Instagram Shares Reels Posting Tips at NYC Creator Event
Let’s talk about Instagram and its ever-changing rules—because, let’s be real, keeping up with their updates feels like chasing a moving target.
So, last May, Instagram held a creator event in NYC and shared some insights on how to get better reach with Reels. They even put up a slide breaking down their key takeaways, which, at the time, included one very clear point: Don’t post Reels longer than 90 seconds.
Why? Because, according to Instagram, users weren’t interested in watching longer videos, so the platform wasn’t going to push them. Fair enough.
And then... January happened.
In a total 180 move, Instagram decided to expand Reels to 3 minutes. Why? Because they needed to compete with TikTok (and possibly scoop up TikTok creators in case the app got banned in the U.S.).
Instagram’s head honcho, Adam Mosseri, even explained the shift:
"We’ve heard a lot of feedback from creators that 90 seconds is just too short, so we’re hoping that upping the limit to three minutes will help you tell the stories you really want to tell."
Oh, so now people want longer Reels? Cool.
Fast-forward to the latest NYC Creator Event...
Instagram just shared another set of tips for maximizing your Reels’ reach. A lot of it sounds familiar, except for one change:
✅ DO:
Reply to comments within the first few days
Post when your audience is active
Upload high-quality videos
Cross-post to other platforms
❌ DON’T:
Use engagement bait
Upload videos with third-party watermarks
Go over 3 minutes
Post low-quality videos
Share content you didn’t create
See the switch? Now, anything longer than 3 minutes is a no-go. Last year, that number was 90 seconds.
Look, I get that algorithms evolve, but Instagram keeps pretending these changes are based on user preference when it’s actually just them pushing what suits their strategy at the moment.
Right now, that strategy is competing with TikTok, so longer videos are cool. But if IG ever decides short-form is the way again, you can bet we’ll be back to 60-second Reels in no time.
The Takeaway?
Trends aren’t really dictated by users—they’re dictated by whatever Instagram decides to push. If you want to maximize your reach, just play along and adjust as they change the rules (again).
Stay flexible, stay strategic, and most importantly—stay ready for the next update. 🚀
Hey there I’m Kylie Simao, owner of a boutique social media marketing agency dedicated to helping new, local and small businesses who want to promote themselves online using social media.