How To Get More Views on Instagram: Maximizing Video Reach

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Karen Lin

Instagram Growth | Sep 18, 2023

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Making Reels, Stories, and other video content for Instagram is hard work. You write the perfect script, wake up early, do your hair and makeup, shoot the video, and edit it tirelessly. But it can be disheartening to post that video and realize little to no views are finally coming in. If you want to know how to get more views on Instagram, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’re not getting as many Story views or engagements on your Instagram Reels as you wanted, don’t worry. There’s still hope! With some tweaks to your content type, you could soon be reeling in tons of organic views.

Today, we’ll talk about how to gain views on Instagram, whether for Reels, Stories or your regular feed posts. Keep reading to find out more.

Two girls filming a video for their Instagram Stories.

Across the Board, Engagement Is Key


The answer to how to get more views on Instagram videos is simple. Make your content as engaging as possible, and Instagram will push it out more. You aim to get as many likes, comments, taps, and rewatches as possible. The result? More and more views for your Instagram Reels and Instagram Stories.

There are plenty of ways to boost engagement for your content. The most obvious way is to make your videos relevant and interesting. Compelling Story content and viral Reels are sure to get the most views. Your videos will get more likes, comments and shares if they resonate.

Videos are also considered engaging if they spark conversation. Reply to direct messages and comments you get about your Instagram Reels and Stories to get the convo going.

Another way to get people to engage with your videos is to include a call-to-action to comment. If you’re a business, leave product tags and links to your website for viewers to click on. These will also boost engagement in your Instagram Stories and Reels.

If your videos get a lot of engagement, it signals to Instagram that your content is relevant. That means the next time you post, Instagram may push your videos to people’s feeds. It’s a domino effect!

How do I gain views on Instagram with engaging video content? We’ll take you through the best practices of each type of content.

Person commenting on someone’s post, boosting engagement.

“Reel” in Your Audience: How To Get More Views on Instagram Reels


First, let’s talk about Instagram Reels. People have been obsessed with this type of content for the past few years. They’re quick, funny and brilliantly edited, so it’s easy to scroll and watch them for hours mindlessly.

But how do you go “viral” in the first place? Let’s talk about how to get more views on Instagram Reels.

How To Get More Views on Instagram Reels: Be Funny and Relatable


The first thing you need to know about how to get more views on Instagram is that funny and relatable always win. You can make authentic, relatable Instagram Reels about relationship problems, boy problems, strict parents, etc.

People are sure to have a laugh and relate to these topics. They might repost it on their Instagram Stories or DM it to friends. These kinds of Reels get the most organic views and become viral.

Another way to be relatable on Instagram Reels is by hopping on popular trends. Join viral dance challenges and make Reels against trendy audio clips. If you see a Reel you want to recreate, save the audio clip immediately to go back to it later.

Friends coming together to do a fun dance challenge for Instagram Reels.

How To Get More Views on Instagram Reels: Keep It Short and Loop-Worthy


The length of Instagram Reels can be up to 90 seconds long. However, if you want more organic views, stick to shorter Reels of around 3-15 seconds.

People’s attention spans can drop in as quickly as eight seconds. You must tell your Reel’s entire story before then or get them interested enough to finish it. So, if you’re wondering how to get more views on Instagram Reels, shorter ones are always better.

The shorter your Instagram Reels are, the more likely viewers will watch them on a loop. Think about it—are you more likely to rewatch a five-second clip or a one-minute video?

If you have no choice but to create a pretty long Reel, use your editing skills to “loop” your video manually. This means editing the start and end of your video so that when it’s played, it loops seamlessly. It’s tricky to do this, especially with the audio and voiceover. But it’s worth it. People can get stuck watching a Reel like this for a while, boosting its organic views!

How To Get More Views on Instagram Reels: Make It High-Quality and Original


Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes original content. That means if your Reel is merely a repost of another Reel you downloaded, it might not get good traction. The lesson here on how to get more views on Instagram Reels is to use high-quality, original content 100% of the time.

When filming your video clips, don’t settle for low-quality visuals. Look for natural light or invest in a ring light to shoot your videos indoors. And when it comes to audio, try using original audio as much as possible.

Not all ideas behind Instagram Reels are original. Trending Reels and challenges are usually the same idea, just made repeatedly by different people. If you plan on hopping on trendy Reels, always give your own unique spin on it.

Woman using a ring light for high-quality videos on Instagram Reels.

How To Get More Views on Instagram Reels: Share It on Your Story


If you’re wondering how to get more views on Instagram Reels the easiest way possible, here it is. Sometimes, Instagram Reels get buried under other posts on your followers’ feeds. By reposting your Reel to your story, you “bump” it up again. This gives it a second chance to rake in more organic views.

Here’s how to repost your Reels to your Instagram Stories:

  1. Go to your Instagram profile.
  2. Go to the Reels tab by tapping on the clapperboard icon.
  3. Choose which Reel you want to share on your Story and open it.
  4. On the right side of the screen, click the paper plane icon. It should be under the likes and comments icons.
  5. The next page will allow you to send the Reel to friends via DM. Look past that and find the “Add to the story” button at the bottom. Click on that.
  6. Customize your Story by adding text, stickers, and GIFs if you want, and then post away!

Storytelling 101: How To Get More Views on Instagram Story


Next, let’s talk about Instagram Stories. Much like boosting Reel views, getting views on your Stories depends on the type of content you post. The key to how to get more views on your Instagram Story is making engaging, compelling Story content.

Are you wondering how to get more views on Instagram Stories just by tweaking your content and posting schedules? Let’s look at three ways to do it.

How To Get More Views on Instagram Stories: Use Interactive Stickers


A tried and tested way to boost engagement (and, therefore, views) on Instagram Stories is using interactive stickers. By swiping down on the Story Editor screen, you can access tons of cool stickers and tags. These include polls, quiz stickers, and sliders.

You can also use the Q&A sticker to get your followers’ thoughts. You can use it to ask for simple things, like recommendations for the best place to eat in your city. But you can get creative and ask them thought-provoking or funny questions to spark conversation. The more replies you get, the better for your organic views.

Another popular interactive sticker is the “Add Yours” tag. These stickers provide prompts that encourage people to post photos or videos. Popular prompts include photo dumps and throwback photos at the end of each month and throwback photos. Your viewers can add to this prompt by posting their own Stories. This will increase your engagement, thereby boosting views.

Pro tip: it’s best to put interactive stickers in your first Story of the Day. That way, you can rake in engagements that will increase views for the Instagram Stories afterward.

How To Get More Views on Instagram Stories: Add Your Location and Hashtags


Do you know you can use stickers to win more views from people outside your circle? Here’s how to get more views on Instagram Stories from people who don’t follow you: add location and hashtag stickers.

If you add a hashtag sticker to your Story, people following or exploring that hashtag will see it. The same goes for a specific location using the geotag sticker on your Story. If you’re lucky, these people might even give you a follow after discovering your compelling Story content!

Just make sure your profile is set to “public” so that people who don’t follow you can give you more views.

#Girlboss—a hashtag sticker working women use on Instagram Stories.

How To Get More Views on Instagram Stories: Don’t Make Too Many!


Our final tip on how to get more views on Instagram Stories is not to post too many of them. You’re in trouble if the little bars on top of your Instagram Stories start looking like never-ending dots and dashes.

If you have dozens of Stories up, people might get bored and disinterested in the middle of them and drop off. The more people drop off from your Stories, the more Instagram will tag them as irrelevant. After that, they may not push your Instagram Stories into people’s feeds anymore.

So, post anywhere between 3-5 Stories a day. Any more than that can be overwhelming for viewers. It increases your chances of people dropping off in the middle of your never-ending Stories, too. Always let your Stories expire before posting new ones the next day.

Put multiple photos in one Story to lessen how many Stories you post while still showcasing all your beautiful content. You can do this with Instagram’s built-in Layout templates in the Story Editor. These templates allow you to post two, four or six photos simultaneously.

Classic Feed Posts: How To Get More Views on Instagram Posts


Instagram Reels and Stories aren’t the only places on the app to post videos. You can also post a video as a regular feed post—perhaps part of a multiple-photo post.

The principles of getting more views on Instagram posts on the feed are similar to Reels and Stories. Make them compelling, interesting, and engaging. However, you must also incorporate two of the classic best practices of posting on Instagram.

It’s not all about how cute or viral your content can potentially be. Sometimes, it’s all about strategy, too. Here’s how to get more views on Instagram feed posts in two strategic ways:

How To Get More Views on Instagram Feed Post: Get Engagements in the First 30 Minutes


After pushing Instagram Reels so much in 2022, the app is now back to showing people more feed posts again. But because they’re considered posts and not Reels, they won’t appear on the Reels discovery tab. So, how to gain views on Instagram posts is different.

You can increase feed post views by boosting engagement as soon as the post is up. As a popular (but unconfirmed) theory goes, the first 30 minutes after you publish an Instagram post is pertinent. Rumor has it that based on your engagements in 30 minutes, Instagram decides whether to push it to people’s feeds.

While Instagram has not said this rule outright, it’s a good, sensical principle. The more engagements you reel in right away, the more relevant your content will be tagged as. So, the algorithm will push it more to people’s feeds, giving you more organic views.

“Likes” on a new Instagram post that could potentially boost its views.

How To Get More Views on Instagram Feed Post: Post When People Are Active


Lastly, post your content when your followers are online. If your community is active when you post your videos, they can interact with it right away. This can help boost your video post’s visibility on other people’s feeds.

One way to check what time your followers are most active is by checking Instagram Insights. Granted, this feature is only available for professional accounts. Micro-influencers and businesses should maximize this feature if they want more video views.

Here’s exactly how to get more views on Instagram by posting when your target audience is online.

  1. Go to your professional account’s profile and click “Insights.”
  2. Click on the “Audience” tab.
  3. Sift through the “Most Active Times” section to see what days and times most of your followers are active.
  4. Plan your content calendar around these times to ensure good engagement immediately after you post.

The Instagram Insights dashboard can help you check your followers’ most active times.

H2: Get Instagram Views With the Help of Path Social


To get Instagram views across all your video content, it’s essential to keep it exciting, engaging, and relevant. Do the best practices for Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels and feed posts above, and you’re set to get many organic views soon.

Want to learn another secret on how to get more views on Instagram? Work with Path Social! Our proprietary AI targeting platform helps push your content out to people, giving you organic views from those who matter. You’ll also get a severe boost in follower growth. So, what are you waiting for? Start growing your community with Path Social today!