(Wednesday, November 15, 2025) - If you’ve been around my content for a while, you’ve heard me talk about my Instagram Trials Theory - the idea that you should “soft launch” content, watch how it performs, and then decide whether to scale it, scrap it, or tweak it.
Recently, I got off a call with a Meta representative that basically confirmed everything I’ve been preaching … and then leveled it up.
We walked through their Edits app (Meta’s built-in recorder/editor for Reels), talked about analytics, trials, and how creators can set themselves up for growth without burning out. This post is a quick breakdown of what I learned and how I’m moving into my stage two strategy of “Edits Theory” post Trials Theory.
Why meta loves “trials” too
The Meta rep repeated something I’ve been experimenting with for a while:
Don’t dump everything on your audience at once. Trial it first.
I had to laugh a little sheepishly - I have been preaching to dump 20 reels into your trials every other week, and then after 24 hours start releasing the best performing ones to your followers. She broke down the Meta algorithm set up and reasoning behind the Trial Reels.
Step 1: Soft launch (trial)
Post the Reel and leave it alone for the first 24 hours
Let the algorithm do its thing and see who it reaches naturally
Step 2: Watch the data
Look at views, watch time, comments, saves, and follows during that 24-hour window
You’re not judging yourself here - you’re gathering information
Step 3: If it performs, then introduce it to everyone
If a trial reel does well, that’s when you start pushing it wider:
Share to your stories
Pin it to your profile
Reference it in a carousel
Repurpose it across platforms
The key? Treat content like an experiment, not a personality test. Your value isn’t determined by how one Reel performs.
Meet edits: Meta’s All-in-one Reels lab
We also did a walk-through of Edits, Meta’s free in-app tool for creators. Think of it as a Reels command center (and the location where I get those pretty downloads of my analytics to share to my stories).
Record, Edit & Export in One Place
Edits is designed so you can:
Record your footage
Edit it
Export it (without watermarks)
And, yes, you can use the exported video on other platforms.
Built-In Support for Scripting & Speaking
If you’re a talk-to-the-camera creator (hi, it’s me sometimes), there are a few features worth noting:
Notes & Scripting: You can jot down your ideas and keep everything in one place.
Free teleprompter: Paste in a script or voice prompt, then adjust the speed as you record.
Stickies: Little notes you can attach directly to your Reels or clips - like “Come back and trim this” or “repurpose this audio later.”
This is perfect if your hardest part (like mine) is staying self-focused and not getting lost in 47 half-finished ideas.
Trending reels inspiration (with context)
Inside Edits, there’s a tab dedicated to Trending Reels. What makes it different from just scrolling your feed:
It shows you why a Reel is trending:
Audio
High share rate
Use of a new feature (like AI tools, animals, etc.)
You can use this as an inspiration, not a copy-paste prompt:
What’s the hook?
How is the creator talking to the camera?
How are they using visuals with that audio?
Great for those days your brain feels like a blank Google Doc.
Camera & Quality settings that actually matter
Edits let you shoot in:
4K resolution
Different color profiles (like HDR/hyper-real looks)
This is where I’ll be playing with different “visual personalities” for my content - same idea, different look, and see what lands best with my audience.
Editing Smart: Beats, Captions & the “Safe Zone”
Inside the project editor, a few features stood out:
Beat markers for timing
Unde Audio —> Beats, you can choose:
Off
Less
More
If you select More and confirm, Edits will show beat markers on your timeline. That means you can:
Line up cuts with the beat
Time transitions or text changes
Make your reel feel more polished without spending forever on it
Captions & the “Safe zone.”
People are watching with sound off more than ever, so captions are not optional (well, they ar,e but like “optional” in the way your college basketball coach said shooting practice that one spring workout was “optional”).
Edits use something they call the Safe Zone:
Any text/captions inside the safe zone won’t get cut off by buttons, UI, or crop.
If you drag text outside of it, you’ll see a yellow highlight on the edges - your visual cue that you’re in danger territory.
This is a lifesaver if you’re repurposing the same vertical video in multiple places.
Analytics that actually help you grow
The analytics inside Edits and your Meta tools give real-time insights on:
Reel views
Follows
Performance of exported videos
You can use this in two ways:
To grow smarter:
Identify what times of day and days of the week your audience is the most active.
Lean into what your audience is already telling you they like.
To pitch collaborations:
Screenshot or pull data from your business dashboard.
Use monthly or annual reports to show partners:
Reach
Impressions
Engagement Trends
This becomes an asset in your media kit or brand pitches.
Engagement: Stop saying “Like & Follow,” start inviting conversation
One of my favorite pieces of advice from the call reaffirmed what we already thought we knew: ""Try not to say: ‘Like, follow, comment, or share.” Instead, create a reason for people to engage.
Examples:
“If you have a question about this, drop it below, and we can chat.”
“Tell me which version you’d try first.”
“If you’ve ever struggled with this, I want to hear your story.”
Meta’s data backs this up: People love being recognized. This reminds me of when I first made Instagram accounts and would grow simply by giving people shoutouts on the page once a week, be it a fan or a customer. When creators reply to comments, it increases the chances that followers come back again and again.
Carousels: The Understated Engagement Machine
Reels may be the flashy favorite, but the rep shared something interesting that, once she said it, I totally agreed with: Carousels are big right now.
Carousel engagement itself, however, tends to go up once you hit more than two images and can perform well all the way up to 20 slides.
Why? Audience ergonomics.
People stay & swipe.
They’re more likely to like, save, or comment the deeper in the slides they get.
It encourages deeper consumption than a single-photo post.
Their suggested baseline:
3 Reels per week
1 Carousel per week
That’s a realistic starting point for most creators - with room to grow once systems and workflows are in place.
Where to Keep Learning (Straight from meta)
As a nerd who loves to learn, I OF COURSE had to ask the rep some questions about how to keep learning and staying on top of trends, and this is what they recommended:
CreatorsOnInstagram.com - Tips, tools, and updates for creators.
The Edits icon on the top left corner of the above website will include short tutorials and tips & tricks for using the Edits app.
Meta Pro Team - A hub of marketing, tech, and creator pros you may be eligible to connect with, especially if you manage multiple accounts.
Meta Blueprint - Free lesson & tutorials on using Meta (Facebook & Instagram) more effectively.
They also hinted at more AI features rolling out - things like:
Green screen options: currently exist in the Edits app, but you may find it being pushed in the algorithm here soon.
Restyle tools for short Reels - currently exists in the Edits app.
Additional creative tools to experiment with
Again: Trials matter. Try new things in the Trials portion of the app, but do it intentionally.
How I’m Evolving My Trials Theory After This Call
This call didn’t change my approach fundamentally, but allowed me the opportunity to sharpen it. Here’s how I’m adapting and moving into my Edits Theory to practice.
Every new format or style starts as a trial. I’ll soft launch it, watch performance for 24 hours, and then decide if it earns a full push.
Edits becomes my test kitchen. I’ll use the trending tab, beat markers, safe zone guidance, and teleprompter to make experimentation easier and faster.
Carousel gets prompted from “afterthought” to working strategy. Especially for explaining concepts (like this) or giving step-by-step breakdowns.
Engagement becomes a conversation, not a command. It’s not that I was doing this before, but I’ll be honest, I get very selective about spending time engaging. I will get more consistent both in the video commentary but also in responding to as many as possible.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by content, remember: you don’t have to get it perfect - you just have to get it into a trial. The data and your audience will tell you the rest.