If a simple carousel has ever outperformed a Reel you spent hours editing, there’s a reason for it. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has explained which formats are getting extra reach on Instagram right now and which signals help your posts find people who don’t follow you yet.
Mosseri shared these insights in his latest conversation with creators Colin and Samir, the same interview where he talked through Instagram’s new long-form video test. It’s his second sit-down with the pair in two years. Sends per reach – which compares how many people sent your post to someone in a DM with how many saw it – was a signal he flagged in their 2024 chat, and it’s now a number you can check for yourself.
Here’s what Mosseri says is working, how it applies to your content and what you can try this week.
What’s changed?
Carousels are having a moment, and Mosseri explained why. He told Colin and Samir that a carousel with music added can now appear in the Reels viewer, and one that someone scrolls past may come back around with the second slide showing. People also tend to flick through slide by slide, which makes them more likely to like the post or send it to a friend. “It’s just a deeper, richer format,” Mosseri said, “so it drives more engagement even beyond time spent.”
Sends per reach is the metric Mosseri singled out for growing your audience. He said it’s particularly important for reaching people who don’t follow you yet, adding, “If you’re a new creator, that’s probably one of the most important metrics you could follow.” Instagram’s Edits app already works it out for you, and he said the same numbers are coming to Instagram Insights.
Instagram’s ranking also rewards originality and fresh faces. Mosseri said original creators get more reach than accounts that repost other people’s work, and every post gets a fair chance so a brand new account can break out. He added that Instagram leans on watch time less than its competitors do, and that Instagram is starting to require accounts built around AI-generated characters to label themselves.
Some of the biggest opportunities sit in features creators overlook. Mosseri said far more photos and videos are shared in DMs than posted to Stories or Reels, and he called Close Friends and broadcast channels underrated. His own channel reaches a fraction of his followers, but he described those subscribers as people happy to get a notification every time he has something to share.
Why this matters for creators
The common thread is that the posts that travel furthest on Instagram are the ones people want to send to a friend. That’s good news if you make tutorials, commentary or comedy, because your content is already built for sharing. A send puts your work in front of someone through a person they trust.
Carousels give you an easy way to get more from ideas you already have. A tip that worked in a Reel can become five slides with one clear point on each. Your own take on a trend will also go further than a reposted clip, since Instagram rewards original work.
Close Friends and channels help you turn that reach into a closer community. They give your most engaged viewers something extra, like a behind-the-scenes look, which helps them feel part of what you’re making. Madame Myriad put it simply when she spoke to Uppbeat about building a community around your content. “The biggest thing when it comes to getting a community is to just talk with people.”
Formats will keep shifting, though. Mosseri has reinvented his own creator spotlight posts several times, and in his words, “what works today might not work in six months.” He was also clear that you don’t need every format Instagram offers, so the question for you is which two or three fit the content you love making.
Uppbeat’s take: Make posts worth sending, and keep your edits ready for every platform
We think this is one of the most encouraging looks at Instagram’s ranking in a while. You don’t need a big following or a big budget to reach new people. You need posts people want to share.
Our one reminder is about music. Instagram’s in-app library is quick to use, but it only works inside the app, and Meta’s Music Guidelines say you stay responsible for any music you post. If you post your Reels to YouTube Shorts or TikTok too, add music in your editor from a pre-cleared library like Uppbeat. Every plan covers YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, so the same video can go to all three. Here’s what we’d try this week.
- Turn one strong idea into a carousel. Take a tip, a story or a hot take your audience already enjoys and put one clear point on each slide.
- Check your sends per reach. Look at the numbers in Edits or Insights for your last five posts, then note which ones people shared most.
- Score your Reels with Uppbeat. Fit a pre-cleared track to your Reel with Custom Duration, add it in your editor, then post the same video to Instagram, YouTube Shorts and TikTok. You can start on the free plan, which gives you 3 downloads topped up by one each month, as long as you add the track credit.
- Post your own take. Put your perspective on a trend rather than reposting someone else’s clip, since original posts get more reach.
- Give Close Friends or a channel a try. Share something behind the scenes with your most engaged viewers and see how they respond.
- Label AI characters clearly. If you use an AI-generated character, add the label Instagram asks for so viewers know what they’re watching.
Make your next post one people want to send
Instagram is rewarding posts that people share with friends, and carousels are one of the easiest ways to make those right now.
Before you post today, picture the one person you’d send it to. Then open your Insights and check which of your recent posts earned the most sends.
If you want a clearer sense of what your audience enjoys before your next upload, our Creator Questions guide on how to get real feedback on your videos shares simple ways to find out what’s landing with viewers.
