It’s no secret that Instagram Reels might be your golden ticket to building a following on the platform.
“The most effective way to grow on Instagram is to consistently create engaging reels, as reels are the best way to reach new audiences,” Instagram Creator Partnerships at Meta Carly Lynn said in a video shared by the social platform’s Creator account.
It doesn’t get much clearer than that — and Buffer data supports this.
After analyzing more than 5 million Instagram posts sent through Buffer, our data scientists pinpointed reels as the best type of content to post on Instagram for engagement (one of the strongest signals in the Instagram algorithm).
Great! But it's easier said than done. Regularly creating engaging reels to grow your Instagram account is no mean feat — which is why tapping into Instagram Reel trends should be an essential part of your marketing strategy as a brand or creator.
Trending reels on Instagram offer a low-lift way to create content you know Instagram users are already enjoying (and put your own special spin on things, of course.)
In this guide, we’ll unpack exactly how to discover those reels trends while they’re still hot enough to make an impact, along with some of the best Instagram reels trends we’ve seen on the platform this year.
We’ll go beyond simple trending reels songs here and examine the full video package — the formats, the edits, the memes, and more. While the trending audio is important and can help expand brand visibility, it’s only one piece of the reels content puzzle.
Hear that? The Explore page is calling.
How to find trending Instagram Reels
1. Reel trends insights
If you’re based in the U.S., there’s a really quick and easy way to find all the new trends currently making waves on the platform. (If you’re not, no sweat — plenty of other routes exist. Scroll on.)
Here’s how to do it.
- Head over to your Instagram profile on the app by tapping your profile picture on the bottom right of your screen.
- Tap the three horizontal lines on the top right to open the Settings and activity menu.
- Tap Reels Trends. Here, you can see what sounds and hashtags are trending on Instagram Reels right now.
Do some digging when you find one that feels like it might be a good fit for your target audience or content pillars. How are other creators tapping into the trend? Is there a specific format that matches the audio? Is there a reels template from another creator you can use to create your own reel faster? (You’ll see a little button that says “Template by…” on the bottom left of the reel if that’s the case.)
If you’re not based in the U.S. and don’t have access to this nifty guide, there are other routes to finding trending reels you can use (and ones that might work a little better for your niche, too).
2. Create a reel
Did you know Instagram recommends trending reels for your region right in the reel creation screen? Even if you’re not based in the U.S., this method should be available for you. Here’s how:
- Tap on the + create button on the bottom middle of the app, then choose Reel.
- At the top of the screen, tap Templates.
Here, you’ll find two categories of templates you can tap into — Recommended for you and Trending. Both will have a host of great options you can choose from.
The best part? The templates are premade, so you’ll be able to add your own clips and recreate the effect within a few minutes. No muss, no fuss.
3. The Instagram Creators account
Instagram’s @Creators account is a must-follow for handy tips and tricks from influencers, creators, and other platform experts.
They regularly share Instagram tips and tricks, current reel trends, filming, editing, and transition tutorials, along with new Instagram features to try out.
For extra content creation help, you can join the Creators broadcast channel to have news of Instagram’s latest features and trends sent straight to your Instagram inbox. Sign up here.
