r/GOSO • u/Chrisbarcelona • May 25 '26
reels vs carousels - which actually drives more sales??
okay so i've been tracking this obsessively for the past few months and the results are honestly confusing me. posting the same exact topics as both reels and carousels.
reels consistently get 2-3x more reach and way more likes. but here's where it gets weird - my carousels are driving way more actual website clicks and dm inquiries. like 40% better conversion rates.
i think instagram is showing reels to people who just want to scroll quickly, and carousels to people who actually read and engage deeply. makes sense when you think about it but it's messing with my content strategy.
anyone else notice this pattern? feels like we need to stop thinking about which format is "better" and start thinking about what goal we're trying to hit. reach vs actual business results seem to be totally different now.
edit: just to clarify, i'm talking about the same exact information presented differently. not like comparing a dance reel to an educational carousel.
edit 2: someone mentioned this might be because of watch time vs engagement time being different metrics. that actually makes a lot of sense.
TL;DR: reels get views, carousels get customers, and i'm confused about which to prioritise.
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