The social media hamster wheel is ever-spinning with trends, whether they’re macro, micro, or so tiny and fleeting that you’ll miss ‘em if you blink.
While many social media trends are transient, some have longevity because they’re deeply driven by user behavior. These are the trends that have the power to shape our social media strategies and influence how we show up online for our brands and businesses.
With the new year right around the corner, we’re all anticipating one thing – which trends will define and dominate the social media landscape in 2025?
We’ve rounded up 10 social media marketing trends we suspect will alter the digital world as we know it in 2025 – keep reading to learn more about how you can use them to drive performance and see success for your brand.
1. Voice-optimized content will become the new SEO
Social media trends are driven by user behavior: and a common thread we’re seeing at the moment is how incredibly time-poor we all are. Perhaps that’s why voice-activated devices and prompts (think Google Smart Home speakers and ‘Hey Siri’) are on the rise.
While social media SEO was a big trend in 2024, in 2025, we’ll need to add another layer to this by ensuring all content is voice-optimized and voice-accessible. This means simplifying video captions, text on screen, and metadata to include casual phrasing that a consumer is likely to use verbally, and distilling this information down to its most potent form to guarantee your content appears in a voice search.
2. EGC will continue to dominate for brands
We’ve all seen EGC – employee-generated content – skyrocket in popularity throughout 2024.
From teenage frozen yoghurt shop workers whipping up their fave desserts to an entire marketing team chronicling the launch of a buzzy new skincare product, EGC has got us hooked. On the surface, it mightn’t seem like there’s much rhyme or reason to why these videos work, but that’s the charm of them: they’re genuine, relatable, and honestly, kinda random.
@jaggerandstoneDrop the deal by EOD or else ‼️♬ original sound – jaggerandstone
In 2025, we’re predicting even more EGC, including its expansion to other networks like YouTube and Snapchat. Now’s also the perfect time for brands who have been a bit reluctant to spotlight their staff to jump on the bandwagon. We know viewers want authenticity – so dig deep, find your talent, and let them run wild!
3. Conversational AI will accelerate social media customer service
Gone are the days of responding to consumer queries personally – conversational AI has swooped right in, and it’s here to make managing your business comms 10 times easier. In 2025, we predict tons of brands will jump on the conversational AI bandwagon to free up time and energy to devote to other pursuits like content creation and strategy.
We predict conversational AI via apps like Intercom, pictured, will be one of 2025’s biggest social media trends.
If you’re not aware of conversational AI’s capabilities just yet, we’re talking about ultra-intelligent AI-powered chatbots that can be trained to handle basic to intermediate customer service requests. Companies like Intercom, Zendesk, and Cognigy are innovating in this space, even introducing AI voice bots that can have real-time conversations with customers to resolve issues.
4. Generative AI will grow video capabilities
Suggestions that generative AI will take over the social media sphere have been swirling for a while, but in 2025, it’s finally time to unlock its full potential.
Many social media platforms have already adopted their own built-in generative AI systems, including TikTok’s Symphony Creative Studio and Meta AI, available for Facebook and Instagram. AI is also a non-negotiable part of the content creation process for 54% of Aussie online creators, according to research conducted by Social Soup.
The rise of GenAI is one of the top social media trends of 2025
In 2025, generative AI will become an inherent part of most brands’ social media strategies. Until now, lots of businesses have been scared of getting caught using AI – but now, this practice is so normal that not utilizing AI is becoming taboo. From virtual influencers to AI-generated viral videos, there are lots of ways to integrate generative AI into your brand strategy.
5. Micro- and nano-influencers will have all the power
While large-scale influencers used to rule social media, our digital landscape has become so saturated that it’s now micro-influencers (10,000-100,000 followers) and nano-influencers (1,000-10,000 followers) who see the best cut-through and engagement online. Nano-influencers actually come out on top with an average engagement rate of 2.19%, according to Statista.
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One of the key reasons micro-influencers hold all the power from a social media marketing perspective is that their content is down-to-earth. We’re all cognizant of how polished social media has become, and now, the balance has tipped in the other direction. We’re sure this will become even more prevalent in 2025, and brands will capitalize on the micro-influencer trend accordingly.
6. Businesses will finally ‘break their brands’
Just a few short years ago, brands were all about ‘polish’ – and now, that couldn’t be further from the truth! Unfiltered content is trending on social media, and this style is no longer just for creators and personal brands.
We suspect 2025 will be the year that brands with strict brand guidelines and tentative social media presences give in a little and ‘break’ their brands in favor of creating real, engaging content.
We’ve already seen it in action from some of the world’s most famous brands. Penguin Books Australia’s engagement soared once they hired an in-house content creator to engage audiences with funny book memes and TikTok dances.
Netflix’s social media has always been tongue-in-cheek – proof they know what their most influential audience (millennials and Gen Z) is looking for. Follow in their footsteps by giving consumers what they want, even if that means pushing the boundaries of your brand guidelines.
7. Quality over quantity will prevail again
Over the last five or so years, social media has become all about how often you post, with influencers and coaches suggesting the only way to grow online is to upload multiple times per day. But, it’s also clear we’re becoming fatigued by the constant cycle of social media, and we’re more aware of the potentially damaging impacts of being chronically online.
@emmmck Posting 3 times a day is OUT and quality content is IN 👩💻🎀🤳🎧 I’ve created the ultimate posting schedule that will help you increase growth and decrease burnout 🤍 #contentcreatortips #contentcreator #becomeaninfluencer #socialmediatips #influencertips #greenscreen ♬ La vie en rose (Cover Edith Piaf) – 田东昱
In 2025, we predict a major swing in the other direction, where quality will once again trump quantity. That’s not to say social content production will slow down significantly for brands – but there will be more of a push for purposeful content pieces at a frequency of 4-5 times per week, rather than multiple posts per day with no real intentionality or objective.
8. Sub-communities will continue to shine
On social media, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to connecting with niche communities: think features like Instagram’s broadcast channels and Close Friends, private stories on Snapchat, and LinkedIn Groups. All signs point to even more of these ‘private’ conversations occurring in 2025, as attitudes towards social media become less about over-consumption and more about finding kinship with others.
There are a few ways to capitalize on this for your brand, including working with smaller influencers to shout out your product or service in their private channels and starting up your own communities for dedicated consumers in your niche. Just remember, this kind of content is not about hard selling: the more genuine interaction you foster, the more effective you’ll be.
9. Statics will rise again
Social media marketing trends of the last few years suggest that statics are dead and gone, but we predict they’ll have a renaissance in 2025, all thanks to Gen Z. Yes, short-form video is still king – but that’s not to say statics can’t ascend the throne, too.
We’ve already seen TikTok Photo Mode posts grow in popularity over the last year, with the social media juggernaut suggesting that these posts get “2.9x more comments,” “1.9x more likes” and “2.6x more shares on average” than video posts. We’re certain that this behavior will extend to Instagram and other video-heavy social media platforms.
TikTok carousels (AKA Photo Mode) prove that statics still hold a lot of value in 2025.
Put simply, there’s power in developing a curated social media strategy that balances statics, carousels, and videos of various lengths to cater to everyone’s engagement preferences.
10. Subscription-based content will carve out its place
Most of us have seen subscription models crop up on social media, particularly Instagram, where creators are able to gate premium content via a regular fee for their most dedicated followers. As behavioral social media marketing trends develop, though, we predict that more users will finally buy into these models and dutifully pay for their favorite creators’ best content each month.
Less is becoming more on social media, and we’re collectively sick and tired of feeling inundated with content from hundreds of influencers at once. In 2025, creators and personal brands may see slower follower growth – but their ROI will certainly improve as consumers eagerly lap up everything they create to get their money’s worth.
For brands, this means considering paid subscription models (either your own or in partnership with an influencer) and brainstorming value-adds that balance out the additional cost of a subscription, such as early-access sales and exclusive discount codes.
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