Social media, especially Instagram, is an ever-changing landscape and it’s a job in itself to keep up with what’s new and trending. So here’s my round-up of the social media trends that I predict you’ll be seeing all over your feed in 2025 and all of 2026.
Non-vertical Reels/videos: yep, throw out the playbook on vertical (9:16 or 1920x1080px) videos! Creators have been experimenting with landscape videos, and even uploading them horizontally (so instead of watching it upright, you need to flip your phone around) which encourages viewers to stop the scroll and watch their video. This is great news, especially if you get your videos professionally filmed and edited, and most videographers still prefer editing in landscape mode, so this means less fiddling around and having to resize everything, and being able to upload and go straight away!
Landscape posts: landscape is making a comeback baby! While some content experts would shy away from this because it doesn’t take up all the ‘real estate’ on the feed, this is an effective way to grab attention and stop the scroll, and you don’t need to worry about reformatting or resizing your images before posting.
Collage carousels: not exactly an old trend, this is experiencing a revival – and could we possibly see puzzle grids come back too?! This involves adding multiple images in one slide, and laying it out so that one image is split into 2 slides. This can be done in Canva using existing templates, or creating one large image then splitting it later. (see my tutorial here)
Filmmaking aesthetic: this is less about polished content, and more about thoughtful storytelling. I personally am loving how more film makers are creating beautiful Reels, and the best part is you don’t need to study film making to create this type of content. It comes down to choosing a narrative to your Reel, varying your shots and angles and using the right filters and colour grading (if you know how to) when editing. There are a lot of content creators on Instagram who show you how to achieve that filmmaking aesthetic, it’s just a case of going on the app and searching for it.
Multi-part stories: This is something that has been on TikTok for years, and Instagram is finally catching up (as always!). Yes, this can work for both service and product based businesses – it’s about choosing a story that a) resonates with your target audience and b) leaves them wanting more each time you finish the chapter. This could look like lessons you’ve learnt in your business, behind the scenes of how a product is made to when it arrives at your door, a positive or negative interaction with a customer (that is more than one chapter long of course!) or simply telling your story of how you came to running your business. I don’t foresee this trend lasting any longer than another 12 months, as like with educational/tutorial type Reels, people get sick of them and start wanting more so jump on this trend ASAP to maximise your reach and awareness now.
If you’re the proactive type and are always looking out for what’s trending, my tip is to look beyond the simple, gimmicky trends (like the APT dance, or any audio voiceover type content) and identify patterns in the format of the content. When you try to find trending formats, that makes it easier to adapt to your brand, story and niche, and it has the added bonus of having a longer shelf life than those gimmicky trends so you don’t feel the pressure of creating content every day.
Don’t have time to be constantly on social media, trying to figure out what’s trending and what’s not? I offer monthly social media mentorships, which is basically me in your back pocket, on speed dial ready to answer ALL your questions about content! It includes brainstorming ideas, reviewing content drafts and helping you strategise ways to use social media content to achieve your goals. All this? It’s just $49 per month with no minimum retainer period or hidden fees – spots are limited to just 5 per month so get on board now to take advantage of this incredible deal.