The full scoop with Trial Reels (and how people are ACTUALLY using Trial Reels on Instagram) - Shiny New Clients!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Shiny New Clients!
Episode Title: The Full Scoop with Trial Reels (and how people are ACTUALLY using Trial Reels on Instagram)
Host: Jenna Harding (Warriner)
Release Date: March 3, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of Shiny New Clients!, host Jenna Harding delves deep into the evolving landscape of Instagram's Trial Reels feature. Aimed at helping service-based business owners attract new clients through effective social media strategies, Jenna shares actionable insights and real-world applications of Trial Reels to enhance visibility and engagement.

Understanding Instagram's Trial Reels

Speaker B (Jenna's guest or co-host) begins by demystifying the concept of Trial Reels on Instagram, providing listeners with a foundational understanding of how the feature operates within the platform's algorithm.

Algorithm Mechanics:
"When you first post something on Instagram, it is shown to typically some of your followers and some strangers... If those people touch your post, if they engage with your post, they touch their screens, then it's shown to some more people." [00:50]

This highlights the initial distribution strategy of Trial Reels, emphasizing the balance between reaching existing followers and new audiences.
Engagement Attractors:
Jenna introduces her proprietary strategy, “engagement attractors,” designed to encourage interactions.
"We build all our posts to be touched so that you're being super strategic. And then it becomes second nature to be getting engagement." [02:10]

These attractors are tailored elements within a post that prompt viewers to interact, thereby signaling the algorithm to broaden the post's reach.

The Importance of Content Merit

A critical point discussed is the necessity for content to stand independently without relying solely on existing follower support.

"When you post a trial reel, it is shown to strangers who are selected from Instagram... The content has to stand on its own two feet. I'm not going to immediately get likes because my sister is watching it." [03:45]

This underscores the importance of creating high-quality, engaging content that resonates with new audiences, ensuring organic growth rather than dependent on a pre-established follower base.

Strategic Repurposing of Content

The conversation shifts to practical strategies for leveraging Trial Reels effectively.

Repurposing High-Performing Content:
Jenna suggests transforming previously successful posts into Trial Reels to maximize their reach.
"If you've had a post really do well and bring you a lot of followers, then it's reasonable to assume it will perform well again as a trial." [04:30]

This tactic leverages proven content to attract new followers and potential clients, ensuring efficiency in content marketing efforts.
Slow and Steady Growth Approach:
Emphasizing quality over quantity, Jenna advocates for focusing on acquiring followers who are perfect clients rather than chasing viral metrics.
"If I get one new follower that's a perfect client... I'm happy about that one person and I think you should be too." [05:15]

This approach prioritizes meaningful interactions and client relationships over superficial follower counts.

Practical Tips and Best Practices

Jenna shares actionable tips for maximizing the effectiveness of Trial Reels:

Differentiate Trial Content:
Modify calls-to-action (CTAs) or audio tracks when repurposing content for Trial Reels to distinguish them from main feed posts.
"I might put up a B roll reel up. And in the trial, it has a different audio." [06:00]
Experimentation:
Encourage listeners to experiment with their content strategies using Trial Reels to discover what resonates best with new audiences.
"If you want to scamp with us, come on in." [07:20]
Utilize Free Resources:
Jenna highlights the availability of free resources in the show notes, designed to complement the strategies discussed and further aid listeners in their marketing endeavors.
"I have a bunch of freebies I've been playing with, like making different trainings and stuff." [08:10]

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Jenna wraps up the episode by reiterating the potential of Trial Reels in driving organic growth and attracting ideal clients. She encourages listeners to implement the discussed strategies and take advantage of the available resources to enhance their social media presence.

"Imagine what we can do together. This is our chance." [09:50]

Jenna's enthusiastic closing serves as a motivational call to action, urging business owners to leverage Trial Reels as a strategic tool in their marketing arsenal.

Key Takeaways

Engagement Attractors are essential in prompting interactions that signal Instagram’s algorithm to increase post visibility.
Content Merit is crucial; Trial Reels must stand independently to attract genuine engagement from new audiences.
Repurposing Successful Content can efficiently enhance reach and attract new followers with a higher likelihood of conversion into clients.
Quality Over Quantity: Focusing on meaningful interactions and attracting ideal clients leads to more sustainable business growth.
Experimentation and Adaptation are vital in navigating and maximizing new social media features like Trial Reels.

Notable Quotes

Speaker B:
"If you get one new follower that's a perfect client... I'm happy about that one person and I think you should be too." [05:15]
Speaker B:
"If this is what you got from my free stuff, just imagine what we could do together." [08:45]
Speaker B:
"Go post a trial reel." [10:00]

This episode provides a comprehensive exploration of Instagram's Trial Reels, equipping listeners with the knowledge and strategies necessary to harness this feature for substantial business growth.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Welcome to Shiny New Clients, the marketing podcast that helps you attract shiny new clients to your business. We'll talk about social media, what makes people buy, how to go viral, and marketing psychology all in 20 minutes or less. Whether you're a coach, a stylist, or a wedding planner, if you've got a service based business to sell, this is the show you need to fill your calendar. I'm Jenna Warner, your new marketing coach and this is Shiny New New Clients.

B (0:33)

Good morning party people. Let's talk about trial reels. Let me inject some strategy and some ideas into your head right now on how you can use them to get shown to more people. But also, and more importantly, let's talk goss. Let's talk how people are actually using trial reels. How creators and social media teachers like me are actually playing with this new cheeky little feature. When you first post something on Instagram, it is shown to typically some of your followers and some strangers. And I don't know, I've heard rumors that this is changing, but for now let's go with that because that's the way that it's been for years and years, okay? A couple followers, a couple strangers. If those people touch your post, if they engage with your post, they touch their screens, then it's shown to some more people. If those people touch their screens and engage with it, it's tested on more people and so on and so forth. And that's how we see posts starting to snowball, starting to do better a few days later. They like, gain momentum and then they take the heck off, right? If you post something and nobody touches it, maybe they read it, maybe they even laugh to themselves, but they don't touch it, then Instagram isn't getting the signals it needs to know. It needs to show your post to more people. That's why my clients use what I call engagement attractors. We build all our posts to be touched so that you're being super strategic. And then it becomes second nature to be getting engagement. Don't Google engagement attractors because I made it up. That's just a little bit of context before we jump into trial reels. So here's the thing. You pop up a post and you're. Or say I pop up a post, okay? I put a post online. I've got like, you know, almost a hundred thousand followers. And my sister and my friends and my fans and my clients, they all like it, right? And it's almost like I might not deserve those likes because those are people that are liking it because they like me not because the content necessarily has merit on its own. So when we look at trial features, that little bump that I get because people like me doesn't help me win. So in a way, we are all on the same playing field and the content has to stand on its own two feet. I'm not going to immediately get likes because my sister is watching it. Because when you post a trial reel, it is shown to strangers who are selected from Instagram. It is shown to strangers that Instagram thinks are going to be likely to like your content based on, like, the topic of your content, basically. All right, so you put up a trial and it goes to strangers. But then the same thing happens. Like, if those people touch it, if they engage with it, if they watch it all the way through, if they like it. I mean, like it as in double tap it, but also like, like it. Like, if the engage. If the algorithm gets cues, gets signals that they like it, then it gets shown to more and more people. All right, that is what trials is all about. That's Instagram. That's what they've told us. Like, the goal is so that you can see that your content is good enough on its own. You can't blame the algorithm, you can't blame your followers. The content just needs to stand on its own two feet. Be very clear. And strangers need to like it. Okay, so then they built in a button where if the post does well right away, you can share it to your normal people. You can go, oh, yay. Okay, post is doing well. It'll say to you like, hey, this post seems to be doing well. Why don't you share it to your followers? You can choose to do that or choose not to do that. Something to be aware of is posts typically are growing much slower on trials because it takes the algorithm a while to find people it wants to share that post with. So it will actually give you a little pop up that says, like, hey, come back, like later, like in a bunch of hours or tomorrow. That's not what the pop up says. The pop up is doesn't talk to you like I talk to you. You know, she's not like us. But anyway, the pop up will say, like, give us time, because we're deciding who to send this to. We're trying to find some people for you. If you asked Instagram, or if you watched Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, who shows up on Instagram and tells us secrets about Instagram all the time, you can follow him on Instagram, say Instagram one More time, Jenna. But if you were to ask them, that's what they would say the whole purpose of trials is. So let's talk about how scamps like us are actually using it. Okay, trick the first, if you're someone who occasionally has had a real really freaking takeoff, like pop off, go viral, go viral for you, get tens of thousands of views or whatever, then we are repurposing our best content as trials because we know it's going to get shown to strangers. And if you are in that situation where you've had a post, really do well and bring you a lot of followers, then it's reasonable to assume it will perform well again as a trial. But be shown to strangers and then you're going to get followers. So you can go ahead and repurpose your best stuff into trials as an experiment. I have done it, I've seen friends do it, and it has worked really well. If you already have some stuff that has taken off, another thing that you can do, and this is what I am doing, is I'm playing Slow and steady wins the race, man. Like, it's so easy to get desensitized to big numbers, but if I get one new follower that's a perfect client, oh my gosh, I'm, I'm happy. If I get a new follower come in and like DMS me and is like, oh my gosh, this content is so valuable. Tell me more about your program. Come on, man. I'm happy about that one person and I think you should be too. Like, we get, it's so easy to get desensitized. So a lot of my trial reels, I'm bringing in 1, 2, 3, like just maybe a couple new followers and I'm jazzed. I think that that is worth clicking an extra couple of buttons. And what I'm doing is I'm just repurposing. And listen, I'm not saying Instagram said to do this and I'm not saying it won't have long term side effects. We don't know. Like, we don't know because it's a new feature and everybody's just playing with it right now. But I'm just taking some of my normal content, my stuff that's my growth content and I'm just repurposing it as a trial. Some of my old stuff, some of my new stuff, I might put up a post that's a growth post and change the CTA a little bit or like change the call to action a little bit and make them just slightly Different. But I'll post the same thing to a trial as I am to my feed, because I know the algorithm's gonna show that trial to strangers. And even if I can get just a couple followers off of it, to me, it's worth it to help those people and have those people come into my world. It's just a. Just a couple extra clicks, or I might put a B roll reel up. And in the trial, it has a different audio. And in my main feed, I have a. I chose a different audio, you know, so it's just slightly different. And that is what the scamps are doing. So if you want to scamp with us, come. Come on in. I think it's a good time to remind you about all the free stuff down in the show notes. I'll add. I have a bunch of freebies I've been playing with, like, making different trainings and stuff. And listen, they're all part of funnels. They're all part of funnels so that you will get a taste of what I can do for you so that you will come and work with me in magic marketing machines so we can get you views and followers and most importantly, clients. And that is my mo. I'm not ashamed to say it. I mean, I gotta be honest with you. Sometimes I do get frustrated when people are like, jenna, I watch your free stuff. And I like, I got all this explosive growth where I got these clients, and I'm like, dude, that's amazing. And I'm so happy, and I hope you buy yourself an ice cream cone and then sign up to work with me, because imagine what we can do together. If this is what you got from my free stuff, just imagine what we could do together, you and me. This is our chance. All right, that was unhinged. I love you. I'll see you in the next episode. I'm going to try and get two up today. So if you already listen to this one, there's probably another one with a guest if I edited it fast enough. Okay, talk to you soon. Bye. Go post a trial reel.