Instagram is trying out another way to help creators gain more followers, this time through early access Reels, which will only be visible to people who follow that user.
As you can see in there these examplesposted by a social media expert Lindsey Goksome creators will now have access to an “early access” Reels option, which will allow them to lock their Reel for a set period of time, with only followers having access to it before it goes live for everyone.
As explained by Gambling:
“These reels show a clock with a star icon on the cover in the grid and a faded cover labeled ‘Early Access.’ When viewers tap, they will see a message encouraging them to follow the creator to view the Reel, along with a timer for when the Reel will be available to everyone and a follow button.”
It’s an extension of the lockable Reels option that Instagram launched in May that allows creators to do that share Roles that can only be viewed by those who have an access code.
That offers another option for engagement, inviting fans to become more involved with the creators’ community to access exclusive features.
This latest update is more aimed at encouraging community growth, using a similar mechanism to boost followers and increase interest in creators’ content.
As such, it’s not a huge shift, but it could be something for creators to experiment with, to build hype and get more people to sign up to be part of the group. That will then provide more opportunities to appear in more feeds, expanding your reach through algorithmic signals.
Of course, you want the content you’re hiding to be worth signing up for early so you can get the most out of the option, but it can also be a growth consideration to experiment with.
The option is currently being tested with select makers. We asked Instagram for more information about its rollout plans for the option.
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