Boost Reels Performance by Following Meta’s 3 Simple Steps

According to Meta’s Reels Ads guide, you can improve the performance of your Reels by following these three key steps: 

1. Using a 9:16 aspect ratio – For best practice, Meta recommends that your Reels are 9:16. This guarantees that your content is optimized for most mobile devices. You can resize your content via Meta Ads Manager, or when using an external video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro or CapCut.
2. Boosting the entertainment factor with audio – Meta also suggests that you use different audio types to keep your Reels interesting, which could include music, sound effects, or voiceovers. To find new sounds, you can access Meta’s own Sound Collection, an online library that’s filled with audio designed for Reels.
3. Keeping additional content in the safe zone – When your Reels are live on Instagram and Facebook, there’s a chance that additional content you’ve added to your videos (like captions and call to action buttons) are cut off. To stop this from happening, check that your content is in the safe zone before publishing. You can turn on a safe zone guardrail in Meta Ads Manager to check.

Meta has also shared guidance on how businesses can inject storytelling into their videos. Having a strong narrative in your video marketing strategy is key in 2025, because customers don’t just want to be sold to. Instead, you should aim to build a genuine, emotional connection with your audience by following Meta’s three narrative-based suggestions:

1. Be entertaining – Your Reels shouldn’t be one-note. Instead, your business should combine a variety of music, visual effects, and storytelling to satisfy your target audience’s needs.
2. Be relatable – To help audiences connect with your business, your Reels should have a human touch. For example, you could put a face to your brand by showcasing candid thoughts and experiences from the people behind it.
3. Be digestible – Effective Reels should capture attention immediately, and be easy to follow. Make sure that your videos have a grabby hook, focus on one key concept per video, and maintain watcher interest with eye-catching visuals or transitions.

Before you make your next Reel for Facebook or Instagram, audit your previous content to double check that it’s aligned with Meta’s best practices. This includes making sure that your content is optimized for most devices, takes advantage of Meta’s free audio selection, and doesn’t have any important captions or buttons cut off.

With Meta’s Reels Ads guide in mind, you can continue creating entertaining, relatable, and digestible content that helps you boost brand awareness and reach wider audiences online.