With increasing competition on Instagram, brands must adapt and discover fresh ways to connect with their audience. The platform constantly evolves with new trends and features, influencing how users engage with content. Keeping up with these changes is crucial for developing a strong and up-to-date Instagram marketing strategy.

In this article, we explore the top 10 Instagram trends for 2025. From AI-powered content creation to innovative engagement strategies, we’ll highlight the latest tactics to help you captivate your followers.

1. Video Takes Center Stage Over Images

Even in 2025, video remains the dominant form of content on Instagram. A quick glance at your Feed will reveal that Reels often appear first, and the same pattern is evident on the Explore page. This clearly indicates that Instagram continues to prioritize video over static images.

Consumers also prefer video content. According to recent social media video statistics, 81% of users want brands to share more short-form videos.

At this stage, embracing video isn’t just recommended—it’s crucial for success on Instagram. Videos not only foster stronger connections with your audience but also align with Instagram’s algorithm, making them a powerful tool for increasing reach and engagement.

Instagram Reels Trends for 2025

Since their launch in 2020 and gradual rollout throughout 2021, Instagram Reels have become a key feature on the platform, designed to compete with Snapchat and TikTok. Their popularity continues to rise, with many brands and content creators repurposing their videos across multiple platforms, including TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

Here are some Instagram Reels trends gaining traction among brands this year:

Social Media Managers as Brand Spokespeople

Rather than hiring actors to deliver Scripted content, brands are increasingly featuring their social media managers in Reels.

These professionals have a deep understanding of the brand’s voice and values, allowing them to produce content that resonates authentically with audiences—at a much lower cost.

One major advantage of featuring social media managers in Reels is that it adds a personal touch to your brand. Seeing real people behind the brand fosters stronger emotional connections with your audience, making your brand more relatable and trustworthy over time.

Video Memes: A Trending Format That’s Here to Stay

Memes remain a dominant trend on Instagram, and they’ve seamlessly transitioned into the Reels format. Brands are remixing popular meme Reels with trending audio, adding their own unique twist to humorous clips or pop culture references. For example, Lego cleverly adapted the "the photo we posted vs. the conversation we had” meme trend, making it both engaging and brand-relevant.

When using meme content, it’s important to align it with your brand’s identity while showcasing a playful side. Thoughtfully executed meme Reels can drive high engagement and position your brand as culturally aware and relatable.

POV Videos: A Fresh Take on Relatability

POV (Point of View) videos have become a huge hit among brands and content creators in 2025. While originally filmed from the creator’s perspective, POV videos have now evolved into a dynamic form of video memes.

Instead of always replicating the viewer’s perspective, these videos focus on conveying a relatable situation or emotion. They often include a text overlay that describes the experience, making it easier for audiences to connect with the content. This immersive approach effectively draws viewers into the brand experience. For example, Kayali Fragrances creatively uses POV videos to tease upcoming product launches, keeping their audience engaged and excited.

“Send This to…” Reels: A Viral Engagement Booster

Encouraging shares is one of the most effective ways to increase engagement and expand the reach of your Instagram Reels. That’s why the “Send this to…” trend is currently gaining traction on the platform.

These Reels typically showcase a brand’s products with a text overlay prompting viewers to share the video with someone specific. The prompts can be playful or sentimental, such as “Send this to the most stylish person you know” or “Send this to the first person on your Share list.” This simple yet engaging approach naturally drives more shares, leading to increased visibility and engagement.

Chipotle has creatively embraced this trend by infusing its signature humor, making the content both relatable and highly shareable.

2. Empowering Content Creation with AI

Instagram, along with its parent company Meta, is heavily investing in AI technology to reshape how content is created and shared. For marketers, this advancement revolutionizes content generation, streamlining the creative process.

Instagram’s latest AI-powered features include:

• AI-Generated Stickers: Users can generate custom AI stickers by entering prompts, which can be shared in Stories and chats.

• AI Chatbot Assistance: Users can start a chat with AI for recommendations, creative ideas, and engagement strategies.

• AI Backdrops for Stories: A new tool allowing users to create unique backgrounds based on text prompts, enhancing storytelling in visual content.

• AI-Powered Reels Creation: A built-in feature that automatically generates Reels using images and videos from a user’s account, with options for customization.

Beyond Instagram’s built-in AI tools, brands are also turning to third-party AI-powered solutions to streamline content creation.

For example, SO9 offers AI capabilities that help brands optimize their content strategies, including AI Assist to suggest content ideas for you.

For marketers looking to enhance efficiency and engagement, AI-powered tools simplify workflows while improving content quality.

Sign up for a demo to see what you can do with SO9’s AI tools.

Does this mean AI will completely replace social media managers? Not in the foreseeable future. However, it is becoming an integral part of social media strategies.

AI-powered tools are transforming the way marketers work by automating repetitive tasks and accelerating the creative process. When used strategically, AI can help scale content production and enhance user experiences. This not only boosts engagement but also gives brands a competitive edge in an increasingly fast-paced digital landscape.

3. Extended Carousels for Higher Engagement

While videos are generally more engaging than static images, Instagram carousels stand out as an exception. According to a Socialinsider study, carousel posts generate the highest engagement rates on the platform.

With Instagram now allowing up to 20 images per carousel, brands have an even greater opportunity to capture and retain audience attention. More slides mean more swipes, keeping users engaged for longer. Whether showcasing behind-the-scenes event moments or providing step-by-step visual guides, extended carousels enable brands to deliver richer, more immersive storytelling.

For instance, Huda Beauty leveraged this update by sharing a detailed mix of images and videos from its Ube Collection launch event, offering followers an in-depth look at the experience.

Extended carousels also provide the perfect opportunity to tap into the popular "photo dump" trend on Instagram. This trend involves sharing a collection of seemingly unconnected, candid images that, when viewed together, tell a cohesive story or capture a specific theme—similar to flipping through a personal photo album.

For brands, photo dumps can showcase behind-the-scenes moments, product launches, user-generated content, and photoshoots. The Huda Beauty example mentioned earlier serves as a great illustration, blending both curated and spontaneous moments to create a more authentic brand narrative.

To make your content even more relevant, consider integrating other trending Instagram elements into your carousels. For example, adding intentionally blurry or vintage-style photos can enhance the raw, unfiltered feel of a photo dump. Additionally, keep an eye on emerging visual trends on Instagram and experiment with them to keep your content fresh and engaging.

4. Captivating Audiences with Longer Reels

Instagram’s move toward extended content isn’t limited to carousels. In January 2025, the platform announced that creators in the U.S. can now upload 3-minute Reels, providing even more flexibility for storytelling. While short-form videos still dominate, this update allows users to experiment with longer, more in-depth content.

With this extended format, brands and creators can now explore more detailed storytelling that wouldn’t fit within the previous 90-second limit. This opens the door for informative explainer videos, step-by-step tutorials, behind-the-scenes insights, and more.

Since this feature is still relatively new, most brands have yet to integrate it into their Instagram marketing strategy. However, some early adopters, like Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri, have already experimented with the update. He recently shared a 2.5-minute Reel breaking down shadow banning and how it works, demonstrating how longer videos can be used for educational and informative content.

5. Experiment with New Ideas Using Trial Reels

Instagram is continuously rolling out new features to help creators enhance engagement, and one of the latest additions is Trial Reels. This feature allows creators to test content with non-followers before deciding whether to share it with their full audience.

Currently available exclusively for professional accounts, Trial Reels enable users to post videos to a limited audience and analyze their performance after 24 hours. Based on the engagement and feedback, creators can then choose to publish the Reel more broadly or refine it further.

This feature is particularly useful for testing experimental or unconventional content ideas. If you’re trying something outside your usual style, Trial Reels offer a low-risk way to gauge audience interest before sharing it with your entire follower base.

6. Harness the Power of User-Generated Content (UGC)

In 2025, brands are increasingly relying on user-generated content (UGC) to connect with their audiences. Traditional promotional tactics are becoming less effective as consumers seek authentic, relatable content from real people rather than polished advertisements.

Leading brands have embraced UGC as a free and powerful marketing tool, repurposing customer-created content to build trust, increase engagement, and drive growth on Instagram.

How Can Brands Source High-Quality UGC?

Many major brands, including BMW, Samsung, and Apple, leverage branded hashtags to encourage customers to share content featuring their products. These hashtags help brands easily find and showcase UGC:

• #shotoniphone – 31 million posts

• #bmwrepost – 3 million posts

• #withgalaxy – 2.1 million posts

Samsung has taken this strategy a step further by launching a dedicated Instagram account to highlight user-generated content. Creators eagerly tag their photos with #withgalaxy, hoping for a chance to be featured on Samsung’s official page, which boasts 4.8 million followers.

By tapping into UGC, brands cultivate a sense of community while gaining access to organic, high-quality content that resonates with their audience.

Encouraging user-generated content (UGC) isn’t just about branded hashtags—it can also be driven through strategic campaigns and collaborations.

One effective approach is to host contests, rewarding participants with the best entries. This not only increases engagement but also motivates users to create and share content featuring your brand.

Another proven method is collaborating with influencers and industry experts. Partnering with content creators in your niche allows you to showcase authentic product reviews and increase brand credibility. For instance, CeraVe frequently works with dermatologists and skincare influencers like @dermguru, who provide expert-backed reviews. CeraVe then reposts this content to reinforce trust and authority in the skincare industry.

Additionally, brands can reshare organic posts and Stories from everyday users. When non-influencer customers tag or mention your brand, ask for permission to repost their content. These authentic endorsements serve as powerful social proof, demonstrating real people enjoying your products in their daily lives.

7. Strengthen Engagement Through Community-Driven Experiences

Boosting engagement on Instagram requires more than just an aesthetically pleasing Feed. The platform’s algorithm prioritizes genuine interactions and meaningful community engagement, making it essential for brands to focus on building relationships with their audience.

One effective way to do this is through Instagram broadcast channels—a one-way messaging tool that allows brands and creators to connect with their followers in a more direct and interactive space. These channels provide an opportunity to share exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and important announcements in a more intimate setting.

Currently, broadcast channels support text, photos, videos, voice notes, polls, and question cards, allowing brands to gather feedback and engage followers in discussions.

For instance, Netflix has created a dedicated “Netflix Sports” broadcast channel with over 170,000 members, where they share commentary and updates on major sports events. This strategy helps them maintain engagement with sports enthusiasts while fostering a stronger sense of community around their content.

8. Drive More Traffic with Multiple Bio Links

Gone are the days when Instagram allowed only one link in your bio. Marketers previously had to rely on third-party tools like Linktree to compile multiple important links into a single landing page.

Now, Instagram lets users add up to five external links directly to their profile, making it easier to drive traffic to multiple destinations.

>> Read more: How to Use Bio Link To Increase Interaction On TikTok

For brands with an omnichannel strategy, this is a game-changer. A retail business can direct users to its best-selling product page, FAQ section, YouTube channel, and online store. Similarly, a SaaS company can link to its top-converting landing page, latest blog post, and downloadable eBook—all from a single Instagram profile.

How to Add Multiple Links to Your Instagram Bio:

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.

2. Tap Edit Profile under your profile picture.

3. Select Add Links, then tap + Add External Link.

4. Enter the URL and title of the link you want to add.

5. Tap Done in the top right corner.

6. Tap + Add external link again to add another link

You can edit or remove links anytime, giving brands the flexibility to highlight new campaigns, promotions, and content beyond Instagram.

9. Enhance Visibility with Instagram SEO

Social search is on the rise, with 31% of consumers turning to social media for answers instead of traditional search engines. Among Gen Z and Millennials, nearly 29% prefer searching on social platforms over Google.

As Instagram's algorithm continues to personalize Feeds based on user intent, optimizing for Instagram SEO is now more crucial than ever. To increase discoverability, marketers need an approach that goes beyond just using hashtags and focuses on search-friendly content strategies.

How to Improve Your Instagram SEO and Rank Higher

• Identify High-Intent Keywords

  • Research what your audience is searching for and tailor your content accordingly.

  • For example, if interest in vegan recipes is growing, create posts around “vegan breakfast ideas” or “plant-based dinners.”

• Optimize Captions & Subtitles

  • Incorporate relevant keywords naturally in captions, subtitles, Stories, and stickers.

  • Keep your content engaging by starting with a question like “Who else loves smoothie bowls?” to encourage interaction while seamlessly integrating keywords.

• Engage with Niche Accounts

  • Interact with similar creators and brands by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts.

  • This increases your visibility and encourages cross-engagement within your industry.

• Use Alt Text for Posts: Adding deScriptive alt text improves accessibility and helps Instagram's algorithm understand and categorize your content for better ranking.

• Leverage Trending Topics

  • Stay up to date with popular hashtags, challenges, and content trends.

  • For instance, if #Veganuary is trending, join the conversation by sharing vegan recipes, tips, or meal inspiration.

• Follow Instagram’s Guidelines: Ensure all content aligns with Instagram’s recommendation policies to increase ranking potential and maximize reach.

By implementing Instagram SEO best practices, brands can enhance discoverability, rank higher in search results, and reach a wider audience more effectively.

10. Boost Your Reach with Paid Promotions

As social media platforms continue to evolve, their algorithms prioritize delivering the most relevant content to users. This can sometimes lead to a decline in organic reach, making Instagram paid promotions an increasingly valuable tool for brands in 2025.

A quick scroll through your Instagram Feed will likely reveal multiple sponsored posts seamlessly integrated with organic content. For example, an ad from Thou Beauty appeared as the third post in my Feed—demonstrating how Instagram tailors ads to individual user interests.

Investing in Instagram ads presents a strong opportunity to expand your reach and connect with your target audience more effectively. Recent Instagram statistics indicate that ad reach on the platform has seen a 12.2% year-over-year increase, highlighting the growing potential of paid promotions for brands looking to maximize visibility.

Stay Ahead with the Latest Instagram Trends

Instagram trends shape how users interact with content, making it essential for brands to stay updated and adapt. Keeping up with these trends ensures you deliver fresh, engaging content that resonates with your audience and keeps them coming back for more.

Start incorporating these trends today to enhance your reach and grow your audience! 🚀