Get More Watch Time, More Shares, More Likes. Getting more Instagram Reels views in 2025 is about figuring out the new algorithm. It now focuses on how long people watch (watch time), plus sends (shares) and likes per person who sees it.
To truly optimize Instagram Reel views, you must make content that keeps people watching, makes them want to share, and gets them to hit the like button.
By making this better, you’ll work with the Reels ranking system and get more Instagram Reels views. The goal is to understand how to increase Reel engagement because that’s what the platform rewards, which leads to more Instagram Reels views.
- Get More Watch Time: Hook viewers so they watch longer.
- Get More Shares: Make Reels that friends want to send or share.
- Get More Likes: Get your followers to like and interact with your content.
What Changed in the 2025 Instagram Reels Algorithm?
Instagram’s 2025 algorithm update made the Reels ranking system more intelligent, and understanding the new Instagram algorithm for Reels is important.
The 3 Core Ranking Factors (According to Instagram)
Now, watch time, shares (sends), and likes per viewer are the top things for getting more Instagram Reels views.
Both content shown to followers (connected reach) and new users (unconnected reach) use these signals, making the Instagram algorithm for Reels a complex but predictable system.
In short, Reels that keep people watching and get shared are shown more, leading to more Instagram Reels views.
Connected vs. Unconnected Reach: Why It Matters
A small but important detail is how different types of engagement affect who sees your content and your total Instagram Reels views.
- Likes mainly help your connected reach (people who already follow you).
- On the other hand, Shares (sends) are very important for unconnected reach (getting in front of people who don’t follow you).
To put it simply, a like tells Instagram your followers liked it, while a share suggests new viewers might like it too.
- Watch time is very important for both. Marketers often miss that a share can bring in new viewers that likes alone cannot, which directly affects your Instagram Reels views.
Use both signals: ask followers to like your content and make Reels that other people want to share to get more Instagram Reels views.
Strategy 1: Master the 3-Second Hook to Maximize Watch Time
Your hook is more important than ever for your Instagram Reels views. The main thing is creating attention-grabbing hooks that make people stop scrolling.
Instagram’s data shows that the first few moments determine how well a Reel does. Mosseri says that if your opening doesn’t “grab attention immediately, your audience is gone”, and so are your possible Instagram Reels views.
What Makes a Reel “Scroll-Stopping” in 2025?
You can do the following things:
- Bold, fast visuals: Start with a picture that stands out or a surprising moment. People scroll fast, so you need to get their attention “fast and hard”.
- On-screen text: Use big text on the screen to hint at the value or the main point. This works even when the sound is off and gives context right away.
- The “half-second” effect: Some creators talk about a “half-second rule”. It is an even quicker hook on Reels. Try to answer a question or show action within half a second of the video starting. (There’s no official study, but it gets viewers’ interest right away.)
How Do You Create Reels That Loop Seamlessly?
A seamless loop is a Reel edited so the end flows perfectly back to the beginning. This can make people rewatch your content, sometimes without even realizing it, which increases your total watch time.
Here is a clearer way to think about it:
- The Goal: To make the transition from the end of the Reel to the beginning unnoticeable. When viewers watch your Reel multiple times, it signals to the algorithm that your content is valuable, which helps increase your Instagram Reels views.
- A Simple Technique: The easiest way to create a loop is to make the last few seconds of your video identical to the first few seconds. Repeating your initial hook at the very end is a clever editing trick that encourages accidental re-watches.
- Why It Works: If used perfectly, it can maximize your watch time on reels. This is a powerful method for creating attention-grabbing hooks that hold interest longer and improve your Reel’s performance.
Strategy 2: Create “Shareable” Content to Reach New Audiences
Shares are one of the most powerful signals to the Instagram algorithm. When a user shares your Reel, it tells Instagram that your content is valuable enough to be shown to new audiences.
This is a critical factor for reaching people who don’t follow you, which directly helps you get more Instagram Reels views. The key is to create content that provides so much value or entertainment that viewers feel a natural urge to send it to their friends.
What Types of Content Naturally Encourage Shares?
Certain formats are more likely to be shared because they are immediately useful or relatable. If you want to generate more sends, try these viral Reel content ideas:
- Quick How-To Guides: Tutorial Reels that solve a common problem quickly are often saved and shared.
- Relatable Humor: Funny memes or skits about shared experiences encourage viewers to tag their friends.
- Emotional Stories: Content that is touching or inspiring can create a strong connection that leads to shares.
- Valuable Tips or Hacks: Practical advice for a hobby, career, or daily life is often shared with others who might find it helpful.
How Do I Get People to Actually Share My Reels?
Sometimes, the most direct method is the most effective. Don’t be afraid to ask your audience to share your content. Add a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your caption, on-screen text, or at the end of your video.
Try using phrases like:
- “Send this to someone who needs to hear it.”
- “Share this to your story if you agree.”
- “Tag a friend who needs this!”
Strategy 3: Use Trending Audio and Features Strategically
Using popular sounds can increase your reach, but only when it feels authentic. The key is to use trending audio in Reels in a way that matches your brand’s voice and style. Avoid simply copying a trend.
Instead, adapt it to fit your niche so it provides value to your specific audience and helps increase your Instagram Reels views.
Where Can I Find Trending Sounds That Fit My Niche?
You can find trending audio directly within the Instagram app.
- Look through the Reels tab and tap the audio name on a video to see how many other creators have used it.
- You can also check the official @creators account for their weekly trend reports.
The most crucial step is to choose sounds that are popular within your specific community.
- Don’t force a random viral song onto your content.
- Instead, find a sound that is already being used by others in your field and add your unique spin to it. This makes your content feel relevant and genuine.
What Are Trial Reels, and How Can They Help Me Reach Non-Followers?
Instagram’s “Trials” feature is a tool that lets you test a Reel’s performance with a small group of non-followers before you share it with your primary audience.
It’s a low-risk way to experiment with a new trend or sound to see if it connects with people. If the Trial Reel performs well, you can then share it more broadly with confidence.
Strategy 4: Use a 3×3 Hashtag Strategy to Optimize Your Hashtags and Captions for SEO and Discovery
The “3×3” strategy is a method for choosing the right mix of hashtags to maximize your reach. Instead of using only the most popular tags, you use a combination of 5-10 relevant hashtags to improve your Instagram Reel hashtags for reach.
A balanced mix looks like this:
- 3 Broad Hashtags: Popular tags related to your general topic (e.g., #socialmediamarketing, #contentcreation, #digitalmarketing).
- 3 Niche Hashtags: More specific tags for your community (e.g., #socialmediatools, #automateyourcontent, #smmstrategy).
- 1-2 Branded Hashtags: Tags that are unique to your brand or a specific campaign (e.g., #SocialBu, #socialbusocialmediaautomation).
This approach helps your content get found by both a broad audience and the specific users most interested in your topic, which is essential for boosting Instagram discoverability.
Do Captions Affect How Instagram Ranks My Reels?
Yes, Instagram captions play a significant role in how your Reels are ranked and discovered. Think of your caption as a mini-blog post for Instagram’s search engine. The algorithm reads the text to understand what your Reel is about.
Using the right caption keywords for reels SEO is essential. Place important keywords and phrases that your audience might search for near the beginning of the caption.
This helps Instagram categorize your content correctly and show it to relevant users, ultimately leading to more Instagram Reels views.
Strategy 5: Post When Your Audience Is Most Active
Timing plays a significant role in the success or failure of your Instagram Reels views. The best time to post Reels is when your audience is online the most. Posting at busy times gets your Reel in front of more people right away.
Use Instagram Insights (Audience > Active Times) to see when your followers are online. For US audiences, general data suggests weekdays from 10 am to 3 pm often work well, but finding the best time to post Reels for your specific area is essential.
For example, a SocialBu guide on social media posting times notes that Wednesdays at 11 AM and Fridays from 10 AM to 11 AM are often high-engagement windows.
- Check Insights: Use Instagram’s analytics to find your followers’ top days and hours.
- Experiment and Refine: Try posting at different times and compare the views of your Instagram Reels.
- Schedule for Peak Engagement: Save time and get the timing right. Instagram scheduling tools can post for you automatically. A guide on Instagram scheduling says that scheduling posts “for peak engagement” makes sure content is posted when it is most likely to be seen.
- Time Zones: If you have fans in different time zones, schedule several posts to reach them all. Or look at your follower map in Insights.
Strategy 6: Create High-Quality, Original Content (Avoid TikTok Watermarks)
Instagram rewards original work, which leads directly to more Instagram Reels views. Content taken from TikTok (especially with TikTok watermark) is shown less, which hurts your Instagram Reels views. You must also focus on the high production quality:
- No Watermarks: Don’t repost from other platforms. Instagram penalizes videos “that look like recycled content,” like TikTok clips.
- Use Good Equipment: Film in vertical HD (1080×1920), with clear sound. Don’t zoom; instead, move closer if you need to, to keep the quality high.
- Add Audio: Even a post with multiple pictures can do better if you add a song to it.
- Keep It Short and Sweet: Keep Reels under 3 minutes. Mosseri says that longer videos (over 3 minutes) “won’t get recommended.” Shorter videos (15–30 seconds) often do best for getting more Instagram Reels views.
- Promote Original Perspective: Either film your footage or change any reused clips significantly. For example, use a green screen reaction or add your voice to make it your own.
- Consistent Style: Stick to a particular look or topic. Instagram learns what your brand is about so it can show it to interested people.
Quality is worth it. A video with bad lighting, that is shaky, or has TikTok logos on it, will not do well in the feed and will limit your Instagram Reels views. Spend more time editing carefully or using tools (like CapCut or in-app effects) to enhance the quality.
Remember: Instagram prefers content you make just for Instagram and not content you’ve taken from elsewhere. So to optimize Instagram Reel views, always create original content.
Strategy 7: Add On-Screen Text and Subtitles
Most Reels play with the sound off at first. Studies show 20% of people watch reels without sound. So if you are ignoring this, you are missing out on Instagram Reels views.
- Subtitles: Always add captions or use the auto-caption feature. This makes sure viewers can understand what’s happening without sound.
- Text Overlays: Point out key information or main lines with bold text on the screen. For example, show stats or tips as text points.
- Contrast and Size: Make text big and easy to read. Use colors that stand out or put shaded boxes behind the text to make it easier to read on small phones.
- Don’t Crowd: Only show the most important words so viewers will read them. Time the text so it appears with the speech.
For example, one creator who added captions found that people stayed twice as long on average. (People often scroll with the sound off, and text they could read kept them watching longer.)
By adding text, you connect with people who scroll with the sound off. It improves interaction and watch time, which the algorithm likes, leading to more Instagram Reels views.
Strategy 8: Collaborate with Other Creators
Working with others shows your Reels to a new group of people, which is a great way to get more Instagram Reels views. Working together, even in a casual way, is suitable for everyone:
- Joint Reels: Use Instagram’s Collab feature or just film a Reel together. When both accounts share the Reel, it shows up for both sets of followers.
- Tagging Partners: Give credit to each other! A simple “@Mention” asks that person’s fans to look at your profile.
- Niche Influencers: Work with creators in your field. 64% of marketers work with micro-influencers. Even a small partner can significantly increase your reach and your total Instagram Reels views.
- Shoutouts and Duets: Re-share each other’s Reels in Stories or do duets one after another. Each share shows your content to more people again.
Case Study:
Let’s take a look at a real-life example:
- Brand: Kettle + Fire (bone broth products)
- Influencer Marketing Type: Health and wellness influencers, some with 100K+ followers
- Results: Campaigns led to:
- A 30% increase in website traffic
- 50% higher conversion rates in some influencer campaigns
The important thing is to have a real connection. Choose partners whose followers will be interested in your content. The more real and on-topic the partnership is, the more Instagram will show it, increasing your Instagram Reels views.
Strategy 9: Engage with Comments
Instagram’s algorithm likes posts that create conversations. When people leave comments, it tells the system, “This is interesting!”
Using early engagement tactics (likes, comments) is very important. The Richpanel guide states: “More activity in the comments section = higher visibility in the algorithm.”
- Reply Quickly: Comment back in the first hour. Fast replies keep the conversation going, which improves engagement. This is one of the best early engagement tactics (likes, comments).
- Ask and Encourage: In your caption or video, ask for comments (“Which do you prefer, A or B?”). Viewers are 30% more likely to comment if you ask them questions. This is how to increase Reel engagement in a way the algorithm will notice.
- Pin Top Comments: Use Instagram’s pin feature to put great comments at the top. This shows other users that conversation is welcome and happening.
- Use Emojis and Mentions: A fun emoji reply or tagging another user can make people laugh or join the conversation.
- Moderation: Hide or delete spam or mean comments to keep the section positive. Real, good-quality comments are what matter most for the algorithm.
A busy comment section can tell Instagram that your Reel was well-received, leading to more Instagram Reels views. Talking with commenters regularly builds a community, and the algorithm will keep showing your content to your active fans.
Strategy 10: Share to Stories and Feed
Don’t let your Reel disappear after you post it. Share it in other places to get more Instagram Reels views:
- Post in Feed: When you upload a Reel, turn on the “Also Share to Feed” option. This makes a preview post on your primary profile grid. Followers who look at your profile will see it.
- Promote in Stories: Share a short clip in your Instagram Story with a “New Reel!” sticker or a poll. Story views often lead to people clicking on the reel. Influencity suggests adding interactive stickers (like polls or questions) when you reshare to Stories to increase engagement.
- Swipe-Up/Link Sticker: If you can, link straight to the Reel in your story so viewers can tap to watch it.
- Highlight Reels: Save your best Reels to a Story Highlight called “Reels.” New visitors to your profile can see your top Reels long after they are gone from your story.
- One Reel to Rule Them All: Put a link to your top Reels in your bio or on other websites. Every extra way to get to it can add to your Instagram Reels views.
Sharing in different places helps you reach more people. It reminds your current followers to watch, and some might re-share your story. Also, Instagram sees reuse of the Reel as a sign of interest, which helps grow your Instagram Reels views.
Strategy 11: Analyze with Instagram Insights
You can’t get better at something if you don’t track it. Look at the data with Instagram Reel analytics insights:
- Watch Time and Retention: Check the average percentage of the Reel that was watched. Find out at what point viewers leave. This tells you which styles hold attention and get more Instagram Reels views.
- Saves and Shares: See how many people saved or shared your Reel. These are signs of how much people liked it (especially shares for reaching new people).
- Likes/Comments per Reach: Insights shows you interaction compared to how many people saw it. Try to get high likes and reach/reach and sends/reach.
- Follower Growth: Check if your number of followers increases after certain Reels. Which topics brought in new people?
- SocialBu Analytics: Use tools (like SocialBu) to simplify tracking. These Instagram Reel analytics insights can show you your best-performing posts (likes, comments, shares) in one place.
- Iterate: Pay attention to your best Reels. What style, topic, or format did they use? Then make more content like that. For example, if short, funny videos always get twice the watch time, make more of those.
Key metrics to track are
- Watch time (minutes viewed)
- Engagement rate
- Shares
- Saves
Work on improving one at a time. For example, if watch time is low, work on your hooks and loops. If shares are low, make your call-to-action for sharing stronger.
Final Words
Making popular Reels in 2025 is all about engagement numbers and making your audience happy. By using these 11 strategies and consistently providing value, your Instagram Reels views will go up.
Try these methods one by one and check the results. To plan, schedule, and check your Reels more easily, try SocialBu’s tools. With SocialBu, you can set up posts for busy times, track likes/shares per Reel, and have more time to be creative.
Start your free trial on SocialBu and improve your Instagram plan today for more Instagram Reels views.
Key Takeaways
- Hook Fast: Get attention in the first 3 seconds for more Instagram Reels views.
- Make It Shareable: Use tutorials, humor, or emotional hooks + strong CTAs.
- Use Trending Audio Wisely: Choose tracks that fit your area; test with Trials.
- Optimize Hashtags and Captions: Use a 3×3 hashtag mix and captions with keywords.
- Post at Peak Times: Schedule around your audience’s busiest hours.
- Original High-Quality: No watermarks; videos shorter than 3 min.
- Text and Captions: Add subtitles and on-screen text; 69% watch with sound off.
- Collaborate: Work with creators to reach new followers.
- Engage: Reply to comments; more comments = more visibility.
- Cross-Share: Put Reels on Stories and your Feed for more reach.
- Analyze: Use Insights (or SocialBu) to track watch time, shares, and likes to improve and get more Instagram Reels views.
FAQs
What counts as a “view” on an Instagram Reel?
A view is counted after a video plays for about 3 seconds. Shorter looks don’t count. This is the main number for Instagram Reels views.
Are reposting or watching my Reel views counted?
No. Your plays don’t add to the Instagram Reels views count, and watching a reel in a Story (or reposts by the same user) doesn’t count as a view.
What time of day is best to post Reels?
In general, morning or lunchtime on weekends gets a lot of interaction. (For U.S. Eastern Time, for example, Saturdays around 9–11 AM often do best.) Check your specific audience’s active times in Insights.
Do hashtags and trending audio help reach?
Yes. Good hashtags help new users find you, and using a popular sound (in a real way) can bring in extra viewers. Both tell the algorithm to show your Reel more, increasing your Instagram Reels views.
How long should Reels be?
Keep them short. Instagram now likes videos under 3 minutes, and in reality, 15–30 second videos often get watched all the way through and get better overall Instagram Reels views.
Is buying views safe or effective?
No. Bought views usually come from bots and are against Instagram’s rules. This can hurt your account’s name and could even get you penalized, which hurts your natural Instagram Reels views.
How often should I post Reels?
Post as often as you can while keeping the quality high. Data shows that about 2–3 Reels per week is a good amount for engagement. Being consistent shows you are active without wearing you out.
Do collaborations improve reach?
Yes, for sure. Working together combines audiences, often leading to many more Instagram Reels views. Studies show that working with other creators (even smaller ones) increases the number of people who see your content.
