{"id":27054,"date":"2023-12-13T09:41:59","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T16:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/?p=27054"},"modified":"2026-05-25T01:37:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T07:37:41","slug":"reel-vs-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/reel-vs-story","title":{"rendered":"Reel vs Story: Which is Best for 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reels, Stories, carousels \u2013 if you find yourself getting lost by all of the types of content on Instagram, you\u2019re not alone. <\/span><b>But if you\u2019re trying to grow your account, you <\/b><b>need <\/b><b>to know the difference between a Reel vs Story and which one you should focus on in 2025.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagrammers are spending 17.6 million hours a day watching Reels, and more than half a billion people watch Stories every day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With both getting so much engagement from users, you may not know which one to focus on with your account.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"color: #5339d3;\">What<\/span> are Reels?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35281\" src=\"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Reels-length-limit.jpg\" alt=\"How Long Can Reels Be on Instagram\" width=\"650\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Reels-length-limit.jpg 650w, https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Reels-length-limit-600x262.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Reels are short, vertical videos that can be up to 90 seconds long (60 seconds is the average).<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They don\u2019t disappear and are meant to be polished forms of content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treat Reels like you would other video content you post on Instagram.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>It\u2019s important to use a few best practices when <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/how-to-make-a-reel-on-instagram\"><b>creating Reels<\/b><\/a><b>:<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Make sure your content has an <strong>aspect ratio of 1:9:1 to 9:16.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Add <strong>trending audio<\/strong> to make your Reel more discoverable<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Add a few relevant hashtags to help people find your content<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Create engaging captions for your Reels that ask viewers to comment and like your video<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reels are extremely popular on Instagram and get a lot of engagement from viewers. They\u2019re a great way to grow your following because they have a higher reach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, for Reels to be effective, you need to put more time and effort into creating them. Instagram and users expect these videos to be clean, polished and professional.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reels are not a place for candid content. That\u2019s what Stories are for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #5339d3;\">When To Use<\/span> Reels<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use Reels when you want to:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sue-panel\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"self\" style=\"background-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;box-shadow:2px 3px 5px #eeeeee;-moz-box-shadow:2px 3px 5px #eeeeee;-webkit-box-shadow:2px 3px 5px #eeeeee;border:1px solid #5339D3\"><div class=\"sue-panel-content su-u-trim\" style=\"padding:15px;text-align:left\">\n<p><b>1. Boost Engagement<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&#8217;s no question that Reels will boost your engagement. <\/span><b>They&#8217;re more easily discoverable by the entire Instagram community, and they\u2019re longer than Stories.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People love scrolling through Reels, and they\u2019ll be more inclined to tap the like button or drop a comment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"sue-panel\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"self\" style=\"background-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;box-shadow:2px 3px 5px #eeeeee;-moz-box-shadow:2px 3px 5px #eeeeee;-webkit-box-shadow:2px 3px 5px #eeeeee;border:1px solid #5339D3\"><div class=\"sue-panel-content su-u-trim\" style=\"padding:15px;text-align:left\">\n<p><b>2. Go Viral<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to go viral, Reels are the way to go. <\/span><b>If your Reel makes it to the Explore Page, there\u2019s great potential to get a ton of likes, comments and followers in a short amount of time.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"sue-panel\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"self\" style=\"background-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;box-shadow:2px 3px 5px #eeeeee;-moz-box-shadow:2px 3px 5px #eeeeee;-webkit-box-shadow:2px 3px 5px #eeeeee;border:1px solid #5339D3\"><div class=\"sue-panel-content su-u-trim\" style=\"padding:15px;text-align:left\">\n<p><b>3. Get New Followers<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because Reels can be seen by anyone in the Instagram community, this type of content is a great way to get new followers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Studies show that Reels generate 22% more new followers than regular video posts in your feed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"color: #5339d3;\">What<\/span> are Stories?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram Stories<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are watched by hundreds of millions of followers per day, and they have immediate real estate on Instagram. <\/span><b>At the top of the app, you\u2019ll see Stories, which take up the most prominent space on the website\/app<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you follow someone who creates enticing content, you\u2019re likely watching their Stories because they resonate with you.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#e5ddce;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#fff7e8;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<p><strong>Stories have a few quirks that you need to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> 24-hour view time before they\u2019re removed<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> 15-second length, and you can have multiple clips<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> 7-second view time for a photo post on Stories<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><b>Your Story is meant to engage your current followers, but if you have a public profile, anyone can view your Story if they go to your profile<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Story can also include stickers, such as a poll or questions that entice followers to interact with your story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>A few of the key downsides of a Story vs Reel is that:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Stories are shorter, so it can be challenging to show a lengthy product demo or get your point across without going to the next Story. Reels can be <strong>60 \u2013 90 seconds long<\/strong>, so you can go more in-depth on a topic with less risk of people clicking off.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Your Story will not go into the Instagram Explore page, so it\u2019s very unlikely to get you new followers. However, if your Story does get shared by other people and your account is public, it can lead to new followers.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Stories only last for 24 hours, so they\u2019re short-term pieces of content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#e5ddce;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#fff7e8;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> If you create an awesome piece of content, you don\u2019t need to debate whether it\u2019s best as a Reel vs Story. Instead, you can post your Reel and share it in your Story, allowing you to leverage both types of content at once.<\/div><\/div>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #5339d3;\">When To Use<\/span> an Instagram Story<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you know <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/how-to-make-instagram-stories\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how to make Instagram Stories<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you\u2019ll need to know when to use them to meet your goals. Every piece of content should have a goal attached to it, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Engagement<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Nurturing<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Education<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Connection<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stories are powerful pieces of content for <strong>two main scenarios:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Maintenance: <\/strong>If you\u2019ve worked hard and want to keep an active user base, Stories are going to be the best option for you. Users can connect with their audience using Stories and build loyalty and long-term connections. Add polls, ask questions and let your audience learn more about you or your business with a Story.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Promotion: <\/strong>If you run a brand account or even sell your own merch, you can show off your latest product promotions or offer discounts right in your Story. You do want to be cautious of promoting too often because it can lead to followers unfollowing you in the long term. No one wants to feel like you\u2019re promoting to them multiple times a day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, there are nuances of Reels and Stories that you\u2019ll need to know about and consider when focusing on engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Reels vs Story: <span style=\"color: #5339d3;\">Which One<\/span> Gets More Engagement in 2025?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><b>Perhaps the most important debate that you\u2019ll have is whether a Reel or Story gets more engagement<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. An engagement rate of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/instagram-engagement\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1% to 5%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is common across all niches, but your audience will play a role in whether a Reel or Story performs better.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#e5ddce;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#fff7e8;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<p>Stories may have more engagement because they&#8217;re:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Shown to your followers<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Watched by <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/instagram-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">500 million<\/a> users per day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reels have a greater reach and the potential to go viral because they\u2019re the \u201chot\u201d content on the platform. You&#8217;ll find Reels on the Explore page, but you won\u2019t see Stories there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>If you want to keep your current followers engaged, Stories are going to be your strongest piece of content<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reels are a strong choice for engagement with followers and non-followers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You can think of the two as follows:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Stories are the ultimate choice for nurturing followers and building deep connections.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Reels<\/strong> are your go-to option for attracting new followers and allow you to go in-depth on topics with 90-second-long videos.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We recommend that you create both Stories and Reels on a regular basis to keep engagement high. A healthy mix of content will allow you to appease Instagram\u2019s algorithm from multiple angles.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reels? Stories? Which type of content works best in 2025? Uncover key times to use a Story or Reel to reach your engagement and reach goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":27191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-instagram"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"John","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27054"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38240,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27054\/revisions\/38240"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}