Are you jumping into Instagram for your school? Whether you’re struggling to get started or have a solid account that you want to take even further, today’s blog is for you!

I recently lit up more than 400 school communicators during a two-week Instagram challenge, and the results were out of this world! By taking action on just ten items, some schools were able to increase the reach of their Instagram content by more than 1,000%.

And spoiler alert – the biggest impact came from Instagram Reels!

If you want to preview some of the fun we had, check out this Reel all about making Reels!

If you missed the challenge, that’s a bummer, but I have good news for you: You CAN still unlock full access to the step-by-step training (exactly what to do and how to do all 10 challenges) inside of my membership group. Join now and receive this on-fire Instagram training and so much more!

10 Hot Instagram Reels Ideas for Your School

Use The “Work of Art” Trending Audio

Check out this fun “Work of Art” audio, as used by St. Francis Borgia High School! It’s short, awesome, and such a great way to highlight your student artwork.

Show Progress with “How it Started” and “How It’s Going”

This is a classic trend on social media and Naugatuk Public Schools used it perfectly to showcase the musical progress made by students. You could use this in so many ways! And this Reel reached over 2,400 people – tons more than a typical grid post for this school!

Introduce New Staff Members

How about introducing your new superintendent with a Reel? Fairfax County Public Schools knocked it out of the park with this Reel, reaching more than 13,000 people! And they simply collected photos and videos in vertical format from the super’s visit to various spots on campus. There was no elaborate story to write… just a quickly compiled video!

Share Real Action Moments

Fun activities in phy-ed or after-school sports can make perfect Reels! A trendy song and short video (think less than 10 seconds) goes a long way. While this one went a little long, it still reached over 3,000 people on a page with just 604 followers, Strath Haven Ultimate.

Share Loopable Sports Plays

Capturing a great sports play on video is social media gold. This video from Richfield Public Schools received tons of views because the clip is short and exciting – people want to watch it over and over again. This video reached over 7,000 and had over 460 likes. That is a lot of interaction for a page of only 1,284 followers! Note the inspiring audio chosen, too!

Use Reels for Recruiting

Sunnyvale ISD used Reels in a creative way to help attract staff to its district! This Reel takes advantage of the auto-captions feature offered as a sticker right inside the Instagram app.

Use Reels for Advertising Events

While the reach isn’t out of this world for Derby Public Schools, I applaud this concept! It’s a solid idea to think outside the box when trying to get a message out to people who don’t yet follow your page.

Try a Simple Photo Slideshow to Music

If you’re just getting started in Reels or need a quick, easily executed idea – this is perfect. Use this audio to share 10 photos from your school! This example comes from The Park School Brookline.

Spotlight Special Recognitions

Share your special recognitions via Reels! This Reel reached over 3,000 people on a page with 800 followers: Colby Public Schools.

Have Fun with Trends – and Get Students Involved!

Sometimes you just have to have fun. You can jump on trends with your students. I love this one from Benton School District!

Further Resources for Getting Started with Reels

Looking for some introductory material? Read this blog: How to Use Instagram Reels for Your School!

Would you rather listen to a podcast on this topic? Here you go – listen here!

Are your fingers just twitching to get started? Which idea are you going to try first? I’d love to hear from you! Comment below or tag me on Instagram – @SocialSchool4EDU.