5 Questions About Reels to Get More Views & Follows

Have you been stuck on Instagram Reels? Not knowing how to get views or convert views into followers?

Then you’ve come to the right place. I break down some of the most common questions so you can up your IG Reels game and even create your own viral video.

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Since the inception of Reels, I have been experimenting with short-form video and finally have it down to a science. My best performing Reels now have over 5 million views and counting. In fact, I posted one in regards to how you can increase your own Reels performance on our instagram and in return, received a lot of amazing questions all about short-form video. I thought I would address them all here in hopes that you, too, can increase the performance of your own content!

1. Any advice on creating shocking statements and hooks?

This is one of the most common struggles for creators. You have to remember that when you post a Reel, most of the people watching it do not know you so they need to have a reason to care. One of the most common mistakes I see is people posting content that is only of interest to them or the people who know them. If you really want to capture a stranger’s attention, be sure to provide value either through educational, entertaining, inspiring, or motivational content.

For example, instead of stringing together a bunch of random clips, focus on a certain aspect that is relatable to the mass population or a target audience (ex. An exhibit that surprised you: i went to this new exhibition in Paris and it was NOT what i expected and then talk about why).

Here are some examples of foolproof hooks to use in your next Reel:

Shocking / curiosity invoking statements
Provide clarity on what to expect from the Reel
Give numbers (3-4 max) so that ppl know what to expect and will want to watch till the end to see all 3

2. How do you make a series?

TikTok has a series feature but Instagram does not have it yet. For now, you can create multiple videos that form a series (Part 1, 2, 3, 4). For example, you can focus a series on the 10 most unique hotels in the world but only feature one hotel per Reel. If people enjoy, they are more likely to head to your profile in order to watch the others within the series.

3. When my TIkTok video went viral but my reel on IG didn’t, should I change my niche across each platform?

If you want to post cross-platform, I recommend that you keep your niche uniform. However, you can post different styles of content because every platform has slightly different demographics, vibes, and even algorithms. In general, TikTok is more about casual, relatable moments with emphasis on longer talking videos. Whereas Instagram is still more focused on aesthetics, fun transitions, trending sounds, and better shocking visuals.

If a Reel has viral qualities in terms of psychology, it will ultimately still go viral. However, many of the things that are more casual could potentially be one hit wonders on TikTok. At the end of the day, viral reach does not equal viral quality. Sometimes random videos “win the lottery” and get views but do not convert to follows and it could even attract a non-targeted audience (so always make sure your content is within your niche)

4. Do you need a camera for good reels? (iPhone vs Camera)
Anything better than iPhone 11 is more than good enough to create content. In fact, I mainly use my iPhone 12 Pro for most of my Reels. What is more important is that your Reel is actually interesting, engaging, has a good hook, well lit, and so forth. To be quite honest, I actually don’t recommend a professional looking camera for Reels because many still prefer the iPhone for video content these days. This ties back to the notion that casual tends to look more authentic to the viewer.

5. Do trending audios help with views?

The truth is, trending audio will not make or break your video and it might not even help to secure extra views. On occasion, it may help give a small boost and we generally try to use it, but this doesn’t mean we have to and often, original audios can do better.

The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter what the audio is, as long as you’re not violating any copyright. Content is always the most important!

6. What advice would you give to someone who’s a beginner when it comes to transitions? Does a video NEED transitions to do well?

I suggest taking a scroll through your feed for a second and ask yourself if all the viral reels have transitions? Long story short, the answer is absolutely not! In fact, some of the more viral reels are humorous, relatable, or just great storytelling. If you do decide to include a transition, make sure it's serving a purpose, executed well, and adds to the story or to the wow factor of the Reel.

The 4 main ways to create good transitions are covered in the Reels Rocket Ship program. Once you have these methods down, you can make any transition work. But with anything, the more you practice, the better you will get. For me, it took a lot of trial and error to get my transitions smooth and seamless.

7. How do you get / keep people’s attention for aesthetic videos?

The value-add for viral aesthetic videos is that it's visually inspiring and it captures someone’s attention. Ultimately, this is up to you and your style, as well as your target audience but it does have to be visually appealing in order to perform better. If it's poor quality then it definitely won’t perform well. However, if your value-add is more educational then the visuals will matter less.

To wrap up this discussion on all things Reels, I wanted to highlight the most common mistake I see other creators making. If you are creating reels for yourself or from your own perspective, you will not get the results you are looking for. Doing so is good for you but not good enough to grab the attention of a stranger. When creating short-form videos, always think about your target audience and what would make them pause and keep their attention. Best of luck!

If you are still feeling overwhelmed with Reels, interested in dissecting the algorithm, or looking to master transitions, be sure to check out our Reels Rocket Ship program where I break down all of the aforementioned and more.