25 Ways To Get More Views On Instagram Reels | How To Promote Your Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels is easily one of Instagram’s best updates and releases, and to be honest, why shouldn’t it be?

We’re talking about a video platform that provides users with the opportunity of uploading shortvideos, while at the same time giving them a fresh layout that most people are even afraid of using:

Yes, I’m talking about the vertical-video format.

It’s not surprising that you guys have been asking us so much how to get more views on Instagram Reels, especially if you are trying to build your own brand or just a sustainable business with the help of these features.

If you are here because you want more people to watch your content and be aware of what you do, you are in the right place.

Let’s get started…

How to get more views on Instagram Reels?

If you want to understand Instagram Reels to its fullest and get as many views as possible, some of the things that you should consider doing are:

1- Use hashtags

Almost nobody knows that you can use hashtags on Instagram Reels videos, even links.

Right under your video description, you will be able to post up to 30 hashtags, just like a regular post.

Will your videos get featured on the hashtag sections as well? 

That’s the best part.

Yes, everyone will be able to discover your Instagram Reels videos through the hashtags that you use just as if they were Instagram photos or videos.

To Do: See our selection of the best IGTV hashtags or go to our homepage to look for your specific niche or keyword; then simply copy and paste them whenever you want.

2- Know what the best time to post is

We have an article called: Best time to post on Instagram Reels, it will help you a lot in deciding when you should post and when you shouldn’t. I encourage you to check it out.

Now…

Why is this important? 

The more people in inside the app, the more potential viewer you will have.

For example, imaging posting a video targeting people in the United States when almost everybody is sleeping, that will just make it harder for you to get noticed by them.

Simple things like this will always make the biggest difference.

3- Determine the type of content you want to offer

This one is self-explanatory, but it’s far more important than you might think; the kind of content we choose to offer to the public determines the kind of audience we will attract and the way we are going to get their attention.

This is a pretty important factor because you may have an idea of who you are interested to attract.

Stephen King calls them “Ideal Readers” and you could call them “Ideal Viewers”.

Regardless, the type of content that you choose to offer is an essential element; these are some pieces of advice that we think you should apply.

• The delivery

Look, you might be managing a business about hair products and you may think that it’s just about showing the products, but it’s much more than that; the way you deliver the product and the content around it is also going to be important.

Instagram Reels tries to capture the spirit of the regular television and when you open the app, videos will start to play automatically.

What kind of delivery do you want? Are you going to use animation or are you going to use actors? Do you want a running theme in every video or are you going to make individual videos? These are elements that can influence your delivery.

It is all about the methods you use to express yourself.

• The tone of the videos

A lot of people have this tendency of overlooking the tone of their videos and this is a big deal because it can transmit a wide array of feelings, so you have to be careful about it.

If you are handling a foundation that helps kids with cancer, then a funny approach might not be the best idea; if you are handling a football school for kids, a very serious approach is not going to help you, either.

So the tone is important and it should go hand in hand with your delivery.

• How long are your videos going to be?

This is a BIG question that you have to answer yourself. Sure, Instagram Reels lets you upload longer videos, but how long should they be?

Are you going to sacrifice your viewer’s time just for the sake of having a 30-minute video that could easily be reduced to five minutes?

The length is going to be important because there are audiences that prefer simpler and shorter videos and others that prefer a much more detailed focus; the one you choose can easily change how others perceive your brand

4- Stablish your target audience

A target audience according to Gooogle.com is:

A particular group at which a film, book, advertising campaign, etc., is aimed.

Having a clear idea of the type of content that you want to offer is a great way of knowing how to get more views on Instagram Reels, but what about the audience that we want to reach?

Without a proper target audience established the results are not going to very encouraging. How can you determine your target audience to get more views on Instagram Reels?

Some of the following things can be quite significant:

• Age
• Location
• Genders
• Profession
• Language
• Hobby
• Interests

And this is just the tip of the iceberg; there are far more characteristics that can determine your target audience, but these are some of the most important.

If you have a business account on Instagram, then you can just go to your account “insights” and then go to the section called “audience”.

Instagram will tell you all of this based on their own analytics.

Based on the image above, a good thing to do would be to target people in the United States, with age between 18 to 24.

When you know who your target audience is, you know where to find them, and what they are looking for; these are some of the advantages of it.

5- Publish regularly, but don’t sacrifice quality

There is not a lot to say in this particular section; if you want to get more views on Instagram Reels, consistency is one of the most important elements that you are going to need; no one wants to stay updated with a channel that offers content one day and then spends a whole week off.

Some of the things that you should keep in mind are:

• Do research on your topics so you can always have material to make videos.
• Study your competition so you can check what kind of content you can use to your advantage, don’t copy them, get inspired by them.
• Allow your followers to add suggestions; perhaps you can pick an idea or two that could be of good use to you.
• If you have a working staff, creative meetings can always be great; brainstorming can come a long way to determine new and exciting concepts to explore with your content.

Why are we suggesting searching for new things?

Because you have to avoid being repetitive too.

The key is to stay fresh, to offer something that they can’t refuse watching and keep updating yourself to impress others, and more importantly to impress yourself.

6- Use Instagram Live and Instagram Stories

Why opting for just one?

It’s not just about publishing the videos, but also about choosing the right ways to share it and Instagram Live and Instagram Stories are two great ways to make you get more views on Instagram Reels.

Naturally, these two options don’t operate in the same manner and you have to take that into consideration.

For example, as its name suggests, Instagram Live bases its functions in current situations; your followers will see you in real time. Maybe you can go live for a short period of time and give them a behind-the-scenes of what you are creating.

When it comes to Instagram Stories, use them to show a short trailer for your video, just like professional movies.

You don’t have to be too complicated about it; just a little showcase of what you are offering in your Instagram Reels in order to appeal to people in a much more effective way.

Keep reading: We will talk more about how to use your stories to ask your followers what type of content they want.

Pro Tip: Usually your Instagram stories will get lost in other people’s feed, but if you go Live, and let your Live video up for the next 24 hours, Instagram will have you be first than anyone else in the stories section.

Simply select this option after you are done with your live video, and that’s it.

7- Promote yourself outside of the app

Don’t think that you have to settle with what is going on inside Instagram; one of the most important things to know to get more views on Instagram Reels is to understand that promotion is a very significant element to take into consideration and that you have to look beyond the great walls of this social media platform.

Once you decide that you want to expand your channel’s reach beyond Instagram, then you have a lot of possibilities and here we are going to share the most valid and successful ones for you in that regard:

• Facebook

If you want to get more views on Instagram Reels, then using Instagram’s parent social media platform, Facebook, is something that you can’t avoid. These two platforms are designed to work with each other, so that makes the whole process of promotion much easier for you.

For example, there is an option that will publish your stories on Facebook, at the same time that you put them on Instagram.

Just like that, you will be reaching more people, by doing the same amount of work.

• Twitter

Naturally, Twitter doesn’t work with Instagram as well as Facebook, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot share your content by adding links of your channel to your tweets, thus providing much swifter and quicker reactions from your followers.

People usually give others their SoundCloud accounts on Twitter, but if one of your tweets go viral and you don’t have a SoundCloud account, then you can simply share your Instagram Reels link.

• Pinterest

People usually don’t see the huge potential of Pinterest and you can use that to your advantage.

You will be able to link your videos and whenever somebody clicks on one of your posts, they will be taken directly to your channel or whatever video you have shared.

If you work around it and master it, you could grow a following on Pinterest at the same time that you do this.

Then again, you can keep sharing your content from platform to platform.

• Forums

There are a lot of forums out there.

Find the ones that are relevant to what you do, and be active on there from time to time.

If you see people talking about something that you made a video on, then share them with them.

Note: Don’t just throw a link on every forum, try to give others value in what you are offering; for example, share your personal opinion.

There should be a forum for almost any niche out there. If you find yourself struggling to find a decent and non-spammy forum, then Reddit.com should work just fine.

• Email

Some people tend to criticize email marketing as a strategy in decay, but it can still have a huge positive impact if you decide to apply it properly.

If you have an email list, then you are all set, if not:

Create your own list of subscribers and start sharing your channel’s content through this option.

Note: This will generally be easier if you have a blog or just a website.

8- Find new ways to improve your videos

We cannot stress this enough because it can have a very lasting effect on the way that your channel is handled: if you are not focused on improving as the weeks, months and years go by, then your channel is going to stay still and it’s not going to get more views on Instagram Reels. That is something worth remembering.

While there are many ways and alternatives to improve your content as time goes, these are some of the best recommendations that we can provide for you:

• Invest more money in your videos’ production.
• Surround yourself with a staff that has a major understanding of how to make the best videos.
• Practice by making videos that are not going to be published; just do it for the sake of experimenting and trying new things.
• See what your competition is doing; this way you can have a better grasp of what is currently going on with others and use that to your own benefit.
• Pay attention to your followers’ opinions and reactions; this can be a pretty nice way to see what you can change and what not.

I encourage you to watch this video by BreakTheInternet in which he talks about how to edit videos for IGTV from your own smartphone.

This way you can create videos that are going to be high-quality without the need of buying expensive equipment.

9- Collaborate with other creators

Collaborating with others is important if you want to increase your brand’s awareness.

There is nothing wrong about asking others if they want to make a video with you, just make sure that:

• You will both benefit from it
• Both of you make similar videos

In the end, the ideal scenario would be to have both creators tell their followers and/or viewers to check out each other’s content.

10- Convert your followers into viewers

Some of you might already have a big following and find yourself not getting the number of views that people would expect you to have.

What can you about this? 

Three things (which I will further explain below):

• 1- Make them notice your videos through your stories
• 2- Talk about your videos in your post captions
• 3- Share your videos with them personally

Note: You want to do this in the most professional way; don’t make others think you are spamming them. Don’t be sharing every video that you publish, instead, just send your best material and ask them for a feedback.

11- Publish a short version of your Instagram Reels video as a regular Instagram video

Just cut the best part of your Instagram Reels and publish it as a regular post.

Your main goal would be to grab their attention instantly after the first 3 seconds of playing.

For example, if you are vlogging and you go skydiving, post a clip of you getting inside the plain and getting prepared, and then before you jump, just put a text saying, “Go to my Instagram Reels channel for the rest…”

You get the point…

Just do anything to make your followers want to see more of your video.

12- Post a photo promoting your video; talk about it in your caption

With this one, you will be basically doing the same as the one above, but this time you will be posting just a photo.

When you post a photo, try making your captions worth reading.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkklgN0jqor/?taken-by=thegrubfather

In the example above, @thegrubfather share a short story about his post, and then at the end of his caption, he said “More on stories + Gubfather Instagram Reels station”, meaning his Instagram Reels channel.

Maybe share why you are creating this video in the first place, or something interesting that happened before or after you were publishing it.

13- Get shoutouts from other pages

We have discussed this before, but it keeps working for others on Instagram.

Getting a shoutout from a page usually requires you to pay money, so we really don’t recommend it 100% unless it is definitely a win situation for you.

What I mean by this is that some pages will have fake followers and engagement just to get you to pay money for nothing.

So, just be careful and research them before purchasing any service from them.

14- Ask your followers what type of content they want to see you uploading

In your stories, you will be able to ask questions to your followers and do polls in which you let them decide between two options.

For example:

You can do this and see what they would like to see you uploading.

Or just give them an idea to see whether they like it or not;

At the same time, Instagram polls can help you by letting them decide between two ideas that you already have in mind.

Then after the poll is over, just simply make a video or upload the winning idea.

If you make content that people want to watch, well, they will watch it any time you publish it.

It’s simple and effective.

15- Tell people to share and like your Instagram Reels

This one is really simple; if you tell others to share your videos, more people will watch them.

Also, when they like it, that sends Instagram a signal that your content/video is good, and it might feature you in the “popular” section, which will increase your exposure a lot.

When you have, for example, 100 people sharing your videos with their friends or followers, that create a nice loop of free marketing that could eventually lead you to get discovered and get Instagram Reels views without doing nothing but publishing content.

Some people think that they don’t really need to tell others to share their Instagram Reels videos, but just like YouTube, if you say it, they will at least consider it for a fraction of a second.

Otherwise, you are just hoping for it to happen.

16- Try to get featured in the “popular” section of Instagram Reels

Just like we talked before, if you get featured in the “popular” section, this will 100% increase your impressions and exposure in the app.

This is the equivalent of getting featured on the explorer page of Instagram; almost everybody will see you through it.

If you work with Instagram’s algorithm, and you always try to send them signals that your content is good, they will reward you with this type of exposure.

How can you show Instagram that your post is good?

A few things that are proven to have a close relationship with how Instagram sees your account are:

• The likes that you get; not just the number, but the ratio per view

If 1,000 people watch your video and 1,000 like it, that’s a good sign.

If 1,000 people watch your video and only 1 like it, that’s not a good sign.

• The comments that you receive on each video

The more people engaging with you, the better.

• The number of shares

If a lot of users share your videos, Instagram will automatically know that you are putting out something worth watching.

• The number of followers that you have

17- Be where your audience is

What I mean by this is that, for example, if you have a makeup Instagram Reels channel, then you want to be present on other makeup Instagram Reels channels or Instagram pages.

Be there and talk to other users.

From time to time, you can always mention that you have a channel too, but do this is a way that makes sense.

Don’t just say it every time; if you see they are having a discussion about eyebrows, then you can say something like:

*relevant personal opinion*. I talk about this in my latest Instagram Reels video, you can check it out if you want.

Just like that, other people will feel welcomed to watch your content, and they won’t really perceive you as spammy.

18- Stay on top of new trends

Always know what the latest trend is, and if possible, make a video about it.

Not too long ago, fidget spinners were everywhere on Instagram. Many accounts were bombarded with followers just because of the fact that they were posting about fidget spinners; it was what everybody wanted to see at the time (almost everybody).

So, imagine you, having that type of opportunity.

That’s what I mean…

If you see that something is worth making a video about, then by all means, go for it. People will be more likely to like, comment, and share your videos this way.

19- Know what works and stick to it

This one is kind of difficult to talk about and explain if you take it too literally.

What I mean is that, if something is obviously working for you, don’t change it.

If a certain style or theme is making people like your content, there is no reason to go about doing something different.

Now…

I don’t want you to not be creative, is good to come up with new ideas, but for example, let’s take the same instance as before. If you have a makeup channel, it won’t really make sense for you to upload gaming videos in its totality.

What you can do is maybe record a video doing your makeup while playing Fortnite at the same time.

You get the point, is good to innovate, but don’t change who you are and what people know you for in the first place.

20- Engage with your viewers

If you already have other people commenting on what you do, why not engaging with them?

Positive or negative comments, reply back appreciating others for their time.

If somebody that’s new to what you do comes and gets a feeling for a community and sees you talking to your followers, they will rather stay and be part of it.

Now, if they see others asking you questions and you are pretending to be a ghost, then, in my opinion, that won’t really make you look any better.

Note: If you get thousands of comments, you don’t have to spend a whole day doing this, just pick a few.

At the end of the day, is called Social Media for a reason.

21- Ask for personal and direct feedback

If nothing has really helped you up to this point, then send your videos to others personally (by others, I mean people who follow you already).

You can ask them what their thoughts are on what you just created.

This way it will be more intimate and personal, and they will most likely watch your content, and reply to your messages.

Be Careful: Don’t do this too often because people don’t really like to be bothered too much.

Just pick your best video, and make sure you send a personalized message to everyone (don’t just copy and paste it).

For example, you can say something like:

Hey, *name of the person (not the username)*, I just created this Instagram Reels video in which I *explain what the video is all about*. I wanted to know your personal opinion on it. I’m asking a few people just so I know what to improve and work on.

And that is it, then from that, just try to get better every day.

Note: At the same time, we don’t really recommend you to create videos just to make others happy (which it’s still a good thing), but rather make yourself be happy with what you are doing and always follow your instincts before anything.

22- Comment on other Instagram Reels videos

Just as we previously said, “be where your audience is”, now you should also try to engage with other creators that make Instagram Reels videos as well.

Do everything you would like others to do on your videos.

For example, share your personal opinion on a certain topic, and also engage with others who comment as well. If they commented on someone’s video, they are the type of person that could potentially do the same on yours.

See for example:

Just be present and represent your brand in the best way possible.

23- Get more followers; they will get your videos recommended

Instagram Reels already has a section called “following”.

Here, people will get your videos recommended if they are following you on Instagram.

The more followers you have, the more people will see you in this section.

See: How to get more followers on Instagram? This is an article written by us on how to get REAL people to follow you and not just bots.

24- Pay attention to your video insights or analytics

Instagram will help you out when it comes to analytics and insights.

You will be provided with the information that you need to get better and know how your videos are doing.

It will tell you the number of views, likes, comments, and even your audience retention, which it lets you know how long your viewers are watching your video for.

Just like that, you will have an idea of when is it that people are leaving your video, and what is making them stay.

Use these things to your advantage and always study them, after you see where most people exits, go to your video and see what you did.

25- Make great thumbnails

Just like the old YouTube talk, thumbnails are the first impression that people will get from your videos.

Thumbnails are basically one of the first factors that will make people click on videos, so, it’s important.

Take a look at some video thumbnails from @nasa:

They keep it simple and very organize.

You want your thumbnails to be as professional as possible, and to have a sense of uniqueness.

Just like we talked about ‘the rule of the first 3 seconds” where people should want to see more from you, thumbnails should give them the same emotion and feeling. They should show the vibe of the video but should make others curious about the real content inside.

Is it worth buying Instagram Reels views?

Buying Instagram Reels views could get you penalized by Instagram.

In the short run, you might be able to get away with it and show Instagram a fake version of you; they might promote your videos a little bit, but eventually, you will get caught up in a loop of lies, and they will go after you.

Yes, your numbers will be really high, but you will know is fake; I know for a fact that you won’t be proud of that.

And it’s the same thing for comments and likes.

You can never go too far with buying these; they will all be bots and not real people.

Conclusions

Instagram Reels is a fairly new feature on Instagram, but it’s one that is becoming extremely helpful for brands to reach out to their followers in a better way. We are talking about the future of the internet and information: videos are gaining more and more acceptance every year.

Getting more views on Instagram Reels has its own way of being and you are going to achieve that above all else, through effort, dedication, and determination. It’s all about knowing how to start and how to do things to get the best possible results.

It’s all about trying.

Before you go

As you might know, our website is all about giving others the best hashtags for Instagram our there.

See our selection of Fitness hashtags for example.

If you like what we do, bookmark our homepage so you can access our content everytime you want.

Thank you for being here,

The Hashtagie Team