getting views on reels but no real results — what am I missing?

I’ve been putting more effort into reels lately and some of them are actually getting decent reach.

The problem is… it kind of stops there.

I’ll get views, a few likes, maybe some follows, but it’s not really turning into anything meaningful. No real engagement beyond that, and definitely not converting the way I expected.

It’s confusing because on paper it looks like progress, but it doesn’t feel like it’s actually going anywhere.

I’m starting to wonder if I’m focusing too much on getting views instead of thinking about what happens after someone watches.

For those who’ve managed to make reels actually “work” —
what made the difference for you in terms of turning views into something more?