Instagram Adds New ‘Boost’ Promotion Option for Reels Clips

As it continues to double-, and triple-down on short-form video, Instagram will now enable brands to amplify their Reels clips, via a new ‘Boost’ promotion option built into the format.

As explained by Instagram:  

“Reels is our fastest-growing format and an important part of Instagram, as more people watch Reels to be entertained, go deeper with their interests or discover new businesses. Today, we’re announcing that businesses can now boost their reels to turn them into ads for the opportunity to reach new audiences and drive more engagement.”

As you can see in the above clip, there’ll now be a new ‘Boost’ option in the lower function bar on eligible Reels, which will take you through the quick promotion process.

It could be a good way to artificially create viral trends (if you’re lucky), though there are some provisos that you need to know before putting paid spend behind your Reels clips.

First off, Instagram says that Boosted Reels will be eligible to appear in feed, Stories, the Reels tab and the Explore page to help new customers find your brand.

To be eligible for boosting, your Reels clips must be less than 60 seconds and have a 9:16 aspect ratio, “which means they’re filmed vertically and have a full-screen format”. Reels that use third-party IP – such as copyrighted music, GIFs, interactive stickers or camera filters – are not eligible for boosting.

In addition to this, Reels which have been shared to Facebook are also not eligible – which could be a key point of note in your process.

“You can boost your Reels by finding the Reel in your grid in profile and tapping ‘Boost Post’. After running your ad, remember to check your Insights to learn which ads brought in the most engagement.”

It might be a good way to get more people engaging with your Reels content, and as Instagram notes, it is the fastest-growing content format in the app, so it’s worth consideration.

But really, the ultimate success of your short video clips will be determined by the actual content, and how well you understand what your target market wants to see from your brand, and engage with.

So while it could be a valuable tool for boosting already rising clips, I would advise caution on promoting crappy Reels that aren’t gaining any traction organically. Bad Reels likely won’t help to promote your business, even if more people see them (of course, they could also become a meme in themselves, if they’re bad enough).

I would also question what this means for brand reach via Reels, and whether Meta is following its old playbook of reducing such in order to guide businesses towards ad spend.

Maybe keep an eye on your Reels stats, to see if there’s a significant drop-off over the next few months.