Instagram Reels Not Getting Views: Our Top Solutions

Any content creator will tell you that creating the perfect Instagram Reels is no walk in the park. You need to shoot videos, stitch them together in the Reels editor, and then ensure they match your music’s beat. It’s even tougher to perfect when you do fancy transitions. So, it can be super disheartening when you face the issue of Instagram Reels not getting views as you hoped.

There’s nothing more frustrating than not getting results after working hard on your Reels. But there’s always a reason behind unsuccessful video content. If you know the best practices of IG Reels, you can produce high-quality, interesting ones that your viewers will love.

Today, we’ll delve into the reasons why your Reels might not be performing as you expected. We’ll also discuss how to get more views on your Reels moving forward. We’ll even take a closer look at the “hall of fame” of Reels and draw inspiration from the best-performing ones. So, if you desperately want more views for your video content, stick around to learn how to get them.

Zero Plays: Why Are My Instagram Reels Not Getting Views?

Experts always touted Reels as the next big thing on Instagram. And the proof is in the pudding. Everyone seems to be scrolling for hours, watching entertaining Reels!

According to a study by Social Insider, the reach rate of Reels is around 30.81%. That’s two times the rate for other formats. It only goes to show you how popular they are and how much people can’t get enough of them.

But if that’s the case, you may be asking—why are my Instagram Reels not getting views?

It’s important to note that most Reels don’t make it big on the platform. You need to come up with quality content that is relevant if you want to go viral on Reels. Here are some reasons why you might not be finding success in Reels:

• Low-quality visuals and audio. If your photos and videos are blurry and your background music sounds fuzzy, you may get fewer likes. There’s a plethora of Reels to enjoy on Instagram. If someone comes across a subpar video, they may skip it. 
• The content is uninteresting and irrelevant. The more engaging and exciting a Reel, the more interactions it will get, from likes to shares. This will help you get tons of views. But if your content is tired, unhelpful, and doesn’t spread positivity, it won’t get that engagement. To gain more views, Reels have to be interesting. 
• Your Reel is too long. This is another reason to skip a Reel. The longer your video is, the more likely you are to lose your audience’s attention. 
• Your account is in private mode. Public accounts get more views because their Reels show up on the feeds of people who don’t follow them. If you want your Reels to reach a wider audience, switch to a public account.

How To Get More Views on Instagram Reels: Our 5 Key Tips

There are plenty of reasons why you might not be getting a high number of views on your Reels. Luckily, there are also many things you can do to remedy the situation. You just have to improve how you make your Reels, and you’ll start seeing an improvement in no time. Here’s how to get more views on Instagram Reels by improving them and making them top-notch quality content.

1. Use Relevant Hashtags in the Reel’s Caption

Our first tip for getting more views on Reels is adding hashtags to the video’s caption. These tags allow your Reel to be more discoverable by audiences that don’t follow you. Your video content will appear on the hashtag’s main page, getting more eyeballs on it.

Make sure to research popular hashtags that will get your Reel on the map. Note that each caption can only contain 30 hashtags. So, don’t type in random tags that have nothing to do with your Reel. Choose the best ones possible that are related to your video so that it can show up on relevant pages.

2. Create Reels Out of Trending Templates

Another way to get more views on your Reel is to use a trending template when creating it. There are plenty of Instagram Reel templates on the platform. If you choose one that people currently love, they’ll gobble your video up and hit replay again and again.

Not only that, but using templates makes Reel creation easier for those who don’t have the skills to edit videos. It’s a terrific feature for those who want to save time while still making entertaining, potentially viral Reels.

3. Put Trendy Audio, Songs and Soundbites Over Your Reel

Using trendy songs and sound effects can also lead to more views on your Reel. All audio clips on Instagram have their own page. Every Reel that uses that audio shows up on that page. So, if your audio is trendy and people visit its main page a lot, they might come across your Reel. In short, using trendy audio can boost your Reel’s discoverability on the platform.

As soon as you hear trendy audio you like on another person’s Reel, save it right away. That way, you can just pull it out later when you make your trendy Reel.

Another reason why trendy songs might get your Reel more views is shareability. People who love that song might end up sharing your Reel with others. Budding artists and musicians might even repost your Reel to their Story if you used their new song. This promotes your video to an even wider audience, allowing you to amass plenty of views.

4. Keep Your Reels Short and Sweet for More Replays

Instagram Reels can go up to 90 seconds long. However, it’s best practice to keep it short and sweet. Anywhere from 5-10 seconds is the sweet spot for Reels length.

People today have an incredibly short attention span. If your video drags on and on, people will likely skip the Reel and move on to the next one. But if your Reel is short and entertaining, viewers might watch it on a loop. This can lead to tons of views really fast.

5. Adhere to Instagram’s Strict Community Guidelines

Our final tip to get as many views as possible on your Reels is to adhere to Instagram’s community guidelines. All social media platforms have their own set of rules for users to abide by. But Instagram is known to be super strict when it comes to users following theirs.

Here are some ways a Reel might violate the platform’s guidelines:

• It might contain prohibited content, such as nudity, discrimination, hate speech, and more.
• Its caption may have banned hashtags.
• There may be copyright issues with your images, videos, or music.
• People may have reported your Reel for violating any of the other guidelines Instagram has set in place.

If your Reel violates the community guidelines, there is a chance that it might be shadowbanned. This lowers the Reel’s visibility on the feed, leading to lower reach and fewer views. So, if you want to give your video the best shot at going viral, always follow Instagram’s guidelines.

Most Viewed Reels on Instagram: What Can Creators Learn From Them?

One fun way to improve your Reels is by watching popular ones and learning from their success. Aside from looking at current viral Reels, you might want to look at the best-performing Reels of all time. From those, you can glean engagement techniques, trends, and how to catch people’s attention.

Let’s take a look at the Reel with the highest views of all time (outside of branded content and celebs). Content creator “Learn from Khaby” currently holds this title with over 280 million likes on a 2021 Reel. In this humorous video, Khaby checks on his clothing iron multiple times to ensure that it is turned off. There are clips of him using flashlights to check the plug and touching the iron with his hand.

From this, we can learn that people love relatable videos. This is something many people do as well in their homes. It’s funny to know that others do it too—and in a ridiculous way at that! Reels don’t always have to be aesthetically pleasing or trendy to be impactful. Sometimes, they just have to be authentic and funny.

Another of the most viewed Reels on Instagram is Aubrey Fisher’s #glitch challenge, which has over 128 million views. This cool take on the trend shows three “blind mice” glitching to the beat of a groovy song.

This Reel is proof that videos that hop on trends and timely challenges can go viral fast. Just remember to put your spin on them with original elements to really stand out.

Lastly, we have the famous “Runaway Aurora” Reel starring content creator my_aussie_gal and her dog. With over 100 million views, this Reel shows a heartwarming, aesthetically stunning bonding moment between a girl and her pet. From this Reel, we can learn that poignant, emotional videos do well, too.

Secret Watchers: Can You See Who Views Your Reels on Instagram?

Now that you know how to increase your views on Reels, let’s get on to another burning question. Can you see who views your Reels on Instagram or not?

As of writing, Instagram doesn’t let you see who views your Reels. They only allow that for Instagram Stories, where they show you a list of all your Story viewers.

So, to measure the success of your Reel, you can only look at the total number of views. You can also get an idea of how your audience enjoyed the video through the number of likes and comments.

But if you have a professional account, you can see your Reels’ performance metrics Reels on the Instagram Insights page. There, you’ll see key metrics such as engagement rate, replays, average watch time, accounts reached, and more for each Reel. It may not have the same entertaining effect of knowing who has seen your videos. But these metrics are still awesome at giving you insight into how your content is performing.

Getting More Views on Instagram Reels Is Easier With Path Social

You might think that going viral on Reels is impossible. But getting more people to watch your video content is actually quite simple. You just need to know the best practices of Reels and incorporate them into your future posts. If you follow trends, keep things fresh, and use hashtags on your Reels, you can rake in more views. Before you know it, you’ll get out of your slump of Instagram Reels not getting views.

Have you tried following all of the tips above and still having issues with views on your Reels? Maybe Path Social can help make things a little easier.

Our AI-powered targeting tool helps push your Instagram content to the right audience. That way, you can be sure those who view your Reels actually enjoy them. That means more views and replays, giving you a shot at going viral! The best part is that you’ll also get tons of new followers if people like your content. Gain more followers and Reel views today with Path Social!