The question of whether to post a Reel, a feed image, or a Story is one of the most common content strategy questions we get from club social media managers. The answer is not the same every time, and it is not the same for every club. This post gives you the framework for making that decision correctly, based on what each format actually does on Instagram and what the 2025 season data from our club network shows.
What the 2025 season data shows across 40 UK clubs
In the 2025 season, clubs in the Boundary Social network that posted at least one Reel per week averaged 2.3 times the reach of clubs that only posted feed images. This is consistent with Instagram's broader algorithmic preference for short-form video, which the platform has maintained since 2023.
The median grassroots cricket club account in our network had around 340 followers at the start of the 2025 season. Clubs that posted one Reel per week reached a median of 800 to 1,200 accounts per week through the algorithm alone, without any paid promotion. Clubs that did not use Reels reached a median of 200 to 350 accounts per week.
The implication is not that Reels are the only format worth using. It is that Reels are the primary tool for reaching people who do not already follow the club, which is essential for junior recruitment, sponsor visibility, and attracting new members. Feed posts serve a different purpose: they are a record of the club's activity, they are searchable, and they perform well with existing followers who already know the club.
Format-by-format: what Reels are actually for
Reels work when there is natural movement or visual interest in the footage. For a cricket club, this means batting and bowling clips, crowd atmosphere, a caught-and-bowled that the fielder wants to celebrate, the pavilion after a win, or a behind-the-scenes moment from training.
The key to a good cricket Reel is not production quality. It is relevance and brevity. A 15-second clip of a century being reached, posted within an hour of the match finishing, will outperform a polished 60-second montage posted the following week. Instagram's algorithm rewards recency and engagement velocity, which means fast posts win for grassroots sport content.
Music matters on Reels. The Instagram in-app music library contains copyright-cleared tracks that can be added without concern. The choice of track should match the mood of the content. Upbeat and celebratory works well for results and milestones. Atmospheric or understated works better for training clips and behind-the-scenes content.
What feed posts are actually for
Feed posts are the permanent record of the club. Fixture cards, result graphics, milestone announcements, sponsorship updates, and any content where the design carries the message belongs in the feed, not in a Reel or a Story.
Feed posts are also the format that generates saves and shares, which are stronger signals of content quality to Instagram's algorithm than likes. A fixture card graphic that families save to their phones before the season starts generates more long-term algorithmic value than a Reel that gets a spike of views and then disappears.
For cricket clubs, the most reliable feed post is the fixture card for the coming weekend, posted on a Thursday evening. This is the format with the highest save rate in our club network. Parents and players save it to their phones to check during the week. It is also shared in club WhatsApp groups and in league group chats, which drives additional reach.
What Stories are actually for
Stories are for real-time content and for content that does not need to live permanently on the feed. The 24-hour expiry of Stories lowers the commitment bar for both the poster and the viewer, which makes Stories the right format for match-day warm-ups, the toss announcement, a WICKET notification, and the moment the captain receives the trophy.
The other valuable use of Stories is for engagement features: polls, question boxes, and quizzes. A club can use a Story poll to ask followers what they want to see more of, or use a question box to collect suggestions for next season's content. This builds a relationship with existing followers and gives the social media manager direct feedback to act on.
Stories also allow links, which neither Reels nor feed posts do for accounts with fewer than 10,000 followers. If the club wants to drive traffic to a specific page (an ECB registration form, a sponsor's website, a ticketing page), a Story with a swipe-up link is the only format that enables this without a following of 10,000 or more.
The decision tree for deciding which format to use
When you are deciding between Reel, feed post, and Story, use this sequence of questions:
Question 1: Is there natural movement in the footage? If yes, consider a Reel. If no, move to Question 2.
Question 2: Does the content need to be searchable or permanent? If yes, use a feed post. If no, move to Question 3.
Question 3: Is this real-time or time-sensitive? If yes within 24 hours, use a Story. If it can wait until the next scheduled post, put it in the feed queue.
Question 4: Do you need a clickable link? If yes and you have fewer than 10,000 followers, you need a Story. If you have 10,000 or more followers, a Reel can also carry a link.
| Content type | Recommended format | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fixture card (weekly) | Feed post | Searchable, savable, permanent record |
| Result graphic | Feed post | Same as above, plus shareable in group chats |
| Batting or bowling clip | Reel | Natural movement, algorithm rewards reach |
| Match-day warm-up | Story | Real-time, 24-hour window, no production needed |
| Milestone (century, hat-trick) | Reel (if footage) or feed (if graphic) | Reel for reach, feed for record |
| Sponsor announcement | Feed post | Needs to be permanent and searchable |
| Training session | Reel or Story | Movement in footage, real-time is acceptable |
| Committee announcement | Feed post | Formal content benefits from permanence |
The content split that works for a grassroots club
Based on what we observed across our club network in 2025, the optimal weekly content mix for a grassroots club posting three to five times per week during the season looks like this:
One Reel per week. This is the non-negotiable. It is the primary tool for reaching new audiences. Make it a match clip or a training moment. Post it within a few hours of the event.
One to two feed posts per week. The fixture card (Thursday) and the result graphic (Saturday evening or Sunday morning). These are the reliable, high-save formats that form the backbone of the account.
One to two Stories per week. Match-day real-time content and a pre-match build-up Story on Friday evening. These do not need to be produced to the same standard as feed content.
This mix keeps the account active and visible without overwhelming the volunteer responsible for social media. The Reel takes the most effort because it requires footage. The feed posts can be templated and scheduled. The Stories are reactive and should take five minutes at the ground.
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