Instagram Trial Reels is an exciting new feature designed to help creators experiment with content by sharing it with users outside their follower base. This allows for early feedback and increased reach without affecting their usual audience. Whether you’re looking to test new content styles or grow your visibility, Trial Reels can be a game-changer for your Instagram strategy.
This guide will walk you through how to create and maximize Trial Reels effectively.
What are Instagram trial reels?
Instagram, owned by Meta, has rolled out a new trial reel feature designed to help creators experiment with fresh content ideas and gain early audience feedback.
This feature allows creators to share reels with non-followers, offering a way to expand their reach and attract new audiences without disrupting their usual niche.
Unlike regular reels, trial reels won’t appear in a creator’s Instagram Feed, reels tab, or main grid—unless they choose the “share with everyone” option.
According to Instagram’s support page, some followers may still see the trial reel, but the platform’s intent is to test content performance with potential new followers rather than a creator’s existing audience.
How to post a trial reel on Instagram
Getting started with Instagram trial reels is almost identical to creating regular reels, with a few key differences in how they are shared.
Steps to Share a Trial Reel:
- Create a reel as usual, following all the standard steps.
- Before hitting share, toggle on the “Trial” option to enable the feature.
- Tap Share to post your trial reel.
Key Things to Know:
- Only you will know that your reel is a trial.
- Your followers won’t see the trial reel in their Feed or the Reels tab on your profile.
- It won’t appear on your main grid or reels tab unless you later choose to share it with everyone.
- You’ll receive insights within 24 hours, helping you gauge the reel’s performance and audience engagement.
Note: Some followers may still come across your trial reel indirectly, such as through direct shares, audio tags, location-based recommendations, or filter-based discovery pages.
How to share Trial Reels with everyone on Instagram
Once you’ve posted a trial reel, you can track its performance through basic engagement metrics like views, likes, comments, and shares. If the reel is performing well, you might want to share it with everyone to maximize its reach.
Steps to Share a Trial Reel with Everyone:
- Tap View trial insights in the reels viewer.
- Select Share to Everyone.
Once shared, your trial reel will now:
- Appear on your main grid and reels tab on your profile.
- Be visible to followers in their Feed and Instagram’s Reels tab.
- Get better chances of engagement if shared sooner, as it increases visibility.
Note: Trial reels may take longer to gain views since Instagram prioritizes showing them to non-followers first. They are ranked separately from your regular reels and won’t impact the overall performance of your usual content.
How to share Trial Reels automatically with everyone on Instagram
You can also choose to have Instagram automatically share your trial reel with followers. If you turn on this setting, Instagram will automatically share your reel if it receives many views within the first 72 hours, indicating that it is performing well.
To share your trial reels with everyone automatically:
- Create a reel.
- On the publish screen, tap How it works under the Trials toggle.
- Tap to toggle on Share to everyone automatically.
- Tap Got it to save changes.
Note: This setting will be applied to all trial reels you share in the future unless you change it.
How to get started with Instagram trial reels
Instagram’s new trial reels feature is set to only be available to professional accounts. Although Instagram does not say that only a select few regular accounts will be given access to it, it might be worth checking to see if you’re one of the lucky few.
Conclusion
Instagram Trial Reels offers a valuable opportunity for creators to test content, gain insights, and expand their reach beyond their existing audience. By leveraging this feature strategically, you can refine your content approach and attract new followers. Whether experimenting with different styles or measuring audience engagement, Trial Reels can be a powerful tool to enhance your Instagram presence. Stay creative, track your performance, and make the most of this innovative feature to grow your brand.