Meta released their 2024 Reels Holiday Guide

As the holiday season ramps up, marketers are focusing on how to best capture attention and drive sales—and Facebook and Instagram Reels are quickly proving to be a major asset. With 200 billion daily views across both platforms, Reels are Meta’s fastest-growing content type, and they’ve fundamentally changed how people consume content online. The question isn’t whether you should use Reels this holiday season, but how to make them work for you. Meta’s newly released Reels Ads Holiday Guide can help you do just that, offering essential tips and insights into optimising your ads.

Why Reels Should Be Part of Your Holiday Strategy

Reels have taken social media by storm, and it’s easy to see why. 79% of people reported that they’ve purchased a product after watching Reels, according to Meta’s commissioned research. Short-form video has become an influential tool for discovery and decision-making, especially as people shift toward consuming quick, digestible content.

To take advantage of this trend, brands need to focus on creating content that not only fits within the Reels format but also leverages its immersive features. Reels ads, in particular, can seamlessly integrate into users’ feeds, offering an ad experience that feels more like engaging content than disruptive promotion.

Making Your Reels Ads Stand Out

Creating successful Reels ads requires more than just slapping together a quick video. According to Meta’s guide, great Reels ads provoke an emotional response, whether it’s through humour, curiosity, or useful information. Incorporating music, storytelling, and visual effects is essential to making your Reels entertaining.

One important factor to keep in mind is that Reels is a full-screen experience, so your ads should be 9:16 video to maximise immersion. To ensure your message shines, Meta suggests keeping the bottom 35% of your video free of text and logos, avoiding overlap with the app’s interface. Building your ad with audio in mind is another critical element—whether you use music, voiceovers, or sound effects, adding an audio component increases engagement.

Using Influencers and Creator Partnerships

Partnering with influencers can also boost your Reels ads’ effectiveness. Meta’s Creator Marketplace helps brands connect with creators whose content aligns with their business goals. According to Meta, adding partner-enabled creative to campaigns drove a 5% lower cost per result and an 11% higher conversion rate on average. This shows the value of tapping into influencer partnerships, as well as working with Meta Business Partners to produce optimised Reels content quickly.

Why Timing and Relatability Matter

The pace and relatability of your ads are crucial. Reels ads that perform best are relatable, telling stories or featuring people your audience can identify with. They also respect the limited time users have by being direct and easy to understand. Reels ads that include at least one creative element, such as human presence or text overlay, saw a 16% improvement in cost per result, according to Meta’s studies. This demonstrates the importance of capturing attention quickly and delivering a message that feels authentic.

Drive Results with Reels This Holiday Season

Reels aren’t just a passing trend—they’ve become a central part of how users discover new products and make purchasing decisions. With billions of views happening daily, your brand has the opportunity to tap into a massive audience this holiday season. Whether you’re running organic content or Reels ads, the key to success lies in crafting engaging, relatable, and entertaining videos that resonate with viewers.

If you’re looking to maximise your holiday marketing efforts, Reels are the key to driving better performance during high-traffic periods. In the fast-moving world of short-form video, staying ahead of the curve with optimised Reels ads can be the difference between catching a few eyes or making lasting impressions and sales.