Reels, Part 1
Examples of Reels that Educate & Entertain
Sample 1: This video about how to pose for photos:
The above video works because the hostess, Mel, has taken a pain point for women in business and aspiring influencers—how do I pose myself?—and broken down some bite-sized steps for solving the problem that are so simple, she can literally just show her audience without explaining with her voice.
Sample 2: This video about how to take a T-shirt with no shape and tailor it—no sewing required:
The above video works because the hostess has taken something we didn’t realize was a pain point for many—clothes that have no shape—and performed a “real time” before-and-after transformation that delights and surprises. We know it’s simple and effective because the entire video was shot in one take!
Sample 3: This video about creating video transitions from an iPhone:
This video works because it takes something most people these days have—a smartphone—and demonstrates how to use it in a cinematic way that doesn’t require any special skill or equipment.
Sample 4: This video about improving your posture:
This video works because it not only addresses a common problem (bad posture), but also makes the steps to correct it simple in an unexpectedly entertaining way. Bad posture is a boring topic, but by setting the steps to music, as “Dr. Remix” does in all his videos, the host makes the steps interesting and easier to remember.
Sample 5: This video about making an Instagram Story more dynamic:
This video works because it effectively tells a story; like any story, it has a beginning, middle, and an end, and it’s sort-of a Cinderella story—at the beginning, something (a photo) that was already lovely, is magically transformed through a series of steps, into something even more magical. We watch because we want to know how it turns out.
Sample 6: This video on how to make a strawberry mint soda:
The above video works because it’s highly sensory and tells a story. From the dramatic light to the shape of the glass to the colors of the ingredients, we are captivated because our senses are stimulated. We watch all the way through because something beautiful is being created that we also want to experience for ourselves.
Sample 7: This video on creating natural-looking waves in your hair using ankle socks:
This video works because it confronts our belief systems about hair management. Many of us believe we need special, expensive tools to create shiny, beautiful waves, but this hostess proves it’s possible with an item you can get in a discount store.
Sample 8: This video with clever transitions about “what lawyers don’t want you to know”
Like the chiropractor’s video earlier, this video by an attorney takes a subject we tend not to want to think about and makes it accessible and entertaining.
Sample 9: This video that follows a girl as she attempts a popular hairstyling method for the first time:
This video works because the hostess invites us into an experiment with her. She doesn’t know how it’s going to turn out, and neither do we; there’s a sense of adventure and curiosity in trying something new, plus a sense of comfort because we’re not going on the journey alone.
Sample 10: This video that explains a “Canva" hack” for organizing your computer desktop:
This video works because it demonstrates a surprisingly practical and affordable option for a problem we don’t really think about but commonly as human beings have.
Related Content:
QUALITY CONTENT IDEAS
REELS, PART TWO