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Social Media Trends in 2025 and How to Adapt
Social media never stands still—what’s trending today is forgotten tomorrow. The question isn’t whether the landscape will change in 2025, but whether your brand is ready to evolve with it.
In this ever-shifting diaspora, latching on to social media trends is not vain; it’s absolutely necessary to stay relevant and competitive. You can either become part of the conversation or fade into posterity.
Brands and marketers keen to succeed in the reel-or-real social playground must anticipate and prepare for social media trends before they become current and act boldly. In this blog, we’ll highlight the top trends that will define digital connections in 2025.
Social media trends of 2024: A quick review
The social media trends of 2024 were rife with new, niche platforms offering personalized experiences. The rapid adoption of AI-driven tools revolutionized content creation, the creator economy hit new heights and brands embraced social commerce for seamless social shopping. Here’s what stood out:
1. New social media channels
The saturated social media landscape saw a surge in new platforms in 2024. Apart from Threads and BeReal, apps like Noplace saw increased adoption. The ‘mashup of Twitter and MySpace for Gen Z’ soared to number one on the App store mid-year. With content overload on existing platforms, brands and marketers jumped to alternatives to be seen and heard.
2. AI’s influence on social media
Statistics show that about 40% of marketers and media managers used AI for social media in 2024, primarily for competitor research, scheduling and more. This trend is expected to continue in the years going forward with necessary ethical and balanced implementation.
3. Rise of social commerce
Social commerce took a stronghold in 2024. Research shows that 76% of consumers made purchasing decisions based on product-related posts on social platforms. It has redefined social e-commerce strategies to boost customer loyalty and sales while prioritizing trust.
4. The creator economy boom
With over 50 million creators globally, platforms like TikTok and Instagram have influenced customer purchases. 61% of customers report that they trust influencers to recommend products. Brands increasingly collaborated with influencers in 2024 to expand reach, establish meaningful audience connections and launch impactful marketing campaigns. Check out Forrester’s Kelsey Chickering talk about succeeding in the creator economy:
Social media trends for 2025
In 2025, social media trends will be shaped by waves of the past and new challenges that will become the focus of digital customer engagement. From video content to online communities and a rising focus on mental health awareness, these shifts will redefine social engagement. For enterprises, these social media trends will go beyond relevance — it will demand leading with purpose in a digitally-driven world. Here are the social media trends for 2025 to watch out for:
1. Short-form videos will dominate
“We've done a lot of really good stuff with our mascot in TikTok. It appeals to a lot of people, and with essentially no marketing spend,” said Duolingo CEO, Luis von Ahn. The language app has garnered over 13.9 million followers on TikTok because of its mascot-led shorts.
Video content has dominated the internet for a while, with about 82.5% of global internet traffic coming from videos. As attention spans dwindle, short-form video is quickly becoming the gold standard for capturing attention. The TikTokification of social media is likely to continue in 2025: 66% of customers say short-form videos are the most engaging, evidenced by its average watch rate of over 81%. However, with TikTok introducing longer video formats, a gradual shift in user behavior is also likely. Already, users spend half their time on TikTok watching videos that are longer than a minute.
💡 Trend prep: Experiment with story-driven content that can transition between short and long video formats across different social platforms to leverage this social media marketing trend. Use social media analytics to identify your audience’s optimal viewing durations and engagement. You can then leverage this information to find a balanced social content strategy that appeals to both short-form and long-form viewers.
2. Micro-influencers will wield more power
As stated previously, 61% of customers say they trust social media influencers for product recommendations. Micro-influencers, i.e. those with 1,000–100,000 followers are gaining prominence among audiences for their reliability and authenticity. Lately, micro-influencers are outperforming macro-influencers: they have higher engagement rates, averaging 2.8%. Brands seeking to target niche audiences and stronger connections can leverage micro-influencers for tailored, impactful campaigns in 2025.
💡 Trend prep: Use AI-driven social management and marketing platform to find influencers who align with your brand’s values and audience demographics. Experiment with different influencers and campaigns to identify what resonates with your customers.
3. Social commerce will become the primary revenue grosser
Social commerce was already a dominant force in 2024. In the upcoming year, it will shift from being a social media trend to a primary revenue driver for many enterprises. Globally, the social commerce market is projected to surpass $2 trillion in sales. Meta’s collaboration with Amazon has already simplified the shopping experience by integrating product listings directly into Facebook and Instagram, while TikTok’s introduction of TikTok Shops has created a seamless in-app purchase process.
In 2025, there is likely to be more integrated and personalized shopping features across platforms, sophisticated shoppable ads and influencer-driven product placements based on data insights to drive direct purchases.
💡 Trend prep: Integrate your product catalog for social platforms with conversational commerce tools. Provide seamless cross-channel customer experiences to lower cart abandonment and boost conversions. Use a unified tool to manage all conversations.
4. AI usage for content will increase
AI tools are transforming content creation, offering speed and efficiency. Research shows that about 38% of marketers worldwide already believe generative AI is increasing social media marketing efficiency and 34% say it makes idea generation easier.
As GenAI tools like Jasper and ChatGPT for social media grow more advanced, they will become invaluable for marketers. In addition, GenAI-enriched tools like Sprinklr can repurpose, translate, and localize your content through one-click natural language prompts.
However, challenges like limited creativity, potential misinterpretations and the need for human oversight during dynamic situations will require balancing AI automation with human intervention.
💡 Trend prep: If you are a marketer, adopt an open mindset to AI-assisted content, embracing it as a collaborative tool. However, note that AI cannot replace human creativity, humor, and reasoning. Train your team to effectively use AI content creation tools, interpret AI-generated insights and refine outputs for creativity and brand alignment. Implement oversight during sensitive or crisis situations to prevent missteps.
5. Mental health will rule social content
Consumers are growing conscious of mental health challenges and increasingly expect brands to address them in their marketing efforts.
YPulse data has found that 71% of Gen-Z consumers appreciate when brands make mental health a part of their messaging. Many social media platforms have already introduced features to promote healthier online habits — from Thread’s "Take a Break" reminders to TikTok’s new mental health tools for creators. Brands that are sensitive to mental health and actively advocate for it will find popularity among their customers.
💡 Trend prep: To stay atop this social media marketing trend, develop empathy-driven storytelling as part of your brand’s social media strategy. Focus on real stories and narratives from diverse groups that acknowledge challenges, foster connection and inspire hope.
6. Online communities will wield power
Outbound community engagement is evolving from blanket commenting to a more strategic, thoughtful approach. Brands will no longer be able to get away with random comments for visibility or jumping on every social trend. In 2025, outbound engagement will require you to think and strategize thoughtful interactions for social media community management.
Sephora has demonstrated the power of its exclusive Beauty Insider community where members share tips, ask questions and support each other. In a 2018 sales call, the then-CEO said 80% of Sephora’s sales came from its loyalty members. This community-driven approach will come to social media platforms which will most likely transform comment sections into community-building avenues. Thoughtful, authentic comments can boost brand recall and ensure your brand’s voice stands out in the conversation. You can also use native platform features like Instagram’s Broadcast Channels to nurture a community.
💡 Trend prep: Use social listening tools to monitor social media conversations, identify what your audience is talking about and engage with them meaningfully in real time. By tracking sentiment and mentions, you can personalize interactions, address concerns and even build niche communities for a more loyal and engaged audience.
Connect With Your Community Using Sprinklr
Sprinklr’s community building platform enables you to build vibrant, helpful communities on social and digital platforms, with features like:
- Integrated chat option for peer-to-peer interaction
- Company moderators to provide participants with a safe space
- Gamification to inject fun into the whole experience
7. DM shares per reach will be a key success metric
Among social media metrics, "DM shares per reach" is emerging as a pivotal engagement metric. It measures the frequency with which users privately share content relative to its reach, offering insights into how compelling and shareworthy a content piece is. Private shares reflect genuine interest as users often share content with close connections they find valuable or relatable. Latest research says about 19.2% of American social shoppers have seen brand or product posts on Instagram Channels and 10.4% see them in group chats or DMs. Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, highlighted DMs per reach is now an important metric on Instagram.
While specific data on DM shares per reach for platforms like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn is currently limited, they are likely to adopt it for their own algorithms. As social interactions shift into more private spaces like group chats and DMs, tracking this can provide an opportunity to stand out with shareable content and increase organic reach.
💡 Trend prep: If you are a brand active on Instagram, you can set up a Broadcast channel, a one-to-many messaging tool, to connect with your most loyal customers. This big group chat can foster exclusive connections, allow you to share updates instantly and nurture your most engaged followers like a vibrant community hub.
Also read: How to Increase Social Media Followers
8. Social will go local for targeted growth
Local or hyperlocal marketing is the next big social media marketing trend to look out for. It focuses on targeting customers in specific geographic areas, leveraging proximity as a powerful advantage. The rise in “near me” searches are up 200%, says Google, and 76% of local search users are visiting businesses within a day, proving this approach’s potential. With tools like geo-fencing, Google Maps and location-based social ads, brands can increase footfall and deliver personalized experiences.
For example, Nike’s Nothing Beats a Londoner campaign spotlighted London’s youth instead of global icons, boosting local searches by 93% and inspiring other cities. Hyperlocal strategies are cost-effective, driving ad spend to relevant audiences while improving brand awareness and customer loyalty.
💡 Trend prep: Leverage user-generated content with local campaigns and official hashtags. UGC naturally spreads across different networks, amplifying visibility. Loyal customers act as ambassadors, organically driving brand awareness to new audiences.
Also read: How to Use Hashtags on Social Media
Navigate social media trends like a pro
Current social media trends are a harbinger of what’s to come in 2025. The evolving social media landscape will demand more than just participation — it will require brands to lead with purpose, authenticity and innovation.
Embracing AI-powered tools can not just improve efficiency but can also poise you as a cultural force of the social future. Enter Sprinklr Social. By unifying social media management, marketing, advertising, and customer care into a single platform, Sprinklr can empower you to stay ahead of the social media marketing trends of 2025. From powerful social listening to conversational commerce tools with seamless integration capabilities, Sprinklr can propel you to success.
