CONTENT GUIDE CONT. | Necessary Components of a Successful Instagram Reel

Last week I did a social media class with my sister and it went very well. We think we're gonna do something like it again! She had me type out some things to guide the lesson and I thought I'd share with you!

My sister's patreon has advice for DJ branding! She interviews loads of big djs and industry people on her podcast. Through her Patreon you could make requests on what she should ask her upcoming guests! https://www.patreon.com/c/oliviamancuso

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Necessary components of a reel:

• Goal(s)

• Target audience

• Hook

• Assume you're unknown

• Speed

• Say Less, Invite discussion

GOAL

• You don’t just make a video to make a video. There is always a goal or motive.

• You should have DIRECT goals that are supported by BROAD goals

• Examples of DIRECT goals

  • Promoting a song

  • Promoting a show

  • Gaining new followers

  • Securing bookings

  • Sharing and showing your expertise

  • Supporting and creating awareness around a cause

• Examples of BROAD goals

  • Making people laugh

  • Educate

  • Entertain

  • Pique specific interests

  • Inform

  • Stun

  • Trigger emotions

• What you’ll notice is that you’re often using a broad goal (or method, if you will) to execute a direct goal.

  • ex: Making people laugh to promote a show

  • ex: Educate people to show your expertise

  • ex: Trigger emotions to create awareness around a cause

  • ex: Entertain people with a hook to promote a song

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Decide who this piece of content is for. I know it sounds simple but it’s actually very much NOT

• One of the HARDEST habits to break is that DJs ARE STUCK ONLY MAKING CONTENT FOR OTHER DJs ENJOYMENT.

• As a DJ it’s very easy to make content that only other DJ/Producers could connect with

• If you’re trying to make content for fans, then you need to make content that you would like to consume AS A FAN. NOT as a DJ.

• It’s okay to make content that’s just for other DJs and producers, but recognize that as your target audience and don’t expect to reach LISTENERS in that scenario. This does not mean that it isn’t beneficial

• Examples of target audiences

  • DJs/Producers

  • Fans of a specific genre

  • Fans of a specific show or movie

  • People who do a certain hobby or sport

  • Gamers

  • People who enjoy fashion

• You’ll often find that your target audiences could crossover

• Ex: “Fans of the show Euphoria that like Bass Music”

HOOK

• A hook could be many different things.

• They say the first 3-5 seconds of a video matters to capture attention, I’d say it’s 2-3 these days.

• Whatever you do, the beginning of your video is the most important part

• Types of Hooks

  • Visual Hooks

  • Text Hooks

  • Audio Hooks

  • Verbal Hooks

• Visual Hooks

  • Eye catching first frame

  • Something with action, something shocking, something that raises question or anticipation, a transition, a relatable selfie angle, something familiar

  • An easy example is when people transition from a crash or fall in another video

  • Something that always stops people is dashcam footage (Jakeshore has been doing this). Think in that direction

• Text Hook

  • Text on the screen that keeps the viewer engaged

  • This is your best chance to invite discussion

  • Ask a question, trigger an emotional response (be nice), call to action in the comments (don't be cheap and cheesy), say something relatable

  • Examples: “Tell me if this transition worked”, “THIS is why your masters sound QUIET”, “I need this ____ Remix in my VEINS”

• Audio Hooks

  • Pretty straightforward, you could use audio to grab your viewers attention very quickly

  • As a musician, it’s mainly about what part of your song you are presenting. With attention spans low, it’s important that you get to the drop, or the part of the song you’re trying to showcase, as quickly as possible. If there’s a recognizable vocal you can get away with more

  • Musicians take way too long to get to the POINT with their song in their videos which is why they lose their whole potential audience before they even really hear the music

  • Non musical audio hooks are recognizable sounds like an iPhone notification tone, meme sounds, audio from tv/movies

• Verbal Hooks

  • This is as it sounds—the things you say right at the start of the video could have a drastic effect on audience retention

  • If you’re going to speak in your video that first line is VERY IMPORTANT

  • A lot of the same baselines apply as with text hooks—ask a question, trigger a response. Create discourse or shock.

  • Examples: “Oh my gosh, what did i just do?!” (shows song), “I can’t believe this worked”, “I can’t believe I JUST learned this”

• The best videos combine multiple types of hooks around one main hook to grab the viewers’ attention.

  • Example: a general text hook over the whole video, a verbal or audio hook right at the start, a visual hook right at the start as well

  • The more sensory boxes you’re able to check off at once the better

• ASSUME YOU’RE UNKNOWN

  • People Don’t Have the Energy to Constantly Support New Artists

    • Most people aren’t actively looking for new artists to support. They engage with content that already feels validated by others. The burden of proving value is on you, not the audience.

  • Content That Reads Like an Ad Gets Ignored

    • “I just dropped a new song” → Sounds like an ad.

    • “Testing my new remix at (club)” → Assumes new people care about you rather than the experience.

    • Social media is built for entertainment, not for cold promotion.

  • People Support What They See Others Supporting

    • If a song is already being shared by fans, it feels more legitimate. Organic discovery (people feeling like they found the song) leads to deeper engagement.

  • Present the music as a moment, not a product. Focus on how the music feels, not just that it exists. Embed it in an experience rather than announcing it

    • Example: Instead of “New song out now,” frame it as “How would you even describe this genre?” or “Finally someone flipped (insert sample)”

  • You don’t always have to hide that it’s yours—But be strategic. Let the music speak first before claiming ownership. Sometimes even presenting it like someone else’s song can spark curiosity.

    • Example: “This track is wild” vs. “I just made this track.”

• SPEED

  • This is pretty straightforward. People’s attention spans are short.

  • Not only do you have to hook them into the first few seconds, but you need your video to flow smooth

    • Try to learn to speak quickly but clearly

    • If you’re editing clips together, cut your clips as SHORT as you can

  • Step away from your content and try to look at it as a VIEWER AND NOT A CREATOR. Does it hook you? How long does it take to get to the part that matters? Could you cut 15 seconds out of that video? Would you get bored fast if it weren't your video?

  • My sweet spot is 35 seconds. If i’m not giving extremely valuable content like a tutorial, anything over 35 seconds is redundant

• SAY LESS, INVITE DISCUSSION

  • 2 separate things that are very consequential. This ties in with your hook. Give your viewers a reason to comment, and don’t give them everything

  • Too many creators want to give the full story right up front. The full song, the full tutorial, etc.

    • Leave the viewer wanting more. Cut off the song short, cut off the video right before the big crash, fall, moment, laugh, etc. Let people anticipate more

    • This is an easy way to force discussion amongst the viewers

  • Invite discussion

    • Ask a question, make a bold statement, or leave something open-ended.

    • People love to fill in the blanks—give them space to do it.

    • Frame your captions or on-screen text in a way that encourages responses rather than just acknowledgment.

    • Instead of saying, “Here’s how I made this bass,” try, “Guess how I made this bass.”

    • Instead of explaining a technique fully, tease it and let people debate or ask for more.

    • Ambiguity and curiosity drive engagement—let viewers speculate, argue, or demand answers.

    • The less you give upfront, the more invested they become.

THAT'S IT pls let me know if you have any questions!