Want Reels ads that actually work? Meta just revealed the playbook

New Delhi: With more than 50% of time spent on Instagram now going to Reels and video time on the platform up over 30% year-on-year, Meta has released a set of creative guidelines it says can significantly lift ad performance on the format. 

The tips are based on explorative research conducted with Toluna and focus on how brands can use audio, framing and message placement to drive both brand interest and purchase intent.

Meta urges advertisers to build specifically for the Reels environment—vertical 9:16, sound-on viewing and fast hooks—rather than simply cropping or reusing existing video assets. The goal, it says, is to create ads that look and feel native to how people already consume Reels content.

What works for brand advertisers on Reels

For brand-led campaigns, the research identifies a set of creative moves that are associated with a higher chance of landing in the top 20% of ads on brand metrics and purchase intent:

• Show brand and message early: Creatives that show both the brand and the main message within the first five seconds are 1.7x more likely to rank in the top 20% for purchase intent.
  
  
• Use dynamic branding: Ads that show the brand more than once, in different scenes or positions, are 1.8x more likely to rank in the top 20% for purchase intent.
  
  
• Combine speech and music: Using both speech and music in the same creative doubles (2.0x) the likelihood of ranking in the top 20% for brand interest.
  
  
• Reinforce the message in audio and visuals: Delivering the message through both sound and on-screen text or visuals makes it 1.8x more likely to rank in the top 20% for brand interest.
  
  
• Show relatable ‘slice of life’ moments: Featuring people in everyday situations increases the likelihood of ranking in the top 20% for purchase intent by 1.5x.
  
  

What works for performance or DR advertisers

For direct response (DR) campaigns aimed at driving action, the study highlights slightly different levers:

• Show the product repeatedly: Creatives that show the product more than once are 2.7x more likely to rank in the top 20% for purchase intent.
  
  
• Balance product with brand presence: Featuring the brand, but not for more than 25% of the creative’s duration, increases the likelihood of ranking in the top 20% for purchase intent by 4.8x.
  
  
• Add clear context and USPs: Including additional details such as features or unique selling points to support the main message makes it 5.3x more likely to be in the top 20% for purchase intent.
  
  
• Include a clear call to action: Showing or voicing a CTA increases the likelihood of ranking in the top 20% for purchase intent by 1.9x.
  
  
• Again, use speech plus music: As with brand ads, DR creatives that use both speech and music are 2.1x more likely to rank in the top 20% for purchase intent.
  
  
• Use native elements like emojis: Incorporating emojis as a native visual element makes creatives 2.5x more likely to rank in the top 20% for purchase intent.
  
  

A “bonus” finding from the research is the importance of hooks: using both visual elements and sound to grab attention at the start of the Reel increases the likelihood of ranking in the top 20% for purchase intent by 1.5x.

Meta pushes test-and-learn approach

Alongside the creative guidelines, Meta is encouraging advertisers to build their own “test and learn” frameworks for Reels. It recommends using methods such as A/B testing and incrementality measurement to identify which combinations of elements – early branding, hooks, emojis, CTAs, speech and music – work best for specific categories, products and audiences.

With Reels positioned as a core part of Instagram’s future, Meta’s message to marketers is that short-form video performance will depend less on repurposing existing assets and more on systematic experimentation with format-native creative strategies.