Below, we’ve compiled the top 30 viral social media trends that are shaping September and driving high engagement across platforms.

Visual Hooks:

First impressions matter. Visual hooks use strong imagery, bold colors, or dynamic movement in the opening seconds of a video to grab attention. When executed well, they increase watch time, encourage likes, and make your content more likely to appear on feeds and recommendation algorithms.

The AI Era:

Artificial intelligence continues to influence marketing strategies. Sharing videos that teach your audience how to implement AI tools in your niche, whether for productivity, automation, or content generation, positions you as an authority while educating followers on cutting-edge techniques.

Dressing Like A Bum:

A playful trend for entrepreneurs and car enthusiasts, this style encourages creators to post casual outfits while showcasing their luxury or performance vehicles. Using overlays like “Dressing like a bum because my car is the fit” adds humor and relatability, helping videos go viral.

Black Frame Videos:

Adding a black, rounded border to videos has emerged as a popular way to create a distinctive aesthetic. This subtle visual tweak makes content visually unique and helps your reels stand out among standard video feeds.

User-Generated Content:

Brands are increasingly using photos, videos, and testimonials created by customers. Sharing authentic user content builds credibility, strengthens trust, and increases engagement while providing social proof that encourages sales or conversions.

Niche-Focused Content:

Catering content to a specific audience ensures that viewers are genuinely interested and more likely to engage. By identifying niche communities, creators attract dedicated followers who value specialized information and may have higher buying intent.

The Sendy Trend:

This lighthearted TikTok trend involves creators sharing their favorite food or drink moments, often using overlays like “Got caught doing a sendy.” By combining casual humor with relatable content, it encourages audience interaction and shares.

Just Post It:

Encouraging consistent content creation, this trend emphasizes authenticity over perfection. Creators share their daily experiences or insights without overthinking, fostering community and motivating others to post regularly.

Copy This Faceless Business:

On YouTube, long-form content showing how to build a faceless brand or business is trending. Using titles and overlays like “Copy This Faceless Business” attracts aspiring entrepreneurs and educates viewers on building scalable brands anonymously.

Tell Me Without Telling Me:

TikTok creators post content that reveals their personality or profession without directly stating it, such as “Tell me you’re an entrepreneur without telling me you’re an entrepreneur.” This creative approach drives engagement and sparks audience curiosity.

Singing Ads:

Brands are bringing music back into marketing by adapting popular songs to fit product narratives. This trend makes ads more memorable, emotionally appealing, and shareable across social platforms.

10 Rules:

A widely used YouTube format where creators provide a concise list of ten actionable tips, principles, or guidelines. Structured lists make content digestible and are often saved or shared for reference.

How To Become…:

Videos that teach viewers how to achieve specific goals, like “How to become a marketer in 2025” or “How to become a millionaire in 2026,” perform well because they offer practical strategies, expert advice, and aspirational inspiration.

Lifestyle Videos:


Sharing behind-the-scenes or daily routines allows creators to humanize their brand. Viewers connect more deeply when they see authentic, real-life experiences alongside professional content.

Motivational Quotes and Posts:

Inspirational content on platforms like Threads and Instagram resonates widely. Motivational quotes paired with personal insights increase engagement, saves, and shares, expanding your reach organically.

Asking For Permission Trend:

Creators ask viewers for permission to perform a simple action, such as “I’m about to drink this coffee, is that okay?” This interactive approach fosters connection and encourages audience participation.

The Griffin Method:

A voiceover editing technique trending on TikTok involves varying the speed of your speech to emphasize key points. This method keeps viewers attentive while highlighting important or entertaining moments in the video.

Series Content:

Posting episodic content like “Day 1 of my fat loss journey” or “Episode 3 of launching my business” encourages repeat viewership. Sharing updates daily or weekly keeps audiences engaged and invested in the narrative.

Brand Storytelling:

Sharing authentic stories about your business, journey, or customer experiences helps create emotional connections. This trend emphasizes transparency and fosters loyalty among followers.

Nostalgia Marketing:

Using familiar cultural references, retro visuals, or old memories connects emotionally with audiences. Brands leveraging nostalgia create memorable campaigns that increase engagement and brand recall.

100 vs 1M:

Comparing a small-engagement hook versus a viral one educates audiences on what drives performance. This format provides value while analyzing trends in content virality.

A Look Inside:

YouTube videos titled “A Look Inside My Life as a CEO” or “A Look Inside My $8 Million Marketing Business” give audiences access to behind-the-scenes moments, building trust and relatability.

Social Search Optimization:

Optimizing content for social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn, rather than only Google, ensures that videos and posts rank in searches where audiences actively browse.Authenticity: Sharing unfiltered, genuine content remains a critical trend. Authentic posts build deeper relationships, inspire trust, and foster loyal communities that support your brand.

No Experience Needed:

Educational YouTube content teaching skills like starting a marketing agency without prior experience attracts aspiring entrepreneurs, providing them with practical guidance and actionable insights.

Instagram Subscriptions:

This feature allows creators to share exclusive insights and content with paying followers. It provides a recurring revenue stream while giving audiences valuable premium content.

Let TikTok Pick The Song:

By uploading a video and letting TikTok choose the audio, creators can experiment with unexpected viral sounds, increasing the likelihood of reach and engagement.

AI Will Create More Millionaires:

Long-form videos comparing AI to other industries, such as cryptocurrency or e-commerce, spark interest and discussion while teaching audiences how to leverage technology for business growth.

Extended Carousels:

Posting 10+ slides on Instagram to share life lessons, educational tips, or sequential storytelling encourages users to swipe through the content, boosting engagement and reach.

Quick Tips and Life Hacks:

Short, actionable tips presented through Reels or extended Carousels help audiences solve problems quickly, making content valuable and shareable.

DermaRite Recall:

Over 50,000 searches surged within 22 hours after the company recalled several hand soaps and sanitizers due to an infection risk. This shows how fast health-related concerns can dominate search activity.

Gemini IPO:

The new stock debut created a buzz with more than 50,000 searches in under 9 hours. Priced at $28 per share, Gemini’s IPO valued the company at $3.3 billion, drawing strong investor interest.

SpaceX Rocket Launch:

A Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL supply mission announcement led to a 300% spike in search interest within an hour. This highlights the continued public fascination with space exploration.

Lucid Stock Update:

Interest grew by 200% in just four hours after the electric vehicle maker executed a reverse stock split. LCID shares initially dipped but quickly rebounded by 5% over five days, sparking active discussions among investors.

Nostalgia Marketing by Dimitris Loannou:

Explains how brands can use nostalgia as a bridge to build lasting, emotional connections with audiences. It offers practical examples from campaigns that have succeeded by revisiting the past.

Transforming Customer-Brand Relationships by Christina Garnett:

Focuses on building genuine connections through trust and authenticity, providing marketers with frameworks for long-term customer engagement.

The Creative CEO by Russ Perry:

Tailored for creative entrepreneurs ready to move beyond freelancing, this book outlines business frameworks that encourage scalability and financial freedom.

AI Vibe Marketing by Alex Rullo:

Explores how artificial intelligence can be applied to vibe marketing, offering businesses ways to connect more naturally with their communities.

The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon:

Provides sales professionals with strategies for leading conversations, teaching unique insights, and challenging customer perspectives to drive growth.

Live streaming builds instant interaction. Hosting live sessions like product launches or tutorials increases comments by 70%. Viewers participate more when they feel involved.

Insight: Promoting events in advance and inviting questions maximizes engagement. Interactive features like polls or live giveaways enhance retention and positive sentiment.

Instagram Bug Fix:

The platform resolved an issue that limited the reach of users who posted multiple stories daily. This change should help creators regain visibility.

Google Pennsylvania AI Accelerator:

Launched free AI-focused workshops, courses, and certificates aimed at small business growth, signaling Google’s push to support AI-driven education.

OpenAI Grove:

A new initiative providing mentorship, resources, and community for early-stage founders, encouraging responsible and efficient AI-driven startups.

Via Transportation IPO:

The transit tech company debuted on the NYSE at $44 per share, securing a $3.5B valuation after raising $493M.

AI Security Partnership:

OpenAI partnered with US CAISI and UK AISI to red-team vulnerabilities, improve AI resilience, and prevent misuse.

Perplexity Updates:

Introduced features such as mobile finance integration, hotel loyalty options, and advanced PDF handling, boosting its usability for professionals.

Snapchat Features:

Rolled out Infinite Retention and Group Streaks, giving users new ways to archive chats and engage socially.

Salesforce Expansion:

The Salesforce New York Tower will expand by 25%, providing more space to fuel Agentforce, train employees, and enhance client support.

These 30 viral social media trends showcase how diverse and dynamic content creation has become in September 2025. From AI-focused strategies to authentic storytelling, adopting these trends can help brands and creators increase engagement, grow audiences, and stay ahead of the competition.

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