Here’s Our Instagram Reels Trend Report for the start of Quarter 3 2023!

If you’ve been trying to keep up with the Instagram changes the last few months…you’ve probably been on a roller coaster, just like us. It feels like they’ve been announcing new changes every single week! Below, we will outline some of the biggest and most noticeable changes. Like usual, Instagram rolls out these changes in differing intervals so if you don’t yet have access, you will soon. 

 

Within the WIP School IG Q&A, we’ve had many recent questions about how the algorithm changes and – as if Instagram HQ are listening in…they’ve just released an article explaining the algorithms rankings! You can read more about it here. A broad overview and thing to remember is that EACH area of Instagram has a different algorithm – feed, stories, reels, explore, and, even, search. If that feels like a lot to keep up with, don’t worry, we’ll talk a bit more about each. 

Updates to look out for and be excited about:

• Broadcast Channels – with or without collaborators
• Shared / Collaborative Collections (this is for SAVING) posts
• Adding story mentions (after you’ve posted)
• Reel Scrubbers (this is so that you can rewind or fast-forward)

As of May 2023, the following are the most effective ways to use the app and see great, consistent results::

Create and Use Broadcast Channels

Raewyn put this one at the top because of how useful it is for authors. Think of this as a way to sending mass updates without receiving responses or feedback. You can do polls to get more information, but the channel owner is the only one who can send updates, unless you have authorized a collaborator.

For authors, this is great to share inside info (like dropping a secret excerpt or tease a cover reveal) or posts that you want to get extra engagement on. For example, we use our PBP Chat channel to send out updates when we have ARCs, giveaways, discounts & launches. If you’re a nonfiction author, you can also use this space to share exclusive tips.

Explore Close Friend Stories or Subscriptions

If you do not have the ability to create a Subscription (you must qualify with a certain number of followers), you can use the Close Friends option like a subscription. If you’re looking for a way to have an exclusive launch group off of Facebook or email marketing, this is a great option. On your profile, click on the 3 lines in the top corner and find close friends. Here you can add users that you are following. These users can get access to exclusive stories via your Close Friends. Not only do people use this for behind the scenes or extras like cover reveals, but you could create a subscription via Patreon or Kofi and include Close Friends access, effectively monetizing your Close Friends capabilities. 

Choose Which Algorithm to Focus On

Now that we have an actual breakdown of the way the Instagram algorithms work, you can CHOOSE which algorithm you want to work toward. Do you want to focus on cultivating your posts showing up on people’s feeds or in the explore? Do you want to buckle down on Reels? (If so, check out our Reels subscription where you’ll get 4 Reels ideas with step-by-step instructions specifically for authors!)

The article released by Instagram focuses on how YOU shape what YOU see. So, for us to work on an how our posts show up, we have to think like our readers/audience. The first step for you will be to look at the accounts of the people who are engaging with you – the people who are liking and commenting on your stuff. Head on over to their profiles and see what they’re sharing and who they follow. This will give you an idea of their practices and what makes it so that you show up on their feed. If the people who are interacting with your stuff are NOT the audience you want, then you need to start cultivating your audience. Find them, engage with them & become a part of their community. Identify a few people you can ask questions to, and ask what type of content they want to see. Their feedback will help you to share the right types of posts, and therefore start reaching the correct audience. 

 

Reels & Trends to Try This Month:

Create a 30-second trailer for your main character, yourself, or your book styles using this CapCut Template.

This Leave It Right There audio is trending, but using this as an idea template is great for your book. To make the Book appear to “stick” when you create it, Raewyn recommends creating the video in Canva.

Share some behind the scenes for your favorite time of day.

 

Here are a few examples of trending audio ‌we’ve enjoyed:

Use this audio to capture and showcase the vibe of your book.

Share your tropes and plot using

This is a good, mellow song that can be paired with almost anything and is currently on the upward trend (without being overused).

Want to uplevel your IG reels game? Grab an IG Reels planner, designed by our IG manager, Raewyn!