Alliance Wire

Virtual Connection Session: Reels Round Table

August 26, 2025

Virtual Connection Session: Reels Round Table with Guest Speakers Eline X and Catherine Allen

8/12/25 @ 12 PM on Zoom

On August 12, 2025, the South Jersey Cultural Alliance hosted the Reels Round Table Virtual Connection Session. Jam-packed with social media insights, nuggets of wisdom, and expert advice, the session helped audience members who were unsure how to make reels feel more empowered to show up for their businesses and organizations. Below are some key details and insights from the Reels Roundtable, but be sure to check out the YouTube video for the whole session with more in-depth information. Thanks for tuning in!

You can watch the full presentation here: Virtual Connection Session: Reels Round Table

Main Focus of Each Presenter:

  • Catherine Allen: Emphasized authenticity, storytelling, and building community over chasing vanity metrics.
  • Eline X: Covered content creation basics, editing tools, and posting strategies for different demographics.
  • Both stressed the importance of consistency, bulk filming, and repurposing content.

Contact information: You can reach out to her to learn more or ask questions to Catherine studiocatco@gmail.com or Eline at Eeelixxxx@gmail.com.

by Catherine Bontilao Allen

CONTENT 101 Presentation

Technical Tips:

  • Use tools like CapCut, iMovie, TikTok for easy editing
  • Utilize cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud) and physical hard drives for content storage and management. Storing content in more than one location keeps it safe in case of emergency.
  • Meta Business Suite allows scheduling posts for Facebook/Instagram simultaneously, so consider using it or other cross-platform / cross-posting methods.

Content Strategies:

  • Create content with recurring formats to ease production, such as a series or process videos
  • Use hooks like "Watch me try..." or "What would you do if..."
  • Add captions, subtitles, voiceovers for accessibility
  • Collaborate with other creators in your field to grow your audience and also collaborate with your community through engaging questions and activities
  • For artists: Time-lapse drawings with voiceovers are engaging and easy to produce
  • Use what you have right now; a cell phone is a great way to capture photos, video content, and timelapse content using your phone’s built in features
  • If you are using photos

Platform-Specific Advice:

  • Instagram Reels reach beyond just followers, unlike grid posts that usually focus on just your followers
  • If you prefer photos over videos, carousels are a great alternative that still have substantial engagement. Use at least 3 photos and add sound.
  • Facebook is still valuable for 45-65 age demographic
  • Cross-posting to multiple platforms recommended to maximize reach

Overcoming Challenges:

  • For camera-shy creators: Focus on behind-the-scenes content, process videos, and voiceovers for those videos
  • When lacking artist-driven content: Highlight venues, showcase past programming,l create excitement about upcoming events
  • Time management: Bulk film, create content series, use scheduling tools and cross-posting capabilities
  • For timelapses with voiceovers; iMovie is a great program that can speed up videos and help you add a voiceover to the video. Capcut is also a great alternative, and you can also do all the editing right within the app.
  • For help with scheduling: Loomly is a great app that can help you pre-schedule content. Loomly also helps give suggestions on what content to make and what to write in your posts.

Key Takeaways:

  • Authenticity and consistency are crucial for social media success, more important than chasing virality. Have fun making your content so that the audience can feel that energy.
  • 15 seconds or less is ideal for reels, with the first 2 seconds critical for engagement
  • Bulk filming and repurposing content helps maintain consistent posting (aim for 1-3 times/week)
  • Cross-posting to multiple platforms (e.g. Instagram, Facebook) maximizes reach across demographics and simplifies the posting process by using already built-in features on those platforms

Links:

Canva: Canva has standard templates that you can plug your videos into for reels, shorts, and tiktoks. Their templates can include some type of royalty free music that you can make minor adjustments for by reviewing the music library on the page.

Capcut: Capcut has thousands of easy-to-use templates for you to plug in your videos and pictures for reels, tiktoks, and shorts to share on your platforms. There is a free and paid version of this program to use.

Edits: This is an app based program only with no templates but the ability to directly edit and add trending music and affects to post directly to your meta/instagram account.

Resources for Organizations and Artists:

New Jersey Theatre Alliance | ArtsPay New Jersey 2025 Surveys are Now Open!- ORGANIZATIONAL SURVEY | The Organizational Survey is completed by a designated person on behalf of an arts organization. They give compensation information for all job titles at the organization. All non-profit organizations in NJ for which the arts are the primary focus of their mission should complete this survey. Please complete your survey by August 28, 2025. | More information and survey.

Worthington Industries | Worthington Industries Community Grant | The Worthington Industries Foundation supports nonprofits through volunteerism and financial contributions, prioritizing education, civic organizations, health and human services, and arts and culture, with support available for operations, programs, and capital campaigns. | Deadline: October 1, 2025 | More information and application.

Robert Lehman Foundation | Grants Support Visual Arts Access and Education Nationwide | The Robert Lehman Foundation provides grants to museums, arts organizations, educational institutions, and other nonprofit cultural groups with the goal of advancing the visual arts in both American and global culture. | Deadline: September 15, 2025 | More information and application.

National Endowment for the Humanities | Public Humanities Project Grants | This year, proposed projects must relate to the following topic areas: The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence; American Military Valor; The American Dream and Economic Freedom; and America’s Role on a Global Scale. | Deadline: September 9, 2025 | More information and application.

For Artists:

New Jersey Theatre Alliance | ArtsPay New Jersey 2025 Surveys are Now Open!- INDIVIDUAL ARTS WORKER SURVEY | ArtsPay New Jersey is a compensation survey and pay equity project for the NJ arts community. The Individual Arts Worker Survey is completed by all people who identify as arts administrators or artists in NJ, including full-time, part-time, and contract/freelance workers. The survey includes self-reported compensation data as well as free text responses related to their perceptions and opinions about arts compensation. | Deadline: August 28, 2025 | More information and survey.

Absecon Cultural Arts Alliance | Seaview Plein Air Invitational | The Seaview Plein Air Invitational offers a fresh take on the traditional plein air experience—faster, more focused, and more thrilling. | Deadline: October 1, 2025 | More information and application.

Burlington County Division of Parks | 49th Annual Juried Art Show | Artists must be 18

years or older. Limit: Three (3) works per artist. Work previously exhibited in a juried show in one of the Burlington County Parks galleries may not be accepted. Work may be listed for sale. Prices cannot be changed once submitted. Artists will be contacted by the interested party.

Artwork must hang for the duration of the exhibit. Any sold artwork may be picked up when the exhibit ends. | Deadline: September 4, 2025 | Submission information.

Springboard for the Arts | FREE WEBINAR: Work of Art: Career Planning | Where do you want to be both artistically and professionally? Learn how to define your values, identify key choices and develop a plan to achieve your career goals. Presented in partnership with Hennepin County Library. This workshop WILL NOT be recorded. | Date & Time: September 13, 2025 from 1:00 – 3:30 pm CST | More information and registration.

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