If you’re looking to maximize engagement on Instagram Reels, timing is an important factor to consider. Knowing when to post on this popular, short-form video platform can help you reach more viewers and ultimately grow your audience. This article will explain when the best time to post on Instagram Reels is and how to best leverage timing when creating content.
1. What Are Instagram Reels?
Introducing Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels is a new short-form video feature from Instagram. It allows users to create and share 15-second videos set to music or other audio, in a similar format to TikTok. Reels are easily sharable on Instagram Stories, Explore tab and on users’ profiles. They can also be shared on other social media and digital platforms.
Custom Reel Videos
Reels give users a chance to be creative and post videos based on their interests, likes and dislikes. Unlike stories and posts, Reels allow users to add:
- Text captions
- Additional audio
- Accessories
- Effects
Additionally, captions, text and effects can be edited even after the Reel is completed. When you’re done creating your Reel, you can upload it directly to Instagram or save to your camera roll.
2. Benefits of Posting on Instagram Reels
Creating Content That Performs
Posting content on Instagram Reels can be a great way to engage with a wider audience. Since Reels are featured prominently, it is easier to grab the attention of users browsing the explore page. This leads to higher engagement, such as views on your content, likes, comments and shares. This can result in increased profile visits as more people get to know you, paving the way for building your brand.
Instagram rewards creators for creating content that performs, increasing their visibility. This is especially beneficial for businesses as Reels can provide more opportunities to connect with potential customers. Quality pieces with engaging messages can be shared more easily and increase the brand’s reach.
Another great benefit of creating content for Reels is that shorter clips make it easier for users to quickly digest the information. This is perfect for campaigns, tutorials or even jokes. Videos can be made quickly and easily added to Instagram, and are likely to get shared more often.
3. Best Times to Post on Instagram Reels
Maximize Views and Engagement Through Timing
Timing your posts on Instagram Reels can greatly impact the level of views and engagement they receive, making it essential to post when the majority of your followers and other intended audiences are online and actively using the platform.
Each individual’s follower base and audience may require a different timing strategy, however, there are a few general guidelines to follow. For example:
- The best times to post for general engagement are approximately between these times: 9am-4pm, then 7pm – 11pm.
- These times vary depending on whether, you are targeting local or global audiences. For the former, focus more on weekends and weekday evenings while for the latter, days will perform better.
- An optimal posting schedule across all social media platforms should include a mix of daytime, evening, and weekend posts, such as once a day on weekdays and twice a day on weekends.
To get the most out of your posts, it is recommended to do your own data analysis and track the analytics over a couple of weeks. This will give you a better insight into when your posts typically do the best depending on your content and target audience.
4. Tips for Creating Engaging Content on Instagram Reels
- Understand Your Audience – The key to creating engaging content is to provide content that is relatable to your audience. Take time to research your audience and discover their interests, preferred style, and behavior.
- Shape It Around Visuals – Instagram Reels are a combination of both audio and visual so create content with visuals as the focus. This could be anything from short product demonstrations, recipe shows, and more.
- Add a Strategic Call-to-Action – Strategically placed call-to-actions help keep viewers engaged and engaged viewers are more likely to take action. Create content that is entertaining and educational, but also ask viewers to take the next step.
- Make Use of Trending Hashtags – Staying up-to-date on trending Instagram Reels hashtags will help you reach more viewers. Plus, these hashtags can show you what content is popular.
- Keep Content Authentic – Authentic content is more memorable and viewed as more credible and trustworthy. Show your audience the real you and you’ll find that your content resonates more.
- Think Outside of the Reels – Encourage viewers to interact with you outside of Reels. Imagine the stories, giveaways and more that you can come up with. Be creative and use the other forms of content on Instagram to engage with your viewers.
Include a Variety of Content – While reels are videos, your content does not have to be limited to that. Think about ways to include other forms of content in your Reels, like polls, text, gifs, and more. This will help you maintain audience engagement.
Test Different Ideas – Try creating a few different types of content and monitoring the engagement. Remember, different content appeals to different audiences, so it is important to experiment and see what content works best with your audience.
5. Analyzing Your Performance with Instagram Reels
From creating content to analyzing it, Instagram Reels can help you get valuable insights into your performance metrics.
Here are a few key performance metrics you can track to give you an overview of how your reels are doing:
- Play time: This indicator shows the total length of time reels are watched. You can use it to understand how engaging your content and reels are.
- Reach: This metric shows you how much of your target audience is watching your reels.
- Comments: Comments provide feedback about your content and help you understand what your audience thinks about it.
- Likes: Likes tell you how much people like your content and how impactful it is.
You can also use Instagram Reels analytics to understand the topics that resonate best with your audience. This will help you decide what kind of content to focus on in the future.
Overall, when it comes to the best time to post on Instagram Reels, the key is to understand what your audience wants to see, and when. Experimenting with different times and being aware of your analytics can help you determine the best time to publish Reels for your account.
