TGL Tested: Our Takes on Reels Creation
Our TGL Tested series is winding down for the year, with just a few more installments left! If you’ve missed any, catch up here. We’ve loved exploring all the latest and trendiest digital marketing tools so far, covering everything from general marketing skills to niche topics like video editing, email marketing, and website design. We’ve tested them so you don’t have to, helping you decide what's worth trying and what can be skipped.
This week we’re diving into Reels Creation, how do we go about it and what tools do we use to get it done. Here at TGL, each team member has a unique work style tailored to our roles and our client’s goals, some of us have more experience than others when it comes to video creation so let’s get into it!
Instagram Reels Templates
Instagram’s in-app Reels Templates make creating on-trend videos super easy. Just drop in your photos and videos, and you’ve got a Reel with little to no editing skills required! These templates are ideal when you’re jumping on a trend fast, batch-creating content that needs to look great without the time investment, or just getting started with Reels and want a simple way to make engaging videos. Look for the 'Use Template' button above a Reel to get started. At TGL, we love anything that keeps content creation quick and easy so you can stay focused on the big picture!
Pros:
Free to use
Pre-made trending templates
Boosts discoverability
Time saver
Cons:
Limited design capabilities
Cannot import pre-made reel templates edited outside of the app
Tested by: Senior Project Manager, Renee Tate
“As someone who recently just started dabbling in reels, I have found this to be the easiest way to get started since Instagram shows you the reels that are recommended for you and trending. You just pick one, and then you can add your media and text. Simple as that! I will say if you want these reels branded with your fonts and colors, this is pretty limited since Instagram only has a limited number of fonts available, and adding your brand colors requires a little more work.”
Tested by: Boss Lady, Katie Stanton
“I use the IG native editor for the little bit of Reels creation and editing I'm doing now for a client -- since the content does not need to look incredibly polished, it has worked really well.”
Tested by: Slice Author and Social Media Coordinator, Jade Martin
“I love how convenient it is to choose from pre-made templates on the app that you already plan on posting your reel on. I think that with the variety of free templates to choose from, this is the best option, and there shouldn’t be any need for a third-party tool.”
Temply
Temply is a powerful video editing app designed to craft short-form content that shines on social media. Whether you're a creator, business owner, marketer, or just having fun, Temply has the tools to bring your vision to life. The application is available on iPhone offering a free version with many features to get started.
The app categorizes reels for various short-form content needs, such as travel, lifestyle, business, or seasonal themes. This organization simplifies finding exactly what you need.
To access more templates, you can upgrade to Temply PRO for $79.99/year or $19.99/month.
Pros:
Free to download
3-day free trial of the PRO version
Easy to navigate
Stock images/videos provided
AI creator
Cons:
All template options are only available with PRO
Not Available on Android or PC
Tested by: Senior Project Manager, Renee Tate
“I recently downloaded Temply, which uses AI to create your reels for you. The templates are beautiful and appear effortless to edit. The great perk here is the app can automatically create reels based on the access you provide to your videos and images. If you go this route, I recommend having a filing system in place so the app only pulls media that are related to your brand rather than all your videos. I am only using the free version so far, which has more than enough functionality for a novice.”
Tested by: Slice Author and Social Media Coordinator, Jade Martin
“After playing around with this app for a bit, I noticed that a bunch of the templates are locked under the PRO version. Temply seems to mainly show you these paid ones so navigating around the app to find free ones to use is not as convenient as it could be.”
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is a pro-level video editing software packed with features that can help you create standout Instagram Reels. Known for its use in the film industry, Resolve offers tools for editing, color correction, visual effects, and audio adjustments—all within one platform.
The free version is surprisingly robust, letting you edit high-quality Reels, perfect for smooth, eye-catching content. You’ll also get essential features like color tuning, video collages, and audio tweaks. If you need extra power, the paid version, DaVinci Resolve Studio, adds advanced tools, including AI features like voice isolation, which is handy for clearer audio on the go.
For creating professional-looking Reels, the free version is a solid start, offering more tools than most free editors out there! This tool could potentially be a bit overkill as it’s mainly meant for high-quality, detailed videos, and reels are usually short and simple so it could be a bit overkill depending on your needs.
Pros:
High-quality videos
Free version available
Cons:
Learning curve
Time intensive
Tested by: Media Monitoring Specialist, Aaron Maisler
“DaVinci Resolve is what I ended up using as my workhorse. The free tier’s been enough to do everything I need from resizing videos, cropping horizontal to vertical, adding text, etc. It seems faster than many other Windows options, too. Also tried Adobe Premiere Rush, and while it has some nice features and is extremely easy to use, I can’t recommend it. It is much slower than DaVinci to the point of being unusable sometimes. The native editors are what I used to use when I shot directly from my phone. They’re pretty quick, and I’d still pick them for the phone -> post workflow since the editing speed is unmatched.”
Selecting the right tool for creating Reels depends on your specific needs and skill level. If we had to recommend one of the tools discussed, our go-to would be the in-house Instagram Reels template feature for its ease of use and seamless integration.
If you're curious about the TGL team and what we do or want to get more familiar with the voices behind these suggestions, check out our team page. And let us know what other tools we should try!
Stay tuned for the next installment TGL Tested Learning New Skills/Tactics. Don’t forget to sign up for our blog updates, and be the first to get it straight to your inbox!