History Instagram – Kaitlyn Weldon, M.A.

Hey there friend! Welcome! Today we are talking about how to make Instagram Reels. Instagram has been saying they want their creators to make video content so they can compete with other platforms like TikTok. I know making videos can be scary – trust me, I was so scared a few months ago. Here’s the thing though, the more you practice and try new things the more comfortable you will become with the whole process. So let’s get started!

Your Reel needs to do one of a few things for your audience: educate, entertain, or explain. Some of the best reels I have seen do all of the above. Remember to break down the concept into easy to understand steps because you only have 30 seconds!

Bonus Tip: I have read that Reels under 15 seconds tend to perform the best. People want to be entertained!

Make sure to have fun with your Reels. Your audience wants to see your personality and these short videos are the perfect way to do that. You can dress up in costumes or wear your everyday clothes – just try to stay consistent so your audience knows what to expect from you.

Filming videos everyday can become time consuming so try to set aside a block of time to batch film your reels. You can always edit the reels later! Make sure to have a few outfit changes on hand ready to switch things up. I recommend having at least 3 or 4 outfits per filming session.

Bonus tip: If you batch create your content then you only have the set up ring lights or other lighting options once every few weeks. Once I figured this out, I saved so much more time!

Use trending audio for your Reels. This will help your content get picked up by the algorithm and be shown to more people. You can get inspiration from other creators as well!

Use hashtags that are relevant to your niche, but also choose a few bigger hashtags. These hashtags could potentially help you get picked up by the explore page.

Make sure that the text colors are on brand for your account – again, consistency is key here. Pick a color scheme and stick with it.

Don’t be afraid to dance, do silly things, make goofy faces, or have fun! If someone sees you having fun then they will most likely smile! My goal is to make people happy and teach them things.

Try different things to see what works for your audience and your schedule. I suggest going outside of your comfort zone because that’s the only way to learn and grow yourself as a person.

Concluding Thoughts

I hope these tips for making Instagram Reels are helpful! Once I figured out how to make them, I started having a lot of fun! If there are any other social media platforms that you would like a tutorial for send me an email on my contact page!

If you want to see examples of Instagram Reels I have made head over to my Instagram @the_active_historian. Click on this link here to go to my Instagram Reels page!

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂

So you want to make an Instagram account to share your passions, but aren’t sure where to start? Well you’re in the right place! My name is Kaitlyn – I created the Active Historian page on Instagram. I wanted a place to combine my love for history and passion for fitness. In this article I will be giving you 10 steps to create, build, and grow an Instagram page for your niche. These tips and tricks can be found in many places!

*Disclaimer: I am by no means a social media expert. These are the tips and tricks that I researched and used to grow my own account.

1. Make a list of the things you are passionate about

This one seems pretty easy. I want you to grab a pen and paper and write down all of the things that you are passionate about. You can try to group them together if that helps you think. This list can be as long as you need it to be. I recommend writing everything down, literally everything. You never know what interests you can combine to create a unique space.

Personally, I combined my love for history and passion for fitness. People are always shocked when they find out that I study history – most people assumed that I studied something health-related. So it was interesting for me to combine these two passions that most people didn’t think fit together.

2. Narrow your list to 3-5 topics

Next, I want you to take the list you just made and see if any of the topics can be combined. Narrow your list down to 3-5 broad topics. This was pretty hard for me, but I chose fitness, history, motivation, and running for my list.

3. Research your list on Instagram to see what accounts already exist

Take your list of 3-5 topics, go to Instagram, then open the search bar. When I created my account I wanted to know what else was already out there so I typed the key word ideas into Instagram. If there are already accounts on your topics consider how your account would be different from the ones that already exist. Start thinking about ways that those interests could be combined to create a unique perspective!

Personally, there was not really anything on Instagram that combined history and fitness together how I envisioned my account doing so. This gave me the freedom to begin brainstorming names for my account.

4. Brainstorm some names for your account

Now that you know what is on Instagram – I want you to sit down and begin brainstorming some names for your account. This can take some time. I remember thinking about names for weeks and created my account with one name, but then switching it a few weeks later.

Fun fact! I came up with the idea for the “Active Historian” when I was out walking one afternoon!

5. Pick a color palette and try to be consistent

After you have a name, it’s time to start thinking about a color palette for you brand. You need to consider what kind of feeling someone might have when looking at your account. Will they feel calm, happy, inspired, motivated, or something else? You can look up articles and videos on color psychology to help with this process.

Creating a color palette is important for creating consistency in your posts. A consistent color palette will help maintain your social media aesthetic.

Personally, I use Canva to create my graphics and they have an option where you can save your brand colors on your account. The cool thing about finding brand colors is that you can save the HTML color codes and they will be consistent across platforms!

6. Make the account

Now that you have a name and a color scheme – MAKE THE ACCOUNT. Just do it. This step was one of the scarier ones for me. I didn’t know if people would like my content or if they would even interact with me. Looking back now, I realize how silly those fears were and wish I would have started my Instagram account sooner. The community I have found on social media is awesome. I have networked with likeminded people from around the world.

Once you’ve created your page it’s time to start making content that will serve your audience.

7. Create informing, inspiring, or engaging content

Now that you have an account – I want you to focus on creating content that informs, inspires, or engages your audience. People read your posts and you don’t want to waste their time. Provide your audience with something valuable!

Personally, the Active Historian encompasses my love for history and passion for fitness. It gives me an avenue to share stories, fitness advice, and motivation. I have always liked motivational quotes and had a quote wall in my room in high school. I love sharing the motivating words that have kept me going for so long.

8. Interact with the people in your niche

Interacting with people on your page and in your niche is SO IMPORTANT. I have met so many cool people and learn something new everyday – that is not an exaggeration. By interacting with people you can learn new skills, lessons, and information. The best part is networking with people who are passionate about the same things that you are.

9. Make friends and collaborate

Now that you’ve interacted with people and have built up rapport you can begin collaborating with people. You can reach out to people in your niche to see if they would be interested in working together on a post or featuring in stories. This is a great way to reach new people!

10. Have fun and inspire other people

Last – but not least – remember to have fun. Social media can be a great tool for networking and learning new skills, but don’t let it take over your life.

Concluding Thoughts

If you create an account – tag me and let me know you read this article! @the_active_historian

Go out and inspire people! I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂