How to Increase Your Chances of Your Reel Going Viral in 2024
One of my viral videos on Facebook, did you know you can earn money with your reels on Facebook?
Based on my experience, observations & 2024 trends - here’s how you can increase your chances of making your Reels go viral:
1. Make Sure Your Video Takes Up the Entire Screen
If your video has borders or doesn’t fully utilize the vertical space, it might not perform as well.
Instagram prioritizes videos that offer an immersive experience. Ensure your video stretches across the entire screen to keep users engaged and improve your chances of being featured on the Explore page.
Nonetheless, there are still possibilities of videos going viral, with a cinematic type video for example with borders, but if you have little experience with videography, I would recommend sticking to the vertical format.
2. Focus on 4K60FPS Video Quality
Viewers are becoming increasingly intolerant of low-quality footage, and Instagram’s algorithm now prioritises high-quality content more than ever.
A common mistake I often see is people forgetting to enable 4K60fps recording on their iPhones or not realising that they can switch from 1080p 30fps to 4K60fps. The difference is striking. If you don’t make this change, you’re not fully utilising your phone’s camera and its advanced technology. Not only will your videos look significantly cleaner and smoother, but they will look smoother on Instagram and other social media platforms.
If your phone has built-in video stabilisation, that’s fantastic. However, if it doesn’t, I highly recommend using a phone or camera with it.
That said, in some cases, particularly with recent trends, non-stabilized videos can be effective, as they evoke a relatable, nostalgic feel. However, this lack of stabilization is often balanced with high-quality graphics or cinematic colour grading to enhance the emotional impact or narrative of the video.
If you’re working with limited resources and creating most of your content yourself, an iPhone or another high-quality camera equipped with video stabilisation and 60fps (or higher) will do the job perfectly.
3. Be Intentional with Your Content: Add Value to Your Posts
In 2024, users crave content that either teaches them something new, entertains them in a fresh way, or is visually stunning. Viral content has a strong value proposition.
If your content solves a problem or answers a question, it’s more likely to go viral.
Analyze what kind of value your video offers. Is it informative? Entertaining? Aesthetic? Reels that fit one or more of these categories often outperform generic content.
4. Keep Text to a Minimum but Use it Wisely
Clean, minimalistic videos where the visuals do most of the talking often outperform reels with long, cluttered captions. Too much on-screen text can feel overwhelming and not aesthetically pleasing.
Keep text short and place it in the middle of the screen where it won’t be blocked by Instagram’s interface elements.
Make your text functional, using one-liners or hooks, but don’t overwhelm your video with too much information. If you need to include more information, spread it out across the video in short bursts, similar to subtitles in a film.
5. Jump on Trends Quickly and Use Trending Audio with the Up Arrow
Trends continue to evolve at lightning speed in 2024, and Instagram’s algorithm rewards creators who jump on viral challenges and trending audio.
Using trending audio is still one of the most effective ways to boost your chances of going viral.
Look for audio marked with an upward arrow, indicating that it’s trending.
6. Craft Strong Hooks and Keep Engagement High
The first 3 seconds are still the most critical part of any Reel in 2024. Viewers make snap decisions about whether to watch the rest of your video, so creating a compelling hook is key.
With Instagram’s current algorithm, completion rates (how many people watch your entire video) are heavily weighted.
In 2024, Instagram started testing “replay counts” as an additional engagement metric, meaning Reels that prompt viewers to rewatch them are favoured by the algorithm.
Craft your content in a way that viewers want to rewatch, save or share.
7. Hashtags
Hashtags remain crucial for discoverability, but Instagram’s algorithm has become more intelligent in 2024.
Simply stuffing your Reel with popular hashtags isn’t as effective anymore. Instead, it’s better to focus on contextual relevance—hashtags that directly connect to the specific content of your Reel, while also reflecting trends within your niche.
For me the stair case method has worked well, here’s how it works:
• Tier 1 (Niche/Low-Competition Hashtags):
Hashtags with 10K–50K posts. These hashtags are highly specific, and using them increases your chances of appearing in the top posts or the recent section for a longer time because there’s less competition.
• Tier 2 (Mid-Level Hashtags):
Hashtags with 50K–500K posts. These are moderately popular but not too competitive. You’ll still have a chance to stand out and gain visibility, especially in your niche.
• Tier 3 (High-Competition Hashtags):
Hashtags with 500K–1 million+ posts. These hashtags are extremely competitive, but using them gives your content exposure to a large audience. Your post might not stay visible in these for long, but it could generate a burst of initial engagement.
So for example, use five hashtags in Tier 1, five in Tier 2 and five in Tier 3.
Conclusion
The Instagram Reels landscape in 2024 is more competitive than ever, but by focusing on these key strategies—relevant hashtags, full-screen immersive video, high-quality production, value-driven content, and leveraging trends—you can significantly improve your chances of going viral. The platform rewards creators who are intentional, creative, and quick to adapt to changes. Stay on top of these trends and continue to refine your content for maximum impact.
If you need help with your strategy or content creation contact me james@marketingchevaliers.com
or fill the form below:
