Why Trial Reels Are a Game Changer for Creators
If you create content consistently, you know that growth isn’t just about creativity — it’s about testing, learning, and refining what works. That’s exactly why Metricool Trial Reels are a massive game-changer for creators and brands in 2026.
Instagram’s Trial Reels feature acts as a “built-in testing lab,” allowing you to share content exclusively with non-followers. This unique setup means you can experiment with bold new hooks, unconventional formats, or niche ideas without worrying about hurting your current engagement or confusing your loyal followers.
Why Trial Reels Are a Strategic Necessity
In the fast-moving social media landscape of 2026, guesswork is your biggest enemy. Trial Reels provide a “sandbox” environment where the risk of failure is essentially zero.
- Increased Posting Frequency: Statistics show that creators using this feature have seen a 40% increase in posting frequency, with many reporting a significant boost in overall reach.
- Unbiased Data: Because these Reels are shown only to non-followers, the engagement you receive is a direct reflection of the content’s quality, not your existing brand affinity.
- Performance-Based Distribution: If a Trial Reel performs well, Instagram can push it further to even more non-followers. If it doesn’t resonate, it simply stays hidden from your main profile and follower feeds.
Why Metricool Is a Great Platform for Using Trial Reels
What makes Trial Reels even better is being able to manage and analyze them properly — and that’s one of the greatest benefits of Metricool.
Metricool makes it easy to schedule Trial Reels directly from its planner, so you can stay consistent without posting manually. Once your Reel is live, you can track performance in one place and clearly see how it’s doing before deciding whether to publish it to your main feed.
Instead of bouncing between apps or relying on intuition, you get real data to guide your next move. That makes experimenting feel intentional rather than random.
It turns Trial Reels into a real growth strategy, not just a feature you try once and forget about.
How Trial Reels and Metricool Work Together
Using Trial Reels inside Metricool is straightforward.
- Open Metricool: Navigate to your Planning dashboard.
- Create a New Post: Click the Create Post button to start a new entry.
- Select Instagram: Choose Instagram as your destination platform.
- Upload Your Video: Upload your Reel as you normally would, ensuring it meets the 9:16 aspect ratio requirements.
- Toggle Trial Reel: Select the Trial Reel option from the content type dropdown.
- Add Metadata: Input your caption, relevant hashtags, and select a high-quality cover image.
- Configure Auto-Sharing: You can choose to have Instagram automatically share the Reel with your followers if it performs well during the first 72 hours.
- Schedule: Pick your desired date and time, then click Schedule.
Once your Trial Reel is live, you can monitor performance directly inside Metricool and decide whether to push it to your main feed, tweak the content, or test a new approach.
Final Thoughts
Trial Reels make content creation feel safer, smarter, and more strategic. You can test ideas, learn faster, and grow without the pressure of getting everything right the first time. Pairing this revolutionary Instagram feature with Metricool’s robust planning and analytics tools makes the entire process smoother and more intentional.
Whether you are a solo creator or part of a growing team, this setup supports sustainable growth without the guesswork. Plus, with Metricool’s free plan, it’s never been easier to start testing your content like a pro.Ready to take the guesswork out of your growth? Get started with Metricool here:
It is the same tool we use every day, and we are excited to keep testing new features with it.
