With over 1 billion monthly active users on Instagram, Reels have quickly become one of the most popular ways for users to consume and create content. Determining the most liked reel on Instagram is no easy task, as there are millions of reels posted every day across a variety of accounts. However, some of the most liked reels have reached view counts in the hundreds of millions.
Factors for Reels Going Viral
There are a few key factors that can help a reel go viral and rack up huge view and like counts on Instagram:
- Having a large existing follower base – accounts with millions of followers have a built-in audience.
- Trending sounds and challenges – using viral audio or participating in popular reel challenges.
- Captivating visuals – eye-catching clips that hook viewers.
- Influencers or celebrities – reels from famous personalities tend to get more traction.
- Relatability – reels with universally relatable humor or emotion.
- Creativity – unique reels that showcase creativity and talent.
Accounts that leverage one or more of these tactics in their reels stand a good chance of resonating widely and accumulating huge view and like totals that can reach into the tens or hundreds of millions.
Most Liked Instagram Reels
Here are some of the current most liked reels on Instagram based on public data:
Khaby Lame – 293 million likes
Italian TikTok and Instagram star Khaby Lame posts comedy reels where he pokes fun at overly complicated life hack videos. His reels are extremely simple, relying on universal physical humor and facial expressions. This simplicity combined with Khaby’s wildly popular persona has led to his reels getting unmatched engagement. As of February 2023, his top reel has over 293 million likes.
Selena Gomez – 75.2 million likes
Pop singer Selena Gomez has the second most liked reel, at over 75 million likes. She participates in viral Instagram reel trends and challenges, lending her celebrity status. Selena also benefits from having over 367 million Instagram followers. This gigantic built-in audience gives her content a starting boost. Her top reel sees her participating in a popular TikTok dance challenge.
Will Smith – 71.1 million likes
Veteran actor Will Smith is very active on Instagram, frequently posting Reels. His top liked reel has over 71 million likes and shows him doing a comedic skit about being confused about social media. Will Smith’s global popularity and fame allows his content to reach a wide viewership on Instagram.
Kylie Jenner – 53.2 million likes
Reality TV star turned cosmetics mogul Kylie Jenner is in the elite group of Instagrammers with over 300 million followers. She leverages this massive following to make reels promoting her products and brand go viral. Her top liked reel at over 53 million likes features behind the scenes footage modeling her new line of swimwear.
Zach King – 47.7 million likes
Digital magician and illusionist Zach King is known for his mind-bending magic tricks and optical illusions. His top reels showcase incredibly visual sleight of hand skills and video editing wizardry. The wow factor of his clips draws in huge engagement. Zach also benefits from having a large multi-platform following from his YouTube, TikTok and other social presences.
Other Notable Mentions
While the above accounts have the most liked reels currently, many other Instagram profiles have viral reels in the tens of millions of likes:
- Cristiano Ronaldo – 45.7 million likes
- Dwayne Johnson – 43.5 million likes
- Ariana Grande – 39.3 million likes
- JLo – 36.4 million likes
- Justin Bieber – 35.1 million likes
Their fame and existing popularity on the platform allows their reels to gain huge traction. Participating in trends like dance challenges gives their content universal appeal.
Factors for Future Viral Reels
Going forward, the reels that will likely continue to gain the most likes share some commonalities:
- Leveraging audio trends – Popular sound bites can make even an average reel go viral.
- Relatable humor – Comedy that appeals to a mainstream audience transcends demographics.
- Influencer collaborations – Collabs between multiple popular figures compound audiences.
- Leveraging Instagram algorithms – Using relevant hashtags and features to appear on Explore pages.
- Production quality – Visually impressive content grabs attention.
- Timing & trends – Capitalizing on meme trends and viral challenges early.
Accounts that strategically optimize their reels using these tactics are primed to potentially join the 100 million+ likes club for individual reels. However, only the top elite influencers have the built-in scale to consistently hit nine-figure view counts with their reels.
Tips to Get More Reels Likes
For regular Instagram users aiming to get more engagement on their reels, here are some tips:
- Use trending audios and effects
- Make reels that are visually appealing
- Post reels consistently
- Optimize hashtags and captions
- Engage with your audience
- Collaborate with relevant creators
- Share to feed and Stories
- Remix popular reels
- Encourage likes in caption
- Analyze data and iterate
While going hugely viral takes a perfect storm, implementing strategies like these can help normal users gain more eyes on their reels and increase their like counts over time.
In Conclusion
Getting hundreds of millions of likes on a single reel requires celebrity status and an elite following on Instagram. However, participating in trends, optimizing content, and analyzing performance data can help average users gain more reel engagement. As Instagram continues to emphasize short-form video, developing effective reels strategies will be key for brands and creators alike.