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LM: #342: How to make irresistible reels
The bulk of people’s attention seems to be currently consumed watching short video clips, thus making reels the hottest channel out there.
I’ve had some success with reels, gaining a decent following on TikTok and Instagram, some reels generating over a million views.
Here are the main things I’ve learned about producing good reels:
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- Reels are a low-status game: Anything that hints you think you’re better than the viewer is instant swipe away. This can be something as subtle as having a nice mic in front of you or high-quality video and lighting. (More pronounced on Gen-Z-focused TikTok than Millennial-focused Instagram.)
- The first three words fight for their lives: Your hook is everything. If you start with, “I was thinking…”, “Uhhh, yeah, so…”, anything not compelling, you will lose 80% of viewers within literally two seconds.
- Make it about them: Find a way to make the subject about them. One of my best reels starts off with, “Are you a Raphael who gets things done, or a Leonardo who starts project after project and never finishes anything.” Who doesn’t think of themselves as a Renaissance master?
- Yes, write a script: Unless you’re gifted with off-the-cuff speaking, you’re better off writing/reading a script. Yes, it takes practice to not sound like a robot but that’s not a deal-killer anyway because, remember: low-status. Robot beats stumbled delivery.
- Watch the engagement graph: Obsessively check the engagement graph to see where people drop off. This is such a gift because as a writer, there’s no more direct feedback mechanism to know exactly which word lost people.
- Self-promo is death: I haven’t cracked the code on getting lots of reach and promoting anything. I’ll just say balancing engagement with promotion is a difficult art. Get as many views as possible, then self-promo in the comments and bio.
Those are the basics of creating engaging reels without bells and whistles such as effects, trending sounds, etc., which generally don’t work your writing muscles anyway.
Book: Story Maps (Amazon) shows you how to write a great screenplay.
Cool: Your Favorite Movie Sucks is a podcast that pairs Raanan Hershberg’s movie insights with those of his fellow-comedian friends.
Best,
David
P.S. If you want personalized advice on your reels – or writing – feel free to book a call.
P.P.S. I’ll be in Austin this weekend, doing a casual self-publishing workshop with the ATX Writing Club. Details and registration here.
