The Instagram Reels page, by its very definition, means you never really know what you’re going to get when you tap into it. 

Explore, on the other hand, is different. The grid allows users to view a host of content at a glance, giving them a bit more choice in what they engage with.

So, being featured on Explore is a pretty great way to get new followers and boost your account’s engagement. How do you do it?

Well, let’s start with the algorithm.

The Reels algorithm favours Reels that: 

• Have high engagement (comments, likes, shares, saves and watch time).

• Use creative tools like text, captions filter, or camera effects

• Have vertical dimensions

• Use music from the Instagram music library or original audio you create or find on Reels

Conversely, the Explore Page algorithm aggregates posts for each user based on:

• Posts that are fresh and have great engagement

• The types of content they regularly engage with

• Accounts they’re already following

• The types of posts that see engagement from people they follow

Instagram really wants (and needs) Reels to do well as a feature, which is why they’re pushing more and more Reels into your feed, and why they gave them their own tab.

So you’re likely to have your Reels appear in the Explore page if they do well on the Reels tab.

The best way to do this is to jump on viral trends and use engaging audio.

Reels and TikTok content are pretty much one in the same, but it’s important to note you’ll be marked down by Insta for having a TikTok watermark in your video.

If you want your Reels to do super well, you could also buy ad space on the explore page.

This is the most sure-fire way to get your video content seen by those most valuable to your business. It will just also cost you money.

The best way to organically land on the Explore page is to be in touch with your audience. Stay up to date on how your posts perform and let learnings from old content inform the new content you create. Basically always be optimising.

The Simply Social® App is the best way to plan and execute your Instagram strategy, with planning tools and analytics to help you understand what’s working with your audience. Download it today.