The kings of Instagram: reels take the crown of reach and carousels the crown of engagement

With around 2 billion users, Instagram has the reputation of being one of the most popular social networks and attracts the attention of not only ordinary users but also brands, which naturally have a large pool of potential customers there. But what are the most effective formats on this platform? According to a recent study undertaken by Metricool, Reels and carousels are the most effective formats on Instagram, although the most popular format on this platform is stories.

The Metricool report concludes that More than 70% of the content that makes its way to Instagram are “stories”And accounts with more than 50,000 followers are particularly fond of using this format.

The great strength of stories lies in their simplicity (its creation does not require, after all, too much effort) and in its ability to grab the user’s attention by relying on the so-called FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Since they are ephemeral and are only visible for 24 hours, “Stories” somehow generate a feeling of urgency in the user and brands that rely on this format can cultivate closeness and familiarity with their audience. In addition, “stories” also generate traffic and potentially redirect users to the brands’ external websites.

Reels win the battle for reach, carousels win the battle for engagement

For its part, If brands are looking for a wide reach on Instagram, reels are definitely their best allies. Short videos have the highest reach on this social network (37.9%). In addition, unlike stories, reels also appear in the Explore tab, which ultimately results in greater visibility.

The fact that reels are visible both in the main feed and in the feed dedicated to short videos also gives wings to the reach of this format. and it also translates into more interactions.

From an engagement perspective, the format that works best on Instagram is carousels. With an engagement rate of 10.15%, carousels outperform both reels and still images in terms of engagement.

Through the different slides that make up the carousels, brands can put “storytelling” into practice.“, visualize complex topics or regale your audience with tips and tutorials.

Another advantage of carousels is that Instagram often re-deploys its second image several hours after its initial publication, which significantly increases the possibility of a second interaction by the user.

What is the best time to post on Instagram?

In its study, Metricool also puts the best times to publish content on Instagram under the microscope. While in 2023 Monday and Wednesday were considered the best days to publish on the Meta subsidiary, In 2024, Wednesday and Friday will be the best days. And the best time to upload content on Instagram is at 8pm (or alternatively, between 7pm and 9pm).

Metricool emphasizes in its report that More posts do not necessarily translate into more reach. In this regard, he recommends that brands carefully analyze the content they are going to publish on Instagram to determine whether it is truly relevant to their target audience.

Finally, Metricool provides brands with a series of recommendations to get the most out of the different formats present on Instagram:

• «Stories»: It is useful to use different scenarios and take advantage of different angles to steal the attention of the viewer who consumes this format, where interactive “stickers” also give impetus to the interactions.
• «Reels»: It is vitally important to choose an eye-catching cover image that will be a kind of hook for the audience. In addition, it is absolutely crucial that the reels make their way into both the main feed and the feed dedicated to short videos.
• Carousels: The first image in the slides must be attractive, as it will be the most visible in the feed and also in the Explore section. Memes and provocative statements in the second slide are a good opportunity to capture the viewer’s attention for a second time.