Getting more views on Instagram Reels starts with a hook in the first 3 seconds
Viewers who make it past the 3-second mark complete Reels at a 70-90% rate.
Table of contents
Viewers who make it past the 3-second mark complete Reels at a 70-90% rate.
The fastest path to more Reels views is trending audio, and posting at your audience's peak activity times.
The fastest path to more Reels views is a strong hook in the first 3 seconds.
- A strong hook in the first 3 seconds.
- Trending audio.
- Posting at your audience's peak activity times.
What you can try now: Open the Reel on the action in the first 3 seconds.
Logos, intros, and title cards delay getting to the point.
What kills Reels views is a slow start.
Anything that delays getting to the point.
- Logos.
- Intros.
- Title cards.
What you can try now: Cut the logo, the intro, and the title card before the Reel starts.
The original video of the audio should have at least 1 million views.
These reels will all have high numbers of views already because Instagram's featuring them.
Click on the audio thumbnail at the lower right side of the reel.
- The original video of the audio should already be large.
- At least 1 million views on that original.
- The audio thumbnail sits at the lower right of the Reel.
What you can try now: Pick audio whose original video already has at least 1 million views.
Completion rate means the percentage of your Reel that people finish.
What actually matters is watch time and completion rate.
Aim for roughly 7 to 30 seconds when your goal is discovery and reaching non-followers.
- Watch time.
- Completion rate, the percentage of the Reel that people finish.
- Roughly 7 to 30 seconds when the goal is discovery.
What you can try now: Judge the Reel by how much of it people finish.
A 15-second clip that most people finish will beat a 60-second one they drop halfway.
Longer Reels up to 90 seconds can work too, but only if they hold attention the whole way through.
It got over 800,000 views because it's just under 10 seconds.
- A 15-second clip most people finish.
- A 60-second clip they drop halfway.
- Up to 90 seconds only when attention holds the whole way.
What you can try now: Keep the clip short enough that most people watch it to the end.
Sharing your Reel to your Stories right after posting gives it an early engagement push.
When you post a Reel, you share it to your Stories immediately. Early engagement in the first hour signals to the algorithm that the Reel is worth pushing to a wider audience.
Sharing Reels to Stories creates an early engagement spike the algorithm reads as a positive signal.
- Share it to Stories immediately.
- The first hour is the early signal.
- That spike is what the algorithm reads.
What you can try now: Share the Reel to Stories in the first hour after you post it.
Post your reels during the peak activity times from your account's analytics.
A simple strategy to get more views and engagement for your Instagram reels is to post at the right time.
Post at the right time, when your followers are most active.
- Peak activity times from your account's analytics.
- When your followers are most active.
- The right time is the one the analytics already show.
What you can try now: Post the Reel when your followers are most active.
The quickest hack is to ask questions in your captions.
The quickest hack to make your reels more engaging is to ask questions in your captions.
If it has an interesting hook because it's relatable.
- Ask a question in the caption.
- A relatable hook gives people a reason to answer.
- The question makes the Reel more engaging.
What you can try now: Ask one direct question in the caption of the Reel.
Make sure to add a maximum of 10 hashtags only.
By adding targeted hashtags to your reel.
You increase the chances of more users watching your Instagram video.
- Targeted hashtags.
- A maximum of 10.
- More users watching the video.
What you can try now: Add targeted hashtags and stop at 10.
Instagram has explicitly stated that it deprioritizes Reels containing watermarks from competing platforms.
Lead with a strong hook.
Cut anything that makes viewers scroll away.
- A watermark from a competing platform gets the Reel deprioritized.
- Lead with a strong hook.
- Remove the other app's mark before you post.
What you can try now: Export the Reel without a watermark from another app.