It’s officially fall, which means it’s time for my quarterly trend report. I do these four times a year, and this time I’ve got three formats on my radar that are genuinely worth your time right now.
I know trend reports can feel like a stiff list you’re supposed to try all of. That’s not what this is. Think of it more like a flowy, fun menu to pick from. I’ve used every one of these myself, I’ve watched them work for my clients, and I’m currently watching them blow up on Instagram in real time.
Why Trend Fatigue Is Real (And What to Do About It)
You’re going to see a hundred “here’s what’s trending” posts and have no idea which ones are actually worth your time versus which ones will be gone in two weeks.
You do not need to chase every single trend. The three I’m covering today can work for literally any niche, they’re not silly dances or one-off gimmicks that fade fast. All you need to do is pick the two or three that fit your business and your actual capacity right now.
Trend 1: The Deadline Hook
This one trended last year and it’s already picking back up. Think “if you want blank by Thanksgiving,” “if you want blank before 2027,” “if you want blank before Christmas, here’s exactly what you’re going to do.”
There’s a real reason this works. When something feels time limited, it instantly feels more valuable and more urgent to act on. People are more likely to like it, save it, and comment. Heading into Q4, this is basically free momentum sitting there for you to use.
Some real examples:
- “If you want your December fully booked, here’s what needs to happen this week.” (Great for a coach helping service providers land more clients.)
- “If you want your home to feel less chaotic before the holidays hit, here are the three things I’d focus on right now.” (Home decor niche.)
- “If you want your business running on autopilot before 2027, here are the exact things I would focus on right now.” (Perfect for an OBM.)
Follow the hook with quick bullet points in your caption laying out exactly what you’d do.
Trend 2: Storytelling Carousels
Carousels are having a real moment. Some are even outperforming Reels right now, depending on your audience and your hooks.
A storytelling carousel can go a few different directions. It can be a real story about you, your family, or your business. It can also start with something like “unsolicited advice I’d give to literally anyone who blank” or “if my friend texted me this, here’s exactly what I’d send back.”
One of my clients used this: her first slide said, “Unsolicited advice I’d give to literally any mama whose toddler still wakes them up at night.” That gets a swipe from anyone whose toddler is doing exactly that.
Here’s the part people miss. Your second slide matters just as much as your first. If someone swipes once, Instagram shows it to them again, especially if they’ve engaged with your content before. So the second slide needs its own hook. Hers was: “If your toddler keeps waking up at night, the fix probably isn’t a better bedtime routine, but it might be as simple as this.” Then the rest of the carousel delivers the fix.
Another version is a true story format. Another client’s first slide read, “This is what I do every August to get my kids’ immune systems ready to handle back to school sicknesses.” Her second slide gave a stat for context: babies, toddlers, and preschoolers average seven to eight colds a year, school age kids average five to six. That first slide hooks people in, the second slide validates how they’re feeling and sets up what’s coming next.
You can adapt that exact structure for your business. “This is what I do every October to get my business ready for the holiday rush.” “This is what I do every October to make sure my finances are ready for 2027.” Hook, then validation, then the fix.
One more thing worth knowing: carousels now go up to 20 slides. That doesn’t mean you need to use all 20. Use however many it actually takes to make your point.
Trend 3: The Listicle (With a Twist)
Remember when “10 ways to blank” and “7 ways to blank” were everywhere on Instagram? They’re coming back, but with nuance.
The move now is adding a specific adjective and making it personal. Think “seven silly things I do to blank” or “six weird rules I have for blank.” You’re centering yourself in the hook, which shows you’re actually doing this stuff, not just repeating generic tips you found online.
Odd and specific beats generic every time, because it feels human.
One of mine that performed really well: “Eight slightly delusional things to do this fall if you want Instagram to actually be making you money by January.” That’s the listicle combined with the deadline hook, which is exactly why it did so well.
I also found a reel from an account with under 50,000 followers that’s sitting at 6,000 likes and over 1,000 shares. The hook: “Five stupid simple ways to make your house look more expensive.” That’s the format working in real time, right now, for a normal sized account.
Bonus reason to love this one: it’s not talking head content. It’s easy to create, low lift, and you can make several versions to test.
How to Pick Which One to Use This Week
Don’t try to do all three at once. Start with one.
If you have a service, offer, or product you want sold out or filled before the holidays, start with the deadline hook. It’s the fastest way to see results, especially for sales and followers.
If you have a process, transformation, or story you want to slow down on, use the carousel. Give yourself time to actually plan the slide flow first. Get clear on your first and second slide hooks before you touch the design.
If you just need a low lift, easy win to stay consistent this week, the listicle is your move. Pull out your notes app and start listing the weird, specific, or slightly delusional things you actually do to get your followers the result they want. Don’t overthink it. You can always have AI help you refine it after.
The Mindset Shift
You do not need to be first on every trend, and you definitely don’t need to use all three. The goal is never to keep up with everything. It’s picking the one or two that fit your business right now and sticking with them while they’re working.
Trends come and go, which is exactly why I do this report every quarter. A sustainable relationship with content creation is what keeps you from burning out.
Recap
- The deadline hook (“if you want blank by [date]”) taps into real urgency heading into Q4
- Storytelling carousels are outperforming a lot of other content right now, and you’ve got up to 20 slides to work with
- The listicle format is back, made personal and specific instead of generic
- Pick one trend to try this week instead of doing all three at once
Your Action Challenge
Pick one of these three trends and create one piece of content from it this week. Try a second version as a trial reel if you want. Notice how it feels to create and how it performs before you commit to doing more.
If you don’t want to keep track of what’s trending every single week yourself, that’s exactly why I built Plug and Post. You get the formats already mapped out with hooks, captions, and scripts based on what’s actually working right now, so you’re never left wondering what to post next.
Resources:
The Plug & Post Instagram Content Membership: Instagram content ideas, picked by me (an IG strategist) every week based on what’s working RIGHT
NOW… so all you have to do is film and press post! – Join here!
