Gerth Sniper , 20 Feb 2026
Yeah, I've noticed something similar on my side too. My Reels tend to pull in a bunch of random scrollers when they get that initial push, but then the watch time tanks compared to my older feed posts where the same followers actually linger. It's like the high early likes and comments trick the algo into showing it wider, but the new crowd isn't as invested so they bounce quicker. For a while I was buying a few followers here and there to kinda pad the numbers and make things look more active—ended up using buy followers smm world since it felt low-key and the delivery was gradual enough not to scream fake. Honestly, it helped stabilize some engagement without tanking reach, but retention still feels trickier on video than static stuff. Anyone got theories on why the drop feels steeper after the boost phase?
Lately I've been paying more attention to how short-form video just pulls people in differently overall. Sometimes I'll scroll through Reels for ages without really thinking about it, yet with a regular post I might pause longer to read captions or zoom in on details. It's funny how the format changes what sticks—even if something gets pushed hard at first, the way viewers behave shifts so much between quick swipes and slower feeds. Makes you wonder if we're all just training ourselves to consume content in bursts now.
Hey everyone, so I've been messing around with my Instagram account lately, trying to figure out why some Reels blow up in views but then the audience just ghosts halfway through. Last month I posted this silly cooking hack Reel that got a ton of likes and shares super fast—way more than my usual static posts about daily life stuff. But when I checked the insights, the retention curve dropped off a cliff around the 8-second mark even though early engagement was through the roof. With regular photo posts, people seem to stick around longer or at least save them, but Reels feel like they hook quick then lose folks fast after the boost. Anyone else seeing weird drop-off patterns like that once the algorithm starts pushing hard? Kinda frustrating when it looks promising at first.