Reels are where most accounts find new viewers on Instagram today. Unlike feed posts, which mainly reach people who already follow you, reels are shown in the Reels tab and Explore to people who have never heard of you. That makes them the most direct route to growth, and also the most competitive.
This guide sticks to what Instagram has said publicly about how Reels are ranked, then turns that into practical decisions you can make on your next reel.
What Instagram has said about ranking Reels
Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, published an explanation of how ranking works in 2023. The key points for Reels:
- Instagram uses separate systems for Feed, Stories, Explore and Reels, each tuned to how people use that surface.
- For Reels, the system predicts how likely a viewer is to watch a reel all the way through, like it, say it was entertaining or funny, and go to the audio page to make a reel of their own.
- Most reels in the Reels tab come from accounts the viewer does not follow.
- Content that breaks Instagram's recommendation guidelines, such as low-quality or watermarked reposts, may not be recommended to non-followers.
In other words, Instagram is trying to predict whether a stranger will enjoy your reel. Everything below is about making that prediction come out in your favour.
Earn the first second
A viewer swipes past a reel in a fraction of a second if nothing catches them. Your opening frame has to make a clear promise or show something unexpected.
Openings that hold attention:
- The finished result. A transformed room, the final dish, the edited photo.
- A specific claim. "This one setting fixed my blurry photos."
- Movement and a face. People respond to people, especially when something is already happening.
Avoid slow fade-ins, logo intros and "Hey guys, so today...". Put a short text hook on screen in the first frame, since many people scroll with sound off.
Keep it as short as the idea allows
Instagram predicts whether a viewer will watch a reel to the end. A 12-second reel that people finish usually beats a 60-second reel that loses most viewers halfway through.
A useful test: cut every second that does not move the idea forward, then watch it again as if you were a stranger. If you would swipe at any point, cut there too. Longer reels are fine when the content earns them, such as a full tutorial, but length should never be padding.
Design for loops where it makes sense. A reel whose last frame flows naturally into its first often gets watched twice, which counts in its favour.
Use audio deliberately
Audio matters for two reasons. It sets the mood, and Instagram mentions going to the audio page as one of the actions it predicts.
- Trending audio can help a reel feel current. Check the audio page to see whether it is rising and how many reels use it.
- Original audio, such as your voice explaining something, makes your reel the source that others might reuse.
- Captions on screen are essential either way, because a large share of viewers watch without sound.
Do not force a trending track onto content it does not fit. A mismatched sound makes the reel feel like it is chasing reach rather than delivering something.
Make it original
Instagram has said it may not recommend reels that are reposted from other apps with visible watermarks or that are not original. That has practical consequences:
- Export from your editing app without another platform's watermark.
- If you share the same video on more than one platform, upload the clean original to each rather than saving one and reposting it.
- Add your own angle when reacting to someone else's content, instead of re-uploading it.
Write a caption and cover that help
The caption is not the main driver for Reels, but it helps in two ways: it gives context to viewers who pause, and it helps Instagram understand the topic.
- Put the most useful line first, since only the start is visible.
- Include the words someone would search for. Instagram search reads captions.
- Use a few relevant hashtags rather than long lists.
Choose a clear cover frame with readable text. When someone visits your profile from a reel, your grid of covers is what convinces them to follow.
Encourage the actions that matter
The actions Instagram mentions for Reels are watching to the end, liking, finding it entertaining and using the audio. Saves and shares also show that a reel was worth keeping or passing on.
Content that naturally earns these:
- Useful tips people want to keep: a reel with five steps often gets saved for later.
- Relatable moments people send to a friend: these get shared in direct messages.
- Templates and trends others can join: these send people to the audio page.
A short, specific prompt at the end, such as "Save this for your next trip", works better than a general request to like and follow.
Review what worked
In Instagram's insights for each reel, look at:
- Accounts reached and the share that were not following you, which shows how far the reel travelled beyond your followers.
- Average watch time compared with the reel's length.
- Saves and shares, which show whether people found it worth keeping.
Compare reels of similar length and type. When one does well, make another reel in the same format on a new topic within a few days, while you still remember what made it work.
Where paid Reels views fit
Some creators add views to a new reel so it does not show a low play count to the first visitors. If you do, keep two things in mind. Added views do not change whether new viewers enjoy the reel, which is what Instagram's ranking is trying to predict, so the craft above still decides how far it travels. And never share your Instagram password with any service: views only ever need a public reel link.
Moving a reel into Explore is not a trick. It comes from a clear opening, a length that respects the viewer's time, original content and an idea worth finishing. Get those right consistently and the Reels tab starts to work for you.