Social media trends are constantly changing…make sure to keep up!

The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing with new fads that come and go in the blink of an eye. What’s hip with young people today will be ancient history tomorrow. Mention Vine to a member of Gen Z and you’ll likely get a blank stare.

It takes a savvy marketer to know where their brand should invest time and money. The following are the top social media opportunities where brands will see positive momentum in 2025.

AI as a collaborator

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Although 2024 was supposed to be the year of AI, few marketers did more than experiment with early tools. 2025 is positioned to be the year AI is properly implemented, especially on social media.

Behind the scenes, more brands will use AI to streamline operations and enhance analytics. Machine learning algorithms can analyze huge amounts of first-party data and identify actionable insights to improve segmentation and personalization. This is critical given that 2024 marks the final demise of third-party cookies.

Predictive behavior analysis, sentiment analysis, and influencer discovery are ways a marketer could leverage AI to develop a social strategy focused on a highly tailored and relevant audience experience.

With these insights, creative teams benefit from time and cost savings by using generative AI to:

– Propose compelling captions

– Generate custom, branded visuals

– Repurpose top-performing posts

– Conceptualize new collateral based on trending topics or competitor activity

The key is that AI “suggests” content. Content teams are still essential. Audiences can detect the difference between authentic communication and bot-created content.

Your new customer service rep

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Additionally, expect chatbots to proliferate on the messaging side of platforms as brands seek to deliver personalized, real-time support for customers.

While AI offers efficiencies in social marketing, brands must consider how to maintain trust with audiences. Authenticity and privacy are top concerns across generations — not to mention risks like plagiarism, misinformation, and bias. Understand your audience’s perception of AI. Involve legal counsel and a diversity panel before launching public AI initiatives.

Social commerce dominates retail

With features like in-app purchasing, shopping tags, and integrated payments, social platforms are becoming the go-to shopping destination.

This makes sense because social shopping encapsulates the entire consumer journey within one ecosystem.

Full-funnel solution

Social commerce eliminates browsing stages and reduces checkout friction. AR and VR advancements enable users to visually evaluate products, reducing purchase uncertainty.

Brands receive real-time feedback on products and the purchase experience directly from targeted audiences without expensive surveys or focus groups. They can also build loyalty by inviting devoted customers to provide input on product development. Within this loop, purchases become more than transactions — they propel relationships.

Keep it real: Short-form video and ephemeral content endure

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Interestingly, short videos and ephemeral content are the focus for content creators, not because they grab attention but because they sustain user interaction with their devices.

In 2025, the goal is to integrate your brand seamlessly into your audience’s digital life in an informal, human way. Use behind-the-scenes, testimonials, AMAs, and polls from customers and employees to deliver bite-sized, genuine content.

Micro-brand ambassadors reign

If you haven’t realized already, authenticity, connection, and human engagement are emerging requirements for brand interactions in 2025. Who better to endorse your product than a trusted friend or neighbor? Celebrity endorsements have lost traction, so partner with “nano-influencers” and leverage user-generated content to promote your brand.

Social search optimization

TikTok and Instagram have replaced Google as the preferred search engine for Gen Z. So if you want to reach 18–34-year-olds, optimize your brand for discovery on social platforms.

In the past, less was more, but in 2025, include popular keywords and descriptive metadata in posts to improve visibility.

Swipe left to engage

Engagement also affects search rankings. Plan posts when your audience is most likely to engage.

Ask questions — stickers and polls easily facilitate interaction. The simplest ask is a swipe. Use carousels to showcase compelling new AI- or user-generated content and increase engagement.

Humor or heartstrings

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Reposts are invaluable. The more pages linking to your content, the higher your search ranking. Timely lists, infographics, how-tos, videos, and memes are all shareable formats to incorporate, but tone matters more in 2025.

Appeal to your audience’s humanity with humor or gentle tugs at the heartstrings (nostalgia is in again). Use persuasive calls to action to inspire sharing.

Loud and proud values

In an era of misinformation and privacy concerns, authenticity is key. Audiences expect brands to publicly share their values and demonstrate consistency.

Get laser-focused on your core concerns and ensure they permeate your culture and social strategy. Inside-out authenticity builds credibility, trust, and regard among consumers and prospective talent.

Buffer, a social media platform, has built its reputation on transparency, openly sharing salaries, and milestones, and advocating for transparency in social marketing. They don’t try to be everything for every marketer but aim to lead the way in tech transparency.

Navigating social media in 2025

While technology evolves, the human desire for authentic connections endures. Simplify your approach: prioritize meaningful interactions using AI and leverage your target audience’s knowledge and influence for social media success in 2025.

⭐Kristen is a writer on Medium and editor for Word Garden and The Freedom to Write. Sign up here to catch every story when she publishes.