If you have noticed a sudden drop in views on your Instagram Reels, there could be several potential reasons. The Instagram algorithm is constantly evolving so changes in how your content is ranked can impact your views. Getting to the root cause requires troubleshooting factors like content, captions, hashtags, audio, posting schedule, account settings, and more.
Your Content Quality or Style Changed
One of the biggest factors that impacts Reels views is your content itself. If you changed up your Reels content style significantly or the production quality dropped, that could explain lower views. Look back at old Reels that performed well and compare them to your latest posts. Consider if you switched up the type of content, style of editing, on-screen talent, visual effects, or other aspects. The content has to appeal to your audience and aligned with their expectations.
For example, if you built your audience creating comedy skits, but suddenly started posting DIY tutorials using a different style, the mismatch with audience interests could account for fewer views. Try to identify any major shifts in content type, quality, editing, effects, or style that strayed away from your proven successful formula.
You Used Different Hashtags
Leveraging hashtags continues to be critical for discovery on Instagram Reels. Using different hashtags on your recent posts compared to your usual high-performing hashtags can negatively impact views. Avoid switching up hashtags too drastically without overlap with ones that have worked well historically.
Go back and compare the hashtags used on your most viewed Reels to hashtags used on your latest lower performing ones. If there is little overlap, changing up the hashtags likely contributed to the drop off. Stick to what succeeded previously as much as possible while mixing in a few new relevant trending hashtags here and there.
You Changed Your Posting Schedule or Frequency
When and how often you post Reels affects your views. If you have been posting consistently on a regular schedule that aligns well with your audience habits, but recently changed the time or frequency, that could impact views.
For example, if you had been posting one Reel per day in the late afternoon when your audience is most active, but switched to posting in the early morning, the mismatch with audience habits can decrease views. Try to identify any major posting time or frequency changes that reduced aligning with your audience’s peak activity periods.
Engagement Rate and Watch Time Dropped
Two key signals Reels use to rank content is overall engagement rate and average watch time. If your recent Reels have noticeably lower engagement in likes, comments, shares, follows or saves relative to your normal levels, the lower engagement rate likely triggered lower views.
Similarly, if your latest Reels have much shorter average watch times, either due to less interesting content or them being longer format, the reduced watch time signal likely contributed to fewer views. Analyze your historical metrics to identify any meaningful dips in engagement or watch time.
You Have Less Follower Overlap With Trending Audio
Leveraging trending audios can help boost Reels discovery via hashtags and cross-pollination between accounts using the same sounds. But if your audience has little overlap with the followers of top videos featuring the same audio, it dilutes the discovery benefits.
For example, if you used a trending audio from a major celebrity outside your niche, your non-overlapping audience prevents getting views from their followers. Pick trending audios used by creators closely aligned to your niche for maximum audience overlap.
You Switched Your Niche or Target Audience
If you dramatically shifted your Reels niche or target audience, essentially pivoting to an entirely new focus area, that disrupts the interest graph alignment with your current followers. Those followers signed up for content in your original niche, not the new pivoted one.
An example is transitioning from fitness Reels to cooking Reels. Such a dramatic niche shift confuses the algorithm and your existing audience. It’s better to gradually evolve niche focus over time rather than an overnight pivot.
Your Account Settings Changed
Certain Instagram account settings can impact distribution of your Reels and limit discoverability. For example, if you changed from a public to a private account, restricted insights data visibility, excluded your content from Explore, or made other account changes, it can restrict your Reels from reaching new viewers.
Review your Instagram account settings to spot any recent changes that may have decreased content visibility. Reset any settings limiting public discovery back to their original state.
Shadowban or Content Restrictions
In rare cases, suddenly decreased Reels reach may actually indicate your account has been shadowbanned or is facing content restrictions. This usually only happens if you violated Instagram’s terms around prohibited content, spam, or artificial engagement.
Warning signs include followers dropping, posts not appearing under hashtags, or sudden loss in Explore reach. If other unusual issues emerged along with decreased views, a shadowban may be the cause.
Instagram Algorithm Updates
Instagram’s algorithms evolve constantly, so changes to how they rank Reels affects which ones gain traction. When their algorithms update to prioritize certain ranking factors more, it shifts visibility for many accounts in unpredictable ways.
Stay on top of Instagram algorithm news and monitor your performance after updates roll out. Identify any specific algorithm-related changes that may have decreased your reach. Unfortunately, algorithms are beyond your control, so adaptability is key.
Increased Competitor Activity
If competitors in your niche substantially increased their Reels activity with more posts, engagement, or paid promotion, it can eat into your views by dominating the niche space more. Look for rising stars or brands active in your categories.
Higher quality and quantity of Reels from others can make it harder to stand out unless you also step up your activity level. Competitive forces often explain declining reach.
Analyze Your Top Performing Reels
Dive deeper into your own historical data by analyzing your top performing Reels to identify what made them successful. Look for any themes, trends or patterns across your best content that you may have strayed from recently.
Compare factors like content style, length, captions, hashtags, visuals, audios, effects and more. See what worked for your most viral Reels and aim to recapture that winning formula in your new posts.
Check Your Analytics Insights
Leverage Instagram’s built-in analytics under Insights to gather more data. Check metrics like Impressions, Reach, Saves, Shares, Followers, and other engagement. See if any key metrics suddenly declined before your views dropped.
The insights can help identify red flags like lower Impressions limiting your Reels from being seen in Explore and hashtags. Use the data to diagnose issues.
Ask Your Audience for Feedback
An underutilized tactic is directly asking your audience what they want to see. Run polls or questions in your stories or as posts. Ask what they like most about your Reels, their favorite types of your content, or suggestions to try.
Leveraging your audience’s input can reveal shifts in their interests and identify areas you can improve. Crowdsource ideas to create content optimized for your current audience.
Experiment with Different Approaches
Troubleshooting why your Reels views decreased requires trying out new tactics and analysing the results. Test out changes to your content style, captions, hashtags, effects, audios, posting times, niche topics, and more.
Measure which experiments impact Key metrics like views, watch time and engagement. Double down on the approaches that boost performance. Continually strive to improve by running controlled experiments.
Partner With Aligned Creators
Collaborating on Reels with creators who have an overlapping audience, but aren’t direct competitors, can widen your reach. Try featuring them or having them feature you in content.
Joint Reels, Instagram Live sessions, or back-to-back posts can expose each other’s audiences to your content. Strategic partnerships give access to new potential followers.
Promote Outside Instagram
While keeping your Reels tailored to Instagram tends to perform best, you can also drive extra views by promoting your Reels content elsewhere like YouTube, TikTok or even as ads. Pointing your external followers back to Reels can add incremental reach.
Similarly, sharing Reel previews or compilations on your other social media can generate additional inbound traffic. Just focus your content on optimizing for the Instagram experience.
Refine Your Content Pillars
Assess whether your content pillars and overall positioning make sense based on current audience interests and the competitive landscape. Are you creating Reels aligned with compelling themes and topics?
Analyze competitors succeeding in your niche and identify any messaging white space you can own. Continually refine your unique value proposition.
Invest in Paid Promotion
If organic Reels views remain low even after troubleshooting content and strategy, paid promotion through Instagram Ads can help regain momentum. Their advanced targeting options allow efficiently reaching your perfect audience.
Use the added exposure from ads to rebuild engagement, followers, and visibility. Paid traffic can complement your organic efforts.
Be Patient and Persistent
Keep in mind that sustained high Reels performance requires consistency over the long haul. Commit to regularly testing and evolving your approach based on data.
Remain resilient through the ups and downs of any platform’s algorithms. Patience and relentlessly publishing compelling content pays off over time.