What's Trending and How to Go Viral on Instagram in 2025

If you use Instagram, certainly you have wondered just how a seemingly innocuous video goes viral. How does a regular video become Instagram viral video?

Millions of people post millions of videos every day, but not all of them go viral. Some do, and conspicuously always the inconspicuous ones. How? Below you will read about what makes a viral insta video, as in why some videos go viral, and if you are an Instagrammer, the techniques you can use to make your Instagram video viral with a little effort.

Part 1. Top Viral Instagram Trends of 2025 - Deconstructed

Let's talk about some latest viral video Instagram trends of 2025 and see what about those videos makes them viral.

1. Send This To...

‘Send this to…’ is one of the top trending themes in 2025, and there is a reason the ‘send this to…’ format is trending. It directly encourages users to think about people they know who might appreciate what they are viewing, and then ‘send this to’ them. It works every single time! More often than not, people will pause and think of someone to send it to, send it to them, and carry on.

2. The Summer I...

It is post summer now and is the perfect time to ruminate! And how do trendsetters ponder over the months gone by? They start a trend – the summer I…

This works because summer is just gone, and it gives the perfect window to talk about and highlight that something special you did this summer. In comes ‘the summer I’ trend! It gives viewers window into your personality and encourages and inspires them to think about their summer, too!

3. Don't Do It

An example of the ‘don’t do it’ trend: Setting is you are sitting in your car, driving. You add a text overlay – Every time I sit in the car. You show yourself driving. Then, the scene cuts to you diving face first into a burger.

The way you make it comic is by adding a kicker caption, something like – My brain: Just drive past that Burger King! Just drive past that Burger King! My heart: Just one more time…

Why does it work? Users connect the dots, and chuckle. They instantly relate to the human nature, the battle of the heart’s desire versus the mind’s warnings.

4. I'll Be There

Who doesn’t love show of support, right? This trend taps right into that emotion and is an instant connect. It’s as if when inadvertently you realize that something has been with you all along, without any efforts. And now, looking back, it becomes amusing.

In this video example, we can see that a certain pair of heels have been a constant feature in the poster’s life, whether intentionally or not is another matter. Now, looking back, there’s that one thing that’ll ‘always be there’ in a way, and people love watching such reels where they are able to connect with something on an unexpected level. Pair this with funky music to exaggerate the comic situation, and you have a hit on your hands!

5. My Dream Date

Drama, fantasy, and romance – this one has it all and tugs all the right heartstrings! Users simply post videos of what their dream date would look like or was like. It leverages on nostalgia, reminiscences, and hopes. It's quite literally the dream trend!

It works because it allows users to engage organically with little to no effort. Viewers are simply watching someone's experience, or a desire. They can think of their own and post that, too. It is a great opportunity to show the world your personality! Viewers often chime in and comment on videos, fueling engagement.

6. Smile If…

Who doesn’t love a good old secret? Smile If… trend celebrates just that. Create a video of yourself speaking something into someone’s ears and smile. Watch your views skyrocket with this fun activity!

7. Life’s Better With…

Another great way to show appreciation towards that special someone in your life, this trend is all about showing the difference said someone makes to your life. It tugs all the right strings and is sure to make everyone look at you in a renewed light, if done right!

8. Orange Era

Taylor Swift’s next album has a standout color – Orange. And what did you expect? It’s trending, with people all over the world making videos with orange as the standout hue. Make one of your own to increase chances of people coming across your account!

9. Hand Me Down

Another catchy trend is the humorous ‘hand me down’ trend. All you need to do is create a video of yourself passing down something to… yourself! It’s absurd, but it hits the spot and makes people smile, every single time! And that’s all the reprieve they need in their lives to develop a connect with the content and its creator, thereby making them followers of your account!

10.Point of View

POV videos are best to make a … point, usually to a humorous end. For example, all of us have at some point in time left our chargers in our hotel rooms, right? In this video, we show the charger’s point of view, making for a fun and humorous watch.

Part 2. What Makes Videos Go Viral – Do This to Increase Your Chances Now

You've watched enough viral Instagram videos; it is now time to create one of your own! But the problem is, you do not know where to start and how to increase your chances of your video being one of the most viral videos on Instagram. Do not worry, as in this part, we deal with exactly that and give you some quick pointers to help you out.

2.1. Follow The Trends and Create Content with Viral Formats

If you have been paying attention, you would know by now that there is no luck at whose mercy you are when you want to go viral. Instead, it is method. All you need to do is spot the trends and then follow the trends.

What is a viral format? A viral format is simply a video format that most everyone is using and creating their own take on. So, effectively, what you end up with is a bucketload of videos on Instagram, following the same pattern, but each with its own take with different content – the format of the video remains the same.

Creating content in formats that are going viral ensures that your video is on trend and is as likely to pick up as any other.

2.2. Create Accessible Content

What do we mean by accessible content? Picture this - you are sitting at your doctor's and waiting on your turn. You decide to while away some time and browse some viral Instagram reels. Are you afraid? There's a reason for that.

Most everyone creates content with audio, and powerful and relevant audio is a driving, evocative force. However, more and more people are choosing to watch content without audio. How does that work, then? You create accessible content. How to make content accessible?

- Add subtitles (closed captions) to the content so that users can follow without turning up audio.

- Try and make content that does not rely on audio that much as to lose impact without audio.

When you do this, you ensure that people who do not like to turn up audio while browsing Instagram are able to enjoy and appreciate your content. This will boost your engagement with them as they will see you as considerate towards them.

2.3. Don't Overdo Hashtags

We have all seen those Instagram posts that have a snake-like list of hashtags. Not only is that off-putting, but it is also indicative of insecurity and desperation. A confident Instagrammer only uses about 3-4 relevant hashtags and lets the content speak for itself. The focus should always be content. Visibility will follow great content.

2.4. Best Time to Post

You could do with posting whenever you feel like, and you should do that, too. Note the 'too', because it is also important to time your posts in line with when your audience is most active on Instagram. Why? Because newer posts will be at the top of their feed, so the post you made at 3 in the morning simply because you weren't able to sleep will only go viral if you are, say, the President or a CEO or any other celebrity. Else, it will mostly be lost on your target audience if your target is active during the afternoon, for example. They will see newer posts that were posted around the time they are active.

2.5. Length and Lighting

It is a known fact that attention spans are not getting longer but shorter. To that effect, research says you only have about 3 seconds to engage and grab the attention of your viewers. Make every frame count! Target a video length of around 15 seconds to start with.

Lighting is crucial. Poorly lit videos where viewers are unable to see clearly what you want them to will create friction they'd rather avoid. This will disengage your users, and you can kiss your chance at virality goodbye. So, make sure that users can see what's in your videos easily and without straining their eyes.

2.6. Professional Editing: Key to Viral Instagram Videos

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Lastly, it is all about editing. What is editing anyway? Editing is tightening your story. Editing is creating your story. Editing is to add that punch and oomph to your story that delivers an impact and engages viewers. In short, editing brings out the best in your videos. And the best video editing tool you can use to edit your videos with ease is Wondershare Filmora.

Filmora Highlights

Wondershare Filmora is an AI video editor that has all the tools in its arsenal that make Instagram videos viral. What does this mean? With Filmora, you can do things like:

• Create accessible videos easily using the AI Speech-to-Text feature that automatically adds subtitles.
• Use fun text styles to go with the mood of your video.
• Use the perfect audio with a vast selection of royalty-free audio to choose from.
• Use AI tools that make life easy and help you stand out from the crowd.
• Use the perfect transitions and effects with over 2 million assets to choose from.
• Edit videos in a professional-grade software with advanced features like color grading with LUTs, keyframing, etc. in an intuitive and easy-to-master user interface.
• Upload your edited video straight to social media from within the editor.

What are you waiting for? Stop reading and download Filmora now! Use it to edit your next Instagram video and see the difference for yourself!

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Conclusion

If you've been longing to create an Instagram viral video but never knew what goes into creating a viral insta video, hopefully this guide satisfies your queries and offers you insights into how to spot trends, how to use viral video formats to boost engagement, and how to edit your videos like a pro with fun, fast and intuitive video editors like Wondershare Filmora that offer AI features and professional-level tools to level-up your Instagram videos and help them become one of the most viral videos on Instagram. Download the tool today and get started!