If you’re feeling overwhelmed and pressured by the amount and frequency in which you need to be posting Reels, you’re not alone. Consistently recording and posting high-quality reels is a lot of work. But it can be done! It all comes down to how you plan your next video shoot for viral-worthy reels.

Creating short-form video content is arguably more time-consuming than the photos or carousel posts we’re used to. However, with some planning and preparation, you’ll be able to batch your reels in one day.

Here’s how to plan your next video shoot for viral-worthy reels.

How to Plan Your Next Video Shoot for Viral-Worthy Reels

Consistently posting Instagram Reels is the best way to grow in the current climate of Instagram. The platform is favoring short-form videos, and as a result, it is rewarding accounts that consistently produce reels.

Planning your reels content ahead of time will help you save a lot of stress. The key to your success is preparation. So here are my best tips for planning and batching viral-worthy reels.

Start with Research

The first thing you want to do is to spend some time scrolling through Instagram Reels or TikTok to find inspiration. Look for a trending sound, an idea you’d like to use, or a video trend you’d like to participate in. Notice what is currently trending in the space and see how you can re-create that video to fit your niche and audience.

Make sure you’re understanding the structure of the trend so that you can properly adapt your content to fit it. If your idea doesn’t make sense with your trend, your reel isn’t likely to go viral.

Compile Your Ideas

After you’ve spent some time finding an idea you’d like to use, you’ll want to compile a list of links to the videos so that you can reference them later. In The Influencer Bootcamp, we provide our students with a Reels Tracker to keep a running log of their ideas.

However, you can compile your own list on your phone’s Notes app, on a Google spreadsheet, or on a content calendar that you use.

Write a Brief Description of Your Idea

An important step that you don’t want to miss is to write a brief description of how you’ll adapt to the reel you want to recreate. Add a section next to the link you’ve pasted on your list of reference ideas for your notes.

This will help you save time when it’s time for you to film your reels. You won’t have to open each individual link because your description will tell you exactly what the reel is, so you can prepare to film it and only reference the reels you really need.

Plan Out Your Outfits, Props, and Locations

Trust me on this one. The whole point of planning is to batch your filming so that you don’t have to film a reel every single day. However, you don’t want to make it look as if you filmed 2 weeks’ worth of reels on the same day (even though you are).

Wardrobe continuity is what we want to avoid in order to make it seem like you are filming your reels on different days. So, plan your outfits for each reel ahead of time.

You’ll want to do the same for any props you’re using for the reel. Similarly, you’ll also want to take note of any filming locations you’ll be heading to for your reel. That way, you can better plan your filming schedule, so you’re not constantly hopping from place to place.

Schedule a Day for Filming Your Reels

Once you have all your reference reels, ideas, outfits, props, and location, it’s time to execute and actually get some filming done. This is where you truly get ahead of schedule and avoid feeling overwhelmed by how much you need to record.

My biggest suggestion is to set aside a day every week (or every two weeks, depending on your preferences) to finish your filming. Generally, you won’t need more than an hour to two hours to record all your reels for the week. Of course, this depends on how many reels you plan on posting weekly.

For example, if you plan on posting 3 reels per week, you can easily batch 6 reels in 2 hours. As always, determine the frequency of your reels and set the appropriate time aside to get them done.

Personally, I set aside a “creative day” every Friday. This is when I batch all my content, film all my reels, write all my captions, and get as much content prepared as I possibly can.

Set Some Time Aside for Editing

Similar to filming, you’ll want to set some time aside to get your reels edited. This can either be on the same day as your filming schedule, or it could be on a different day entirely.

This is why I’m a huge fan of designated creative days. These creative days will allow you to stay in the zone in all your creative work.

Batch Your Captions in a Day

Last but not least, you’ll want to buckle down and knock out your captions all at once. Thankfully, not every caption on your reel needs to be long. But you’ll still want to prepare your captions ahead of time so you don’t feel like you’re flying by the seat of your pants.

Again, this is why I’m such a huge fan of creative days. If you’re able to, batch all your creative work in one day and you won’t have to worry about what to post for the other 6 days of the week.

Prepare, Plan, Post!

Ever seen a creator who seems to always be on reels? No, they’re not filming a reel every single day. Although it’s possible, it’s highly unlikely that that is their strategy.

Not only is that a recipe for burnout, but it’s extremely time-consuming. Instead, this post highlights exactly how you can consistently post reels without spending a tremendous amount of time on them.

So prepare ahead of time, plan your reels, and post them! Just be sure to keep track of everything in one document so that you can stay organized and on top of it.

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