How to Batch Create Instagram Reels in Canva for the ENTIRE week
Instagram Reels seem like the MOST time consuming content to create, and you know how powerful they are as a marketing tool… but you simply just don’t have the time. We get it.
That's why we want to share our secret weapon: content batching in Canva. Let’s dive into the process of how to create a whole week's worth of Reels in less than 60 minutes. Yep, you read that right.
Why Batch Your Instagram Reels?
Before we start, let's talk about why batching is a game-changer. It saves time, keeps you consistent, reduces stress, and boosts creativity. When you batch your content, you're setting yourself up for success on multiple fronts in terms of marketing your small business on Instagram.
And while batching can seem SO overwhelming and time consuming, there is a step-by-step process to make it way more manageable in Canva. There are a few things to do before we jump into Canva to make this process a lot easier.
Step 1: Plan Your Content Ideas (15 minutes)
First things first, grab your calendar! You will want to look for holidays, product launches, sales events, and trending topics. These are goldmines for content ideas and ensure that you are promoting the right things at the right time for your business.
Plan your content ideas around those major events, and then determine what other content ideas you need for the week. Figure out how many Reels you want to post, and come up with content ideas for each day. Here's a pro tip: keep a running list of ideas on your phone. Inspiration can strike anytime, and you'll want to keep these ideas handy when it comes time to batch your content!
Step 2: Find Trending Audio and Plan Your Visuals (15 minutes)
Next, hop on Instagram and check out the Reels tab. Be on the hunt for catchy songs, funny sound bites, and popular voiceovers. Once you find some winners, jot down ideas for text overlays and visual concepts to accompany that audio if necessary. Remember, trending audio can change fast, so don't be afraid to put your own spin on things!
If you don’t want to jump on trends, no worries! Just look for trending songs or sounds that can nicely fit with the Reels you want to create for the week. You don’t always have to dance, lip-sync, or fit the visual aspect of the trend - you can simply add the music to the Reels you are about to design in Canva!
Step 3: Design Time with Canva (20 minutes)
Now comes the fun part. Let’s fire up Canva and get creative! Here is the step-by-step process to follow:
Open a new design (1080 x 1920) to create your Reels
Add a new slide for everyday that you want to post a Reel for the next week
Bring in Reels templates from Your Template Club to fill each slide
Fill in the text prompts with your content ideas that you already planned out
Then customize colors, fonts, and visuals to match your brand
Step 4: Export and Schedule (10 minutes)
We're in the home stretch now! You’ll want to export your finished Reels from Canva, making sure you select the “download pages as separate files” option. And now you have all of the MP4 videos you need for your Reels this week.
Now, you have a few options when it comes to scheduling your Reels and making sure they get posted:
Option One: Manually Post Your Instagram Reels Content
Use a scheduling tool, we prefer Later, to upload all of your Reels videos. If using trending audio, you can simply save the audio in Instagram, and set the video to “manually” publish in your scheduling tool. You will then get a push notification to your phone when it is time to post, and you can add in the trending audio as you post
Option Two: Auto-Publish Your Instagram Reels Content
You can still use a scheduling tool to set the Reel to auto-publish, meaning it will post on your behalf. The thing here is that you will need to add audio in Canva. While this audio might not be “trending” on Instagram, it gives you the flexibility to have royalty free music on your content, and have your scheduling tool do all the heavy lifting
Option Three: Use Instagram’s Native Scheduling Tools
You can skip the scheduling tool all together and upload your videos directly into Instagram. From there, if you have a business account, you can add your trending music AND schedule the Reel all inside of the app. Note: this feature might not be available to you, and it is pretty glitchy!
Tips for Batching Your Instagram Reels Content
Batching your Instagram Reels content takes time and practice, and eventually you will get the hang of it. Here are some of our top tips to keep in mind as you move forward with efficiently creating content to market your small business.
Even we, as pros, hit snags sometimes. One common issue is overthinking. Remember, done is better than perfect.
Getting distracted is another pitfall - try closing those extra browser tabs!
If you find yourself running out of ideas, keep a content idea bank.
Want to make your batching even faster? Try using templates instead of starting from scratch every time.
Stick to a theme for your content - it makes planning way easier.
Batch similar tasks together, like doing all your audio hunting at once, then all your designing.
And set a timer to keep yourself focused and moving.
There you have it! Our foolproof method for batching a week of Instagram Reels in under an hour. We've covered planning your content ideas, finding trending audio and planning visuals, designing in Canva, and exporting and scheduling your content. With this system, you'll be pumping out awesome Reels in no time. And the best part? You'll have more time to engage with your followers and grow your account.
Remember, consistency is key on social media. But that doesn't mean you have to be chained to your phone 24/7. Batching lets you create great content and have a life too. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your calendar, open up Instagram, and start batching those Reels. Your future self (and your followers) will thank you!
Want to try this content batching strategy?
Then you will 100% need access to all of our Instagram Reels Canva Templates! We have a TON of options inside of Your Template Club!
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Manu Muraro is the founder of Your Social Team, an Instagram training membership and template shop that help social media managers and Instagram-savvy small business owners to grow engagement and sales using Instagram and content marketing, without the overwhelm. Born and raised in Brazil, Manu moved to the U.S. in 2000 right out of college to work for Cartoon Network, where she made an award winning career in creative and strategy. In 2021, Manu started Your Template Club, a Canva template subscription service to help social media professionals and Canva-savvy business owners to create content that performs on Instagram, add more Instagram features into their strategy, such as Instagram Lives and Reels, and save time.