Posts in category: Instagram

Step 1: Create Three Variations of Each Instagram Reel

I create three different versions of the same core concept every single day. The topic stays the same, but the execution changes.

What I change between variations:

• The hook or text overlay
• The font style and color
• The b-roll footage
• The starting point or length of the video clip
• The pacing of cuts and transitions

This works for both b-roll reels and talking head videos. The message is consistent. The presentation has three different angles.

Example: If my reel topic is “3 mistakes new real estate investors make,” I create:

• Version A: Bold sans-serif font, opens with mistake #1, fast cuts
• Version B: Script font, opens with hook “You’re losing money and don’t even know it,” slower pacing
• Version C: Different b-roll footage, same script, medium pacing with different starting clip

Each version tests a different hypothesis about what will grab attention and hold viewers.

Step 2: Post All Three Variations to Trial Reels the Night Before

Every night, I post all three variations of each reel topic to trial reels. If I’m creating content around three different topics per day, that’s 9 total videos being tested (3 topics x 3 variations each).

How to use trial reels:

1. Create your reel as normal in Instagram
2. Before you hit “Share,” toggle on the “trial reel” option
3. Post it

Instagram will show your trial reel to a smaller test audience and track performance metrics. You’ll get data on views, completion rate, engagement, and more.

This is how you let your audience tell you what works instead of guessing.

Step 3: Check Trial Reels Performance the Next Day

The next morning, I review which version of each reel performed best. I’m looking at:

• View count: Which got the most eyeballs?
• Completion rate: Which one did people watch all the way through?
• Engagement: Which got the most saves, shares, and comments?

Out of each set of three variations, one always performs better than the others. That’s the version I post to my main feed.

Step 4: Post the Winning Instagram Reels from Your Drafts

Once I know which reel won the test, I go back into my drafts and post that winning version to my main Instagram feed.

At this stage, I also cross-post to Facebook. (I’m currently testing whether cross-posting helps or hurts individual post performance, and I’ll update on those findings.)

The key here is that I’m not posting blind. I’m posting content that already proved it resonates with an audience.

Step 5: Save Winning Reels to Your Content Repurposing Library

This is the step most people skip, and it’s critical for long-term content success.

Every winning reel gets added to my video repurposing folder in Google Drive. This creates a library of proven, high-performing content that I can remix, repurpose, or recreate later.

If you have a team member managing content, this is invaluable. They’re not guessing what to create. They’re working from a folder of content that already delivered results. 

What to save:

• The video file
• The caption
• Performance metrics
• Notes on what made it work

This becomes your content gold mine.

Step 6: Repeat the Trial Reels Process Daily

I did this every single day for 7 days straight:

• Three topics per day
• Three variations of each topic
• Test all nine in trial reels
• Post the three winners the next day
• Save winners to the repurposing library
• Move on to the next day

No overthinking. No perfectionism. Just testing, data, and execution.

Step 7: Double Down on Instagram Reels That Go Viral

During that 7-day period, three of my reels went viral. When I saw one taking off, I didn’t just celebrate and move on.

I remixed it. I created new variations with slight tweaks and posted them again.

If something works, milk it:

• Change the hook and repost
• Use different footage with the same message
• Create a “part 2” that builds on the viral reel
• Repurpose the concept for a different platform

One viral reel can become five more high-performing pieces of content if you’re strategic about it.

Trial reels eliminate guesswork. You’re not crossing your fingers and hoping your content resonates. You’re testing it with real data before committing to a full post.

Here’s why this approach is so effective:

1. You learn what your audience actually wants Not what you think they want. What the data proves they want.
2. You only invest energy in winners Why waste time promoting content that’s already underperforming? Post what works and move on.
3. You build a library of proven content Every winner goes into your repurposing vault. Over time, you have dozens of high-performing assets to remix and reuse.
4. You train the algorithm to push your content When Instagram sees that your content consistently performs well in tests, it rewards you with more reach on future posts.