How to Increase Views on Instagram Reels in 2025 – Proven Viral Hacks

What's the best way to engage with your audiences on social media? We can confidently say that creating short-form video content is the best way to engage with audiences. More than 2 billion people across the globe are actively using Instagram.

According to reports in 2023, 80% of global marketers used Instagram to advertise their businesses. From a marketing perspective, Instagram is more influential than LinkedIn, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok. The short-form video or Reel feature in Instagram enables masses and brands to connect with their audience through videos ranging from 15 seconds to 3 minutes.

Does creating the Reels alone make your profile engaging and reach your potential customers? The answer is a big NO! There are several factors you have to be aware of while posting a Reel. This must begin with you brainstorming the idea and doesn't end when you post the Reel on your profile.

To make your brand more visible to a wider audience on Instagram, getting more views on Reels is the first thing you have to do. This blog serves as a guide and educates you about the importance of using Instagram Reels and the right strategies for increasing their views. 

Instagram announced Reels in August 2020. Reels are full-screen vertical videos, and they add to the popular features from other top social media platforms. It provides the creators with the option to enhance their content by using a different range of editing features, including filters, text, stickers, backgrounds, and a collection of audio tracks.

Creators are using Reels to boost engagement on both their content and profiles. Apart from this, Reels offer several benefits that you should be aware of. Here are some of them: 

1. Increase Your Engagement

Instagram considered implementing a short-form video feature to remain competitive with TikTok. They understand that relying solely on static images will no longer suffice for brands looking to attract and engage their audience.

The close analysis clearly shows that the Reels are achieving higher engagement rates, and it's between 60-90 seconds, inspiring more shares, as per current trends.  

In short, Reels or these engaging videos get more responses from the consumers, making them the medium for increasing visibility, interaction, and brand awareness.

2. Broaden Your Visibility

Brands that post Reels have a higher chance of appearing on the Explore page, which boosts engagement. This page shows the recommended content, and this plays a significant role in the success of Instagram Reels.

Since Instagram's algorithm prioritizes Reels, integrating them into the content strategy significantly improves the chances of getting featured on the Explore page. Approximately 200 million Instagram users visit the Explore page daily.

Being visible on the Explore page of Instagram allows brands to expand their reach, boost recognition, and guide users through the early stages of the digital buying journey.  

3. Share Your Story

Instagram Reels are the best way to convey a story. People are more inclined to watch the real people with the right emotions. When people present their emotions directly to the users, it can help in building trust and thereby result in more engagement.

Reels are more acceptable to users, as they can portray more dimensions than a 2D static image, and this is directly proportional to improving the likability and familiarity of the brand.

According to the reports provided by Sprouts Social, 72% of people feel a stronger bond with brands that have regular updates on social media. Moreover, over 76% of consumers are prepared to purchase from the brand they are emotionally connected to rather than choosing a competitor.

4. Young People Today, Adults of Tomorrow

There is a misconception about Instagram Reels that they are more tailored to Gen Z. According to the Hootsuite Digital Trends Report, Reels have the potential to reach up to 10.9% of the global population aged 13 and above. This demonstrates that the influence of Reels extends well beyond young people.

The brands prefer creating Reels, as these videos can engage audiences more effectively and reach both younger and emerging demographics. Building more visibility among young users today helps in shaping long-term brand recognition and loyalty. After all, the young generation of today is the consumers of the future. If you are ignoring them, it means losing relevance down the line.

Now you might have gotten an idea about the importance of Instagram’s Reels feature and how it enhances your digital presence. It's not possible on Instagram to get thousands of views in a second.

However, with some proven hacks, you can optimise the Reels and take your brand to success.

The following are the top tips to answer the question of how to get views on Instagram Reels:

1. Collaborate with Content Creators

The best and easiest way to increase views on Reels is to collaborate on your content with content creators. It drives engagement and boosts your reach. It is highly recommended by Meta as

“Partner with creators to tell your story in new and fresh ways. Collaborating with influencer voices drives more engagement, authenticity, and awareness. Campaigns that include branded content ads saw +123% increase i awareness, +112% lift in association, and +67% lift in consideration and motivation, showing that creators can help boost brand impact.”    

Keep in mind that you should seek influencers who share your brand value and create a genuine connection with them and your audience. More than immediate exposure and collaboration, there should be an element of credibility and mutual support. Make sure that the collaboration feels more genuine and aligns well with the interests of both your audience and your collaborator’s followers.  

2. Post Content When Your Audience is Most Active

To get more views on your Instagram Reels, it's important to post them at the right times. So, when is the right time? It's when your audience is more engaged. This will potentially benefit and increase views.

In general, late morning (10 am - 12 pm) and late afternoon/early evening (4 pm - 6 pm) on weekdays are excellent options. In a week, Mondays and Fridays tend to have more engagement. Experiment with different posting times and analyze your engagement results using Instagram's analytics feature to determine which time works best for your audience.    

3. Maintain a Consistent Posting Schedule

Consistency is another way to increase your views on Instagram. While sharing content regularly, allow your audience to get more engaged. As stated above, it's significant to post the Reels when your audience is active.

Maintaining a consistent presence, whether it's daily, a few times a week, or weekly, reinforces your brand and messaging. This consistency makes your profile a dependable source of entertainment or information. If you disappear for longer periods, your audience might forget about you, and Instagram will stop pushing your content.  

There is another side to it, too — creating more Reels gives you the chance to identify which type of content works better with your targeted audience.

4. Create Content that Evokes Strong Emotions

Among varieties of content, emotional posts tend to go more viral than any other. People get more engaged with content that triggers their emotions, which can be funny, heart-touching, or sad.

Create content that has something that evokes emotions, and your audience will share, comment, and save it. The more reactions you get, the more views you get on your Reel.

5. Share Your Reels Directly on Your Instagram Feed

The next thing you can do to boost your Reels is to make them visible in your Instagram feed. Keeping them only in the Reels tab can affect the performance of your clip. The chances of it going unnoticed are significantly high.

Meanwhile, sharing your Reels on the main grid increases the chances of reaching your followers and users who are browsing your posts. Those Reels shared in the feed often perform better in the algorithm and find a spot on the Explore page. This helps in attracting more viewers, enhancing engagement rates, and ultimately driving more traction to your account and future content.

6. Select an Eye-Catching Thumbnail for Your Reels

You might be thinking that Instagram will choose the perfect cover for your Reel. If you are thinking like this, please remember that it’s not always true. You have the complete freedom to pick an attractive thumbnail for your Reel, which can quickly catch the interest of Instagram scrollers.

When planning the content, it's important to have a striking cover image that encourages users to stop scrolling and give attention. A thumbnail featuring catchy text can quickly catch the attention of the viewer before even seeing the Reel.    

7. Experiment with Creative and Smooth Transitions

To get the audience's attention, try using cut and transform transitions in your Reel. When a dynamic transition video comes across the viewers' attention, they are more likely to watch it in full. It can pique the curiosity of the viewers.

Reels with transitions are not something new. Those who have experience in video production are familiar with the intricacies of creating transitional videos. Transition Reels are not easy to pull off. While making one, you have to ensure it seamlessly blends with what follows next.  

8. Craft a Compelling Hook to Grab Attention Instantly

When posting a Reel, you should be aware that it has to compete with millions of others featuring similar content. In a Reel, every second counts, most importantly, the first few seconds. When a user spends more than 3 seconds on your Reel, it counts as a view.

You can use a text, sound, or anything at the beginning of a Reel to quickly catch the attention of the audience. If you give an appealing intro to the Reel, it will surely keep the viewers interested in watching until the end of the clip.    

9. Incorporate Trending Music and Popular Sounds

You might be surprised, but the audio you choose for your Reel is very crucial. It is also a determining factor in getting more views on Instagram. If your song selection goes off, it won't sync or resonate with the audience, and your Reel is likely to receive fewer views. What kind of music or sound should you utilize for your Instagram Reels? Trending music or sounds can go viral, and the chances of getting your Reel on the Explore page are high.

But picking the right music can't always be easy. Instagram provides a vast collection of trending music and popular sounds that can help your Reels gain more views. So, look through the trendy songs and find the one that matches your brand and video's aesthetic.

10. Use Hashtags Thoughtfully

No content can be complete on Instagram without a proper set of hashtags. Adding relevant hashtags to your Reels ensures that they will reach the targeted audience and beyond. Hashtags are a vital factor in Instagram, like keywords for Google search. Adding these tags to your Instagram makes it easy for the algorithm to understand your content.

Keep in mind, do not use hashtags excessively. Unrestricted use of hashtags will negatively impact the relevance of your material. Viewers might consider it spam and a desperate attempt to boost views. So add 4 to 5 hashtags to your Reels; for instance, for grocery service, add hashtags such as #HealthyEating, #FreshProduce, and #ConvenienceShopping to reach your targeted audience.

11. Actively Engage and Interact with Your Audience

It's necessary to build a relationship with your audience. This makes your audience feel more loyal to your brand, and they share your posts with their connections. It can also help you to improve your products and services if there are any deficiencies.  

Another effective way to engage is by taking the time to reply to comments on your Reels. It makes your audience think you care about them. Moreover, it increases engagement and thereby boosts your Instagram visibility. The more you engage, the more Instagram promotes your content.

12. Utilise Templates for Creating Shareable, Viral Reels

Saw a Reel and love to create something similar? This is where Reel templates come into play. This is a feature introduced by Instagram for making Reels super easy. It helps you easily recreate the Reel by simply adding and trimming your clips to the format of the existing Reel.

This Reel feature assists you in finding a trend and getting started right away. It also gives you the necessary examples, which help you easily replicate the Reel you need. If you are struggling with limited resources or time, this is a perfect choice.  

13. Perform Keyword Research to Target the Right Audience

To reach your targeted audience organically, the proper usage of keywords in your Reel is necessary. This can be added to the caption and the on-screen texts as well. By adding keywords as well as hashtags, you can ensure that your content reaches users who are actively searching for or engaging with similar topics.

This not only increases the chances of your Reels being discovered but also attracts a more relevant audience, which further leads to higher engagement, more shares, and ultimately more views.  

14. Add Subtitles and Better Accessibility and Engagement

Most Instagram users view Reels by keeping the sound off. It's advisable to have all your Reels with subtitles or closed captions. Captionless Reels are much more likely to be scrolled out. By having captions, your Reels can encourage engagement and interactions even when the sound is off.

According to @creators, Instagram has made the process of captioning more seamless for creators and more accessible for members of deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, in addition to the people who watch videos with the sound off. For more accurate captions, it's better to review and edit the auto-generated content as necessary.

15. Build a Narrative and Tell a Compelling Story

Portraying a personal experience or even a fun narrative is one of the best ways to increase engagement in Reels. Storytelling is a powerful tool, and it can keep the audience hooked and make them watch it fully.

If your content has a good story, it will be memorable and shared, thereby increasing the Reel views. Telling your story in a series is another way to capture your audience’s attention. For example, you can make a series of Reels by exploring different segments of your business.  

16. Share Your Reels Through Instagram Stories for Added Reach

Another tip for your question:  How to increase views on Instagram Reels? is to share your Reel as an Instagram Story. This will surely help in getting more reach for your Reels.

Try adding a quirky caption and a partially covered GIF or image to make it more curious. This will make your content more interesting and encourage people to watch the whole video.

17. Promote Your Reels across Other Social Media Platforms

Sharing your Instagram Reels on other platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Shorts, or even LinkedIn, can significantly increase your reach. You can also post your Instagram Reels and stories simultaneously on Facebook or schedule them strategically based on each platform's peak engagement times. While doing cross-promotion, your content can reach new audiences who may not follow you on Instagram.  

By directing traffic from other channels to your Instagram profile, your odds of getting more views, engagements, and even followers are comparatively high. This also helps in building a consistent brand presence on multiple platforms by enhancing visibility and credibility.    

18. Ensure Your Content Has Proper Lighting for Better Quality

Lighting plays a crucial role in the overall quality of your Instagram Reels. Well-lit videos catch the audience's attention, as they are more professional, clear, and visually appealing. When your content is taken without proper lighting, it is dull and unprofessional and causes viewers to swipe past without engaging.

In the end, high-quality visuals are more likely to get more views, encourage longer watch times, improve engagement, and potentially have greater reach through the Instagram algorithm.

19. Include a Clear and Actionable Call to Action

Another simple way to increase views on Reels is by encouraging your audience to take action. This can include asking your audience to like, share, comment, or follow a call to action either at the beginning or the end of the Reel, which will make a difference.

This strategy should be actively used in a social media marketing strategy. Most influencers use this technique to increase engagement with their content. 

Never underestimate the significance of Instagram Reels. People's attention spans have been getting shorter over time. The Reels' content is quick and gets into people more easily. Instagram is well aware of this trend and promotes the creation of Reels that align with these values.

In the present scenario, creating Reels is one of the most effective social media strategies to spread your brand awareness to consumers. Even the smallest account can reach its full potential and start producing results quickly with high-quality Reels. So all you need is to follow the above-mentioned hacks in the right way and, most importantly, be patient. Patience is the key to success! 

Ready to take your business to new heights digitally? At WAC, we offer top-notch social media management services, tailored to your business needs. Our passionate digital marketing experts will assist your brand to grow, engage, and thrive online. To know more about our digital marketing services, reach out to us!