I Thought Trial Reels Were Pointless... Until They Made Me Sales

At first, trial reels felt like another awkward Instagram feature trying to force itself into our strategy. But in this episode, I’m sharing the exact shift that helped me turn trial reels from “meh” to magnetic. I’m breaking down how I stopped treating them like throwaway content and started using them with intention—not to sell, but to attract the right people into my world.

You’ll learn how trial reels can fit into a full Instagram sales strategy (hello, Step 1: Growth), how to lead with your personality and USP, and what kind of content actually converts new followers into paying clients. Plus, I’m giving you the deets on a $9 limited-time offer for my Trial Reels Guide & Formulas to help you do it yourself—strategically, confidently, and without burning out.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Snag the Trial Reels Guide & Formulas, use code LAUNCH at checkout to save (code valid until 3/28/25)

Send me your trial reel and results @socially.yours.strategist

Create a month of Instagram content that is strategized for sales in the free 5-day Plan it, Post it, Profit Challenge

Music courtesy of Pixabay

Transcript

Sydney: 1:04

To be super honest, when trial reels first rolled out, I wanted nothing to do with them. They felt awkward and random like something no one really asked for, just like Instagram was trying to make fetch happen. But after a few months and a whole lot of data later, I have changed my tune.'cause when I stopped treating trial reels, like throwaway content and started using them strategically not to sell, but to attract, that is when things clicked. And if you've been wondering whether they're worth the effort, this is the episode for you because this is all about how I use trial reels now, strategically what shifted for me and how they fit into a strategy that actually leads to sales. So let's talk about it. So here's the deal. Trial reels were introduced as a way to test out new content and messaging But here's the thing, I'm not new and neither are you. You've probably got a good handle on your messaging, your values, your mission, your vibe. But what I didn't realize at first is that trial reels aren't just test reels. We know that they are shown to people who don't follow you yet in an effort to test this messaging, right? And not only just people that don't follow you yet, but people who already follow accounts like yours. So people who are in your target audience. So when we think about it that way, and we think about our overall Instagram strategy. Using the five steps to sales framework that I teach, trial reels are a great chance to make a first impression on the right people. Not random followers, not trend chasers, but people who are already interested in what you do. So I stopped using trial reels for just testing and started using them to attract, and that is when things shifted. Not just for visibility, not just to see what clicks, but for aligned intentional growth that kicks off the kind of relationships that lead to real actual sales. I started strategizing my reels specifically just trial reels so they aligned with that very first step in the five steps to sales strategy, which is growth Because here's the thing, if the right people aren't in your audience, none of your other content matters. The other steps in the strategy are just not gonna happen, right? They won't engage because they won't care. They're not your people. They won't connect because they won't relate, and they won't trust you because they don't know what you stand for. They might stand for different things because they're not your people, and they're definitely not gonna end up hiring or buying from you because you're not gonna be showing up on their radar in a way that matters. So trial reels give you a direct line to the right people. People who are already interested in the stuff you are sharing. They just haven't found you yet. So this is the growth that is strategic, which I'm all about, you know, no vanity metrics here. We want actionable strategy instead. So this is growth that fuels that engagement, that connection, that trust, and eventually sales and clients, right? So if your content feels like it's falling flat, it might not be the offer. Or the algorithm, it might just be that you're not yet talking to your people. Okay? Trial reels are how I'm fixing that one strategic reel at a time, and that is what this new approach has done for me, and that is what I want for you to, because once I worked out this strategy, I actually got, yes, new Instagram followers, which is cool and all, but being a business owner, my ultimate goal of new members in my membership, right? Those sales, things that help my business and these people found me from my trial real strategy. So again, we're not using trial reels to sell. We're using them to grow with intention. So the content I put there is bold, clear, full of personality because you wanna make sure you are attracting the absolute right people for you, for your business, for your offer. I talk about who I help. I talk about what I believe. I talk about what I do differently, and specifically for my target audience, the things that make a difference to them. So the goal here is to stop the scroll, get the right people to think, wait, I need more of this in my life. So they hit follow and can go through the rest of the five steps to sales strategy. It is all about knowing your USP. Okay? Your unique selling proposition and letting that lead in the content if you're not sure what that is or how to put it in your content in an effective way. I'm gonna get to that in a bit. Hold on just a minute, but basically the short version is you need to know who you help, how you help them, and what makes your approach different in a way that is very beneficial to your specific target audience. Okay. So once you're really clear on all those things and you're able to communicate it in your trial reels, you will get new followers. Like I said, I did this, first with my account and I got not huge amounts of growth for me, but the right kind of growth, which is what I always prefer. And in one week I got a handful of new followers, but they all joined my membership. And as I did this for one of my clients, she actually did get a lot more growth. It's always easier for me to create content for other people, because it's, I'm not as close to it, so I don't get hung up on the same things. But in just one week, she got 72 new followers following this trial reel strategy, which is pretty amazing. And they're all in her target audience. And it's not just trial reels that are helping here, it's about. What you do after you post interacting with them and following the rest of that five steps to sales strategy. So you can take this new intentional growth you've got from trial reels and turn those people into clients and customers. So at this point, if you're like. This makes so much sense, but how do I actually do it? What do I post to get these followers that will become clients? Don't worry, I made you a little something. It's called the Trial Reels Guide and Formulas, and it is going to be your new go-to resource for creating intentional trial reels that actually grow your audience without burning you out or making you feel like you need to be someone you're not. You know how I mentioned the USP thing earlier? That's part of the guide. Inside the guide there's clarity section so you know exactly how to show up in a way that stands out. cause you know, I love the ease of templates, that it frees up brain space and can help us check things off our to-do list. But I am also not into fluff. I don't wanna just throw a bunch of. Trial reel templates your way without any way to make them work for you and your brand, because that is the really important part about trial reels, highlighting your personality, highlighting your audience, your unique selling proposition, all of those things. So it's not just a bunch of reels you can post as like a one and done thing. Yeah, there's a guide to help you find long tail keywords that are gonna help boost your visibility. There's a guide to help you nail your USP, so you know exactly what to put in the rest of the trial reel prompts. So people will definitely follow you after they see that trial reel. And then, yes, there are 20 plug and play reel templates with real examples to show you. How to hook, speak to your people and infuse your voice. And there's also 20 caption prompts as well and not just that. I'm also including what to do after you post the reel the goal here is to attract the right people so they turn into future clients. This is what has worked for me, and now I wanna share it with you. And of course, as always, we're doing it with intention and strategy, not just wasting time, throwing things up and hoping it works. And because I am so excited about this new way to intentionally grow your account with people who will absolutely buy from you, for this week, I'm gonna share the trial reel formulas and guide for only$9. You have to use a discount code though, so don't forget that the discount code is launch and then after this week, the price will go up to the normal price of$17, which is still a steal. But why would you not wanna save money? Honestly? All right, so go ahead and grab that link in the show notes. Don't forget to use the code launch as the coupon code so you can bring it down to only$9. So go ahead grab the guide, try a few formulas, and then send me the trial reels once they're published. I would love to see what you do with this guide. My handle is at socially Yours strategist.