Instagram doesn't distribute Reels and feed posts the same way, and treating them identically is one of the most common reasons an account's reach stalls.
How Reels get distributed
Reels are pushed into a recommendation feed of non-followers by default, closer to how TikTok works. Watch time and replays carry the most weight — a short, tightly edited Reel that gets rewatched will usually outperform a longer one that people scroll past halfway through.
How feed posts get distributed
Feed posts are shown mostly to existing followers first, with reach beyond that depending heavily on saves and shares rather than watch time. A feed post that gets saved for later signals long-term value to the algorithm in a way a Reel replay doesn't.
What that means for growth
If the goal is reaching new people, Reels are the faster lever — they're built for discovery. If the goal is deepening a relationship with an existing audience, feed posts do more of that work. Most accounts benefit from using both rather than treating one as a replacement for the other.