Top 5 Instagram Trends for 2026

As we push into 2026, and see the waves of changes happening in social media and AI, there are a lot of questions about what we should be focusing on. I recently presented a virtual training session on the Top 5 Social Media Trends for 2026. Now, this session was specifically for one industry and it was for all social media, not just Instagram, but I covered a lot of good stuff, and you know what? I figured you’d want to know that info too! So I’m distilling that presentation down into some actionable tips and recommendations for you in today’s post.

Trend #1 – Incorporating AI

Of course, this is a trend. We can’t talk business, marketing, or social media without discussing AI. It’s here, it’s real, it’s helpful, and it’s touching so many aspects of what we do today. A few stats to be aware of with regards to AI:

That last stat is key. Increasing sales and brand awareness is what we’re all trying to achieve on IG and social media, so we need to find ways to incorporate the AI tools into our systems.

AI can make you more efficient with time in so many ways. From creating images in mere seconds to generating content (captions, scripts, etc.) in less than a minute to developing content strategy outlines and deliverables in a few minutes, AI can help us be faster at the tasks so we can do more with the creative application and using our time elsewhere in our businesses.

Of course, if you’re going to use AI for any content, PLEASE make sure you have it reviewed by real humans before publishing anything. And ideally, not the human that generated the prompt for the content. Look for oddities in images or videos, look for context and details in the text, make sure the vibe matches your brand style and tone, and ensure the content isn’t inappropriately biased to the wrong audience.

If you’re new to AI, start lightly. Play around. (We talked about this in great detail in Profit Your Profile this month.) Try silly things like asking for recipes to make for dinner. Get comfortable with things before you start throwing your business plan at it 😉

If you want some AI tools to help get you going, here are some of my fave resources:

Trend #2 – Proving Humanity

I know! The irony of the AI trend is that we ultimately have to also prove we’re human so people trust us. Did you know that 75% of people trust the internet LESS now than they ever have? We trust it less than when the internet was “launched”! Because AI is so prevalent and almost every “crazy” video we see, we say, it must be AI. We don’t trust what we read, see, or watch anymore unless we can KNOW it was real.

And, so, it’s up to you and your brand to ensure you’re providing that sense of reality. You can do this by showing your employees in real world environments - at work, at trade shows, at conferences, at charity events, at team events, etc. Share content that represents your missions and values - the things that set you apart and that your audience knows represents your brand and what you stand for. Embrace storytelling! Use the stories behind your brand and your employees - the emotional moments, the milestones, the transparency, and more to really connect with your audience. Let them see what your company is about from the perspective of the stories, not just the corporate jargon.

And, fun fact: embrace the imperfections. For now, at least, AI is about doing things polished and “perfect”. Instead, your imperfections prove your realness and authenticity. If you’ve ever heard me speak at a conference or on a podcast, you’ve probably heard me make up words because my brain moves faster than my mouth and I tend to blend words together. It’s annoying, but it’s real and it’s me. Live video and single take videos (with the imperfections not edited out) can be a benefit in connecting authentically with your audience.

Trend #3 – Social Search Optimization

Social media, and especially Instagram, has become a primary search engine today. Your content needs to be formatted to be found for those looking for you and to be recommended to users. Good social search strategies also help your content get discovered in traditional search engines AND in AI platforms so it’s imperative that you’re optimizing your IG content for those search queries and recommendations.

The key to optimizing relies on these 4 tactics:

Use relevant keywords in your captions. These should be the words your audience is searching for or using in their daily conversations. If you’re in real estate, the words: house, home, 3-bedroom, renovated, schools, yard, etc. are all keywords. The keywords should flow in natural conversation within your caption. You’re writing a story, a description, details to share with your audience, and throughout, you’re including the relevant words related to your industry,
audience, and solution.

Have descriptive captions. This follows on that point above. Gone are the days of a single line caption, or no caption at all! To help with search and placement on IG, you need to tell the platform what your post is about - and that’s what the caption does. All while connecting with your audience in an authentic and conversational way. If you have a Reel with a lot of context (talking head or text boxes with details), you can scale back the length of the caption but you should still have some context and keywords included.

Use 5 hashtags in your post captions. Yes, we can still use hashtags and you absolutely should! They are highly valuable for ranking your content for search and recommendations, telling IG what your post is about. BUT, the key is to use these 5 limited hashtags to provide context outside of what you’ve already included in your caption and keywords. For example, if I share a post about an Instagram tip, I’m not going to use any phrases in my hashtags that reiterate words or phrases related to that tip. But I will use hashtags related to Business Marketing Tips, or Keynote Speaker as these are tangential and related to what I do, giving MORE detail to the search criteria. BONUS: Watch this short Reel on my IG account for more tips on how to use your 5 hashtags effectively.

Add strategic alt text to your images. This is a step commonly overlooked. We’re so focused on creating the visuals, writing the caption, getting the post edited and uploaded that we don’t think about this simple step. Alt text allows Instagram to easily scan your post/image for what the content is and if you use this description strategically, you can significantly boost your algorithmic placements. Additionally, Google and search engines are scraping data from within Instagram, and that data includes the alt text on images. The right alt text is going to get your posts showing up in more search engines AND in more AI searches! BONUS: Here’s a link to my video training for The IG Power Boost that walks you through exactly what you need to do with your alt text to drastically improve your post performance across all these platforms!

Trend #4 - Reels

Yes, Reels. We can’t talk Instagram and not talk Reels. Because they are a major aspect of your overall IG strategy - but not your whole strategy!! Reels are shared on IG over a BILLION times a DAY. That’s a lot of sharing! Watching Reels also accounts for more than 50% of time spent on IG so people are here and they are consuming them. You need to meet your audience where they are. It doesn’t mean all Reels all the time. You still need photos, carousels, Stories, and DMs in your whole strategy, but yes, Reels should be a significant portion of your content strategy.

In general,

Which definitely supports incorporating them! But, it’s also worth noting that Reels are typically best for top of funnel marketing - awareness. They don’t typically drive as many conversions as other content types. Fun fact: Stories are the highest driver of conversions for most brands.

So, if you’re not using Reels regularly, you need to start. If you are using them, review your strategy to ensure they are achieving the results you want and make sure you’re creating the right Reels for the right outcomes.

Trend #5 – Going OFF the Public Platforms

Ultimately, social media is a great tool. But it’s public - for everyone to see. We’re seeing more and more consumers move to private conversations for customer service, requests, inquiries, and brand discussions.

This means showing up in direct messages (DMs), getting people into your programs or memberships, signing up for your newsletter, joining you on substacks, or messaging platforms. These private conversations allow you to connect with your audience directly. To have one on one conversations and provide support and access that they are looking for. And you also bypass algorithms! It creates loyalty and consumer passion, building your brand beyond the public display of content on your own terms.

So, where you can, start looking at ways that you can interact with your audience in a more personal, and less public, way. Use CTAs that drive your followers into your DMs. Ask them to DM you. Provide exclusive content only to your newsletter subscribers. Open up those lines of communication, meeting your audience where they are and allowing them to connect with you more confidently.

These aren’t massive changes!

In general, none of these changes are major shifts. They are tactics you can take on intentionally to better connect with your audience, improve your productivity, and get in front of more people. And if any of these seem like big changes, start small! Tiptoe into the AI aspects, use a DM request occasionally, slowing create more authentic content showcasing your employees. The more you