If you’ve noticed that your Instagram reels are only getting views from your existing followers, and not reaching a wider audience, there are a few potential reasons for this.
Your account is private
If your Instagram account is set to private, your reels will only be shown to your approved followers. Reels from a private account will not be discoverable by people who don’t already follow you.
To make your reels visible to everyone, you’ll need to switch your Instagram account to public. You can do this by going to your profile, tapping Settings > Privacy > Account Privacy and setting your account to Public.
Your reels aren’t using trending sounds
Using popular trending sounds in your reels can help them get discovered more easily by others looking for that sound. Reels that use viral sounds from the Instagram music library tend to get pushed out more by the algorithm.
Check what sounds are trending by going to the Instagram music library and looking at the browse tab. Try using a trending sound and making a reel around it. This could help get your reel content in front of users who don’t follow you yet.
Your hashtags need improvement
Using relevant hashtags in your reel captions can help get your reels seen by people who are searching or browsing those tags. Make sure you’re using a mix of popular hashtags as well as niche ones that are specific to your content vertical.
Do keyword research to find the best performing hashtags to use. Try a mix of hashtags with high reach as well as mid-tail tags in the 10k-100k post range. Using the maximum allowed 30 hashtags can help maximize discoverability.
Your content isn’t reel-worthy
Instagram’s algorithm favors reels that are entertaining, useful, or otherwise compelling to watch. If your reels are low quality, boring, or not bringing any value, the algorithm won’t push them out.
Analyze what types of reels get traction on your FYP and from creators in your niche. Use them as inspiration for creating reels that pop and capture viewer attention quickly. High-quality editing and visuals can also increase your chances of getting on the Explore page.
You don’t have enough followers
If your follower count is on the lower side, Instagram will be slower to push your reels out to new audiences and may limit initial visibility only to your existing followers.
Building your follower base can help signal to the algorithm that your account and content are resonating. Follow for follow, running contests, collaborating with others, and consistent high-value posting can help grow your audience.
Your engagement rate is low
Accounts with poor engagement metrics will have a harder time getting their reels widely recommended by Instagram. If your posts and reels are getting low likes, comments, and shares, it suggests users aren’t very interested.
Try to boost engagement by responding to all comments, running polls and Q&As, asking questions, and encouraging viewers to like and share. Additionally, analyze your data to see which types of content get better engagement and make more of that.
You violate community guidelines
Instagram will restrict reach for accounts that don’t follow its community guidelines. Things like posting prohibited content, buying fake likes and followers, or spamming hashtags can suppress your reach.
Carefully review Instagram’s terms of service and stay within their guidelines. Avoid using blackhat tactics to grow your account. Focus on creating high-quality content your audience responds well to.
Your account or content is too new
If your Instagram account is very new, it takes a while for the algorithm to evaluate it before pushing it out more. Similarly, consistent posting over a period of time helps build credibility.
Keep creating and publishing reels frequently. Avoid deleting old posts. Having an established posting history signals to Instagram that you’re committed to regular quality content.
Too many ads or promotions
While Instagram does allow promotional content, having too many overt ads and self-promotions in your reels can turn off viewers. This signals to the algorithm that your priority is marketing, not creating entertaining content.
Aim for a mix of 80% useful, fun content and 20% promotional reels. Collaborating with others and sponsorships can help make your ads feel like less disruptive organic content.
How to boost your Instagram reels reach
Here are some proven tips to improve your reels distribution beyond just your current followers:
- Use trending sounds and songs to make your reel more discoverable
- Leverage relevant, popular hashtags in your captions
- Create truly engaging, high-quality reels that connect with viewers
- Post reels consistently and avoid long gaps between posts
- Respond to all comments and engage with your audience
- Collaborate with others to get featured and tapped into new networks
- Optimize your reels for search by using key phrases in text
- Analyze your data and double down on what content resonates best
- Follow all Instagram guidelines and avoid blackhat growth tactics
Be patient and keep optimizing
It takes time and effort to build up an account to the point where Instagram really starts recommending your reels widely. But by analyzing your data, leveraging trends, engaging your audience, and playing by the rules, you can gradually increase your reels reach beyond just followers.
Pay close attention to which types of reels perform best and focus on making more of that content. With time and consistency, the algorithm will start picking up and distributing your reels more.
Just stay patient, keep optimizing, and deliver value to your viewers. Do that for long enough and your reels will eventually reach a much wider audience.