Coming up with original Instagram reel ideas can be daunting, especially if you plan to make at least 4 reels a week. Consistency, along with regularly posting, works well in any social media algorithm, so it is important to come up with good ideas in your niche and create videos on a consistent basis. As a digital artist for over three years, I don’t find it too hard to film and create my Instagram Reels. What I do find hard is developing good ideas every week that can really boost views and add to your social media growth.

This is why I am sharing the ultimate guide on how to make original, compelling Instagram reels that can help improve your analytics, build your audience, and grow your brand. I have been creating Instagram reels for a long time and I have also researched the type of content that does well. My methods do not involve making click-bait content or creating content specifically for “virality.” These techniques are meant to encourage long-term growth, to build an audience in your niche, and to make the overall process fun for you too.

If these are things you align with, then you are in the right place. Let’s dive in!

What are Instagram Reels?

Instagram reels are short, vertical videos that can be up to 90 seconds long. Reels can significantly boost your potential reach and get your content in front of new audiences. Instagram even has a dedicated spot to access Reels at the bottom of your phone app, which indicates that the app prioritizes Reels in front of users. Also, when you post an Instagram Reel, you are automatically taken to the Reels feed that shows videos from people you are not following while your video is being uploaded. It is Instagram’s mechanism to either find people to follow or for people to find you through reels.

What do I need to create an Instagram Reel?

To start creating a reel, you can use your smartphone to shoot vertical videos. Keep in mind that having your phone charged, along with available phone storage, will help ensure you can save your raw videos. Also, smartphones can get warm and can potentially crash as you film videos (due to using high processing power), so take breaks in between and generally gauge your phone’s temperature when you are using your camera. Be sure to shoot in high quality or 4K and use the back camera as much as possible.

For me, I currently have the Google Pixel 6 and my phone can get really hot when I start filming too long, after 5 minutes or so. It is a workflow I needed to get accustomed to, which I believe is partly due to it being an older phone version and storage space. If you have an older phone like me, there are these nuances that may happen. Allocate time for these breaks and use the breaks to do something else in the meantime.

If you are filming alone like me, I highly recommend having an adjustable camera mount, such as the NEEWER Ring Light stand, to make the filming process easier for yourself. The added light portion of the stand can be helpful when you need additional light, especially during the winter seasons when the sun starts to set at 5 pm. Having the light, mount, and stand in one equipment can be a beneficial investment in the long run if you plan on creating content long-term.

Who Should I Make Reels For?

This is a key question to ask yourself before you start making reels. If you are an artist, are you trying to attract buyers or other like-minded artists or both? It is okay if you want to do one or all three. As long as you keep creating consistent content that can appeal to the audience you want, then you are on the right track.

Having an audience in mind will also help provide direction on the type of content you will create. That being said, it is important to stay in your niche, creative industry - digital artist, traditional artist, embroiderer, painter - to not confuse your current or potential followers. If you talked about painting and then suddenly switch to a completely different industry, such as fitness, this can create confusion for your audience. This may also negatively affect your performance if your content is all over the place and if you appear to use random, different hashtags in your content.

If you already have a solid following, you may be able to include other types of content from another industry. However, if you are just starting out or are still trying to increase your reach on Instagram, it is important to stick to your niche. More importantly, being skillful at one thing can help you become an expert on this topic and will help the audience build trust in you. A potential result of this is to actually create a community of like-minded individuals who enjoy your work and like to meet other people in your network.

Part of creating reels is to not only engage with your current followers, but to also attract and reach a new audience. This means figuring out and experimenting with different reel ideas that will appeal to both your followers and non-followers. It can be difficult to balance the type of content that can work for both audiences, so I recommend to experiment with different reels and see how they perform.

5 Essential Tips for Creating Engaging Reels

With any social media apps, it is important to be mindful that there is an algorithm to work through and the algorithm is constantly changing. However, I know this is easier said than done, but try not to get too obsessed with the algorithm and focus on creating quality, engaging reels that your audience enjoys instead. Create content for your audience, not the algorithm.

You can review your analytics from a broad perspective to see what types of reels do better than others and not hone in on why one reel outperformed the others. Despite what Instagram says, making a similar type of reel that performed really well over and over again doesn’t always mean it will outperform every time. It can get boring doing the same thing every time - both for you and the audience. What helps is to keep a similar style, video editing, and type of content, but also have freedom and flexibility in making fresh, engaging reels. Remember to keep your audience happy to watch your videos.

There are strategies that will help boost views, but there will be times when you apply all the strategies and your reel barely reaches to your audience or non-followers. There is sometimes no rhyme or reason as to why a reel gets high or low views. It can be very frustrating because you have found what sort of worked but then it also backfires.

My advice is to be consistent with posting reels, regardless of how they perform. There will be some instances where your reels can go “viral” and there will days where your reels only reach about 10% of your followers. But if you have a strategy in the midst of the rollercoaster of high and low views, then you are still on the right track of keeping positive analytics and performance.

There is a saying that you might get stuck in the “200-300 view jail” with reels and, yes, this can definitely happen. It has happened to me for a long time and it still continues to happen to this day. However, if you can prove to Instagram that your content is generally something people enjoy seeing, then they will leverage your content in front of both your followers and non-followers over time.

Think of using Instagram reels as a long game for building your brand and sharing your art. Be sure to do the other stuff on Instagram as well, including regularly commenting, posting on Stories, using Threads, and sending direct messages. They will all help ensure you appear as an engaging, interesting content creator for Instagram, which can boost your ranking in their system and leverage your content over others.

While I haven’t found the perfect formula, I can share tips to make your reels compelling and enticing to watch. Here is the list:

1.) Have an aesthetic reel cover

A reel cover is the image that will be displayed on your Instagram profile. This can be an uploaded image or an image selected from your video. It is typically shown when you first watch a new reel and then it won’t be displayed again if the reel replays.

Having an aesthetic reel cover is an opportunity to make your art and brand stand out. It can represent your signature style and look, especially if you are a photographer. Because reel covers will be part of your profile grid and will be the first impression for a new follower, it is important to consider having high-quality reel covers. A recognizable and consistent font helps too!

There are mixed messages about whether you should have a consistent, aesthetic for your Instagram grid. I believe it truly depends on the type of creative work you do, the bandwidth or capacity you have to keep an aesthetic grid, and the skills you have as a photographer. For me, I used to care about creating an aesthetic grid, but my work evolved and I eventually showed up on the camera more. My grid is now more of a mixed media and this seems to have a neutral effect in losing and gaining followers.

What I do recommend is to take high-quality, clear photos and be creative in the font and graphics you use in your cover to make it your own style. Think of it as a first impression for your new audience and a recognizable look for your current audience. You can use filters and other techniques to make your art and brand stand out. Use bright, natural lighting whenever possible.

2.) Have an original work or idea

The reels that have generally performed well are the ones that are truly either from a one-of-a-kind idea or specialty art that people don’t normally see. At the essence, a reel that does really well can sometimes be the most simple, yet incredibly captivating video that your audience would want to pause for.

By original, I mean the concept of the video is brand new and fresh to get people to stop and watch. Coming up with original ideas can be tough, so what helps is to think about how you personally make art and your unique process. For example, while the end result is a finished painting, how you approach it may be different than others. It can be the brushes you use, the space you are in, or the method you paint. Leveraging your personality and editing style can also help make you stand out.

If done right, the “how-to” and relatable reels can help boost views. Generally, people like to scroll on Instagram for fun and entertaining content, as well as, learn about things they didn’t know. What helps make a how-to video original is showing a hidden or an uncommon feature for a regularly used program such as Adobe or Canva. This will keep audience watching at least halfway through or the very end of your video.

Original, relatable reels can help increase views because this can be shareable among peers and are more inclined to be replayed. For me, relatable videos have generally performed well and one of my most viewed reel to date has garnered over 34k views because of an original, relatable reel. I recommend taking time to brainstorm things you personally have struggled with that your audience will find relatable and you haven’t seen a reel of this before.

3.) Have a good Hook in your Instagram reel

The first couple of seconds matter in your Instagram reel, so it is important to have an engaging “hook” in your video. It matters because if your reel isn’t viewed for more than several seconds, then the Instagram algorithm is likely to leverage other compelling content being posted at the same time.

It takes time to develop a good hook because this requires a bit more effort to make your video enticing to watch. This means being creative in setting up your space or camera at a particular angle or having quick clips of different angles of your drawing process or products used. You can also have a talking head sharing a tip or message, but this will require having a script prepared and you being comfortable to speak in front of the camera.

4.) Choose relevant hashtags in an Instagram reel

To help Instagram share your reel to the right audience, hashtags are a good way to filter your reel to people who will find your video relevant. There are many types of hashtags available and you can create your own hashtags too, especially if you were to host an art challenge. Hashtags can range from a broad or niche topic, an industry, a user type, an action, and many more.

As of February 2024, there are new techniques to incorporate hashtags in your Instagram reel. One strategy is to not have any hashtags at all and see where your reel lands. Another strategy is to choose about 5 to 10 relevant hashtags in your reel. It helps to do some research on trending reels or art accounts you aspire to be and to see the types of hashtags they are using. I also recommend experimenting different, relevant hashtags in your reels and see how they perform in your analytics.

5.) Edit videos in an engaging way

The way you film your video can be engaging in itself, especially if it is showing your unique shooting style. Also, the duration of your video clips, along with strategically incorporating transitions and subtitle text, can contribute to making your reel engaging to watch. It is helpful to watch videos you enjoy and research both basic and trendy visual techniques that you can apply to your own videos.

For instance, a popular visual trend on Instagram reels is to have three horizontal clips of different video scenes (shown in the image below). You can use this method to film, but I don’t recommend strictly copying the way another person shoots. Be creative about how you film each scene and incorporate any transitions, movement, and text that will enhance your video. This will all contribute to making your reel unique and stand out, which can lead to a longer watch time.

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Reels

When making reels, it is important to know what doesn’t work. Here are three mistakes to avoid:

1.) Don’t copy exactly what other creatives are doing

It can feel so easy to copy what someone else is doing to keep consistency, so what I recommend is to create either a similar type of content but not exactly copying clip by clip and word for word of another reel. Also, just because another creator’s reels received many likes, doesn’t mean you will have the same outcome. They might already have an established audience so whatever they create can generally get good views and reach. It is key to stay focus on creating content your own audience enjoys.

There is a new option in Instagram reels to use a reel template by another creator, which is using the same duration of clips and the same number of clips of that reel. This can help cut down editing time, so you have a baseline to start from. Even with this new feature, I recommend shooting your reel slightly differently than the original template.

2.) Avoid creating only trendy reels

Trendy reels and trendy visuals can be a good way to increase your watch time and reach, but I don’t recommend doing this for all of your content. You can, however, weave this into your original content because it can be a cool, fun way for you to learn to shoot and be entertaining for your audience to watch.

The essence of your content is to ensure yours is authentic and unique, which will help you stand out from similar creatives. Copy trending reels might downplay what makes you unique as an artist or creative, so be strategic about what types of trending reels you want to create. An even better technique is to think about how to make a trendy reel better than an original. If you create something even cooler, YOUR IDEA might be a trending reel!

3.) Don’t always try to sell something in your reels

Making sales might be the end goal for creating content, but I advise you to not always make reels that directly sell your products. Nobody really likes to watch an advertisement and almost always would try to skip it, which is something you don’t want to happen to your reels. I do think you can strategically place your art and products in reels that will showcase the type of creative you are. In the caption, you can also share the link to your merchandise or a call to action.

There are many type of reels that can show your art, including a process art, a relatable topic, a how to, or an inspirational message. Consider ways to indirectly show your art but not exactly try to make a sale out of it. This is to help people become more familiar with your art and make you trustworthy as a creative. In a way, you want to show up as a friend, an educator, a motivator, and a humble, vulnerable person that will encourage a random stranger on the Internet to trust you. In turn, this can lead to sales and repeated sales in the long run.

30 Instagram Reels Content Ideas for Artists and Creatives

Now that you have a better idea of what it takes to make an engaging reel, below is a list of 30 instagram reel content ideas you can use to create reels:

Art content reel ideas

1) General art process

2) End of year art recap

3) Reaction videos

4) General art tips, tools, tutorials

5) Process of making something or packing an order

6) Day one vs. present day art

7) How to make a specific art

8) About the artist

9) From digital or physical artwork to merchandise process

10) Fan art

11) Sketch to final art process

12) A unique art product

13) Showing your sketchbook

Relevant art content reel ideas

14) Art studio or space setup

15) Sharing an inspirational message

16) Talking head video of a tip

17) A unique art tutorial process

18) Resolutions/fixes to technical problems of a graphic design program

19) Mistakes to avoid / what not to do as an artist or a program

20) Tips that help save time/improve art workflow

21) Tricks or hacks as an artist or a program

22) Tips other than art - filming, workflow, etc.

23) Mini artist vlog

24) Drawing tips or techniques

Relatable content reel ideas

25) Point-of-view (POV)

26) A relatable challenge or struggle as an artist

Trending reel ideas

27) Any trending reel and make it your own

28) opposite of what’s trending

Collaboration reel ideas

29) A clip of a podcast interview

30) A collaboration art

Brief Description of Instagram Reels Content Ideas

Below is a brief description of what each reel idea entails. I also share video examples for several of reel ideas through YouTube or Pinterest. Because you need an Instagram account to see a reel, I wanted to share them easily in public format.

Art content reel ideas

1) General art process

This involves showing different clips of your art process, from start to finish or specific clips of the art process. The more unique your art process is and the more unique you visually show your art, the more enticing your reel is.

2) End of year art recap

An end of the year art recap is a popular reel type people create and post at the end of December. Many creatives in general create an end of year art reel that shows their art evolving throughout the year. This is a cool way to show your different art throughout the months.

3) Reaction videos

A reaction video of seeing your art come to life, whether in a physical copy or in a collaboration, can be compelling because of the emotional value it can bring. A surprise reaction reel like this can generate support of your work, especially if the work took years to make.

4) General art tips, tools, or tutorials

Share general tips for beginners which can help build trust for both followers and non-followers. I recommend sharing several general tips to keep your audience watching.

5) Process of making something or packing an order

This can show your unique process of making something or packing an order. Be creative in using different angles or fast clips to keep your video engaging.

6) Day one vs. present day art

Similar to the end of the year recap, you can create a reel of your art from day one to what you are able to create now. The art evolution in itself can be inspiring because it can show that the audience themselves can improve their art over time. You can also consider doing a time-lapse of your art throughout the years.

7) How to make a specific art

Show a way to make a specific type of art, such as a calligraphy art or a vision board. You can also be even more specific about using certain tools to help make your video stand out.

8) About the artist

This is a reel to introduce yourself as an artist, including your name, the type of art you do, your hobbies, and your interests. I recommend selectively creating and posting this, probably every 100 new followers or so. This is so your current audience won’t feel too bogged down if you keep introducing yourself over and over again.

9) From digital or physical artwork to merchandise process

It can be enticing to watch how an art becomes a merchandise for other creatives and consumers. The more unique the merchandise, such as a plushie, art licensing product, or a book cover, the more compelling your reel can be.

10) Fan art

Fan art is generally something the public enjoys, especially if the character is really popular. Many people enjoy seeing fan art because of the general likeability factor, the nostalgic value it can bring, and its recognizable effect. I recommend creating fan art once in awhile, so you can focus on creating art that is unique to you.

11) Sketch to final art process

This type of reel involves a clip from a sketch to a final art piece. You can also show clips of the different progression leading up to the final artwork. This can also extend to a painting or a mural, because the long process of hand-crafted work can be compelling to watch.

12) A unique art product

A unique, one-of-a kind art product you have created can be an engaging reel to watch. You can also showcase your unique art for stickers, water bottles, and other merchandise. The more unique the product is, the more likely it will get viewers to stop and watch your reel. An example below is showing encouragement, self-care square cards.

When you create these art product reels, keep in mind your intent to show your art to inspire or encourage others. It can also show a launch of your new product too. As shared before, avoid creating too many reels that tries to sell your products.

13) Showing your sketchbook
A sketchbook reel can be interesting to watch because it shows an artist’s personal doodles and sketches. It can also show the vulnerable side of an artist because a sketchbook is essentially a space for intimate art brainstorm transferred from the mind to paper. This type of reel is fascinating because of the personal nature of a sketchbook, especially when it is hand-drawn and colored.

Relevant art content reel ideas

14) Art studio or space setup

Showcasing the space of where you create can be enticing to watch because people generally enjoy seeing the interior environment you are in. This can also apply to creating aesthetic reels of your space, which has typically been popular to watch. This can also involve applying filters and creating “faceless” content of your routine in the space. I personally enjoy watching these reels myself!

15) Sharing an inspirational message

An inspirational message can uplift and encourage your audience. This can be filmed in a way where you are talking directly to your viewer and can make an impact. For me, these are reels that can generate a good amount of likes, but don’t get too many views. Still, I think including these on a regular basis can help your audience feel seen.

16) Talking head video of a tip

This is different than sharing a tip without being on camera because a talking head video shows you and the way you speak to your audience. This will involve a script and you being comfortable speaking on camera, but I find this type of reel can engage an audience because it will seem like you are talking to your viewer directly.

17) A unique art tutorial process

Sharing a tutorial of how to make a particular thing can be interesting to watch, especially if your audience has no idea that it can be done this way.

18) Resolutions/fixes to technical problems of a graphic design program

A reel that provides a resolution or fix to a common and specific challenge can encourage long watch times because this is something the audience would like to learn more about. You never know that somebody needed this tip and would thank you for it!

19) Mistakes to avoid / what not to do as an artist or a program

Similar to the above, sharing mistakes to avoid and what to do instead can be engaging to watch. Also, the resolutions at the end aim to encourage the viewer to keep watching your reel until the end.

20) Tips that help save time/improve art workflow

Any tips that can help save time or improve workflow generally benefits the audience, who are inclined to watch more. This is also a great way to show your art and process indirectly.

21) Tricks or hacks as an artist or a program

A reel that shows hacks or tricks can also be engaging to watch because they provide ways to help another creative be more efficient or productive in their work.

22) Tips other than art - filming, workflow, etc.

Tips that share what it takes to be a content creator in your niche can also be very helpful to your audience. It can show your creative side, along with unique tips you can offer your audience who aspire to be a successful creative.

23) Mini artist vlog

This type of reel shows “B” roll content that reveals your routine as an artist or creative. A mini artist vlog can be important to show your story and who you are as an artist, but I recommend doing this minimally or when you have a large following. If you don’t have a large following yet, you can still weave in this type of B roll content as a tip or a tutorial, without necessarily showing this as a vlog. An example of this is below.

24) Drawing tips or techniques

Showing a full tutorial on how to draw something can be both fun and curious to watch. I recommend filming in a way that shows the different progression of the art and then revealing the finished art at the end so the audience keeps watching your reel.

Relatable content reel ideas

Relatable content can be a key piece to your growth because this type of content is shareable, relatable, and shows your side to be vulnerable in a struggle or a challenge. It is the type of content that can be both entertaining and can hit home for the audience - it really feels like you know them and what they are going through.

Relatable reels will require you to be in front of the camera, but if you are an introvert, you can stick to acting the part and using your expressions without needing to talk. It’s a good balance because you can still show up on camera but you don’t need to say anything. As an introvert, this is what I have been doing and was still able to create relatable reels this way. You can also use text and motion graphics to supplement your videos.

25) Point-of-view (POV)

A point of view reel is a perspective of what your audience is going through, usually a struggle or a challenge, during a specific instance. Usually, the perspective is from a specific type of creative, such as a digital artist, a painter, or a graphic designer. It can also be a general creative, depending on who your audience is. You can be creative in how you want to entertain your audience or highlight this struggle. You can be general or specific with this!

26) A relatable challenge or struggle as an artist

Similar to a POV reel, this reel highlights a relatable pain point as an artist. It can be a one versus another type of reel, showing one aspect in the first clips and another aspect in the other. Think about your specific struggles as a creative and see if those ideas can be turned into a reel. The more original and relatable it is, the more captivating it can be.

Trending reel ideas

27) Any trending reel and make it your own

There are times where there is a trending reel and you can apply it to your own industry and your audience. This is a fun way to keep up with the trend and a way to entertain your audience. Creating trending reels should be kept at a minimum though because you want to keep making content that is unique to you and what your audience enjoys watching.

28) Opposite of what’s trending

Reels that are opposite of what’s trending can be incredibly relatable, especially when your audience are in a state opposite of what’s trending. An example of this is a parody of regularly posting reels, gaining no followers, and what to do to keep this traction in the caption. I only recommend creating this type of reel if you are someone who likes to create things out of the norm and something your audience will like to see.

Collaboration reel ideas

Collaboration reels are content where you and a collaborator you tag can post a reel on both of your feeds. This is one way to get your reel in front of a new kind of audience because it will show up in the feed of your collaborator’s audience in addition to your own. A collaborator can be someone in your industry, in a related industry, or a brand.

29) A clip of a podcast interview

Podcasts have surged in popularity in recent years and many creators are either posting full videos or snippets of their podcasts outside of the podcast platform, including Instagram and YouTube. A reel can show clips of the podcast episode that you want to highlight and you feel your audience might find intriguing or helpful.

30) A collaboration art

Another type of collaboration reel is to tag another collaborator on an artwork that you have worked on together, such as a mural or a painting. This can also be a collaboration product that you and the collaborator worked on together, showing both you and the collaborator’s skills and talents. This type of reel can help reach new audiences and to show your ability to work with others. As long as it is mutually beneficial, don’t be afraid to ask and partner up with a creative friend to do something interesting together!

That’s it!

All in all, be creative in the reels you make and be sure to keep the audience in mind when you do. Find ways to make your reels engaging, unique, and valuable, so this can leverage you not only as a reputable artist but one your audience trusts and would want to follow you for more. Make your reels stand out by adding unique fonts, transitions, and filters - these will help you show up as a recognizable account and brand. While this list serves as a reels content idea guide, I encourage you to be flexible in creating your reels, where you can blend some of these ideas together or come up with your own.

I totally understand reels can be a pain to maintain growth on Instagram, but think of it as an opportunity to put your art in front of people at a worldwide scale instantly. Even if you only get 200 views for a reel, there were people who watched your reel and these are (hopefully) real humans that got a sneak peek of what you can provide. While there is no guarantee, the more you do it, the more likely it is for you to have a few reels go viral or get a huge amount of views. The opportunity is out there, so try to maintain consistency and don’t give up!

If you have any questions about Instagram reels in the Comments section, I would be happy to help! Good luck!

Happy creating,