Instagram Reels release checklist for scheduled campaigns
Check the account, video, thumbnail, audio and final publishing method before scheduling an Instagram Reel with Postly.
By the Postly Team
Before you start
Start with an eligible connected Instagram account and a final video you have permission to publish. Treat native music selection as a separate editing task when it is unavailable in the publishing composer.
Prepare and review the release
- Select Instagram and the Reel destination. Play the entire file and check that essential text remains readable around the app's controls.
- Write a caption that adds context to the video. Choose the thumbnail frame using the available thumbnail-offset control and review any people, product or collaborator options for eligibility.
- Decide whether the Reel is ready for direct publication. If it still needs native audio or effects, assign a person to finish it in Instagram. Check the current availability of Postly's mobile notification feature before depending on it.
- Approve the final asset, schedule the release and check the published Reel. Compare the visible cover and caption with the approved draft before reusing it in another campaign.
Worked example
A pottery studio shows a bowl moving from raw clay to glaze. Its opening frame says 'Three stages, one bowl'; the caption names the glaze and points readers to the profile's workshop link. The reviewer checks the cover crop and confirms that the exported soundtrack can be used by the business.
If something goes wrong
- Reel not published: inspect the recorded result, account connection and media validation before retrying.
- Music unavailable: use a permitted soundtrack or complete the audio selection inside Instagram; do not assume a scheduler can select every native track.
- Wrong cover: review the chosen frame in the final video, rather than a thumbnail from an earlier edit.