How to increase views on Instagram Reels – 7 Strategies working in 2025

Nowadays, simply posting random reels and waiting for viewers won’t work in 2025. Instagram’s algorithm is smarter than ever. 😎 It prioritizes engagement and content that keeps users hooked. 🔁

That doesn’t mean you need to tear your pockets away to target the right people through ads or for high-end video production to grow. All you need is the right strategy. For example, did you know that using Instagram’s in-app text and effects can increase your reach? Or that keeping your Reels between 5-7 seconds can skyrocket watch time? ⏱️ Check out 7 such practical strategies that are working right now to get more eyes on your Reels— without even costing a single penny. 🤩

7 Free And Powerful Strategies to Increase Views on Instagram Reels

Getting consistent, high viewers for Instagram Reels is no longer an easy task. Have a look at some proven strategies that you can try out:

1. Optimize for the First-Frame Hook

Your initial 1.5 seconds of your Reel determines whether someone must keep watching or scroll away your content. In the initial hours of posting, Instagram algorithm will check your Reel’s watch time. And if viewers leave early, your Reel won’t be pushed to other users. That is why you need an amazing first-frame hook—something that makes people stop and watch. 😮

Your main focus must be to create curiosity among the viewers within the first three seconds. ⏱️Starting with a self-introduction seems to be off the boil. Similarly, never start with a title like “Here’s how to get more Reel views.” You must try to hook them with a catchy statement: “Stop making this one mistake—it’s killing your reach!” 😲📈

Slow build-ups are also an absolute no. An out-of-the-box initial frame, such as an extreme zoom-in, a question, or an over-the-top text effect, can catch the audience’s attention instantly. 😉

2. Try Out Rewatch Loop

Instagram favors Reels that people keep watching over and over. The more times someone rewatches your Reel, the better it ranks. 1️⃣

No, we are not speaking about making high-value reels that users save and rewatch after some time. What we need is instant rewatch, right at the time of first view. Check out some tips for that:

• If your Reel concludes right where it began, folks will subconsciously rewatch it. That’s what glitch Reels does. Viewers can’t even notice it’s ended and started again. That increases the watch time— a crucial factor considered by the algorithm. At the same time, a well-executed loop feels complete and satisfying to them. This may increase the engagements, also. 👍
• Add some Easter eggs to your video so viewers feel that they must watch it again so they can get them all. End by saying this: “Did you see the secret tip? Watch it again!” 🫡
• Make the Reel with a fast-cut editing style that makes people rewatch to hear what they missed.

All these simple tweaks deceive the algorithm into thinking your Reel is highly engaging. So, even though Instagram Reels allows videos up to 90 seconds in length, it is better to keep it at 7-12 seconds (if possible only). 

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3. Utilize Hashtags

Hashtags still drive reach, but using the same generic ones like #reels, #explore, or #viralvideo won’t get you very far. Instead, you must focus on niche-specific hashtags that are performing better. If possible, use those that can target a particular audience, like #gluteworkoutforwomen. It lets your Reels appear in the Explore section of such users. Check out our Instagram hashtag generator to get relevant tags in your niche. ☑️

Try to use branded hashtags in your Reel, too. As we all know, Instagram rewards content that gets repeated engagement. If you create a unique hashtag for your content series, it shows that you are posting regularly. Soon, algorithms will show your content to the same engaged audience. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Make these hashtags invisible to keep captions looking clean but ensure that they are viewed by algorithms. You can make use of the alt tags and comment sections for that. Save the captions for including keywords. Adding keywords like ‘quick dinner recipes’ or ‘easy makeup hacks’ ranks your content on search results. You can also fine-tune them into your bio for more page visitors. Need a catchy bio for your account with the right keywords? Try out our free Instagram bio generator. 💥

4. Leverage Layered Audio

Audio is one of the largest factors in the reach of your Reels. Yet, most creators use popular sounds or record original voiceovers, neglecting a solid hybrid audio strategy that Instagram loves. Next time, experiment with this layered sound trick:

• Choose a popular sound, but turn its volume down to 5-10%. You can choose one from our royalty-free Instagram music library. ▶
• Add your voiceover or original sound. You can also add muted sound effects (such as chimes or ambient noise) to make the reel more interesting. 😃

Well, this strategy works for two main reasons. First of all, it gets your Reel placed among trending audios without sacrificing its uniqueness. The second reason is that Instagram prefers to show Reels that have more layers of audio as they sound more exciting and engaging. 🤩

5. Make Your Videos Interactive

The initial hour after posting matters a lot. The more likes, comments, shares, and saves you get within the first hour, the higher Instagram places your content. Want more genuine comments from real accounts to make your post more interactive? Buy authentic Instagram comments from us. 😎👌🔥

The least you could do is reply to all comments as promptly as you can. Have a look at some extra things you can do to improve the engagements:

• Place a question as the CTA, like “Would you try this? Yes or No?” Most people will comment when you ask them easy questions. 💬
• Insert a mini-challenge in your Reel. You can encourage them to pause at the right time and comment on what they see! 👀
• Give some additional rewards to those who comment, like a roadmap document, website link, etc.
• Augmented Reality (AR) filters are one of the hottest trends in 2025. You can use Instagram’s Spark AR Studio to design a filter that aligns with your content theme. That makes your video more interactive. 💡
• Add polls or carousel posts to ramp up engagement even further.

All these strategies can let your Reel pass the engagement test during the first hour.  Aim for a 3-5% engagement rate (likes, comments, shares, and saves combined). If your Reel hits this threshold, Instagram’s algorithm takes over—pushing your content to more feeds. Calculate the engagement rate of your Reels here. 📈

6. Collaborate With Micro-Influencers

Instagram’s Collab feature is perhaps the most underutilized yet powerful Reel-view boosting feature out there. Instead of tagging another creator, Collabs allow you to share the same Reel on both your own account and your collaborator’s account—doubling the reach potential instantly. 👌

You don’t need to get frightened right when you hear about the term ‘collaboration. ’ Not all collaborations need money. Most micro-influencers see it as an opportunity to increase their audience base and don’t charge anything. And the best part is that micro-influencers tend to have a more engaged audience base compared to big creators. You just need to offer them a cross-promotion. 📢

Pick a content creator in your niche with roughly the same size— someone whose viewers would actually be interested in watching your content. You can make the collab Reel much more interactive by asking the co-creator to do the continuation of your Reel. Both Reels must have powerful CTAs like “Tag a friend who needs to see this!” or “Follow both of us for more tips!” Last but not least, cross-engage with the posts. 👍

7. Acquire Suggested Reels Traffic

Another underrated growth hack is making use of Instagram’s ‘Suggested Reels’ feature. Do you know that every time you watch a Reel, Instagram will suggest a similar one next to it? You can leverage this by having your Reels similar to trending ones in your niche. 🤌 Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use this:

1. First of all, open the search bar in Instagram and type in a keyword that’s topical to your niche. 
2. Save all the top-performing Reels in your niche in terms of engagement.
3. Now, you must pay attention to the video duration, text location, music, camera angles, etc., of these videos. Most likely, you will notice a pattern across these top-performing Reels. 🔝
4. Take it as an inspiration to create a Real. But make sure that you add your own uniqueness. For instance, if a viral fitness Reel has a before-and-after reveal within 5 seconds, you can create the same type of transformation video but add a bonus tip as to how he or she achieved it. 🏆
5. Use the same trending audio as the viral Reel. Instagram’s algorithm will naturally suggest Reels with the same audio to users who have viewed similar content.

Conclusion

Growing your Instagram Reels isn’t as costly as you think. You can do it for free by executing the right tactics that get along with the algorithm. 📊 Just keep an eye on how long viewers watch and how they engage with your content. 

Now that you possess these incredible growth strategies, it’s time to put them into action. Try out our free tools to get the most out of them! 😉✌︎︎