Instagram has rolled out new updates to its short-form Reels product, including new metrics for analysis and a trending feature to show popular sounds.
Instagram will now be able to get total watch time and average watch time metrics. Total watch time captures the total amount of time a reel was played, including any time spent replaying the reel.
The average watch time captures the average amount of time spent playing a reel, calculated by dividing watch time by the number of total plays, naturally. Users will also get a new notification announcing new followers from reels — in order to make creators feel as though the time invested in the platform is worth it, rather than sticking to TikTok.
“The number of views is just one part of assessing the performance of your Reels. It’s really important to go in and understand how your Reels are performing based on specific variables,” said @sckachi, an LA-based comedy creator.
“I’m often testing different hooks or opening lines. Seeing the watch time will help me understand where viewers dropped off and then I can adjust the hook from there. Insights help me bridge the gap between me as a creator and my audience. I may think a video is amazing, but seeing watch time will allow me to better understand where my viewers are engaged.”
The new trending Reels sounds page will let creators see the top trending sounds used in Reels and the number of times their audio has been used by other creators. Upon finding a sound they like, users will be able to tap it to use or save it for later.
Similarly, trending topics and hashtags will also be available to see — #Coachella would be a big topic at the moment, for example.
Instagram has also seen fit to deepen its Reels editing suite bringing together video clips, audio, stickers, and text on one editing screen.
Finally, should you really love a Reel, Aussie users will be able to give creators gifts. This feature lets users send virtual gifts. Instagram provides creators with a revenue share from their Reels that received gifts on a monthly basis equal to US$.01 for every star received from fans.
