83. How to Use Trial Reels: A Step-by-Step Guide to A/B Testing Your Instagram Content for Better Performance
- Brittany Miller
- Jan 28
- 8 min read
Updated: 16 hours ago
If you’re trying to grow your Instagram presence and connect with your ideal audience, this episode of the Go Get Great podcast is about to become your new favorite resource. Today, we’re diving into how to use Instagram trial reels to master the art of A/B testing and take the guesswork out of creating content that resonates with your followers.
We’ll break down what Instagram trial reels are and why they’re a game-changer for anyone looking to experiment with different content styles, messaging, and visuals to get better reach and engagement from their content. Whether you’ve never heard of trial reels before or you’re curious about how they work, you’ll get a full rundown in this episode.
Hey there — I’m Brittany, your go-to business strategist and marketing coach for service providers, personal brands, and ambitious creatives. As a mom and multi-passionate entrepreneur, I know how important it is to grow a business that aligns with your season of life. I help online entrepreneurs get seen, get paid, and stay in alignment while building businesses they’re proud of. Whether you're ready to DIY your next big move or want high-touch support, I break marketing down into smart, strategic steps that make sense for your goals — and your real life. Around here, we’re all about clarity, connection, and consistent results.
Table of Contents
What Are Trial Reels on Instagram?
Trial reels are Instagram’s built-in way to help you A/B test your reels before sharing them with your existing followers. The idea is simple yet powerful: you create multiple versions of a similar reel and share them with a small group of non-followers to see which version performs better. This allows you to gather unbiased feedback and choose the most effective reel to post to your main feed.
Unlike regular reels, trial reels do not appear on your Instagram grid immediately. Instead, they are shown to people who don’t follow you yet, giving you a fresh perspective on what resonates beyond your current audience.
Why Use Trial Reels for Your Business?
When trial reels were first introduced, many creators, including myself, were skeptical. The initial hesitation stemmed from the extra time needed to create multiple versions of content and the fact that trial reels are only visible to non-followers. But after experimenting with the feature, I realized its true power: it’s a smart, accessible way to A/B test your content and optimize your Instagram strategy.
Here’s why trial reels matter for small businesses:
Test Different Versions: Try slight variations in your reel’s visuals, text hooks, caption colours, or audio to see what grabs and retains attention best.
Gain Unbiased Feedback: Your existing followers might engage out of loyalty, but non-followers provide honest reactions that can help you improve.
Improve Engagement and Reach: By choosing the winning version to post on your grid, you increase the chances of your reel performing well with your core audience which results in additional reach and engagement.
Save Time and Effort: Minor tweaks between versions mean you can efficiently test without creating entirely new content from scratch.
How to Use Trial Reels on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide
Using trial reels is straightforward. Here’s how you can get started:
Create Your Reel: Film and edit your reel just like you normally would for your business. You can do this natively in Instagram, in Instagram's new video editor, Edits, or in third-party software like CapCut.
Enable Trial Reels: At the final stage before posting your reel on Instagram—where you add captions and location—look for the trial reels toggle switch and turn it on.
Post Your Reel: Once posted as a trial, your reel will be shared with a small group of non-followers. It won’t appear on your grid yet.
Check Your Insights: I typically recommend waiting 48-72 hours before checking your reel but when you're ready, go to your Instagram profile, tap the reels tab, and then access the “drafts and trial reels” section to view performance data.
Choose the Winning Version: Analyze the insights to decide which reel version to post to your feed manually or let Instagram auto-post after 72 hours. In your A/B you might notice the A version has more reach but the B version has more engagement.
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Understanding Trial Reels Insights with A/B Testing
To truly benefit from trial reels, you need to know how to interpret the insights Instagram provides. Here’s what to look for:
Plays: The number of times your reel was played. This shows reach and initial interest.
Engagement: Likes, comments, and shares tell you how people interacted with the content.
View Rate Past 3 Seconds: This is a crucial metric. Since the average watch time for reels is about three seconds, the percentage of viewers who watch beyond this point indicates how engaging your reel is.
Profile Activity: How many viewers visited your profile after watching the reel.
Audience Type: Trial reels insights always reflect feedback from non-followers, which is essential for unbiased testing.
For example, a reel with a 72% view rate past three seconds is performing excellently, suggesting viewers are hooked beyond the initial moments. Conversely, reels with lower watch times might need stronger hooks or more engaging visuals.
Depending on the purpose or goal of a particular piece of content you might choose to post a reel that has lower reach but a higher watch time, or more engagement because that performance metric was more important for that reel.
Want to learn more about Instagram's professional dashboard and what metrics I track as a marketing strategist, check out Go Get Great episode 98 "Instagram Insights Cheat-Sheet: 3 Engagement Metrics You MUST Track for Real Growth" ↓
Real-Life Examples of A/B Testing with Trial Reels
To give you a clearer picture, here are two A/B testing experiments I conducted using trial reels on my personal Instagram account:
Example 1: Before and After Plaster Art Reveal
I created two versions of a reel showing the plaster art transformation in our master bedroom:
Version A: Showed the before first, then the after reveal.
Version B: Showed a snippet of the after first, then the before, and ended with the after again.
Version B performed better with more plays, likes, and comments. This taught me that teasing the reveal early in the reel can increase engagement, even if it’s contrary to my personal preference for suspense.
Example 2: Basement Bedroom Renovation
Again, two versions were tested:
Version A: Showed the after first, then the before, with some fun animations and audio.
Version B: Started with the before and then revealed the after walkthrough.
Version A had a much higher watch rate past the three-second mark (72%) and better engagement, so I chose to post that one. This validated the importance of strong hooks and entertaining elements to keep viewers watching.
Tips and Best Practices for Using Trial Reels
Using the trail reels feature for A/B testing is a lot of fun! Here are a few of my top recommendations as a marketing strategist and business coach so you can make the most of your trial reels effort and better understand the results.
Test One Element at a Time: To pinpoint what’s working, try changing just one thing per reel version—like the text hook or visual intro. It's alright to A/B test more than 2 versions of a similar reel. I've A/B tested 5-6 different text colours to see which of my brand colours stood out the best.
Be Patient: Insights take up to 12-24 hours, sometimes even 72 hours, to fully populate. Don’t rush your decision until the algoritham has time to understand your reel and show it to the right people.
Save Your Content: Download your reel and save captions separately before posting, as trial reels can sometimes glitch or disappear. (This is a content creation tip even if you're not using the trial reels feature).
Manually Post the Winner: While auto-post is available, I recommend manually posting the winning reel to control timing and grid appearance. It also saves you from having to remember to go back and delete the non-winning trial reels so they don't all post at once.
Share to Stories: To boost visibility with your existing audience, share your posted reel to your Instagram stories, especially if you notice low engagement after posting. This is something I expereinced because the trail reels actually post to your feed based on when you created the trail reel. If you posted content after the trail started, the non-trial content will show up in front of the trail reel in your feed after it's shared.
Repurpose Content: Use trial reels to test variations of previously posted reels to maximize their potential and reach new audiences. This also cut down on your content creation time by using exisitng reels as one of the A/B test.
Why Trial Reels Are a Game-Changer for Small Business Owners
Trial reels offer a unique opportunity to learn what your audience really wants before committing to posting content on your main feed. This level of insight helps you:
Save time and resources by focusing only on content that performs well.
Increase engagement by tailoring your reels based on real feedback.
Expand your reach by testing content with new audiences.
Refine your messaging and creative approach with data-backed decisions, without overwhelming your existing audience.
In essence, trial reels are designed to help you get better results from your Instagram marketing efforts, making your content strategy smarter and more effective.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trial Reels and A/B Testing
Q: Who sees my trial reels?
A: Trial reels are shown exclusively to non-followers, allowing you to get unbiased feedback from people who don’t yet know your brand.
Q: How long should I wait before choosing the winning reel?
A: Allow at least 24-48 hours minimum, but it can take up to 72 hours to truely get a full pictures of the insights. I recommend waiting 48-72 before making your decision.
Q: Can I test more than two versions of a reel?
A: Yes! You can create multiple versions to test different hooks, visuals, or captions, but keep changes minimal to identify what works best. As far as I know, there's no limit to the numebr of reels you can test at the same time.
Q: What metrics should I focus on when deciding which trial reel to post?
A: It depends on your goal. For audience growth, focus on plays and reach. For positioning as an expert, prioritize engagement such as likes, comments, and shares, and watch rate past three seconds. Each reel you test my have a different goal, so choose your winning reel accordingly.
Q: Does a trial reel automatically post to my grid?
A: You can choose to auto-post after 72 hours, but many prefer to manually post the winning version to control timing and grid aesthetics. I prefer to manually post my reels.
Final Thoughts
How to use trial reels is a question every Instagram marketer should explore, especially if you’re serious about growing your brand and connecting with your ideal audience. This feature offers a low-risk, high-reward way to test and refine your content before it reaches your core followers.
While the feature is still rolling out and may have some glitches, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. By incorporating trial reels into your social media strategy, you can make smarter content decisions, improve engagement, and ultimately grow your business with less guesswork.
If you have access to trial reels, don’t hesitate to experiment and see what your audience truly loves. And if you haven’t received the feature yet, be patient—it’s likely coming your way soon.
For more tips on social media strategy, content marketing, and business growth, stay tuned and keep experimenting. Remember, success in business takes dedication and smart work, and trial reels might just be the secret weapon you need for your content to go from good to great.
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00:00 Intro
1:00 What is a trial reel in Instagram
4:20 How to use trial reels
6:00 How I'm A/B testing my content
10:00 Understanding trial reels insights
16:00 My A/B testing observations
21:40 Wrap up
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