Last updated:
Quick answer
For each video, make 3 openings and keep the rest the same. Post them as tests, wait 3 days, and score each as views divided by your usual views. Track sign-ups or sales too, because views alone can mislead. Only call a winner after many posts, not 3.
Free PDF
Get this setup as a PDF
Confirm your email and we'll open a print-ready copy of this setup you can save as a PDF. You also get the free starter pack and one setup a week. Unsubscribe anytime.
Already a subscriber? Unlock it on this device
At a glance
All outcome figures are estimates from cited sources, not independent verification by us.
- What it is allowed to do
- Read-only
Only reads, researches, or summarizes. It never drafts outbound content or changes anything.
- Time saved (estimate)
- About 20 minutes per video.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Tools needed
- Instagram, ChatGPT, Claude, A spreadsheet
- Typical cost
- Trial reels are free where available. Prices: Not stated in sources.
Reviewed Nov 2, 2026
Basis (estimate): Estimate only: based on the steps above, not timed.
What does this setup do?
Write 3 openings for each short video with AI, test them as trial reels, and score results after 3 days against your usual views and sign-ups.
Who is it for?
Small businesses and creators posting Reels or Shorts who want to know which openings actually work.
How do you set it up?
Tools
- Instagram trial reels, or your usual short video app
- ChatGPT or Claude
- A simple results sheet
Steps
- Pick one video. Use the prompt below to write 3 different openings for the first 3 seconds.
- Edit 3 versions that differ only in the opening.
- Post them as trial reels where available. Instagram says trial reels are shown to non-followers first and do not appear on your grid unless you share them later.
- Wait 3 days, then log views, sign-ups or messages for each.
- Score each: views divided by your usual views for a post. Above 1 is better than usual.
- After about 30 to 50 tests, write down the patterns that keep winning and use them by default.
Example output
Illustrative. Your results will differ.
- Opening A (problem): 'Quotes go cold while you're on a job': 1.8x usual views, 3 sign-ups
- Opening B (result): 0.6x usual, 0 sign-ups
- Opening C (question): 1.1x usual, 1 sign-up
Where to paste this prompt
ChatGPT → Project instructions, or ChatGPT Tasks for scheduled reminders (once a day on Free)
Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
Write 3 different openings for the first 3 seconds of this short video. Keep everything after the opening the same.
What the video shows: [DESCRIPTION]
Who it is for: [AUDIENCE]
Make the 3 openings different types: a problem statement, a surprising result, and a direct question. Each under 12 words, on-screen text plus what is said. No claims I have not given you.Newsletter
Get the free starter pack
Free starter pack with five beginner copy-paste prompts after you confirm, plus one researched setup in your inbox each week. Unsubscribe anytime.
What usually goes wrong?
Where agents tend to stall on this job. More patterns in Where AI gets stuck.
- Judging after one day.
- Changing the opening and the music at once.
- Chasing views from people who will never buy.
Which chat tools work with this prompt?
Paste the prompt into any of these assistants (free or paid tiers).
- ChatGPT
- Claude
Common questions
- How do I test which Reel hook works best?
- Post versions that differ only in the opening, wait 3 days, and compare each against your usual views and sign-ups.
- What are trial reels?
- An Instagram option that shows a reel to non-followers first, so you can test it before your followers see it.
- How many tests before trusting a result?
- Many more than 3. Look for patterns that repeat across dozens of posts.
What tips make it smoother?
- Change one thing at a time, or you will not know what worked.
- Views are not customers; track sign-ups or messages too.
- Three posts prove nothing; look for patterns over dozens.
Where do the claims come from?
Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.
- Read Instagram’s write-up (creators.instagram.com)
Instagram: Trial reels: shown to non-followers first, not on your profile grid or to followers unless you share them later (read 2026-11-02 from a search result summary of the page)
Related setups
- Clip long videos into shorts
Turn one long video into several short clips with OpusClip, check each one, and schedule the approved ones in YouTube Studio.
- Make a promo reel with AI, from code
Turn one job your product does into a 45-second vertical reel: a hook, the problem piling up, the fix, a short demo and your link, with an original music track and captions.