Introducing Instagram Reels Direct Publishing
The Loomly Team is pleased to announce an exciting new feature: You can now schedule and automatically publish Instagram Reels just like other post types!
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To celebrate, let’s boost your serotonin levels right off the bat. Check out Netflix’s recent Reel of an interview with Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo on a rollercoaster:
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What are Instagram Reels?
Reels are entertaining, immersive videos where you can creatively express your brand story, educate your audience, and get discovered by people who may love your business. Unlike Instagram Stories, Reels won’t disappear after 24 hours.
Tip: Although Reels are an alternative to TikTok, this is a great opportunity to repurpose video content across platforms!
Why should I use Reels for my business?
Well, if you haven’t heard, short-form video is all the rage nowadays. Why? It’s effective:
- 91% of active Instagram users say they engage with video content on a weekly basis
- According to Instagram, public accounts with more than 10,000 followers who posted at least five reels over a 60-day period gained 250% more followers than those in the same category who did not post reels.
- Reels is Instagram’s fastest-growing feature worldwide, with more than 675.3 million users
With Reels, brands can expand their reach on Instagram more than ever, by:
- Getting discovered by people who don’t follow you – in the Reels Tab, on the home Instagram Feed, and in Explore
- Making your Reels shoppable with product tags
- Partnering with creators for on-trend storytelling
- Building community and engaging your audience with comment replies
How to schedule Instagram Reels with Loomly
1. Upload your video in Post Builder (1080 x 1920 is the recommended video dimension for Reels)
2. In Step 4 of Post Builder for Instagram, select the Reels toggle to schedule a Reel.
Instagram Reels that can be automatically published will be published by Loomly at the scheduled time, just like other posts!
Also, post metrics in the Analytics feature for Reels is available, and the Instagram Grid Preview will display any Reels published to the feed.
Facebook Reels and Instagram Reels that don’t meet the requirements for Instagram Direct Publishing will need to be published manually with the help of reminders and push notifications.
Requirements for Instagram Reels Direct Publishing
Due to limitations with Instagram’s API, there are requirements for Reels that can be automatically published:
- Container: MOV or MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14), no edit lists, moov atom at the front of the file
- Audio codec: AAC, 48khz sample rate maximum, 1 or 2 channels (mono or stereo)
- Video codec: HEVC or H264, progressive scan, closed GOP, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling
- Frame rate: 23-60 FPS
Picture size:
- Maximum columns (horizontal pixels): 1920
- Required aspect ratio is between 0.01:1 and 10:1 but we recommend 9:16 to avoid cropping or blank spaces.
- Video bitrate: VBR, 5Mbps maximum
- Audio bitrate: 128kbps
- Duration: 15 mins maximum, 3 seconds minimum
- File size: 100MB maximum
Note:
- Videos that do not fit these requirements will need to be manually published.
- Reels must be between 5 and 90 seconds and have an aspect ratio of 9:16 in order to appear in the featured Reels tab.
Where else can you schedule videos with Loomly?
With Loomly, you can easily schedule and auto-post repurposed content across multiple platforms, including:
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Stay tuned for more! 
