The introduction of reels has absolutely disrupted the way we content creators use Instagram. It’s no longer viable to not create reels if you want to continue to grow your Instagram account. With Instagram having its mind set on copying TikTok and favouring video content, there’s nothing we can do than to be forced into the world of reels. The worst part is that you see all these other accounts doing silly dances and you just can’t ever imagine yourself doing that. Does this mean this is the end of social media for you? No. There are still many ways where you can build your social presence and create Instagram reels without showing your face.
In this article, we’ll go through some of the top tips on how you can succeed in creating reels without your face. I promise that there is no dancing and cringy lip-syncing involved! This article is more geared toward food bloggers (both recipe & restaurant bloggers) but you can apply it to other niches as well.
8 key tips to make Instagram Reels without showing your face
First things first, why do reels with a face tend to work better? Let’s swap roles for a second and imagine yourself as a viewer. When you see a face, you immediately know who the content is from. There is consistency in seeing someone’s face to help you to connect with the content creator as it forms part of their brand identity.
Here are the keywords to pick up: consistency, connection & brand identity.
The key to creating Instagram reels without showing your face is to find alternative ways to form your brand identity and be consistent. This could be through many different elements such as other visual signatures, shooting & editing styles, etc. which we will dive into more detail here.
Use the same backdrop
One of the easiest visual signatures is the backdrop or surroundings of your videos. For example, this could be featuring the same corner of your kitchen when you film your recipe reel so that people can recognise it’s you. Or it could be just as simple as sticking to the same classic white marble-top, wooden tabletop, or a coloured backdrop of your choice for every video!
Pick out the same props
Another way of creating a visual signature without showing your face in reels is through props. These could be props you are actually using (e.g. the kitchenware for cooking the recipe) or props that are for decorative purposes. The props form part of your scenes and your identity in reels. For restaurant food bloggers, it is not uncommon to incorporate some simple props to bring into your scenes too. A lot of cafe bloggers, especially, like to bring their own little aesthetic notebook, decorative newspaper, handbag, phone case, etc. to make their content unique to themselves. For recipe bloggers, it’s about using the same style of plates and such.
Find your light
We all know lighting is one of the most important elements when it comes to both photography and videography. Other than helping you produce high-quality images & videos, it can also become a part of your unique style & branding. For instance, if your home gets direct sunlight through the window at a particular time each day, you can utilise that hard light to form part of your style. You can even play with the shadows, if it’s something you can consistently produce, to make your reels stand out even more! Alternatively, you can stick with a dark & moody lighting setup, or just a simple soft diffused light for an airy feel. Whichever comes most natural to you, just stick with it and make it part of your brand identity.
Have a consistent shooting style
Everyone has their own preference in how to shoot their food. Find the style that works best for you and stick with it to turn it into one of your visual signatures! Here are some examples:
- Macro-style close-ups (e.g. baking bloggers showing a close up shot of melted chocolate dripping down a spatula)
- Large tablescapes featuring a feast spread (e.g. restaurant bloggers showing a wide shot of table full of dishes)
- Slow-motion action shots (e.g. pouring drinks, cheese pulls)
- Zooming in/out
- Playful transitions
You can have a combination of different shooting styles, whatever makes sense to your content. The key is to showcase it in a consistent way where people can recognise you from it.
String your reels together in the same pattern
Having the same video pattern in your reels gives consistency to your content. Furthering the point above, you can showcase a combination of different shooting styles but the key is to put them into a consistent pattern. For example, you can make it into your signature by always starting your reels with an enticing close-up action shot, followed by a zooming-out shot and a transition. It could be as simple as always starting your reel by placing/pushing the dish in the frame before starting on the recipe or showing the entrance of the restaurant before moving on to the dishes one by one.
Determine your pace
The pacing of a video plays a part in your style & branding. For instance, if you’ve decided that you’d like to follow a more home-cafe aesthetic for your reels, then you’d probably go with a slower pace. On the contrary, you might opt for a more upbeat faster pace for showing the latest hot spots in the city to hype up the place. Decide what works best for you and embed it on all your reels for consistent branding!
Do a voiceover and/or stick with a particular audio genre
It may be tempting to go for every trending sound available for your reels but you might want to stream it down to a specific genre and embed it as part of your brand identity. Whether it’s ASMR, coffee shop jazzy chillhop music, cinematic or high-energy pop music, it ends up forming a part of your content style. Imagine following an account for its soothing chillhop aesthetics and then coming across a reel with loud heavy metal or rap soundtrack – you would immediately assume they are from different accounts, wouldn’t you?
Alternatively, if you are not shy about it, do voiceovers! Featuring your own voice guarantees uniqueness and the way you narrate your content is one of the best ways in forming brand identity.
Use the same font
With the theme of consistency, this should be quite obvious and self-explanatory at this point! Pick a font and stick with it – this could be Instagram’s fonts or other fonts from your third-party editing apps. The same applies to the way your text placements, especially for the title.