Instagram is trying out another way to help Reels creators maximize the performance of their content, this time through audience sampling to get a sense of whether their latest Reel is likely to be a hit or not.

As you can see in this example, Instagram is now introducing a new “Trial” option within the Reels posting flow, enabling Reels creators Share their latest uploads with a selection of users who don’t follow them first.

According to IG:

“We often hear from creators that they are afraid to post too much for their audience or try new content that is outside of their niche on Instagram for fear that it won’t resonate with their followers. Test videos are shown to non-followers first. Now, if you want to try a new genre, storytelling format, or topic, you can easily get a gut check on how your content might work.”

It works like this:

If you select the “Trial” option, your new Reel will be shown to a selection of users who do not follow your profile.

You’ll find your trial Reels in the Drafts section of your profile, but they won’t appear in your profile grid or Reels tab during this initial trial period. Additionally, only you can see that your Reel is a trial version. There is no public option for others to see this.

Approximately 24 hours after you start your trial, you will be able to view key engagement metrics for your clip, including views, likes, comments, and shares, so you can get an idea of ​​its performance. You can also get comparative insights to your previous attempts.

As IG notes (in the first image), some of your followers may still see your test reel if, for example, someone else shares it with them (which is probably a bigger problem for big-name YouTubers). However, the goal is to have an alternative audience see your test clips, so you can try out new ideas without feeling limited by the expectations of your existing audience.

“If your test reel performs well, you can choose to share it with everyone so your followers can see it and increase its reach, or you can choose to have Instagram use your test reel when creating the test reel. Reel automatically shares with followers.” If we determine that it is performing well based on the views it receives within the first 72 hours. You can change this setting at any time.”

This will then add it to your profile grid and Reels list as usual.

Or alternatively, if it seems like a flop to you, you can drop it and your audience won’t notice.

This could be a good way to get a feel for what will and won’t work on Reels without risking alienating your established audience. It could also be a way to reach other groups besides your main community.

However, the comparison data with your previous trials could be crucial because, as Instagram notes, the engagement data on trial Reels is different from your regular clips because they aren’t shown to your core audience. Therefore, you may need to do some experimentation before you understand what constitutes “good” performance in this regard.

But it’s another experimental option that could bring a number of benefits to Reels creators.

However, it is not yet available to everyone.

Instagram says test reels will be made available to select creators starting this week and will be available worldwide “in the coming weeks.” So you may not have the option yet, but it’s coming and it might be worth giving it a try to see what results you get and whether it helps with your assessments.