Modern social networks continue to actively develop new formats and tools. There should be no problem mastering them. Recently, a new feature called Reels appeared on Instagram. These are short videos that resemble similar content on TikTok.
What determines views on Rils?
Recommendations in this case are largely reminiscent of the “Interesting” section. Users are always shown content from new people, not those they are already subscribed to. The algorithm itself searches for materials that may be of interest to the user. Then, ordering takes place based on the most likely actions. Next, the chances of the video being watched to the end and additional actions being taken are evaluated and predicted.
The algorithm takes into account several additional factors, including:
- Information about the author and their popularity.
- The video description, overall popularity, resolution in pixels, number of frames, and music used.
- The history of user interaction with the videos of certain authors.
- The user’s own activity.
The last factor can safely be called one of the most important. The algorithm observes what and how page owners watch, and how they interact with existing materials. This should be taken into account by those who strive to get into recommendations and Reels.
How to get into recommendations?
Interesting. This is an excellent way to attract new subscribers. The method does not violate the rules and is available to users without additional payment. With Reels, it becomes easy to increase reach and improve customer interaction. Any type of profile benefits from this. The social network itself will also provide additional recommendations to other users to subscribe to the profile.
Profile is open
First, full profile preparation is required. Openness is mandatory. Otherwise, videos and other materials will only be visible to followers. In this case, forget about getting into recommendations.
It is important. Accounts are opened through Instagram settings and the privacy section. The first line displays a caption associated with a closed account. Next to it is a button to activate the function or set restrictions. After that, Instagram’s Rils algorithms start working better with the account.
Adding a cover
Visual element. Whether the user will pay attention to this picture determines a large part of the further actions. You can simply choose excerpts from the video or available photos from the gallery. Beautiful pictures increase the interest of visitors and the chances of getting into the top Rails.
Using hashtags
Low-frequency word combinations are better. It’s good if there are no more than 3-5 of them. This sets the theme for the existing videos. The recommended frequency is 300,000 publications. Otherwise, the videos simply get lost among competitors. To get Rils into the lists of popular materials, effort is required.
Music selection
It is recommended to choose only trendy music accompaniment for videos. However, no one has received accurate information about whether the social network itself gives more priority to such materials. Popular music definitely increases the frequency of user actions and the desire to share, providing additional interaction.
Individual excerpts from compositions will make videos more spectacular.
Video release announcements
Example of correct actions:
- Adding a video to your story.
- Asking acquaintances to do the same.
If such announcements are made, the coverage increases. Interaction improves, there are more chances of sending material to the Recommendations feed, and bringing Rils to the top.
Effects selection
There is a rule that applies just like with music. Although the proprietary application does not yet support many features. The general advice is to get new releases right after they appear. Otherwise, materials often get few views.
There are other ways to attract attention:
- Before/after effects.
- Slow motion videos.
- AR masks.
- Filters.
Target audience
A useful function of Instagram is to recommend following profiles to those who have not yet done so, if they have visible friends with similar interests. This way, additional audience is attracted.
Interesting. It is not worth indulging in simple entertainment videos that have no meaning. But the recommendations settings available to visitors are taken into account. Uninteresting content is hidden from users not related to the target group. If there are too many such actions, the algorithm for perceiving the video by the system changes.
When is the best time to publish?
It is difficult to say for sure about the direct correlation between video coverage and the time of their publication. However, it is easy to track the hours when activity is higher. It makes sense to choose such moments for publications.
Wednesday and Thursday are considered the most suitable days for publishing materials. Activity increases towards the middle of the week and decreases slightly towards the weekend. Engagement is related to several factors:
- Work schedule.
- Occupation, etc.
But in recent years, this has been a general trend that has been traced for all social networks.
15-18 hours are considered the most successful time. If the video is uploaded at night, it has a better chance of being recommended. But it is better to study the target audience independently to understand who and when interacts more actively with the pages.
Uniqueness of content
Earlier, Instagram stated that simply reposted content from other social networks will not be promoted by the management. The same applies to any videos that contain watermarks or other similar foreign images. It is better to try to create truly unique content. Ideas are taken from TikTok, based on which unique materials are created. Low-quality sources of information are being pessimized.
Viral content
Trick to increase reach. It is necessary not only to follow trends, but also to try to come up with something of your own that has not been seen before. Such information usually spreads very quickly, especially if users actively engage in various actions:
- Revisions.
- Comments.
- Using the “share” function with friends.
Motivation of activity
It is possible to additionally encourage users to share videos and give likes, as well as leave comments. For example, authors can ask questions and request opinions after publication. Sometimes, they offer various games related to the viewed materials.
Video length and format
Increasing the time and quality of interaction with videos positively affects their overall position. Every author wants their video to be watched not only once, but also re-watched. That’s why it’s so important to grab attention.
Until now, even experts argue about the ideal length. Some consider 15 seconds to be the optimal indicator, while others say that longer materials have a greater informational message.
Note. In any case, it is important to make sure that everything is watched to the end. This means that the viewer should not have the desire to skip something and move on to other content in the feed. It is necessary to maintain interest throughout the entire time.
Sometimes intrigue is created, which is revealed to the end. This helps to hold the audience’s attention.
How to analyze your top videos for Reels
Statistics helps to determine which videos are recommended more often. It remains to take notes and then create similar materials. Statistics display information about:
1. Saves.
2. Likes.
3. Reposts.
4. Comments.
5. Views.
6. Reach.
“Bots” are removed at the first appearance. Because of them, statistics decrease, as well as the overall chance of being noticed by the target audience.
What mistakes do beginners make?
Most of the advice is similar to information for the “Interesting” section. It is not worth releasing materials that can offend or upset users. For example, fight or accident scenes are often considered heavy content. There is less chance of coverage for any material that requires legal regulation. The rule applies to smoking.
The social network also actively fights against artificial cheating. If management notices that deceptive methods are used to get likes, the number of account coverage immediately decreases. There are many requirements, but following them is not as difficult as it seems at first.
Other common violations:
- Low resolution.
- Presence of watermarks.
- Consideration of political issues.
Most of the algorithm works automatically, but feedback from users is constantly collected. Additional surveys are periodically conducted regarding how entertaining or funny the video was for users. Such an assessment often explores small authors whose audience is not yet serious enough.
- The emphasis is recommended to be placed on cheerful and soothing, friendly content.
- Many videos simply show the attractive sides of life and people.
- It is possible to create psychological trends that make life look like it is from the outside.
- Reels should definitely be shot by those who are going on trips. This is especially important now.
- Even city streets attract thousands of users.
- Suppose the “snap of the fingers” effect. It is named after the corresponding action that the author performs before the sharp change of frames. Materials are edited so that transitions remain unnoticed.
- The main thing is not to overdo it with the number of effects. It is better to choose something one each time, and then see what the result is.
- There is nothing difficult in obtaining transitions, the technical part does not scare ordinary users.
- Adding interaction is easier by applying games for engagement.
The social network prohibits the use of videos that have already been posted by other users. Or you must ask for permission from the owners of the materials.
Conclusion
Advancing in social networks is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. These technologies are easily mastered even by older people. It remains only to choose a suitable topic. You can first simply register on a social network and see what is currently popular with users in a particular direction. Reels do not gain views when one of the main requirements is violated.