Q: "Everyone says Reels win on Instagram now. Are carousels dead for reach?"

Q: "Everyone says Reels win on Instagram now. Are carousels dead for reach?"

Great question, and the answer surprised me too. Short answer: carousels are very much alive for saves.

Here's the case: a finance account posted 20 Reels and 20 carousels over a month, same topics. Reels averaged 14k reach but 90 saves. Carousels averaged 6k reach but 410 saves. Saves drove their follower growth — they added 3,100 followers, 70% attributed to two carousels that got reshared to Stories.

Verdict: Reels for cold reach, carousels for the save-and-share loop that actually compounds. Use both, don't pick a side.