Instagram rolls out 'trial reels' that aren't shown to a creator's followers
Instagram is rolling out Trial Reels to give creators a way to test out new content by publishing videos that don’t appear to their followers.
Instagram is officially rolling out “trial reels” to give creators a way to test out new content by publishing videos that don’t appear to their followers. The feature, which launched in testing in May, allows creators to experiment with new ideas and see what performs best without having to worry about how their followers may react.
Trial reels are shown to non-followers, and if a creator feels good about how the content is performing, they can choose to share it with their followers.
The feature could give Instagram a bit of an edge over TikTok, which currently doesn’t offer a way for users to experiment with different types of content.
Instagram VP and Head of Product Management Ashley Alexander told TechCrunch in an interview that the idea behind the feature is to give creators a way to try out a new genre, storytelling format, or topic without facing pressure to perform.