Y’all mind if I hit the Nae Nae real quick? Or climb over a pyramid of milk crates? Maybe get a bucket of ice-cold water dumped on my head? 🫨
If you don’t get those references, they’re all examples of past social trends, and trends are part of what makes social media fun. Whether a format, a song, or a filter, trends provide inspiration and a sense of connectedness among the millions of people who post on and scroll through Instagram and TikTok every day.
To find out what’s trending on Instagram this year, I talked to as many creators and marketers as I could. Ahead, their observations, from the editing styles everyone’s using to the audio tracks that are gaining traction.
8 Instagram Trends Defining Content in 2026
If you’re wondering what to post, let these eight trends guide you in a direction that appeases the Instagram algorithm and scrollers alike.
1. Authenticity > polish
This one shouldn’t surprise anyone. Manychat’s Algorithm Fatigue: 2026 Report on Breaking Through the Scroll revealed that the majority of scrollers want to see less polished content — the real stuff.
So, that’s what people have been posting: minimally edited, talking-head style content. Max Tornow, an entrepreneur and business coach, says, “In the personal brand space, the so-called YAP format has become very popular.”
“YAP videos are literally just selfie videos, usually off the cuff, no script, very minimal editing, with subtitles and a text headline or hook on it,” he says. Max often uses this format on his page, and some of his Reels following it have amassed over 800,000 views.
Max notes that part of the reason why this kind of content performs well is that “…it really counters the over-edited feel as well as all the fake AI stuff by just being very natural.”
It will probably benefit you to skip the detailed script and fancy edits. That raw, handheld feel — sort of like a Snapchat or Instagram story — is what people want.
2. Fast-paced edits
You’ve probably heard the rumor that we humans have an attention span shorter than that of a goldfish (eight seconds). The jury is out on whether or not that claim is real, but on social, it certainly feels like it is. The advice has always been to ‘hook them in three seconds or less,’ so it tracks that no one is staying around to watch a Reel that’s more than a minute long.
Ashley Rector, founder of Quimby Digital (a social media marketing agency), says that fast edits are dominating the algorithm right now. “Quick-cut snips (tight pacing, no dead air) are critical,” she says.
Ashley suggests editing your Instagram Reels to have between eight and 15 rapid cuts in a 30-second timeframe and timing your captions to sync with music beats or voiceover pauses.
3. Repeatable formats/series
One-off trends are fun to participate in, but if you can come up with a series, you’ll be way better off, because you’ll have a content format you can turn to when inspiration runs dry.
Repeatable formats can be anything. For example, a food creator could do a weeknight dinner series featuring recipes that come together in under 30 minutes. A makeup artist could do a product of the week format, where they share about new brands or products they’ve discovered.
The idea is to find a format that works for you and keep doing it. Having a go-to series makes your job as a creator or marketer easier, and it also becomes familiar content to the algorithm and scrollers (and in turn, performs better).
One recent example of a series that comes to mind is The Catch, @britausa’s dating show for their animated shark mascot/water influencer.
There are only a few official episodes of The Catch, but there are a lot of adjacent posts featuring the Brita shark. It’s a bit wild, but it’s fun, and more importantly, it made me and many others follow the Brita account.
4. Games
When I asked Sarah Gavilla, Manychat’s social media manager, what’s been going on on Instagram, she said, “Games! Lots of games!”
Games have become particularly popular this year, which almost feels nostalgic — like that time everyone was playing Flappy Bird. But Instagram games aren’t really like Flappy Bird; rather, they’re game formats or prompts that can be adapted for social posts.
Sarah gave a few examples of games she’s seen on social lately, including this-or-that, blind rankings, and side-by-side edits.
Games are great because they can be adapted to your niche. A fashion influencer could rank brands or clothing styles, while an athlete could rank their favorite pre- or post-workout snacks.
Here, entrepreneur Alex Hormozi plays this-or-that with marketing tactics (left), and Ava Yuergens, CEO of Personal Brand Launch, does a blind ranking of financial help books (right).
TikTok is where a lot of game formats originate. The blind ranking game is actually a TikTok Effect, so it’s best to start your search there if you want to find one. You could also check out Instagram’s popular tab or visit the @creators page.
5. Captions and text
On-screen text and captions are a must for social content in 2026. ICYMI: 85% of scrollers watch videos without sound. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to generate captions; you can just use the caption tool in the Edits app to generate them, then edit each line as needed. (This is what I do for Reels for Chronically Online Magazine)
Aside from captions, on-screen text has been having a moment, and people are getting playful with how they edit around it. Ana Costa, who manages Manychat Brazil’s Instagram (@manychatbr), says, “Text intervention, like the ones made with captions or that follow the speech as a graphic element, is really hot right now.”
Ana says that text is being used as a design element, and notes that perfectly-timed (not just perfectly-placed) text is a big part of the overall trend.
6. Personalized memes
Memes have been all over the internet since the ‘I can haz cheezburger’ era, but this year, it’s all about personalized memes. Instead of taking the same picture of a cat who wants a cheezburger and reposting it, creators are using themselves or something personal to them as the meme.
For example, creator and author Gigi Robinson has an Instagram account for her dogs, Zeke and Trixie, where she posts memes featuring the duo themselves:
Ana gave another example of a personalized meme: the Jon Hamm dancing trend.“Posts where the person fits into the frame of the meme are really trendy right now,” she says.
@seancolby Bring me back to life 💃💃💃 #jonhamm #jonhammtrend #jonhammclubscene
♬ original sound – Sean Colby
7. Storytime
Storytime content — the talking-into-selfie-cam kind — has become incredibly popular on both TikTok and Instagram as of late. This is partially because it’s so easy to execute: You just hit record and start talking like you’re FaceTiming with a friend.
Sarah Gavilla pointed out that in some cases, creators are even using the storytime format in carousel form:
However you go about it, keep in mind the essentials: a compelling hook and a clear takeaway or satisfying conclusion.
8. Original audio
Spoiler alert: The Manychat team is working on a 2026 trending songs report, and as a part of the process, we’ve been pulling a list of the top trending tracks every month. At first, I was surprised at how many of the tracks were labeled “Original audio,” but now that we’re a few months in, I expect to see them.
Here’s what’s happening: When you post your own audio on a public account, it is attributed to you and labeled “Original audio.” Other users can take your original audio and use it for their own posts, which is how these tracks end up on the trending tab. In fact, many musicians and DJs take popular songs and remix them, then upload them as an “Original audio” track.
Instagram’s algorithm currently prioritizes videos with original audio because it categorizes them as new content. But that’s not to say you should abandon the trending songs tab. Use trending songs, but don’t be afraid to mix it up and create your own audio or use someone else’s original track.
To find trending songs and tracks to use, you need a Professional (Creator or Business) Instagram account. If you have that set up, all you have to do is go to your profile, hit Professional dashboard, scroll down, and tap Trending audio.
Make the Most Out of Your Posts
Trends are fun and a great way to get engagement (looking at you, Brita shark). Even so, you don’t need to try all eight of these trends right now. Pick one that intrigues you and experiment with it, whether it’s a game format your audience can riff off or a simple storytime Reel.
On that note, if you’re looking for more inspiration for your Instagram strategy, we’ve got it:
- Carousel, Reel, or Feed Post? When to Use Each Instagram Content Format
- Stop Guessing: Here’s Exactly When to Post on Instagram
- The Instagram Creator Tools Creators Actually Use
- How To Get Verified on Instagram in 2026
There’s also the aforementioned 2026 Creator Report, which is so worth the scroll. Here’s a little peek at that:
And once you’re ready to turn your engagement into actual conversations, sign up for Manychat. You plan the posts; we’ll handle the DMs and comments.
