There are a few potential reasons why your Instagram reels may only be showing to your existing followers and not receiving additional reach or views:
Your account is private
If your Instagram account is set to private, then only your approved followers will be able to see your reels or any other content you post. Reels from private accounts have limited discoverability in places like the Explore page.
To check if your account is private:
- Go to your profile
- Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) in the top right
- Check if the “Private Account” setting is toggled on
If you want your reels to be seen by more people, you’ll need to switch your account to public. However, this means anyone will be able to see your posts without needing to follow you.
Your reels aren’t using relevant hashtags
Adding popular and relevant hashtags to your reel caption and description helps more people discover it who are interested in those topics. Check what top hashtags are trending around your niche and include a mix of popular and specific ones.
Some best practices for hashtags:
- Use 5-10 hashtag total
- Check which hashtags are banned first
- Mix high volume hashtags with niche ones
- Target hashtags with 500K – 5M posts for best reach
Without strategic hashtags, it will be difficult for your reels to be found outside of just your existing followers.
Your reels aren’t optimized for discovery
There are certain best practices you should follow when creating reels to boost their chances of being picked up by Instagram’s algorithm and shown to a wider audience:
- Use trending audio or original viral sound
- Make reels 13-30 seconds long
- Use relevant and engaging captions
- Include visually appealing and dynamic transitions/effects
- Follow and engage with top reels creators in your niche
Well-optimized reels have the best shot at ranking on the Explore page and going viral. Study what top reels creators are doing and apply similar strategies.
When do new reels get pushed to Explore page?
There is no exact timeline for when a new reel might start getting views from the Explore page or FYP (For You Page). However, here are some general guidelines:
- Within the first 30 minutes – if your reel gains strong early engagement and meets optimization best practices, it may get tested on the FYP.
- 1-3 hours after posting – Instagram’s algorithm needs some time to assess performance and relevance. Well-performing reels often start seeing Explore reach at this point.
- 8-24 hours after posting – if your reel is still gaining momentum and engagement, Instagram will continue showing it to more accounts during this period.
- 2-3 days after posting – most reels stop getting additional reach past this point. But viral reels can keep spreading for weeks.
So in summary, if your reel is going to have a chance at going viral, you’ll usually see the effects within the first day. But Instagram will keep testing it on new audiences for 2-3 days if the early signs are strong.
Factors that help reels get on the Explore page
Some of the key factors that can help a reel get views from Explore and on FYP include:
- Strong like ratio and comment engagement in the first hour
- High overall engagement from your followers
- Getting shares to Stories or direct messages
- Using viral sounds and popular hashtags
- Dynamic and high quality editing
- Clickbait or curiosity-gap captions
Essentially, anything you can do to give your reel momentum with your followers and capture attention from the start will signal to Instagram that it has viral potential.
Why are my old reels not getting any reach?
Here are a few reasons why your older reels may have stopped getting reach or views after the initial posting period:
Instagram favors recent content
Instagram’s algorithm is constantly updating and tends to show users the latest and most timely content first. So unless your older reels are still getting steady engagement, they’ll gradually fade in reach over time.
Competition from newer reels
As more reels are created daily, the competition gets higher. Your old reels have likely been buried by all the new reels using trending sounds and fresh content.
Shift in audience interests
What was captivating content a month or two ago may not be as relevant for your audience now. Trending sounds in particular have a short window of popularity.
Your follower base changed
If you’ve gained lots of new followers since those old reels, they likely won’t engage much with your older content since it’s new to them. Focus on playbacks from your current audience.
In summary, old reels losing steam is expected. The best strategy is to keep creating new reels consistently using the latest engaging trends and topics.
How often should you post reels to reach new audiences?
Here are some best practices for reels posting frequency to maintain reach:
- 2-3 reels per day – This is an optimal posting rate for serious growth accounts to get consistent visibility.
- 1 reel per day – Minimum frequency for most accounts to see steady reach over time.
- 5-7 reels per week – Occasional posting that can work depending on your niche and audience.
In addition to overall frequency, it’s important to:
- Vary timing – test different times of day and days of the week.
- Analyze performance – double down on what content times/topics resonate.
- Batch create – use planning to maintain consistency with less effort.
Maintaining a consistent reels presence creates more opportunities for Instagram to show your content to new interested accounts. But be wary of overposting – quality over quantity.
Example reels posting schedule
Here is an example posting schedule for someone aiming to post 1-2 reels per day:
| Day | Reel 1 | Reel 2 (Optional) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 8 AM | 5 PM |
| Tuesday | 11 AM | None |
| Wednesday | 3 PM | 7 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM | None |
| Friday | 9 AM | 4 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM | 6 PM |
| Sunday | None | None |
This provides a consistent mix of single and double daily posts across different times and weekdays. Adjust days/times based on when your audience is most active.
How to get non-followers to see your reels
Here are the top tactics to get your reels shown to people who don’t already follow you:
Optimize your reels
Use best practices for visuals, captions, sounds, effects, and length. High quality reels perform better with the FYP algorithm.
Use strategic hashtags
Include relevant trending hashtags so your reels appear in those keyword searches.
Engage with other accounts
Like, comment and share reels from both niche and big accounts. This raises your visibility.
Run reels promotions
Consider investing a small budget in promotions to get non-followers watching your reels.
Go viral!
If one reel gains a ton of organic reach, it will continue spreading to new audiences.
Post consistently
The more reels you post, the more chances for instagram to push your content.
Analyze your data
Check your Instagram Insights to see what content times and topics resonate best.
Leverage influencer collaborations
Getting reposted by influencers exposes you to their follower base.
Being patient and strategic with these tactics will organically grow your non-follower reach over time as Instagram sees high engagement on your reels.
Tips for gaining more reels viewers
Here are some additional tips to increase views and exposure for your reels:
Interact with your audience
– Reply to comments and encourage engagement.
– Run polls and Q&As in your reels captions.
– Ask followers to tag friends to help spread your reels.
Collaborate with others
– Do co-branded content with aligned brands.
– Ask to be tagged in supporter’s reposts of your reels.
– Guest post reels content on larger accounts.
Reuse your best content
– Repurpose sections of high-performing videos into new reels.
– Make your best reels “evergreen” by keeping them relevant.
– Turn old posts into reels by adding music, effects, etc.
Expand your distribution
– Share reels previews to feed, stories, and other platforms.
– Send your reels directly to top engaging followers.
– Run reels ads to reach lookalike audiences.
Take advantage of trends
– Use popular sounds before they get oversaturated.
– Make reels about hot topics while still relevant.
– Put your unique spin on viral internet challenges.
Being creative and proactive with your distribution and promotion tactics will expose your reels content to new viewers that will hopefully convert to engaged followers.
Conclusion
Growing your reels viewership beyond just existing followers takes strategy and persistence. By optimizing your content, using trends to your advantage, engaging audiences, and promoting your reels both organically and through ads, you can increase your reach over time. Analyze your data, collaborate to expand distribution, and keep providing value for your community. With consistent high-quality reels tailored to your niche, your account and content will gain authoritative momentum to get viewed by more new faces.