Instagram Reels have become an invaluable tool for creators and businesses to expand their reach to a wider audience. However, to make your Reels truly stand out and reach millions worldwide, you need to pay attention to several key metrics. Many aspiring creators fall prey to common mistakes that hinder their reach and impact.

If you’re struggling to gain views on their Instagram Reels, you might be making some common mistakes that hinder your success. We’ll discuss these mistakes in the post below and provide practical solutions to help you avoid and overcome them.

1. You're Posting Poor Quality and Irrelevant Content

The most important aspect of gaining traction on Instagram Reels is the content you produce. High-quality, engaging, and relevant content is key to capturing the attention of your audience. If your videos lack creativity, are poorly edited, or fail to resonate with your target audience, they are unlikely to gain many views or likes.

In order to create viral Instagram Reels, you must take the time to plan your content carefully. Ensure that your content is visually appealing, unique, and provides some sort of value or entertainment to your viewers.

A decent camera and lighting are the starting points for a high-quality video. Shoot in places with plenty of natural light, or consider buying a ring light for indoor settings that don’t receive a lot of sunlight.

Stay up-to-date with the latest Instagram trends and apply them creatively to your content. Don't wait too long before jumping on a trend, as it may lose momentum by the time you post your content. Be proactive, monitor popular hashtags and challenges, and adapt your content strategy accordingly.

2. You're Not Posting Consistently

Consistency is one of the most important factors in growing your presence on any social media platform, and Instagram Reels are no exception. Irregular posting can lead to a decrease in your engagement and visibility.

Instagram prioritizes accounts that post regularly and frequently engage with their audience. By consistently delivering valuable, entertaining, and relevant content, you signal to the Instagram algorithm that you are an active and reliable content creator.

Consistency also plays a vital role in retaining your current followers. When you maintain a regular posting schedule, your audience knows what to expect from you and is more likely to stay engaged and interested in your content. On the other hand, inconsistent posting could result in unfollows.

However, remember the simple quality over quantity rule at all times. Posting too frequently might compromise the quality of your reels. It's essential to focus on creating high-quality, engaging content rather than just churning out poorly made and edited videos.

3. You're Posting at the Wrong Time

Timing plays a significant role in determining the reach of your Instagram Reels. If you're sharing content when your target audience is not active, it's unlikely to receive the attention it deserves.

Analyze your audience's behavior and identify the times when they are most active on the platform. Tools like Instagram Insights can provide valuable data to help you pinpoint the optimal posting times.

Go to your Instagram Profile page and tap the three lines in the top right corner of the screen and select Insights. From there, tap Total followers and scroll down to see the Most Active Times. Based on this information, you can figure out the best time to post content on Instagram.

4. You're Not Using Trending Reel Audio

Using trending sounds and songs can help your in your Instagram Reels can help them become part of a larger trend, increasing their chances of being discovered by a broader audience.

There are several ways you can find trending reel songs on Instagram. Scroll through the Reels page and look for the repetition of an audio track, browse through Instagram’s curated audio suggestions, or follow the popular @creators account on Instagram for the weekly Reels Trend report.

Remember to be creative with how you use the audio to add your unique touch and showcase your personality. Trending sounds often have dedicated hashtags, so using them can also improve your reach.

While hashtags are essential for making your content discoverable on Instagram, using the wrong type of hashtags or overloading your captions with them can hurt your Reels' visibility. Instagram permits up to 30 hashtags, and it's best to take advantage of this limit.

Despite some Instagram myths suggesting otherwise, using many hashtags is not an issue as long as they are relevant to your content. Check out our guide on the best kind of hashtags to use on Instagram for tips on choosing the right hashtags. You can also use dedicated online tools to search for trending hashtags that are relevant to your post.

6. You've Accumulated Bot Followers

Having a large number of followers is appealing, but if they are inactive or bot accounts, they won't engage with your content. Avoid buying followers and periodically audit your followers' list and remove suspicious or inactive accounts.

Focus on building a genuine and engaged audience by interacting with your followers and participating in meaningful conversations.

7. You're Shadowbanned

A shadowban is when Instagram limits the visibility and reach of your content without explicitly notifying you. When your account is shadowbanned, your posts may not appear in hashtag search results or on the Reels and Explore page, reducing their chances of reaching a wider audience.

Accounts may be shadowbanned for violating Instagram's rules, such as using banned hashtags, engaging in excessive automation or bot activity, or sharing content that goes against the platform's policies. To avoid getting shadowbanned on Instagram, ensure you're following Instagram's community guidelines and posting appropriate content.

Additionally, avoid using banned hashtags, spamming, or engaging in any activities that can get you shadowbanned on Instagram. If you suspect you've been shadowbanned, reach out to Instagram for clarification.

You can also use the Account Status feature on Instagram by going to Settings > Account to see if you posted something that affects your account’s reach. This is a more definitive method of knowing whether you're really shadowbanned or not, as Reels violating Instagram's guidelines will appear here.

8. You're Not Engaging Well With Your Audience

Social media is a two-way street. If you're not actively engaging with your audience, they might be less likely to engage with your content.

Simply making posts and giving life updates on stories isn’t enough. You should respond to comments, acknowledge your audience's input, use interactive stickers on your stories, share relatable memes, and answer your audience’s queries related to you or your content.

It’s also a good practice to engage with other creators and followers by liking, commenting, and sharing their content. Doing this will encourage them to return the favor by sharing your work with their audience as well.

9. Your Video Has a Watermark

To maximize your Reels' visibility and reach on Instagram, avoid using watermarked content from other platforms, especially those from competitors like TikTok. Instagram has said it will demote content with TikTok watermarks.

You can shoot videos using your native camera app and use editors like InShot and CapCut that let you download the final product without a watermark.

However, if you already have content with watermarks from other sources, it's essential to remove them before posting on Instagram. Several free watermark removal services are available online that let you remove watermarks from your videos.

Maximize Your Reach on Instagram by Following These Tips

Maximizing your reach on Instagram Reels requires a well-rounded approach. All other things aside, your main focus should be on creating high-quality, engaging, and relevant content that resonates with your audience, and success will automatically follow.

However, it's important to remember that even after doing everything right, immediate success may not always be guaranteed, and that’s okay. Pat yourself on the back for all the hard work you’ve been doing, and never stop making amazing content. With consistency, your hard work will soon pay off, and before you know it, you’d be the next viral sensation on Instagram.