Video content is dominating the social space, making Reels the hottest feature on Instagram right now.
What are Reels?
Reels are a new way to create and share short-form (up to 30-seconds in length) videos on Instagram (on Stories, Explore, Feed or Reels tab). As a creator, it’s important for you to embrace this new style of content if you want to continue to remain relevant and reach new audiences.
If you haven’t made a Reel yet, consider this your sign to start!
We very quickly started making Reels in the fall of 2020, and we’ve seen some amazing results – with more than 9 million views on our 100+ Reels posted to date. Learn more on why you should start making Reels here.
Video Editing: What Can Make or Break Your Reels
One important part of creating Reels is editing the videos.
Editing is where the magic happens! Editing allows you to:
- Add text bubbles to the video for context or commentary
- Trim or crop your video clips
- Create scene transitions between clips
- Add filters, overlays, GIFs or images
- Add music
Chances are you aren’t a videographer either. But don’t worry! I was just as apprehensive as I’ve never edited videos before either. I’m SO glad I jumped on Reels early as we’ve already had some of our Reels go viral.
Think progress over perfection here. In fact, most Reels I’m seeing that are killing it are far from perfectly edited. They’re raw, they’re authentic and most importantly, they’re fun.
To help you get started, below is a list of the best video editing apps you should try when creating your pet Instagram Reels.
Best Video Editing Apps for Creating Awesome Reels of Your Pet
There are two ways to edit your Reels: You can edit your video within the Instagram app itself OR you can use a separate video editing app to create your video to then upload to Instagram.
Instagram Video Editing
I create all our Reels using the video editing tools within Instagram itself. I like editing within IG as it’s more efficient and I’ve found the tools provided meet my video creation needs well.
My most commonly used editing tools include: the trimming feature (to edit the length of each video clip), text bubble feature (to add context or closed captioning), music and occasionally a GIF or graphic.
However, if you want your Reels to look more polished, if you’re a more advanced video editor, OR if you plan to post the same video in multiple apps (e.g., Instagram + TikTok), it’s best to edit your video in a separate app and then upload to the respective app you want to post to.
Separate Video Editing Apps and Resources
Looking for more creative freedom than what Instagram video editing tools have to offer? Here’s a list of available apps and websites you can use to create your Reels.
- InShot
- Video editing tools: Trim, split, merge, flip, rotate and change speed of clips; apply filters and effects; add music, sound effects and voiceovers, add stickers and text to video
- Free (with watermark and ads)
- Splice
- Video editing tools: Trim, cut, duplicate, split, crop, edit clips; add music, sound effects and voiceovers; insert transitions; apply filters and effects; add text, overlay; post directly from the app to Instagram
- Free (ads and limited tools)
- Paid (subscription based: Weekly – $2.99/week; Monthly – $2.50/week; Yearly – $1.35/week)
- VN Video
- Video editing tools: Trim, cut, reverse, zoom clips; add music, sound effects and voiceovers; insert transitions; apply filters and effects; add text, stickers, subtitles; export high quality video
- Free (without watermarks!)
- Subly
- Website to create automatic subtitles for your videos
- Free (with watermark)
- Paid
- Unscreen
- Website to remove video background from your video clips
- Free (with watermark and limited to 5 second clips)
- Paid for Unscreen Pro
As a creator, I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to embrace video content. Video is dominating social media platforms currently and you have to play around in this space to stay relevant and to continue to be successful.
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