15. How to Make Instagram Reel: A Practical, Mom-Approved Guide to Reels, Reach, and Results with Amanda Lepiane
- Jun 26, 2023
- 13 min read
Updated: Feb 19
If you've ever wondered how to make Instagram reel that actually grows your audience and moves the needle for your business, you're in the right place. In this blog excerpt from my conversation with Amanda LePiane on the Go Get Great podcast you'll get step-by-step how-to's, creative prompts, technical specs like the correct Instagram reel size, content strategy, and the mindset shifts that stop you from burning out while still showing up consistently.
I'm a social media coach and a mom who learned the hard way that social media isn't a one-size-fits-all checklist. It can be joyful, efficient, and profitable—if you know what to focus on. This guide pulls together real-world testing from both Amanda and I, mistakes we've made, and the exact workflows that helped us go from overwhelmed to confident with short-form video. If you're looking for clear steps on how to make Instagram reel content that works (without a 90-day challenge that yanks your life away), read on.
If we haven't met yet, I’m Brittany, an online marketing strategist for female entrepreneurs. I teach women how to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality through smart, actionable marketing strategies that get them seen, loved, and paid. Whether you’re eager to DIY your way to success or hire professionals to help you along the way–my goal is to make sure you walk away with the clarity you need to see the results you desire and build a life you love.
Meet Amanda
Amanda LePaine is a social media manager and mom of two living in Collingwood. With her honest and kind approach, she's am determined to change the way we look at online marketing and is passionate about creating communities and contributing to the growth of small businesses and social causes.
Amanda and I first met in the Monarch Momentum Community, she's fabulous and has lots of great insight to share in regards to digital marketing so let's dive in.
Table of Contents
Reels (Still) Matter
Reels are the fastest way to reach new eyes right now. The platform prioritizes short-form video, and the potential reach compared to a static post is significant. But reach alone isn't success. The real goal is to turn that reach into traffic, relationships, and sales. If you're wondering how to make Instagram reel content that actually sells, Amanda and I both suggest that you start by thinking top-to-bottom: awareness, value, trust, convert.
Reels are a powerful top-of-funnel tactic because they show up for people who don’t already follow you. That means each reel is an opportunity to introduce yourself, share your expertise, and invite the right person into your ecosystem (your email list, a free download, a discovery call).
What's a realistic frequency?
One of the most common pieces of advice I give: start slow when you're new to creating reels. They can intimidating and time consuming but Amanda and I agree that they don't need to be, with a little practice you might even start to like creating reels.
Commit to one reel a month if you’re busy. Yes—one. Make it good, batch it, and use it strategically. Over time, move up to one a week when you have systems in place. This prevents burnout and helps you refine your message. We talk about this more in our conversation on my marketing podcast, you can listen to the full episode here:
How to Make Instagram reel: size and technical specs (the quick checklist)
Before you dive into editing, set your canvas correctly. Nothing undermines a well-shot clip like an incorrect export that crops or blurs your video.
Instagram reel size: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio). This is the vertical portrait format that fills the screen.
Safe area: Keep important text and logos inside the middle 1080 x 1350 area so they don't get cropped in the feed preview or end up behind captions on your video.
Maximum length: Instagram supports reels up to several minutes, but 15–30 seconds is often ideal for busy audiences and for learning how to make Instagram reel content that keeps attention.
Format: MP4 (H.264 codec) or MOV. MP4 is safest for most editors.
Bitrate / Quality: Aim for a reasonable bitrate (5–10 Mbps) and 30fps. High-quality 1080p ensures your reel won’t appear blurry after upload.
Audio: Use clean audio files or the native clip audio. Trending sounds can boost reach, but always make sure audio levels are clear.
Cover image size: 1080 x 1920 (use the middle portion for the feed preview at 4:5). Select a clear cover that communicates what the reel is about.
Avoid watermarks: If you're editing your video in third party platforms like CapCut (what I use) or even TikTok, make sure the video you upload to Instagram doesn't have a watermark (branded logo) on it or it can hurt your reels reach. You can use website's like SnapInsta to download videos without watermarks. I share more about it in this blog post.
Step-by-step: How to make Instagram Reel from idea to publish
This is a simple, repeatable workflow that I use for clients and my own content, Amanda has a very similar process. If you're learning how to make Instagram reel content, follow this playbook until it becomes second nature.
Start with your content pillar — Pick one topic that aligns with your niche (educate, entertain, or promote). If you’re a baker, your pillar might be “simple cake hacks.”
Draft a one-line hook — The first 1–3 seconds matter. Example: “Stop wasting time frosting cakes—try this three-minute trick.”
Decide the format — Talking to camera, screen recording, behind-the-scenes, or text-over-video. Keep it simple at first.
Shoot the clips — Use your phone vertically. Capture multiple takes. Aim for short clips (2–7 seconds each) that you can stitch together.
Edit — Use CapCut, InShot, or Canva. Arrange clips to match your hook and deliver the value fast. Add captions (closed captions or text overlays) and trim for a 15–30 second final run time.
Choose audio — Trending audio can amplify reach, but pick sounds that fit your message. For how to make Instagram reel content that converts, sometimes original audio explaining a tip beats a trend.
Add captions and stickers — Captions make your reel accessible and keep viewers engaged with the sound off.
Create a cover (Optional) — Export a still or design a cover in Canva at 1080 x 1920, then upload it for the thumbnail preview (only available when you're posting directly in the Instagram app).
Write the caption — Include a short hook, a value-led description, a call to action (save, comment, link in bio), and your hashtags in the caption (not the first comment).
Schedule and publish — Use Later, Planoly, (optional) or your scheduling tool of choice. If you post manually, publish at a time your audience is active.
Engage — Spend 10–20 minutes after posting replying to comments and DMs. This signals to the algorithm that your content is worth amplifying.
Short script formula for a 15–30 second reel
0–3s: Hook ("Quick hack to...")
3–20s: Value (show step or quick demo)
20–25s: One-sentence recap
25–30s: CTA ("Save this for later" or "Link in bio to learn more")
Repeat this until it feels natural. This formula helps you consistently produce content that retains attention while being simple to film.
Content types that perform—and how they tie to sales
When building reels, map them to a business goal. Not every reel needs to sell, but your overall mix should include content that builds awareness, trust, and conversion.
Educational Reels: Teach something useful. These earn saves and shares—strong mid-funnel signals.
Behind-the-Scenes: Show process, authenticity, and people. Builds trust and human connection.
Entertaining Reels: Funny, relatable content that boosts reach and visibility.
Promotional Reels: Launches, limited offers, or events. Keep these clear and detailed.
Proof/Results: Before-after, customer stories, or testimonials—these drive conversions.
Trending audio vs. niche audio: a balanced approach
Trends help reach new audiences, but they won't always attract your ideal client. If you're trying to make reels that lead to real business, aim to blend trend participation with content that represents what you actually do. The reel might be trending audio for reach, while the hook and value keep it firmly in your niche.
Hashtags, captions, and where to put them
There’s a lot of debate about hashtag placement and if you should even still use them or just add SEO keywords to your captions. My tested approach: include relevant hashtags in the caption (not the first comment). The algorithm reads the caption, so keep keywords and hashtags there. Use a mix of broad and niche tags—3–10 targeted hashtags usually performs better than a random pile of 30. Once that feels comfortable you can experiment with using those words or phrases organically in your caption instead of adding them as hashtags.
Batching workflow: save time and sanity
Batching is the secret weapon for busy entrepreneurs and parents. Here’s a simple batching schedule you can use once per month:
Day 1: Planning (60–90 minutes) — Map out 4–8 content ideas tied to your pillars.
Day 2: Script & shot list (30–60 minutes) — Create mini scripts and list the shots for each reel.
Day 3: Filming (1–3 hours) — Film all clips in one session. Use the same outfit/backdrop to save time.
Day 4: Editing (2–4 hours) — Edit reels, add captions, and design covers.
Day 5: Schedule & Engage (60 minutes) — Post or schedule and plan engagement windows after each publish, which includes creating content for your stories.
Doing this once a month can give you one to two reels per week without filling up your calendar every week making it feel like you're constantly planning, filming and editing.
Tools Amanda actually uses and recommends
These are some of Amanda's recommendations, I share what tools and systems I use to keep my business organized in this blog post if you'd like my take as well. Here are Amanda's favourites:
Asana — for project and content planning. I run a month ahead for client content to keep the workflow calm.
Later — my scheduling tool of choice. The analytics, hashtag suggestions, and visual planner are excellent for Instagram. If you're wondering how to make Instagram reel content look consistent in your grid, Later’s grid preview helps with that.
CapCut & Canva — for editing and designing covers. CapCut is terrific for mobile edits and TikTok-to-Reel exports; Canva is my go-to for text overlays and cover design at the Instagram reel size mentioned earlier.
Phone tripod, ring light, and a simple lapel mic — small investments that lift perceived production value without turning you into a production company.
Metrics that matter: stop obsessing over followers
Amanda and I both agree whole heartedly that follower counts are a vanity metric. Better measures of success for your reels include:
Profile Visits: Shows curiosity—people want to learn more about you.
Website Clicks / Link Clicks: The direct pathway to conversions and making money in your business.
Saves & Shares: Signals strong relevance and value; great for organic reach.
Messages & Discovery Calls: Real buyer intent. A DM that becomes a sale is more valuable than 1,000 passive followers.
Conversion Rate: For paid funnels, track how many clicks turn into leads and customers.
When you’re measuring “how to make Instagram reel” success, look at the funnel impact, not just views or follower increases. I have a whole blog post dedicated to share more details about what metrics make sense for you to track based on your business goals. Check it out here ↓
Paid ads and Reels: when they make sense
Amanda notes that paid ads are a tool, not a magic wand. Use them when you want speed and scale—especially if organic growth feels slow and you’ve identified a clear offer to promote that has already converted well organically.
Recommendations for paid posts:
Promote the free entry point first (lead magnet, webinar, free guide). It warms people up before asking for a sale.
Run ads with a sequence—awareness first, retargeting second, and conversion third.
Be specific in copy: who is this for, what problem does it solve, and what should they do next?
Test creatives (visuals): some audiences respond better to educational clips; others prefer testimonial reels.
Repurposing: get more mileage from every reel
Turn one reel into multiple pieces of content:
Export the reel and upload to TikTok (adapt cover and caption).
Create a vertical story or an IGTV-like clip for longer-form explanation.
Turn the audio or short script into a carousel post or a blog excerpt.
Create a Pinterest pin using the Instagram reel size in Canva and link it back to the full post or your website.
Repurposing multiplies reach and reduces content creation pressure—key for busy founders.
Platform differences: Instagram vs TikTok vs Pinterest
From working with multiple social media platforms Amanda and I both know that each platform has a sweet spot. If you’re learning how to make Instagram reel content, remember:
Instagram: Community-focused, great for client-facing brands. Visual polish matters, and a mix of Reels and well-curated grid posts performs best.
TikTok: Discovery machine. The algorithm is incredibly intuitive and can give you rapid reach. It’s great for testing content ideas quickly and Instagram reels can perform well here too.
Pinterest: Search-first platform. Ideal for evergreen content and driving traffic back to blog posts, product pages, and resources. Pinterest content behaves more like SEO—use keywords and vertical pins sized correctly, reels don't perform well here.
Many creators upload the same video across platforms with small tweaks to caption and cover. This gives your content a second life and taps into different audiences. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Work-life balance: showing up without burning out
Running social alongside motherhood means you need guardrails. Here are practical strategies that actually work:
Set time blocks: Use focus modes on your phone. I have a “no Instagram” focus after 4pm so notifications don’t ruin family time.
Designate a CEO day: No client work; just strategy and business-building tasks. Even if it includes emails, it’s work that grows the business rather than sustains it.
Take consistent days off: I try to take Fridays offline or low-screen days in the summer to recharge.
Batch content: Filming one day a month saves countless “I don’t have time” moments.
Use systems: Asana for content workflows and Later for scheduling reduce email chains and friction.
Common mistakes people make (and how to fix them)
Jumping on every trend: Fix: Choose trends that fit your niche and message. If it’s not aligned, skip it.
Overcommitting: Fix: Start with one reel a month and increase only when you can batch comfortably.
Measuring the wrong things: Fix: Prioritize clicks, saves, shares, and profile visits over follower counts.
Poor export settings leading to blurry reels: Fix: Export at 1080 x 1920, H.264 MP4, and check bitrate.
Accepting clients that aren’t a fit: Fix: Trust your gut on discovery calls. Saying no is part of building a healthy business.
Case story: how AManda built a Reels training offer (a behind-the-scenes peek)
Amanda shares that she used to be a corporate buyer, "I took a digital marketing course and realized social media was the one part that sparked joy. I started teaching Reels locally and eventually needed a way to go one-to-many. Building a remote training meant recording screen tutorials, doing voiceovers, and laying everything into a slide deck so others could learn remotely. It took a month to create, but now it reaches far more people than in-person training ever could."
The lesson: invest time upfront to create systems that scale. That’s how you go from doing everything to designing a business that supports the life you want.
Quick troubleshooting for common upload issues
Blurry upload: Re-export at 1080p, use H.264 codec, and check your bitrate. Avoid resizing after export.
No captions after upload: Add captions in the editor (Canva, CapCut) rather than relying on auto-caption. Always proofread auto-captions.
Audio mismatch or low volume: Normalize audio in your editor and export at -1 to -3 dB to avoid clipping.
Video cropped incorrectly: Make sure your project is set to 9:16 and keep key visuals inside the safe center area.
FAQs About How to Make Instagram Reel
How long should my first reels be?
Start with 15–30 seconds. Shorter reels are easier to plan, film, and edit. As you gain confidence, experiment with longer formats if the content demands it.
What is the ideal Instagram reel size and cover size?
The ideal Instagram reel size is 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16). For the cover, design at 1080 x 1920 but place important elements in the center so they display properly in feed previews (4:5 crop).
Do I need trending audio to succeed?
No, but trending audio can accelerate reach. Balance trends with on-brand content so new viewers understand what you do when they find you.
Where should I put hashtags—caption or comments?
Put hashtags in the caption. The algorithm reads the caption for context and indexing; putting hashtags in the first comment can dilute that immediate signal.
Why are my reels blurry after uploading?
Blurriness often comes from export settings or platform compression. Export at 1080 x 1920, H.264 MP4, with a moderate bitrate (5–10 Mbps) and avoid excessive resizing after export.
How do I track if reels are making money?
Track profile visits, website clicks, lead magnet signups, discovery calls booked, and conversion rate from traffic sources. Use UTM links and a CRM to tie reel-driven traffic back to revenue.
Can I use the same reel on TikTok and Instagram?
Yes. Upload the same vertical file with small caption tweaks. Watch out for platform-specific features (like TikTok watermarks) that may affect distribution—export a clean file when possible.
How quickly will I see results?
Growth varies. One strong reel can produce spikes in profile visits and leads, but consistent results come from batching, testing, and refining over months. Start small, measure the right metrics, and iterate.
Final thoughts: make this your year of consistent, sane growth
Learning how to make Instagram reel content that actually works doesn't require a 90-day crisis or becoming a one-person production studio. It requires smart systems, a focus on value, and a realistic approach to your capacity. Start with one reel, set your Instagram reel size correctly, use simple scripts, and let your content do the heavy lifting for your business.
If there's one piece of advice to take away: go slow, start short, and stay on brand. Over time, consistent, meaningful reels will bring the clients you want—not just followers. For even more support make sure you follow Amanda and I (@brittanymillersocials) on Instagram and know that you can always book a complimentary clarity call with me if you need support with your marketing.
Episode References
Meet Amanda
@breeze_social on IG
Come say hi!
Give us a follow if you're ready to take life from good to great, you'll be the first to know when we share more about motherhood and business. If it really resonated, the kids and I would do a happy dance if you left us a review 💗. ~ Brittany
00:00 Intro
2:00 Social media introspection
5:40 Reels training
9:10 Reel advice
14:00 Follower count
16:00 Paid Ads
18:30 Favourite social media platform
20:00 Tik tok
24:20 Pinterest
26:10 Valuable content
29:40 Motherhood and business
34:30 Work-Life balance
41:30 Our biggest mistakes
43:58 Future projects
46:00 Overworking
50:20 Favourite tools
54:00 Wrap up
