Instagram Reels ads: specs, length and 3 real examples
An Instagram Reels ad that works is a 15–30 second vertical video (9:16, 1080×1920) that shows the product or the result in the first two seconds, keeps text inside the safe zone in the middle of the frame, works with the sound off, and ends on one action. The same file runs as a Facebook Reels ad and in Stories. You don't need new footage for it: a dozen short phone clips of your business, cut tightly with a hook, captions and an end card, is enough. Below are the specs, the safe zone, a 5-part structure, three real Reels ads made from business footage, and how to run them.
How a Reels ad gets made in Novacut: 18 restaurant clips, one prompt, a 20-second ad, then a 30-second feed version. Sped up. Phone-size version.
Reels ad specs
| Spec | Use |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 vertical, full screen |
| Resolution | 1080×1920 (1440×2560 also accepted) |
| File | MP4 or MOV, H.264, AAC audio |
| Length | 15–30 seconds performs best; up to 60–90 seconds is accepted |
| Safe zone | Keep text and logos out of the top ~14%, the bottom ~35% and ~6% at each side |
| Sound | Reels play with sound, but plenty of people scroll muted, so text must carry the message |
If you also want TikTok, the same 9:16 file works there; TikTok's own recommendation for in-feed ads is 21–34 seconds.
A structure that works (20 seconds)
| Time | Part | What goes there |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 s | Hook | The best visual (the dish, the hair, the product) plus 3–6 words |
| 2–8 s | Proof | The work being done: hands, process, before the result |
| 8–14 s | Payoff | The result and a real person enjoying it |
| 14–16 s | Offer (optional) | One line: "$20 off your first color", "Order by Dec 18" |
| 16–20 s | End card | Name, offer, one action: "Book at…" |
Cut every 1.5–2.5 seconds on the beat, except the hook and the end card. Give every horizontal clip its own crop so it fills the vertical frame: black bars read as a mistake in a Reels feed.
Three real Reels ads made from business footage
Each of these was made in Novacut from a folder of clips and one prompt, then exported as a 1080×1920 or 720×1280 MP4.
A restaurant (18 clips of a kitchen and a dining room). Hook on a plated dish, quick cooking cuts, a toast, and the hours on the end card. The full restaurant guide →
A hair salon (16 clips of a color appointment). Hook on the finished blow-out, the process in four shots, the new-client offer on the end card. The full salon guide →
A shop at Christmas (19 clips of wreath-making). Hook on the finished wreath turned to camera, the making, and an order deadline on the card. The full Christmas ad guide →
The prompts all follow the same pattern, so you can adapt one:
Make a 20-second vertical video ad for Instagram Reels and Facebook for [business]. Open on [best shot] with the text "[hook]" in the first two seconds. Then [the process shots], cut on the beat of [kind of] instrumental. End on a card: "[name]" with "[offer · action]" underneath. Give every horizontal shot its own crop so it fills the 9:16 frame with no black bars, and keep all text large, in the middle of the frame, clear of the top 15% and the bottom 35% where the app buttons sit.
Running a Reels ad
- Choose Reels placements, or Advantage+ placements with Reels included. A vertical video made for Reels also suits Stories.
- Start with 2 versions that differ only in the first 2 seconds (different opening shot or hook). The opening decides most of the result.
- Give each a week. Meta's delivery needs about 50 results in 7 days to leave the learning phase.
- Use a clear call-to-action button that matches the end card (Book now, Order now, Learn more).
- Check your category. Insurance, credit, housing and employment ads must use a special ad category, which limits targeting. Insurance agents: what changed →
Mistakes that waste Reels budget
- A horizontal video with black bars. Crop it to 9:16 shot by shot.
- Text in the bottom third. The caption and buttons cover it.
- A slow, logo-first opening. People swipe before the logo finishes.
- A trending song in a paid ad. Many are cleared for organic posts, not ads. Music licensing basics →
- One long take. Reels ads need cuts. A 20-second single shot feels like an accident.
FAQ
How long should an Instagram Reels ad be?
15–30 seconds performs best. Meta accepts longer Reels ads, but most viewers decide in the first two seconds, so a short ad with a strong opening beats a long one.
What size is an Instagram Reels ad?
9:16 vertical at 1080×1920 pixels, MP4 or MOV, with text kept out of roughly the top 14% and bottom 35% of the frame.
Can I use the same video for Facebook Reels, Stories and TikTok?
Yes. A 9:16 file with text in the middle of the frame works for Instagram and Facebook Reels, Stories and TikTok. For Stories, consider a 10–15 second cut with the offer on screen from the middle.
Do I need professional footage for Reels ads?
No. Short phone clips of your real business (the product, the work, the customers) perform well in Reels because they look like the content around them. The editing is what makes them an ad: the hook, the pace, the text and the end card.
How do I turn a horizontal video into a Reels ad?
Crop each shot to 9:16 on its subject rather than shrinking the whole frame (which leaves black bars). In Novacut you can ask for it in words: "give every horizontal shot its own crop so it fills the 9:16 frame."
Sources: TikTok, top creative tips; FirstPier, Instagram ad specs; Meta Marketing API, special ad categories. Checked November 2026.
Footage: cottonbro studio and Jep Gambardella on Pexels (Pexels License). The businesses are fictional; the people shown don't endorse Novacut.