How to Create Instagram Reels Using ChatGPT

Tired of staring at a blank screen, trying to dream up your next viral Instagram Reel? You're not alone. Using ChatGPT, you can break through creative blocks and develop a system that generates scroll-stopping Reel ideas, scripts, and captions on demand. This guide walks you through the entire process, from initial brainstorming to hitting publish with confidence.

Brainstorming Your Next Reel with ChatGPT

The hardest part of creating content is often figuring out what to talk about. A blank slate is intimidating. Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, you can use ChatGPT as an endless idea generator. The secret is to give it a specific role and context.

Start with Your Content Pillars

Before you can generate specific Reel ideas, you need to know your main topics, or "content pillars." These are the 3-5 core subjects your brand or profile focuses on. If you're not sure what yours are, ChatGPT can help.

Try this prompt:

Act as a social media strategist for a [your niche or industry] brand that helps [your target audience] to [the transformation you provide]. Based on this, define 4-5 core content pillars we should focus on to attract our ideal followers.

For example, if you're a personal trainer, your prompt might look like this:

Act as a social media strategist for a personal trainer who helps busy professionals get fit without spending hours in the gym. Based on this, define 4-5 core content pillars we should focus on to attract our ideal followers.

ChatGPT might give you pillars like: Quick & Effective Workouts, Nutrition for a Busy Lifestyle, Mindset & Consistency, and Debunking Fitness Myths.

Generate Specific Reel Concepts

With your pillars defined, you can now generate an infinite list of specific Reel ideas. The key is to ask for ideas tailored to popular Reel formats, such as talking heads, how-to tutorials, myth-busting, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or trending audio adaptations.

Here's a powerful prompt to get you started:

Using the content pillar "[Pillar Name]," generate 10 Instagram Reel ideas that would appeal to [your target audience]. For each idea, please suggest a popular Reel format (e.g., How-To, Myth vs. Fact, Day-in-the-Life, Storytime).

Using our personal trainer example with the "Quick & Effective Workouts" pillar, ChatGPT could generate ideas like:

• Idea: 3 desk exercises to combat sitting all day. Format: How-To/Tutorial.
• Idea: Why your 20-minute workout is more effective than an hour on the treadmill. Format: Myth vs. Fact.
• Idea: My full-body workout using only a single kettlebell. Format: Follow-Along Workout.

Writing Compelling Reel Scripts From Scratch

An idea is great, but a solid script is what turns a viewer into a follower. A successful Reel needs structure. Most viral short-form videos follow a simple three-part formula: Hook, Value, and Call to Action (CTA).

Step 1: The First 3 Seconds - Crafting the Hook

You have less than three seconds to convince someone to stop scrolling. Your hook needs to be powerful, intriguing, or relatable. Using ChatGPT, you can brainstorm dozens of hooks in seconds.

Prompt for generating hooks:

I have a Reel idea about [your topic]. Write 10 different hooks for the beginning of the video. Make them short, engaging, and designed to stop the scroll. Use a mix of questions, bold statements, and common frustrations.

For the "3 desk exercises" Reel idea, ChatGPT might suggest hooks like:

• "Is your 9-to-5 breaking your back? Try this."
• "Stop stretching your back like this. Do these 3 moves instead."
• "POV: It's 3 PM and your body aches from sitting at your desk."

Step 2: The Body of the Script - Delivering the Value

Once you've hooked the viewer, you need to deliver on your promise. The body of your Reel is where you provide the tips, tell the story, or share the information. You can ask ChatGPT to transform your idea and hook into a full script, complete with spoken dialogue and on-screen text suggestions.

Prompt for writing the full script:

Write a 30-second Instagram Reel script based on this idea: "[Reel Idea]."

Start with the hook: "[Your chosen hook]."

The body of the video should include [number] quick tips/points.

For each point, write the spoken line AND suggest concise, bold on-screen text that summarizes the point.

End with a call to action that encourages [desired action, e.g., comments, saves].

Step 3: What to do Next? - The Call to Action (CTA)

Never end a Reel without telling your audience what to do next. A good CTA prompts engagement, builds community, and signals to the Instagram algorithm that your content is valuable. Ask viewers to comment, save the post for later, follow you, or tag a friend.

You can ask ChatGPT to generate specific CTAs as part of your script prompt or brainstorm them separately:

Generate 5 different calls to action for an Instagram Reel about [topic]. Focus on encouraging comments and shares.

From Script to Screen: Creating a Simple Shot List

Filming becomes much less stressful when you have a plan. You don't need a professional storyboard, just a simple shot list that outlines what visuals you need to capture. ChatGPT can act as your first-time video director, turning your script into an easy-to-follow plan.

After you have a script you're happy with, use this prompt:

Based on the Reel script I've created, generate a simple shot list. For each scene or line, describe the visual action, camera angle (e.g., close-up, wide shot), and any important B-roll footage I should capture.

For a talking-head video, the shot list might be simple, but for tutorials or demonstration Reels, this step is invaluable. A shot list ensures you get all the footage you need in one go, saving you from headaches during the editing process.

Putting It All Together: Captions and Hashtags

Your work isn't done once the video is edited. An effective caption and the right hashtags are essential for reach and engagement.

Writing Captions That Stop the Scroll... Again

The caption is your second chance to stop someone from moving on. It can provide additional context, encourage conversation, and reinforce your call to action. You can ask ChatGPT to write a caption using a framework like "Hook, Context, CTA."

Prompt for generating captions:

Write 3 different Instagram caption options for my Reel about [topic]. Start each caption with an engaging question or relatable statement to draw the reader in. Expand on the topic in the body, and finish with a strong call to action asking people to comment with their own experiences.

Finding the Right Hashtags

Hashtags help Instagram categorize your content and show it to users who are likely to be interested. A good strategy involves using a mix of hashtags with varying degrees of audience size: broad, niche, and community-specific.

Prompt for a tiered hashtag strategy:

Generate a targeted list of 15 hashtags for an Instagram Reel about [topic] for a [your niche] brand. Please categorize them into three groups:

1. Broad Hashtags (over 1M posts)
2. Niche Hashtags (100k - 500k posts)
3. Community-Specific Hashtags (under 50k posts)

This tiered approach gives you a blend of high-reach tags and more focused tags, giving your Reel the best chance of being discovered by the right audience.

Advanced Techniques: Repurposing Content into Reels

One of the most efficient ways to use ChatGPT is for repurposing your existing content. Do you have a blog post, a long podcast episode, or a YouTube video? You can feed that content directly into ChatGPT and ask it to pull out key ideas for new Reels.

Prompt for repurposing a blog post:

I'm pasting the text from one of my blog posts below. Read it and extract 5 core ideas that could each be turned into a separate 30-second Instagram Reel. For each idea, write a short, talking-head script with a hook, 3 key points, and a CTA.

[Paste your blog post text here]

This strategy allows you to create months' worth of video content from a single piece of long-form content, saving you an enormous amount of time while keeping your messaging consistent across platforms.

Final Thoughts

ChatGPT is more than just a writing assistant, it's a powerful creative partner that can help you systemize your Instagram Reel production from idea to execution. By providing clear roles, context, and structured prompts, you can overcome creator's block, write better scripts, and spend less time wondering what to post next.

Once you've batch-created a folder full of fantastic Reel ideas and scripts, keeping that creative momentum going is all about planning. To avoid that chaos, we designed Postbase with a simple, visual content calendar in mind. It lets you drag and drop your polished ideas into a schedule, so you can see your entire content plan at a glance and focus on creating, not just organizing. It's built specifically for modern social media, which means short-form video is a first-class citizen, ensuring your Reels publish reliably, every time.