Test Content With Non-Followers Using Trial Reels

Today, we’re introducing trial reels, a new way to try out content and see what performs best by sharing reels with people who don’t follow you. 

If you’ve ever wanted to experiment with new ideas without worrying about how your followers might react, trial reels are the tool you’ve been looking for. Trial reels help take the guesswork out of how your content will perform.

See If Content Resonates Before Sharing It With Your Followers

We often hear from creators that they feel nervous about posting too much or trying out content that’s outside of their niche on Instagram, for fear of it not resonating with their followers. 

Trial reels will be shown to non-followers first. Now, if you want to try out a new genre, storytelling format or topic, you can easily get a gut check on how your content might perform. If you feel good about a trial reel and how it’s performing, you can choose to share it with your followers with one tap or decide to set up the reel so that once the trial is over, if it’s performed well, it gets automatically shared with your followers. 

How to Share Trial Reels on Instagram

To share a reel as a trial, simply take the usual steps to create a reel, but before sharing, tap the toggle to turn on “Trial.” After sharing your trial reel, you can find it by visiting your profile, where it will appear alongside any drafts you have. 

Only you will be able to see that your reel is a trial. It will not be shown to other people on your profile’s main grid or Reels tab unless you later decide to share it with everyone, and your followers won’t see the trial reel in their feed or Reels tab. 

Of course, some followers may still see your trial reel in places other than your feed. For example, someone might share your reel with in a direct message or on a page that shows reels with the same audio, location or filter.

Approximately 24 hours after you share a trial reel, you can view key engagement metrics in the reels viewer – including views, likes, comments and shares – to get a sense of how it’s performing. We’ll also share insights with you, such as how the trial is performing compared to previous trials you’ve shared. 

If your trial reel is performing well, you can choose to “share with everyone” so your followers can see it and increase its reach. Or you can automate this process. When creating the trial reel, you can choose to have Instagram automatically share your trial reel with followers if we determine it’s performing well based on the views it receives within the first 72 hours. You can change this setting at any time.

Once it’s shared with everyone, the reel will live on your profile grid and is eligible to be distributed to followers on all Instagram surfaces. 

What Creators Are Already Saying

We began testing trial reels earlier this year, and have incorporated creator feedback into building the current version. We’re already seeing early success from creators who have had access. They report that their fresh content ideas are performing well with both new audiences and existing followers. 

Trial reels will start rolling out today and will be globally available to all eligible creators in the coming weeks. We’re excited to continue investing in new ways to help you express yourself on Instagram while reaching your goals. 

You can find more information on trial reels, including eligibility, in our Help Center. 

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