The short answer
Here is how to get more views on Instagram. Put most of your effort into Reels. Instagram says most Reels people watch come from accounts they do not follow. Hook viewers in the first three seconds and give them a reason to watch to the end or send it to a friend. Keep Reels under three minutes, sharp, and your own.
For Stories and feed posts, your audience is mostly your followers. Post when they are online, invite replies, and answer them. Then check two things in your settings: that your account is public, and that it is eligible for recommendations.
Views follow people’s reactions, not tricks. Every step below makes a reaction more likely, or removes something that stops Instagram from showing your content at all.
What counts as a view
Instagram counts a view each time your content is played or shown on a screen. For a Reel, that is each time it starts to play or replay. For a photo or a Story, it is each time it is displayed. One person can add many views.
We cover the details in our guide on what counts as a view on Instagram. The one point that matters here: views count repeats. The Viewers number counts each account once.
Where your views come from
Instagram does not have one algorithm. Its ranking explainer says Feed, Stories, Explore and Reels each use their own. So the way to get more views is different for each format.
The table below uses Instagram’s own words from Instagram ranking explained.
| Format | Who mostly sees it | What Instagram predicts most |
|---|---|---|
| Reels | Your followers and people who do not follow you | Will they share it, watch to the end, like it, or open the audio page |
| Feed posts | Your followers, plus some suggested posts | Will they spend a few seconds, comment, like, share, or tap your profile photo |
| Stories | Only people who follow you | Will they tap into it, reply, or move on |
| Explore | People who do not follow you | Will they like, save, or share |
That table is the whole plan. Reels grow views by traveling. Posts and Stories grow views by getting more of your own followers to stop.
How to get more views on Instagram Reels
When you post a Reel, Instagram shows it to your followers and to a small group of people who do not follow you. If that group reacts well, the Reel goes to a wider group, then a wider one. Instagram’s creator site says this spreads Reels by engagement, not just by follower count. So a small account can get big views. The Reel just has to pass each round.
Here is what helps a Reel pass, from the how to grow page on Instagram’s creator site:
- A hook in the first three seconds. Show the result or say the point at once.
- Under three minutes. Instagram says Reels over three minutes won’t be recommended to new audiences.
- Good quality. At least 720p and 30 frames per second, and well lit.
- Text on screen. Instagram suggests making Reels work with the sound off.
- Trending audio that fits. Instagram says it counts how popular a sound is when it ranks Reels.
- Made to share. Shares come first in the list of things Instagram predicts in Reels. Instagram says a Reel that makes people think “that’s literally me” is more likely to be passed along.
Two things matter for views in a special way. First, replays count. A short Reel that loops back to its start smoothly is easy to watch twice, and each replay is a view. Second, find where people leave. In Insights, compare Average watch time with the Reel’s length. If people leave at second four, the hook is the problem, not the topic.
What stops a Reel from traveling: watermarks from other apps, clips already posted on Instagram, blurry video, muted Reels, borders, and Reels that are mostly text. Instagram says it makes all of these less visible.
Test ideas on new people with trial reels
Trial reels let you test ideas on strangers without touching your grid. A trial reel goes to people who do not follow you. Your followers won’t see it in Feed or Reels, and it stays off your profile unless you share it.
You can use trial reels if your account is public and:
- It is a professional account with at least 200 followers, or
- It is a personal account with at least 1,000 followers.
Your account also has to be eligible for recommendations. To post one, record a new Reel and tap Trial before you share. Instagram’s page on trial reels says insights show up within 24 hours. If it does well, open the Reel, tap View insights, then Share to everyone.
Three details from Instagram are worth knowing. Trial reels may take longer to get views, because they go to strangers. They do not affect how your normal Reels rank. And you should make a fresh Reel, since Instagram may limit a trial that repeats something you already posted.
How to get more views on Instagram Stories
Stories are for your followers. Instagram says the Stories you see come from people you follow, plus ads. So you can’t get Story views from strangers. You can get more of your followers to tap in.
Instagram ranks Stories on three things for each follower:
- Viewing history: how often they watch your Stories.
- Engagement history: how often they like your Stories or send you a message.
- Closeness: how close you seem to be, as friends or family.
So Story views grow from habits. Post Stories on a steady rhythm, so people get used to watching. Add a poll or a question sticker to give people an easy reason to respond. Answer every reply, because a conversation raises that person’s engagement history with you. Share each new Reel or post to your Story too, so followers who skip Feed still see it.
One setting cuts views without people noticing. A Story shared to Close Friends only reaches that list. Use it on purpose, not by habit.
How to get more views on Instagram posts
Feed posts reach your followers first, with some suggested posts mixed in for people who don’t follow you. Instagram’s Feed ranking looks at how many people react and how quickly they like, comment, share and save.
That makes timing the big lever. Post when your followers are online, so the early reactions come fast. Once you have 100 followers, Insights shows the times they are most active, and our guide to the best time to post on Instagram explains how to read it.
A few other moves help feed views:
- Space your posts out. Instagram says it tries not to show too many posts from the same person in a row. Five posts in an hour compete with each other.
- Ask fans to add you to Favorites. Instagram says new posts from Favorites appear higher in Feed.
- Make a collab post. A collab post shows on both profiles and goes to both sets of followers in Feed.
- Invite a comment. A comment is one of the five things Instagram predicts in Feed. Instagram suggests asking questions to start a conversation.
How to get more views on Instagram after posting
The first couple of days matter most. Instagram tells creators to like or reply to comments on Reels within that window. Each reply is another interaction, and it brings the commenter back.
Share the new post or Reel to your Story right away. Then leave it alone. Do not delete a slow Reel and post it again. Instagram says it makes Reels that were already posted on Instagram less visible, so a repost starts worse than the first try.
Why your Instagram Reels are not getting views
If your views dropped or never started, work down this list.
| Possible cause | Why it matters | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| A private account | Only public accounts can be recommended to non-followers | Profile, Menu, then Account privacy |
| Not eligible for recommendations | None of your content is recommended, only shown to followers | Profile, Menu, then Account Status |
| Watermarks or reposts | Instagram makes copies and watermarked Reels less visible | Your last ten Reels |
| Reels over three minutes | Not recommended to new audiences | The Reel’s length |
| Engagement bait or comment pods | Against the Recommendations Guidelines | Your captions and comment habits |
| Posting less often | Fewer Reels means fewer tests | Your posting calendar |
Account Status is the first check. Open your profile, tap Menu in the top right, then Account Status below More info and support. Instagram says that if your account is not eligible, your posts can still show to your followers, just not to new people. Being eligible does not guarantee reach, though. Our Instagram shadowban guide walks through fixes step by step.
Instagram’s Recommendations Guidelines list a few more things it avoids. They include unoriginal content with only minor edits, long captions unrelated to the post, and coordinated comment networks. They also include accounts that repeatedly use misleading tricks to build a following, such as buying likes. Our guide on whether it is safe to buy Instagram followers explains what that means in practice.
Read your views the right way
Open any Reel, post or Story and tap View insights. For Reels you see views, watch time, viewers, average watch time and follows. Our guide on how to see insights on Instagram explains each number.
Two comparisons tell you more than the view count alone. Views against viewers shows how often the same people came back. For posts and Stories, accounts engaged is split into followers and non-followers, so you can see if you reached anyone new.
Is 20,000 views on Instagram good?
Instagram publishes no benchmark, so the answer depends on your account. A fair test is to compare views with your follower count and with your own average.
- Views far above your follower count mean the Reel was recommended well past your followers. 20,000 views on a 2,000-follower account is a strong result.
- Views near your average mean a normal post. That is fine. Most posts are normal.
- Views well below your average point to the hook, the timing, or one of the checks above.
Judge each Reel against your last ten, not against a stranger’s best. And look past views too. Our free Instagram engagement rate calculator shows whether the people who watched also reacted.
Paid options, if you want a head start
Instagram’s own paid tool is the Boost button, which turns a post or Reel into an ad. Our guide on how to boost a post on Instagram covers the cost. Famoid sells Instagram Reels views and likes, delivered through third-party ads, where real people see your Reel and choose whether to watch. Delivery starts within minutes and is paced. We only need the Reel link, never your password. We do not sell Story views.
Bought views do not improve how Instagram ranks your Reels. They give a new Reel a fuller count at the start. The steps above are what earn the next round of views.
A simple weekly plan for more views
- Post three to five Reels a week, each with a hook in the first three seconds.
- Run at least one trial reel a week to test a new idea on strangers.
- Share every new Reel and post to your Story, and add a question sticker.
- Reply to comments within the first day or two.
- Once a month, check Account Status and your ten best Reels.
Keep the Reels that got the most views as your model. Make the next one the same way, with a new topic.