Creating viral Instagram Reels isn't just a nice-to-have anymore—it's practically mandatory for anyone serious about social media. What started as Instagram's answer to TikTok has quickly become the platform's dominant format, with all short videos now automatically categorized as Reels.

For content creators, this shift presents both an opportunity and a challenge. Reels offer incredible reach potential, but coming up with fresh ideas that actually perform? That's the part nobody talks about—the blank screen staring back at you when you're out of inspiration.

So we've compiled 20 Instagram Reels ideas that actually work for influencers, creators, and businesses. No generic advice—just actionable concepts you can adapt and start using today.

What Are Instagram Reels and Why They Matter

Instagram Reels, also known as IG Reels, are short-form vertical videos that appear in multiple locations across Instagram, including the main feed, your profile, the Explore page, and a dedicated Reels tab. Users can scroll seamlessly through Reels, much like TikTok. As of now, Instagram allows Reels to be up to 15 minutes long, providing more flexibility for creators looking to engage their audience with longer-form content.

Because Instagram prioritizes Reels in its algorithm, creating them can significantly boost your visibility and engagement. The platform makes it easy for users to discover Reels through features like the Explore page and suggested content in their feeds. With video content driving more engagement than static posts, leveraging Instagram Reels is essential for growing your online presence.

Understanding the Instagram Reels Algorithm

Optimizing for the Instagram Reels algorithm can significantly enhance your visibility and engagement. The algorithm prioritizes content that is engaging, relevant, and consistent with user interests. To optimize for it, focus on relevance by using appropriate hashtags and captions. Encourage engagement by prompting likes, comments, and saves. Consistently posting high-quality content is crucial for maintaining visibility.

• Learn more about the Reels algorithm

3 Essential Tips for Creating Engaging Reels

If you're a content creator or a small business looking to grow on Instagram, Reels should be a key part of your strategy. To help you get started, here are three essential tips for creating Reels that attract and engage your audience.

Optimize Your Posting Schedule

To maximize your Instagram reach, consistency is key. Posting regularly helps you stay visible in the algorithm and keeps your audience engaged. Frequent posting signals to Instagram that your content is valuable, increasing the chances of it being recommended to new viewers.

Create a content calendar that aligns with your business's capacity and best practices. Research from Later suggests that accounts with under 10,000 followers see the highest engagement rates—averaging 4.73%—when posting around 14 Reels per week. However, if that’s too demanding, a mix of Reels and carousel posts (e.g., five Reels and five carousels per week) can also drive strong engagement.

That's a lot of video content; small business owners or companies with a single social media manager might not be able to keep up with that demand. Instead, creating a marketing strategy that involves multiple types of content—i.e., five Reels and five carousel posts per week—can be just as powerful.

Enhance With Creative Editing

Your first take might not be the one that goes viral. Take time to edit your footage to make it more engaging. Well-edited Reels keep viewers watching longer, which signals to Instagram’s algorithm that your content is worth promoting.

Instagram provides built-in editing tools, including music, voiceovers, stickers, and GIFs. However, for more advanced editing features like automatic captions, precise cuts, and stock media, a third-party tool like Descript can help you create professional-quality Reels before uploading them to Instagram.

Thousands of creators already use the software to:

• Improve audio quality with Studio Sound
• Remove filler words like “um” and “uh” in a single click
• Start with an Instagram Reels template to make your video creation process easy

Engage With Your Audience

Engagement is a key metric on Instagram. Likes, comments, shares, and saves indicate to the algorithm that your Reel is valuable—boosting its chances of reaching a larger audience. Reels that encourage interaction and spark discussions tend to perform best.

Take this into account and watch Reels from users in your industry or who fit your target audience. Like and comment on their posts to get your name out there, and reply to anyone who comments on your own posts.

Industry-Specific Instagram Reels Ideas

Tailoring your Reels ideas to specific industries can enhance your content strategy. For the fashion industry, focus on product showcases and influencer collaborations. In education, create tutorials and host Q&A sessions. B2B companies can benefit from sharing company updates and client testimonials. These industry-specific strategies ensure relevancy and engagement with your target audience.

• Explore industry-specific ideas

10 Best Instagram Reels Ideas for Influencers

If you’re an influencer or content creator looking to expand your reach, these 10 Instagram Reels ideas will help you engage your audience and grow your presence on the platform.

1. Tutorials or how-to videos
2. “Get ready with me” videos
3. Product reviews and recommendations
4. Day in the life or behind the scenes
5. Challenge participation
6. Use trending audio clips or memes
7. Storytelling or mini vlogs
8. Before and after transformations
9. Reaction and commentary
10. Motivational quotes with visuals

1. Tutorial or How-To Reels Ideas

Create tutorials showcasing your expertise or creative process. Use voiceovers to guide viewers through each step or speak directly on camera. The key is to make the content informative and engaging while keeping it concise.

Here are some Instagram Reels ideas to make the most out of this format:

• Home decor DIYs
• Makeup tutorials
• Organization tips
• Recipes
• Life hacks
• Workouts

Here's an example of a makeup tutorial video from Natalie Kennedy. The creator uses an Instagram Reel to showcase how she puts on her makeup, complete with background music and links to all products used in the caption—a smart technique you could use to make money on Instagram via affiliate links.

2. "Get Ready With Me" Reels

Get ready with me (often abbreviated to #GRWM) videos are another popular trend on both Instagram Reels and TikTok. This type of video showcases someone's morning routine before they go somewhere—often showing skincare, haircare, makeup, picking out an outfit, or all of the above.

Here's an example of a popular influencer, Meredith Duxbury, who shares her makeup routine before heading to an event:

While the best #GRWM videos include some sort of storytime, FAQs, and explanation of what the influencer is doing or where they are going, you can also just play a song in the background of your video. Some creators use time-lapse videos to show the full routine in a shorter video.

3. Product Reviews and Recommendations

Social media users want to find out what brands and new products some of their favorite creators use, which is why product reviews are a great option for Instagram Reels.

Samantha Hermann, for example, shares her favorite Amazon products in this Instagram Reel. Notice how the caption says: “Comment 'LINKS' and I'll send them to your inbox.” This is a smart strategy because you can't include links in your Instagram caption—but you can in DMs. The creator can easily send affiliate links and earn a commission each time someone makes a purchase off the back of her Reel. She doesn't need to DM every commenter individually, either—there are chat marketing services like ManyChat that can do it automatically.

4. Day in the Life or Behind-the-Scenes

A day in the life or behind-the-scenes (BTS) video is a fun way to showcase your daily grind and strengthen the relationship with your followers. This video style is typically reserved for Instagram Stories, but Reels can still be a good place for less styled content like this.

Use this Reel idea to showcase what your day looks like. Share the behind-the-scenes of how you film certain videos, and give a less glamorous look into your life that people rarely see. Breaking down the fourth wall—like Cassie Scroggins does with this Instagram Reel—can make you seem more relatable to help followers connect with you.

5. Challenge Participation Reels

Challenges can be incredibly valuable for an influencer trying to grow their Instagram account—or as a content creator trying to grow their dog's Instagram account, like we see in this example below.

By participating in challenges, especially ones that are currently trending and popular, you're increasing the chance that your video gets picked up by the Instagram algorithm. Plus, it's an easy (and fun!) idea to add to your content calendar.

Watch trending videos on Instagram to find existing challenges. Or, try to create your own and challenge influencers in your niche to take part.

6. Trending Audio Clips and Memes

One of the best aspects of short-form video content like TikToks and Reels is the ability to repurpose funny and trending audio. Not only does this type of content engage viewers, but it's also an easy way to come up with even more content ideas.

Here's a funny example from a book influencer who uses a sound clip from Family Guy to talk about buying too many books:

Browsing trending Reels can help you discover popular sound bites that resonate with your audience. Leveraging trending audio is a great way to boost visibility and engagement without recording original audio from scratch.

7. Storytelling and Mini Vlogs

As a content creator or influencer, a large part of your job is creating a bond with your followers. Sharing stories from your life or creating micro-vlogs is just one way to do that, while also increasing your reach on the platform.

Here's an example video from Helene Sula, a travel and lifestyle influencer who used Instagram Reels to share the story of why she and her husband decided to move abroad:

Use Instagram Reels to connect with your followers on a personal level. Sharing relatable stories or vlogs helps humanize your brand and fosters deeper engagement with your audience.

8. Before and After Transformations

If you're working on a project, styling an outfit, creating a new makeup look, or trying to lose weight, take footage from the beginning of your journey and share the end result in an Instagram Reel.

Here's a fun example from Hilary Rose Bodiford, who used an Instagram Reel to show the before and after of sprucing up her backyard fire pit area:

9. Reaction and Commentary Reels

Reaction videos are highly engaging and easy to create. Find trending or thought-provoking videos, film your authentic reaction, and add captions or text overlays to enhance viewer experience. This format is great for sparking conversations and increasing watch time.

Take advantage of this content format and find other videos online—preferably funny or shocking videos—and react to them. Film yourself watching the videos for the first time so you can record a genuine reaction.

In this Reel example, online coach James Smith reacts to a video shared on a recent podcast episode. He references the podcast in the video hook to stop people from scrolling, then explains the science behind why he disagrees with the expert. Both of those things can help him boost credibility and drive potential clients towards his coaching services.

10. Motivational Quotes With Visuals

#QOTD—which stands for “quote of the day”—is always going to be a quick and easy hashtag and content type to use in your social media marketing strategy, including in Instagram Reels.

Take a look at this example below. The creator placed a simple quote from a poem in the center of the screen, using beautiful imagery and background music to make it more engaging. You can easily add this type of video to your content strategy by using stock media inside Descript's video editor.

10 Proven Instagram Reels Ideas for Businesses

Reach potential customers on Instagram by taking advantage of these 10 Instagram Reels ideas for businesses.

1. Product showcases and demos
2. Customer testimonials and reviews
3. Collaborations and partnerships
4. Educational content
5. User-generated content
6. Seasonal promotions and offers
7. Industry or company news
8. Meet the team
9. Tag your products
10. Comedy skits

1. Product Showcases and Demos

Above all else, you'll want to show off your products and/or services on the social media platform. That's the whole point of your business Instagram, right? So put together videos that show off your business's offerings as well as how they can best be used.

Here's a Reel from the survey tool Typeform showcasing how the brand's new AI forms work. Quick videos like this can be both informative and engaging—a perfect combination for your Instagram Reels.

2. Customer Testimonials and Reviews

Instagram Reels are the perfect place to share what existing customers think of your products and services. Seeing happy customers is a great form of social proof and can push customers on the brink of making a purchase towards clicking that Checkout button.

Share a video testimonial where you interview customers or clients about their experience, or use jump cuts to include several testimonials all in one video at a faster pace. This caters to the ever-dwindling attention span of a typical social media user. WallyGrow chose the second option, including text overlays of several different five-star customer reviews on top of product photos:

3. Collaborations and Partnerships

Does your business often collaborate with other brands? Instagram Reels can be the perfect place to show off these brand partnerships. The cross-promotion can help both your audience and the other brand's audience expand as users learn about both companies at once.

Take a look at this example below, where the brand Wild One was teasing a product collection it was launching with another brand. The sneak peek-style Reel goes a long way in building hype and anticipation so that when the launch happens, there's already a group of people excited about it.

4. Educational Content Ideas

Educational content is always going to be a solid video marketing strategy for any business. Share tips and tricks that relate back to your industry so that potential customers feel confident and informed as they use your product or service.

Here's a perfect example from Semrush, an SEO tool that shares what a dip in traffic could mean for a business—and how they can discover the reason right inside Semrush's tool. This is a two-in-one idea, because the brand is informing viewers of an SEO issue while also promoting how to use its tool for the solution.

5. User-Generated Content Strategies

User-generated content (UGC) is a type of content that someone else has created—typically a creator or customer who is using your products. It's another form of social proof that shows Instagram followers that your product is loved and well-used by existing customers.

UGC can also be a great way to entertain your viewers, as we see in this Instagram Reel from BarkBox. The video incorporates dog toys available in the monthly boxes in a cute and engaging way. The brand also tags the original creator in the post.

6. Seasonal Promotions and Offers

If your product offerings change with the seasons, promote them with your Instagram Reels. People love festive content on social media even if it's promotional, so have a little fun with your content throughout the holiday season.

Here's a great example from The Marshmallow Co. Its team created a number of Halloween-specific marshmallows to sell during the month of October. Not only can this approach help bring in more seasonal sales, but it's a simple Reel idea to create fun holiday content for Instagram.

7. Industry or Company News Updates

Have you released a new feature or seen a big industry update? Keep followers up to date with changes—and prove you're a trustworthy news source—by sharing updates through Instagram Reels.

Take a look at this Instagram Reel that the Descript team put together to share our exciting news about remote recording in 4K:

The key to news-related Instagram Reels is to find the right balance between entertaining and informative videos. It's the best way to keep your audience in the know about important updates while also ensuring they enjoy watching your content.

8. Meet the Team Reels

Introducing your employees to your audience can help build a better rapport between your business and its customers.

There are a few ways you can do this with Instagram Reels—the first is to have different team members create their own “day in the life” video showcasing what they do on a typical day at work. Or, ask team members for a simple introduction and compile them in a single fast-paced video.

Graphic design tool Visme asked one of its team members what they liked most about working at Visme. By spotlighting one employee at a time, you're giving yourself more content to work with. If you have a team of ten, for example, this gives you ten video ideas right off the bat.

9. Tag Your Products for Shopping

Businesses using Instagram Reels can tag products from their Instagram Shop—a storefront that shows your products without forcing users to leave the app and browse your website.

Use Instagram Reels to showcase your products and tag them directly from your Instagram Shop. Enabling in-app purchasing makes it easier for viewers to buy without leaving Instagram, streamlining the customer journey.

10. Comedy Skits for Brand Personality

A skit is a comedy video that uses humor to connect with viewers. These funny videos are the most liked posts on Instagram.

Depending on your business's tone of voice, you could use Instagram Reels to create skits and inject some personality into your business's Instagram content. It's a creative idea that can entertain your audience and help you grow a large, loyal following.

Meeting recording app TLDV has done a great job creating skits that are fun to watch but still relate back to its industry, like this one below:

Creating a skit requires planning—scriptwriting, acting, and editing—but can yield high engagement. Skits with humor or relatable themes tend to perform well, making them a great way to inject personality into your brand’s content strategy.

Best Video Editing Tools for Instagram Reels

There's more to creating Instagram Reels that your target audience will love than shooting footage. How you piece together different video clips (or scenes, if you're doing a skit) is just as important.

Take advantage of Descript's Instagram video editor to fine-tune your creative process. With it, you can:

• Use AI Voices to fix audio mistakes without re-recording your Reel
• Remove background noise in a single click
• Stitch together different video clips for a professionally edited Reel
• Add captions, titles, and subtitles to your video
• Choose from a library of stock media, including transition templates and background music

Thousands of creators already use Descript's AI video editor to edit their Instagram Reels. Take a free tour today and you'll see why.

Instagram Reels Ideas FAQ

What Kind of Reels Are Trending Now?

Challenge-based Reels are some of the most popular types of Instagram videos. People enjoy watching people do something (like stuff their mouth with marshmallows), which is why this type of Reel tends to trend on Instagram.

How can I optimize my Instagram Reels for better engagement?

To optimize your Instagram Reels, focus on using relevant hashtags and captions, encourage engagement through interactive content, and maintain a consistent posting schedule. This strategy increases the likelihood of your Reels being recommended by the algorithm. Learn more about optimizing Reels.

What are some trending topics for Instagram Reels?

Trending topics for Instagram Reels include seasonal content and popular challenges. Participating in these can help increase your content's visibility and engagement. Stay updated on trends to keep your Reels fresh and relevant. Explore more about creating engaging Reels.