ton of views, don’t consider that a failure, because it’s actually pretty normal.
Are Instagram hashtags still a thing?
K: Settle the debate for us….Do hashtags still matter? (And if so, what’s the best way to use them?)
JENNA: Yes. Hashtags are one tool, of many, to optimize your post and get it seen by more people.
That said, the content has to come first– Hashtags aren’t a magic solution, and can’t fix a post no one wants to interact with.
Repurposing Your Reels
K: Do you have any tips for how to effectively repurpose reels in stories (or other formats) to further drive engagement?
JENNA: Try this: If you’re adding a reel to your IG Story, add a little something-something to it.
Your biggest fans are the ones who see your Stories, and chances are they’ve already seen the reel in your feed. So if you’re gonna re-share it to the same people, add something more to it like a question, context, or a poll or sticker.
Instagram Aesthetics
K: Is the “aesthetic feed” dead? How do you balance the visual appeal of your feed with the need for authentic and relatable content?
JENNA: For the purposes of the busy business owners I work with: Yep! It’s cold, dead, and in the ground. Think about it this way… If you have limited time to spend getting your house ready for a party, what are you going to prioritize: Making a delicious dinner, and setting the table… Or organizing the shed in the backyard?
Dinner, right? Because that’s what people need, that’s the value, that’s the thing they actually see… Even if one Nosy Nelly wanders into the shed, sobeit. Focus on what matters, and getting that dinner served while it’s still hot.
Very few people see your feed (search “Profile Views” in your analytics). Even fewer judge you based on how colour-coordinated it is. And in the time you spend making a cover photo, or trying to maintain a checkerboard grid, you could have made one more b-roll reel that gets seen by thousands. (Preach, JENNA! 🙌)
Creator Tools: Hot or Not?
K: What are your favorite tools and apps that you recommend for managing and creating reels?
JENNA: Instagram, all day! Why add more platforms than we have to into the mix.
Turning Followers into $$$
K: Was there a defining moment when you really started to see an impact / success with your business using reels?
JENNA: YES, oh my goodness. So I have preached for YEARS that you do not need a TON of Instagram followers to have a successful business. For instance, my account was at like 5K followers last Dec. and I was on track for like a quarter million in sales or something like that.
Funny enough, some people didn’t trust me because my followers were “low”, and I’d try to tell them, listen, how many clients do you actually need to hit your income goals? Focus on figuring out how to convert the eyeballs you have, not gaining followers like it’s a hockey card collection.
Then I had a couple reels take off–They weren’t different from anything I’d been posting except maybe I was a bit more messy and disheveled than I had been in the past, and people loved that authenticity.
That catapulted my account and the growth was exponential. Since I had a really healthy funnel, my income went up with it. And here’s the ironic part– now some people don’t trust me because my following is so big. It’s actually funny.
Free Instagram Resources
K: Do you have any free resources you want to share that can help our readers?
JENNA: Heck yes, here’s a link to my free training, How To Get Clients From Instagram (without wasting hours glued to your phone)
It shows the exact strategy the business owners I work with use to spend less time on Instagram, grow your followers and get clients directly from the content you post.
(Thanks, Jenna! You’re the BEST!)
Don’t forget to follow Jenna on Instagram or learn more about her below.
Jenna Harding
Marketing Coach
Jenna Harding (Warriner) is a Marketing Coach, Social Media Management agency owner and host of the Shiny New Clients Podcast. Through her program Magic Marketing Machine, she helps service-based business owners use her proven marketing formula to look amazing on Instagram, run their accounts in 15 minutes a day and turn their followers into clients.
