The Full Scoop on Instagram Trial Reels and How to Actually Use Them

You’ve probably heard creators talking about Trial Reels on Instagram. 

But what are they exactly? What kind of content do you post on them? What are they actually used for?

When you research them online, you might find that the answers vary. 

Some creators say Trial Reels are the secret to reaching new audiences. 

Others say they’re the best way to test your content. 

*I* say until you’re posting 2x a day to your own feed, you shouldn’t waste time on trial reels.

It’s information OVERLOAD, and it gets overwhelming fast. 

So… let’s talk about it!

In this post, I’m going to walk you through exactly what Trial Reels are and how they work. Then, I’ll let you in on the two ways creators and Instagram nerds like me are using this cheeky little feature to their advantage. 😉

How Instagram Uses Engagement to Decide What Gets Views

Before we jump straight into Trial Reels, you need a bit of context to understand how engagement on Instagram actually works. 

(You’ll need to know this to understand Trial Reels, I promise!)

When you first post something on Instagram, it gets shown to some of your followers and some strangers. 

Then, Instagram waits to see if your post gets engagement. 

If people touch their screens – aka like your post, comment, watch your reel til the end, or (even better) all of the above – Instagram shows your post to more people. 

If those people touch their screens and engage with your post, the cycle continues. 

That’s how posts start to snowball and gain momentum a few days after you publish them.

(That’s also how you start to grow your following! 🙌🏻)

BUT if that original group of people don’t engage with your post, it means Instagram isn’t getting the signals it needs to show it to more people.

That’s why I teach what I call ✨Engagement Attractors in Magic Marketing Machine. (Don’t Google that. I made that term up. 🙃) These are strategic elements built directly into your post so you know you’re setup to get consistent engagement. 

(To read more about Engagement Attractors and how to get Instagram’s algorithm to work for you, read my blog: How to Win Over the Instagram Algorithm in 2026.)

So, now that you understand how Instagram uses engagement to choose what content gets shared, let’s get into how exactly Instagram takes that same concept and uses it in Trial Reels.

What Even Are Trial Reels?

Trial Reels are a type of Instagram reel that gets shown to exclusively to non-followers rather than your whole audience.

Trial Reels let you test how your content performs with people who don’t already follow you to give you an idea of how much it will resonate with total strangers.

How Do Trial Reels Work?

Now that we know that Trial Reels get seen by strangers, you might be asking, “Well, okay, but what’s the point of doing that?”

The purpose of Trial Reels is to test your content without your current followers influencing the results. 

When you post a Trial Reel, it doesn’t show up in your grid and never gets shown to your followers (unless they so happen to get sent a direct link, of course.) 

Instead of showing your reel to your followers, Instagram chooses a group of total strangers it thinks might enjoy your post.  

Then, Instagram puts your post through the same engagement evaluation process I mentioned earlier: 

If people in that first group touch your Trial Reel, Instagram shows it to more and more people. 

If it doesn’t, your Trial Reel never takes off. 

After the trial period ends, Instagram may even prompt you with an option to share it with your followers. That way, you can take a post that’s already doing well and give it an even bigger push. 

Side note: Anecdotally speaking, this doesn’t seem to be the best strategy. Most social media experts recommend sharing the trial reel FRESH, instead of “pushing” it to your main feed.

Also, don’t be surprised if your trial takes a few days to gain momentum. 

It takes the algorithm more time than usual to find a totally new group of people it wants to share the post with. 

You might even see a message telling you to check back later while Instagram finds the right audience.

But once engagement starts rolling in, the same snowball effect can kick in.

Two Ways Creators Are Hacking Trial Reels 

Now, if you asked Instagram itself what a Trial Reel is and how they work, they would give you the exact information I just talked about.

Their intention with trial reels was purely for creators to have a testing ground with their content.

BUT the real question is: what are creators actually doing with Trial Reels?!

The moment Instagram releases something new, us creators and marketing geeks ALWAYS start experimenting. 

We take what Instagram tells us and start testing the waters to figure out how we can get this new feature to work for us. 

So, while Instagram defines Trial Reels as a way to test your content, creators have discovered a couple of smart ways to use them to grow your audience. 

Here are the two strategies I’m seeing creators using right now (including the one I use myself!).

1. Grow Your Audience with Viral Content

Have you ever had a reel that really freaking took off? 

One that just completely went viral and got you tens of thousands of new views and hundreds of new followers?

That reel has already proven its worth. So, it’s reasonable to assume it will also perform well as a Trial Reel. 

But remember, Instagram pushes Trial Reels out to strangers it thinks will resonate with your content. So, when you re-share an already viral post, you’re getting Instagram to put that content in front of a brand new audience it already thinks will love it. 

This is a strategy that’s all about VOLUME. 

It’s a fast way to reach hundreds of new faces and get tons of new followers in a fairly short amount of time. 

2. Attract Perfect-Fit Followers 

The second way I’ve seen creators using Trial Reels is a method I’ve been testing myself. 

Instead of chasing massive numbers, this approach focuses on attracting perfect-fit followers who are most likely to become quality clients.

To do this, I take some of my growth content that I know has already performed well, and post it again as a Trial Reel. 

I might change the call-to-action or switch the audio to refresh it slightly, but otherwise, it’s the same content I know resonated and brought in new clients. 

And now Instagram is putting that same content in front of brand new eyes.

So, even if I only get 1-3 new followers from this Trial Reel, there’s a good chance they could be the exact people I want in my world.

And honestly, that’s worth tapping a few extra buttons.

How to Post Your First Trial Reel on Instagram

Are you ready to create your first Trial Reel?

Let’s do it! The process is suuuper simple. Just a couple of extra clicks and you’re done!

To create a Trial Reel, follow the same steps you normally do to create a new reel. Once you upload your content and click “Next,” you’ll be taken to a screen that shows different tagging and sharing options. 

Under Audience, you’ll see a “Trial” toggle. Click that toggle on and – TA DA! – you’ve created your first Trial Reel! 🎉 🎉

Side note: One of the biggest Trial Reel myths is that you HAVE to have 1000+ followers for Trial Reels to even be an option for you. (Thanks, ChatGPT. 🙄)

This is NOT true. Trial Reels are rolled out to creators based on a bunch of different factors.

Things like your phone model, internet speeds, location, and even how likely you are to adopt new technology can make all the difference. 

If your app is up-to-date and you have a business or creator account but still don’t have trial reels, it’s not your fault. You just need to wait.] 

Your Trial Reel will not be shown to your followers (unless it gets shared with them directly, like through a direct link), and it won’t be shown on your profile. 

To find your trials, head to the same place your reel drafts are stored. They’ll be mixed in there, too. 

After 24 hours, you can view your analytics and see exactly how many views, likes, comments, and shares it received. 

If it’s performing well, you’ll have the option to share your reel with your followers or change your settings for your reel to share with your followers automatically after 72 hours. 

Again— instead of taking Instagram up on this offer, I recommend sharing a fresh version instead.

If you edit all your reels in Instagram’s Edits app, it’s easy to repost old content again.

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Trial Reels might feel a little intimidating at first. 

After all, they put your content in front of brand new people who don’t know or follow you yet. 

But that’s what makes them so powerful. 💪🏻

Because of how Instagram’s engagement system works, your content either resonates with strangers… or it doesn’t.

But the moment it does, Trial Reels become a strong way to test new ideas, reach new audiences, and match with followers who are most likely to become clients. 

So, don’t be afraid to start experimenting with Trial Reels to see how they can help you grow your audience and reach the perfect-fit followers you’ve always dreamed of. 

🚨 Watning: Don’t let trial reels be an excuse to hide from your main feed. I highly recommend testing content over there *after* you’ve posted for your fans and followers for the day. 

Think of your Trial Reels strategy as a bonus dessert on the days you have time, but not the main course. We don’t want your followers going hungry.

Now, if you’re sitting there thinking, “Well, what kind of reel should I even make?” 

I’ve got you.

Grab my 6 B-Roll Reel Formulas for free. It gives you six simple reel formulas that you can film and write copy for quickly. 

Click here to download the formulas and post your first Trial Reel!

You might just find your next shiny new clients. ✨