If you haven’t ventured into the buzzy, noisy world of Instagram Reels, it’s time to hustle. Because Reels – those short, TikTok-like videos set to a spunky soundtrack – are the #1 way to Reel in more reach send your engagement levels to the moon.
Let’s take a scroll through the world of Reels. Take notes, because I guarantee that the ROI you’re going to be seeing will set you…reeling.
Instagram’s Algorithm is All About the Reels
Pics? Eh. Stories? Ho-hum. IG TV? Sometimes. Reels? Oh yeah, baby. With competitor TikTok chowing down on that market share like a cheerful little Gen Z Pacman, Instagram is throwing all of its algorithmic weight behind Reels. If you’re not on the Reels bandwagon, your engagement across all your other content types is going to nosedive. Even if you’ve been keeping busy posting pics and stories like the good ol’ days.
Need some proof? Artist Rachel Reichenbach found that if she posted a Reel on Monday the rest of her posts throughout the week would see stellar reach. If she slacked off on the Reels, her engagement tanked until she posted another one.
(Okay, so IG still wants you to be engaging with its other features, but Reels are #1, at least until the app rolls out something new, like IG’s take on Clubhouse, which isn’t far away.)
What Kind of Reach Are We Talking About Here?
For regular ol’ Insta users, Reels can offer a 30,000% boost in engagement…oh wow, excuse me while I lie down.
Hootsuite also did an experiment on the engagement metrics associated with Reels and liked the numbers they saw, saying they noticed “significant spikes in our follower count one to three days after posting a Reel.” According to them, Reels are a “key frontier for organic reach on the app.”
(Pro Tip: You can also further boost visibility by resharing your in-feed Reel to Stories, or boost conversions by sharing your Reel in a Story to take advantage of swipe-up links and CTAs. But don’t stress too much about hashtags – those don’t seem to have much of an impact on discoverability.)
So How Many Reels Do You Need to Be Making?
According to IG, you should be posting 4-7 Reels a week, which I know is A LOT. A LOT. (Plug: You totally want to check my post over on Reel batching for time-tapped professionals.)
But never fear, busy people. Even one (1) Reel per week will help give your engagement metrics a solid boost. Upload a spicy vid with some killer music or sound effects and you’ll see views, likes and comments get a bit of a boost on all of your other content as well. If you can hit 3 Reels a week you’ll be killing it, but I get that you can’t spend your whole life staring at that “record” button.
Just remember: algorithms love consistency. Whatever you commit to Reel-wise, stick with it. Once a week? Do that. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday? Do that. Commit to going steady with your Reel schedule, and you’ll see your metrics soar
Need Some Good Ideas, For Reels?
Feeling Reel-y excited about boosting your IG engagement with Reels but need someone to walk you through it? Download my Good Ideas, For Reels freebie and become an influencer like *snaps finger* that!