Instagram offers a lot of different ways to share content. From stories, to live video to its newest addition: Reels. This is a feature that allows users to create video clips of up to 60 seconds (firstly introduced as 15 seconds, then modified to 30, and recently increased to 60), which can be set to music or existent audio. These short videos can be shared on Stories, Explore Feed, and the Reel´s tab.
Similar to the Explore Feed, you can see Reels from popular and trending accounts on the Reels Explore Feed, instead of just watching videos from people you follow. This feature is important when it comes to businesses trying to reach more people because it allows them to put content out there for users with interests similar to what they offer.
However, in order to maximize engagement when creating
Reels, there are some things to consider. Instagram recently shared how the ranking algorithm works on reels. Here are the highlights:
How They Determine Which Reels to Show Users.
Instagram considers how likely a person is to:
- Watch a complete Reel
- Like it
- Comment
- Go to the audio page to make their own Reel.
Take into account that the more Reels you watch, the more signals of interest the algorithm has to work with, and it will more likely show you what you want to see. Instagram is also interested in engagement, so if you´re more likely to create your own Reel based on another, it will show you more of that content. Here’s a great tip: try using trending audio to maximize exposure.
Signals That Can Boost Reels Reach.
- Activity: Instagram looks for Reels you´ve interacted with recently.
- History of engagement: the algorithm considers how you´ve interacted with the person or business who posted the Reel.
- Information about the Reel: audio track and video understanding are key when it comes to knowing what you´re interested in. Video understanding is based on pixels and whole frames, which means that an AI system determines what´s shown in each clip.
- Information about the account who posted: the algorithm considers who the person or business who posted is and the information on their account, as well as how other people interact with them.
Limitation in Reels Distribution.
Not all content can be easily found on Instagram Reels. This is because the platform limits certain content specifically on the Reels Explore tab. Here are the reasons why Instagram doesn´t recommend content:
- Low resolution and watermarked videos.
- Political-based content.
- Reels that are made by political parties, government officials, and political figures or on their behalf.
Take into account that if you are thinking of uploading a video originally taken from TikTok, Instagram will not recommend the content to other users, since they use watermark identification.
On the other hand, Reels is meant to be a more lightweight, fun feature, which is why they are trying to avoid any related complications by
penalizing political content.
In summary, Reels is ideal for fun and entertaining content, which encourages audience response. Aside from considering these parameters that Instagram uses, there is not a guide that will make all of your content as popular as you want it to be. It´s all a matter of trial and error, and learning from other accounts.
Reels is only one of the many features that Instagram offers, and balancing your content on this platform and all the other social media channels can be a lot to manage. Let us help you and your business have an online presence you can be proud of. With Miss Ink´s social media solutions you won´t have to worry about content and managing your social media accounts.
Request a quote today or give us a call at (305) 537-6465.
