Ultimate AI Reels Automation Guide for Instagram

Instagram Reels have quickly become one of the best ways to engage your audience. Instagram even gives priority to this video format on its platform. The goal with Reels is engagement: saves and comments come first, followed by likes. Views, while still important, are now secondary.

Sound familiar? You want to create content consistently, but you’ve created a few Reels and know how much time it takes—from ideation, shooting, and editing, to polishing, adding captions, hashtags, and finally publishing. All this can feel like a full-time job.

Let’s take some of that work off your plate by automating Instagram Reels with AI.

In this guide, you’ll learn how you can us AI to make reels and to automate the entire AI video creation process. Let’s make your content strategy more efficient using AI, but without losing the personal touch.

AI Reel Creators

Creating Reels doesn’t have to mean hours of editing. We’re going to tackle the video creation process first, and AI is going to do all the heavy lifting.

You’ve probably got some great ideas for Reels—you just need the right tools to bring those ideas to life. AI reels are possible with tools like CapCut, InVideo, Veed.io, RunwayML, Veo 2, Kling AI, and Sora which let you create videos and Reels effortlessly.

CapCut: Your Automatic Reel Maker

Seems like every tool these days is sprinkling a bit of AI magic, and Capcut is no exception. Once just a simple video editor, CapCut now boasts cutting-edge AI features, like generating AI avatars and animating photos with lipsync functionality - that's actually pretty darn good in my opinion. It’s tailored to Instagram creators, making it an excellent choice for engaging AI produced Reels: 

• Convert text to speech in various languages with trending voices.
• Change your voice while keeping the tone and emotion.
• Create multiple viral short videos from one long video with just one click.
• Remove backgrounds in both videos and photos seamlessly.
• Instantly transform product URLs into tailored videos.
• Generate high-converting Instagram Reel ad scripts effortlessly.
• Engage your audience with customizable avatars for added creativity.

InVideo: AI Video Generator for Stunning Reels

InVideo is designed to make video creation straightforward and stress-free, especially for Instagram Reels. Whether you’re starting with raw footage or just an idea, InVideo gives you the tools to transform your concepts into scroll-stopping Instagram content.

Here’s how it helps:

• Text-to-video: describe your scene and include the details you'd like to see then watch as AI puts it all together. Let me point out that as of version 3: Invideo doesn't just gather stock footage using AI, it now creates the ai-generated videos for your reels, from scratch. 
• Editing made easy: easily turn unpolished footage into professional-quality Reels.
• Add transitions and soundtracks that keep your audience engaged.
• Use ready-made templates tailored for Instagram to save time and maintain consistency.

With InVideo handling the technical details, and video creation aspects, you can focus on crafting stories that resonate with your audience. No more worrying about time-consuming edits—just create and share.

Veed.io: AI-Powered Versatility

Veed.io offers a suite of tools to make AI Reel creation faster and more engaging. Its standout feature is the ability to auto-generate captions, which are perfect for accessibility and enhancing viewer retention.

Here’s how Veed.io makes Reel creation simple:

• Captions: Auto-generate accurate captions to improve accessibility.
• Resizing: Easily adjust videos to Instagram’s Reel dimensions.
• Key Moments: AI-driven editing highlights the most engaging parts of your video automatically.
• Live Collaboration: Work with your team in real-time to finalize edits, ensuring a smoother workflow.

RunwayML: Unleash Your Creativity

RunwayML stands out as giving creators advanced AI to create Reels. Its unique strength lies in its ability to apply cinematic and surreal effects for a more polished and immersive style of video.

Key features include:

• Cinematic Effects: Add creative, surreal visual styles perfect for standing out on Instagram.
• Video Quality Upscaling: Use AI to enhance low-resolution footage.
• Object Isolation: Remove or replace elements in your video with precision, enabling you to refine visuals for Instagram’s unique aesthetic.

Veo 2: Simplifying Complex Edits

Veo 2 is a brand-new tool from Google, designed to simplify AI video editing while leveraging cutting-edge AI capabilities. Specifically tailored for creators who want professional results without the complexity, Veo 2 stands out with its smart automation and intuitive interface—making it a great fit for Instagram AI Reels.

Why choose Veo 2:

• Clip Highlighting: AI automatically identifies the most engaging parts of your footage, perfect for crafting attention-grabbing Reels.
• Custom Suggestions: Advanced algorithms provide personalized recommendations to improve pacing and viewer retention.
• Seamless Aesthetic: Ensures a polished, consistent look for all your Instagram Reels with minimal effort.
• Google’s Precision: Backed by Google’s cutting-edge technology, Veo 2 offers reliability and innovation for content creators aiming to scale their efforts effectively.

If you’re looking for an easy way to elevate your Reels with intelligent automation, Veo 2 offers the perfect balance of simplicity and sophistication.

Kling AI: Precision in Every Detail

Kling AI focuses on enhancing video quality and streamlining the editing process. What sets it apart is its ability to optimize lighting and colors automatically.

Key capabilities:

• Lighting Optimization: Perfect your video’s look by balancing lighting and colors.
• Trim Automation: Let AI handle repetitive editing tasks like trimming and cutting.
• Polish & Prep: Ensure every video is flawless and ready for Instagram with minimal manual adjustments.

Sora: Beginner-Friendly Video Magic

OpenAI was a little late to the AI-video generator party, but Sora doesn't disappoint. It's designed with simplicity in mind, making it ideal for creators new to Reel creation. Its standout feature is the ability to generate AI-powered templates, helping you create professional-looking videos effortlessly.

Here’s what Sora can do:

• Quick Video Generation: Create eye-catching videos instantly by simply typing a description, allowing you to produce content effortlessly.
• AI Templates: Choose from templates optimized for Instagram Reels, including vertical (9:16) formats and customizable durations between 10-20 seconds.
• Creative Animation: Transform still images, such as personal photos, into animated content with unique visual flair.
• Storyboard Planning: Use the storyboard feature to organize your Reel’s sequence seamlessly, ensuring a coherent flow.
• Preset Styles: Experiment with Sora’s pre-designed looks, such as "Stop Motion" or "Balloon World," to add character to your videos.
• Pro Tip: Maximize engagement by creating multiple variations of a single Reel idea and testing which resonates best with your audience.

These tools are ideal for creators looking to create a video with AI while saving time and elevating their Instagram presence.

Automate AI Reel Creation with Canva

You're probably thinking "But James, isn't Canva for images and graphics?!" It's true, but Canva is also a powerful AI reel generator too, and with a bit of crafty templating and, of course, using the Bulk Create tool, Canva can also automate your Reels, and become an important part of your instagram video workflow. Here’s how to start with Canva Instagram automation:

1. Choose a Template: Start with a Reel template tailored to your niche.
2. Upload Content: Import images, clips, and brand assets.
3. Edit in Bulk: Use Canva’s “Bulk Create” feature to apply the same style across multiple Reels.
4. Download and Export: Export your creations as MP4s for Instagram.

Next-Level Automation: Canva and Make.com

Take it a step further by connecting Canva with Make.com for workflow automation. This will be outlined in a future article where I'll dive into creating the make.com automation that allows you to run it on auto-pilot. Essentially you would:

• Use Make.com to pull content from a database or spreadsheet.
• Then automate reel creation by feeding data into Canva templates.
• Helping you to streamline processes, and saving even more time.

Repurpose Longform Content Into AI Reels

If you already create longform content like YouTube videos, blog posts, or webinars, you can now put them to good use. Repurpose content for Instagram with tools like these below. I was able to turn video lessons from my course into multiple short-form clips with ease using Descript. 

• Pictory AI: Turn webinars or podcasts into bite-sized clips.
• Opus Clip: Find the most engaging moments and reformat them for Reels.
• Gling.ai: Automatically edit and condense long videos into Instagram-ready snippets.
• Captions.ai: Turn 1 long video into 10 Reels with AI.
• Descript: Repurpose longer clips into multiple 1-minute videos, essentially turning one long video into a week’s worth of Reels. Use its intuitive editing interface to trim, caption, and optimize your content for maximum engagement.

Repurposing helps you convert longform videos into Reels and reach new audiences without creating content from scratch.

Automating the Scheduling and Posting of Reels

Scheduling Reels is the final step to truly automating your Instagram strategy. Using Metricool for Instagram automation is a great strategy for this, and what I love about Metricool is there generous free plan which covers all the social platforms. Well, except for X.com who recently implemented stricter API measures which means you need to be on a paid plan to post there.

How to Use Metricool:

1. Upload Your Reels: Batch upload videos directly into Metricool for hassle-free management.
2. Optimize Captions and Hashtags: Leverage Metricool’s built-in tools to craft engaging captions and discover trending hashtags that resonate with your audience.
3. Schedule Posts: Use the “best time” analytics feature to determine when your audience is most active and schedule your Reels for maximum visibility.
4. Monitor Performance: Dive into detailed analytics to track engagement, identify which content performs best, and refine your strategy over time.

Metricool streamlines not only posting but also the creative process by helping you optimize every aspect of your Reels, from captions to timing, ensuring consistent and impactful audience engagement.

Examples and Case Studies of Reels Automation

Blusteak used automation and AI tools to transform Telyport’s Instagram Reels performance. By streamlining content creation and posting, they made the process faster and more efficient. In just 45 days, this approach led to huge growth in views, engagement, and followers—proving that automation can save time and deliver results.

• Reels Views: Tripled views to 50,000 in just 45 days.
• Engagement Rate: Increased by 500% by focusing on relatable content.
• Consistent Posting: Automated workflows ensured 2 Reels per week, keeping content fresh and engaging.
• Personable Content: Crafted stories that felt personal and skipped irrelevant trends.
• Follower Growth: Automated strategies helped steadily grow Telyport’s Instagram followers.

Source: Blusteak Case Study - Tripled Instagram Reels Views in Just 45 Days​.

Here are a few more ways creators and brands have successfully used AI in Reels and scaled growth with automation:

• Fashion Brands: By using Canva and Metricool, brands batch-created and scheduled product highlight Reels, freeing up time for live Q&A sessions.
• Influencers: A travel vlogger used CapCut and InVideo to produce daily Reels from their trip footage, maintaining engagement while traveling.
• Small Businesses: An eCommerce store automated Reels with Canva templates, showcasing their best-selling products weekly.

Automate Instagram Reels for Free

Automating your AI reels doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Test out these tools before you commit to a subscription. Here are some of the best free tools for Instagram Reels automation:

• CapCut: Offers advanced editing features for free, including auto-generated captions, voiceovers, and seamless background removal. Perfect for crafting polished Reels effortlessly.
• Metricool Free Plan: Provides scheduling capabilities for Instagram Reels at no cost, allowing you to post at optimal times while tracking performance metrics.
• Canva Free Tier: Includes access to basic video templates and editing tools, enabling you to create visually appealing Reels with minimal effort.
• InVideo Free Plan: Allows up to 10 minutes of AI-assisted video creation per week, ideal for transforming text prompts into short, engaging Reels.
• Descript Free Plan: Helps repurpose long videos into multiple short clips with intuitive editing, captions, and trimming features, making it easy to create a week’s worth of Reels from a single video.
• Veed.io Free Plan: Features include auto-captioning and resizing videos for Instagram Reels, helping you ensure accessibility and optimal formatting.

For creators just starting out, these tools provide a cost-effective way to explore Instagram AI Reels automation free of charge while maintaining quality and creativity.

Conclusion

I'll close off this guide with some tips and tricks. When you're in need of some ideas for Reels or in a hurry for Instagram content have a look at these tips. Instagram success is all about smart strategies and saving time.

Automating your Instagram Reels with AI isn’t just a time-saver; it’s a smarter way to manage your content strategy. From AI-powered creation with tools like InVideo and Veed.io to streamlined scheduling with Metricool, you’ve got everything you need to scale your efforts without losing quality.

Start small—try integrating one of these tools mentioned into your existing workflow, or scheduling a week’s worth of Reels using a tool like Metricool. Once you see the difference it makes, you’ll be well on your way to fully automating your Instagram reels.

• Automate scheduling, posting, and repetitive tasks to focus on creativity.
• Spend just one productive hour daily using clear strategies to grow your account.
• Use quick, "emergency" content ideas to keep your audience engaged when you're stuck.
• Repurpose your content across platforms to save time and boost reach.