Want to grow your audience on Instagram? Start with a Reel.

Short-form videos are where it’s at right now although social media giant Instagram is reportedly testing the ability to increase the time limit on Reels from three minutes to 10.

The tool already is a great way to create and find short, entertaining videos on IG.

It’s not only for influencers; journalists should be using it too.

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In a workshop by the New York & Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative, journalists from the Democrat and Chronicle in New York demonstrated some of the most creative three-minute reels the newsroom’s staff has created on the social media platform.

“You don’t need a visual background,” says journalist Justice Marbury. “Anyone can make a reel.”

There are four types: video with B-roll and music; video with B-roll and voiceover; video with B-roll and text-to-speech; and video with B-roll, interviews, and/or photos.

Younger audiences love IG reels because they are brief and shareable across social media platforms, text and email.

“I like them because they’re informal and a way to get out our journalism,” Marbury says.

Click on the video to look at some of the Democrat and Chronicle’s best reels. Grab your phones and see how easy it is to make your own.