Facebook Reels are short, entertaining videos that can help you reach new audiences and grow your following on Facebook. With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is a huge platform to potentially reach a massive audience. But with so many videos and posts competing for attention, it can be challenging to get views on your Reels. Here are some tips to increase views and engagement on your Facebook Reels.
Optimize Your Reels for Discovery
Facebook wants to show relevant, engaging Reels to users. So the first step is making sure your Reels are discoverable in searches and recommendations. Here are some best practices:
- Use descriptive titles. Summarize what the video is about.
- Write complete video descriptions. Include relevant keywords and details about what viewers will see.
- Add text overlays. Briefly describe what’s happening to contextualize the video.
- Tag relevant accounts. This helps Facebook understand the content and topic.
- Use hashtags and stickers. Make Reels searchable and on-trend.
By optimizing elements like titles, descriptions, and tags, you can help Facebook correctly categorize and recommend your Reels to interested viewers.
Engage Your Existing Audiences
While getting discovered by new viewers is important, you also want to promote your Reels to audiences that already know and follow you. Here are some ideas for engaging your current networks:
- Cross-promote on your other social channels. Share your Reels on Instagram, Twitter, etc.
- Link to your Reels from your website and emails.
- Share Reels in relevant Facebook Groups you’re a member of.
- Run ads targeting your Facebook Custom Audiences. This gets your content in front of people who already engage with your brand.
- Share Reels from friends and collaborators to access their audiences.
Tapping into audiences that already know you can give your Reels an initial boost and help kickstart the Facebook algorithm.
Create Captivating Reels
At the end of the day, your Reels need to capture attention within the first few seconds. Here are tips for making compelling Reels:
- Hook viewers immediately. Open with your most engaging content.
- Use eye-catching visuals. Bright colors, movement, and text overlays can help your Reels stand out in the feed.
- Feature people’s faces. Viewers are often drawn to faces and personalities.
- Leverage trends and challenges. Put your own spin on popular Reels templates and concepts.
- Tell a story. Build narrative and emotion across the Reel’s runtime.
- Keep them short. 15-30 seconds is often the sweet spot.
- Close strong. End on a high note that leaves viewers impressed or amused.
Great Reels marketing combines compelling visual storytelling with a novel concept or unique angle. Study what performs well in your niche and put your own spin on it.
Post at Optimal Times
When you post can impact how many people will see your Reels in their feeds. According to Sprout Social, the best times to post on Facebook are:
- Weekdays: 1-3 PM
- Weekdays: 8-10 AM
- Saturdays: 9-11 AM
However, optimal posting times can vary based on your audience and niche. Use Facebook Analytics to see when your followers are most active. Try posting Reels at different times and see what elicits the best response.
Use Best Practices for Reach
Here are some additional tips for maximizing the reach of your Facebook Reels:
- Post multiple Reels per week. Consistently generating Reels helps the algorithm recommend your content.
- Re-share top-performing Reels. Repurposing evergreen content can help it reach new viewers.
- Run Reels ads. Facebook advertising can help get your Reels in front of large, targeted audiences.
- Collaborate with others. Getting featured/tagged in Reels with bigger reach expands your audience.
- Download and re-upload for clearer quality. Facebook compresses videos which can hurt quality.
Analyze Performance and Optimize
To improve over time, track which types of Reels resonate best and what engagement tactics work for your audience. Here are some key metrics to monitor:
- Reach and impressions
- Views, likes, comments, and shares
- Completion rate
- Followers gained
- Website traffic from Reels
Study the data to see which Reels outperform others. Double down on what works and test new ideas inspired by top performers.
| Reel Topic/Content | Views | Engagement | Followers Gained |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY Crafts | 12,000 | 2,500 likes, 450 comments | 187 |
| New Product Launch | 18,000 | 3,200 likes, 700 comments | 246 |
| Behind-the-Scenes Footage | 8,000 | 1,000 likes, 250 comments | 124 |
This sample data shows the “New Product Launch” Reel outperformed the others. You’d want to recreate that style of video and continue optimizing.
Conclusion
Facebook Reels present a major opportunity to expand your reach and get creative with short video content. By nailing down best practices, leveraging existing audiences, and tracking performance data, you can continually refine your approach and reach more people. Persistence and consistency are key. The more captivating Reels you publish, the more the algorithm will show your content to interested viewers.