11 Social Media Trends in 2025 (+ Predictions from the Pros)

The latest social media trends include authentic content, smaller creator partnerships, and short-form video. Read on for a more detailed list to inspire your strategy, along with tips from an expert.

In the world of social media trends, what goes viral one day can quickly fizzle out the next.

But there’s no question that social media marketing is a crucial channel for almost every business.

And with billions of potential eyeballs on your content? Staying on top of trending strategies could give your brand a much-needed edge over the competition.

We asked Nicole Goodnough, senior lead of paid social at HawkSEM, to break down the latest social media marketing trends and tips to spruce up your campaigns.

Ready to break the internet? Read on.

1. Social data to maximize ROI

We’ve always used data to shape our diverse clientele’s marketing strategies at HawkSEM. However, many brands now recognize its importance in their social media marketing campaigns.

The good news? Social media platforms have adapted their functionality to get on board.

Just look at Instagram. The app’s insights used to focus exclusively on vanity metrics like follower count and likes.

Today, you can get specific data about your audience, including demographics and buying patterns.

You can also track different in-app metrics, like how many people view your stories and how they interact with them.

This gives you a clear idea of what works and what doesn’t. With this intel, you can fine-tune your strategy and boost your return on investment (ROI).

Additionally, social data helps marketers prove the effectiveness of social media marketing in their overall business and marketing goals.

Ways to embrace this trend:

Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs). For social media, Goodnough focuses on engagement metrics:

“It’s always a good metric to keep an eye on to make sure your ads are resonating with the audience you’re targeting,” she says.

Here’s a prime example:

“With this TikTok partnership ad for Halara, the creator is authentic, speaks directly to the user, and the video hangs with native content and doesn’t scream ‘ad,’” she explains, “all of which are part of the influencer marketing trend that’s been gaining momentum over the past few years.”

Halara can measure success from this ad by watching ROAS or by tracking the number of dresses sold or how many times the creator’s unique coupon code was used.

Harness in-app and external data analytics tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social.

Run A/B tests on different content formats or posting times to see what generates the most engagement.

Share social data with other departments, like product development to create products that meet your audience’s needs or sales to speak directly to customers’ pain points.

2. Transparency and authenticity lead the way

More than ever, people want to connect with companies that share their cultural, environmental, and political values.

And you better believe audiences will see right through insincere efforts, like greenwashing or token gestures without real impact.

One brand that’s doing it effectively is Ben & Jerry’s. The ice cream company has amassed a cult following not just for its delicious products but for tackling hot-button topics like racial justice, democracy reform, climate change, and more.

(Image: Ben & Jerry’s Instagram)

Ways to embrace this trend:

• Share videos or photos that show sustainable business processes in action, like recycling, ethical labor, or eco-friendly production.
• Feature user-generated content (UGC) from employees about their experiences and the company culture concerning diversity and inclusion.
• Highlight partnerships with local organizations or charities that align with your brand’s values and missions.
• Host live Q&A sessions with experts or your team to discuss your initiatives and answer questions about your efforts.

3. Short-form content still reigns supreme

From TikTok videos and Instagram Reels to paid social ads, short-form video content is everywhere across social media. So much so that Facebook, Pinterest, and even YouTube now tout bite-sized video content formats.

So, why is every platform hopping on the short-form content creation bandwagon?

Because over 80% of consumers want more short videos. And seeing as Americans devour online video content for nearly 4 hours daily, your digital marketing strategy can swoop in to deliver exactly what they want.

Short-form video content varies by platform but typically refers to videos between 10 and 60 seconds, and under ten minutes.

Ways to embrace this trend:

• Create quick how-to videos that showcase new products or services.
• Share behind-the-scenes content on company culture, production processes, or day-to-day operations.
• Encourage short video testimonials from satisfied customers.
• Record short interviews with industry experts or team members.

4. Social commerce continues to grow

Social commerce is getting smarter, with evolving shopping features on social apps, livestream shopping, in-app checkout, and personalized product discovery.

In 2025, sales through social networks have already accounted for an estimated 17% of total online sales, and the trend is set to surpass one trillion dollars by 2028.

Remember those data analytics we spoke about earlier? You can use those insights to gauge shopper behavior and leverage algorithms to show them the most relevant products.

For example, say you’ve been researching shoes for your toddler. You might come across targeted shoppable content like this:

(Image: Instagram)

Ways to embrace this trend:

Goodnough says the social media landscape has changed from focusing exclusively on driving brand awareness to driving direct sales.

“Consumers can move from product discovery to research to purchase, all without leaving the platform,” she explains.

This presents a unique opportunity:

“Brands can continue to capitalize on this trend by exploring different types of influencers or UGC to share authentic recommendations and real-life applications of their products or services,” she says.

Here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing:

“Home decor or furniture companies could test shoppable pins on Pinterest or an interactive feature to see how a product would look in their space, like Warby Parker’s virtual try-on feature for their glasses,” she says.

“Beauty and food brands could lean into how-to and educational content and create videos and blogs to bolster their site SEO at the same time they’re driving social engagement and purchases.”

You’ll also want to:

• Set up and optimize your in-app shops so followers can purchase directly from your content.
• Always tag shoppable products in your content creation.
• Sponsor content creation with influencers to promote your offerings and social ecommerce store.
• Create branded hashtags that direct audiences to your social media shop.
• Host live shopping events to showcase products and interact with customers in real-time.

5. New dynamics in social team roles

This trend isn’t just social feeds and algorithms changing; the teams behind them are evolving, too.

In the past, most brands had a social media manager or a small team to oversee all social media marketing efforts. This may have worked initially, but brands that want to dominate their audiences’ social feeds have wised up.

Today, many brands are opting to specialize their social teams, assigning specific members to certain platforms or focused tasks like influencer marketing and shopping feed management.

Think about it: Facebook and TikTok demand different approaches, right?

After all, Facebook allows for various content formats like photos, text, and videos.

TikTok, on the other hand, is best for short-form videos. Facebook reaches a broader demographic, with audiences of all ages, while TikTok’s base skews younger, like Gen Z and Millennials.

Ways to embrace this trend:

Goodnough says setting your budget boils down to testing.

“One of my clients has been spending more on Meta properties than TikTok, but we found that their audience on TikTok is more willing to click through ads to learn more about their offering,” she explains.

“Because of these results, we’re beginning to allocate more [towards] TikTok than Meta to see how we can maximize impact across all their digital efforts: social and Google Ads.”

• If you’ve got deep pockets:
  • Build a dedicated social media team with specialists for each platform and marketing task.
  • Invest in ongoing training and the latest tools (like Sprout Social or Hootsuite Professional) to keep your team at the forefront of social media trends.

• If you’re a start-up or have a tighter budget:
  • Focus on platforms where your audience is most active and assign specific roles to team members.
  • Lean on affordable tools and free resources (like Canva, Hootsuite, or Trello) to stay informed and efficient.

Best scenario? Skip the overhead of an in-house team and hire an agency to enjoy an average 4.5X ROI from a seasoned digital marketing company like HawkSEM.

6. The human element is unrivaled

If you’re among the 1.6 billion people who use TikTok monthly, chances are you’ve encountered one of the viral AI-generated celebrity lookalikes (like Deepfake Tom Cruise). These digital doppelgangers are just the tip of the iceberg, though.

Between AI influencers and virtual reality (VR), the line between human and machine-made content continues to blur. And with a widespread desire for authenticity, AI content can quickly turn off your audience.

Maybe that’s why Zuckerberg’s Metaverse didn’t quite take off like he’d hoped? While audiences might embrace augmented reality (AR) for fun Snapchat videos, the human element remains an essential cornerstone of genuine connections.

“Brands should capitalize on the ‘marketing to humans’ trend,” says Goodnough. “Sharing relatable, authentic content — both on the organic side and the paid side — to humanize brands and find common ground with consumers isn’t going anywhere.”

This is especially true on professional networking platforms.

“On LinkedIn, people are three times more likely to trust a message from a person or an employee than directly from a brand,” she says. “More and more, people are looking for personalizations throughout the entire customer journey: from discovery to customer service.”

Ways to embrace this trend:

• Produce original, high-quality content for humans by humans.
• Harness AI-powered augmented reality for virtual try-ons of products, like clothes or makeup.
• Use AI to streamline workflows, brainstorm ideas for social media posts, and scale customer service efforts, but always use it carefully, ethically, and with human oversight.
• Establish and follow ethical guidelines for AI in your marketing strategy.

7. Nano- and micro-influencers go mainstream

Big-name influencers with colossal followings can make for some epic partnerships, but these collabs don’t come cheap.

Smaller-level influencers and creators are more affordable and often seen as more authentic by audiences, leading to higher engagement rates.

Nano-influencers, with 1,000–10,000 followers, and micro-influencers, with 10,000–50,000 followers, may only cost between $10 and $500 per post. Compare that to macro-influencers (100,000–500,000 followers), which can run you between $5,000 to $10,000 a post.

While brands might assume a smaller following means less impact, these influencers often have close-knit online communities with stronger influence than influencers with massive followings.

“Another trend in the influencer marketing sphere is tapping into the hyper-engaged micro-influencer audiences,” she says.

“Creators and influencers with smaller followings can still make content that resonates with consumers, and can be especially successful if you find one or two whose values and lifestyles align with your brand.”

Beyond that, brands are opting to partner with smaller UGC creators over high-production content creation. Following the theme of authenticity, these smaller creators produce less polished content that feels more relatable to audiences.

“People sell to people, and if a brand hasn’t incorporated human-first or influencer marketing into their strategy, they’re behind,” says Goodnough.

Ways to embrace this trend:

• Reach out to emerging influencers in your niche with personalized messaging.
• Consider long-term partnerships to help these influencers grow while building deeper, more authentic relationships with them and their audience.
• Leverage user-generated content creators to build a more authentic social media presence.

Pro tip: Ecommerce brands that partner with HawkSEM receive UGC as a part of their paid social package. Contact us to learn more.

8. Playful content gains momentum

When executed well, hot takes and controversial content can boost brand awareness and make your company stand out. However, playful brand voices are quickly pushing past edgy content.

More and more brands are tapping into pop culture, relatable memes, and experimenting with personas that feel real and accessible, not corporate or sales-y.

(Image: Heinz)

Ways to embrace this trend:

• Create content that aligns with current pop culture trends, like TV shows, movies, and viral internet moments.
• Incorporate popular memes and humor that resonate with your target audience in a natural and not forced way.
• Develop a social media personality that feels real and relatable rather than overly corporate or stuffy.

9. Crisis management for next-level customer service

When brands let issues simmer, things don’t take long to escalate. Unaddressed concerns can snowball and send customers into the arms of competitors who don’t leave them on read.

And poof – there goes your brand’s reputation (and profits).

Take Béis. Last year, the luggage and lifestyle brand faced a wave of customer complaints about their travel bags getting dirty and scratched at the airport despite being designed for heavy travel.

Not only did Béis address concerns on its socials, but it went a step further by hosting a “Béis Wash” pop-up that offered to clean the community’s Béis bags for free.

(Image: Béis Linkedin)

Don’t get us wrong; traditional customer service is practical and time-tested.

However, there’s a case to be made for raw, unfiltered accountability and straightforward solutions delivered right to the source (AKA your customer).

Ways to embrace this trend:

• Actively monitor your social media channels to catch concerns before they escalate.
• Respond to customer issues promptly and transparently, letting customers know when and how you plan to resolve their concerns.
• Share lessons from past mistakes and how they’ve shaped your business’s practices.

10. The end of third-party cookies (eventually)

Google has been promising to phase out third-party cookies for years. While the rollout has been delayed yet again, it’s still technically in motion. The goal? A more private, user-friendly internet.

Third-party cookies are small pieces of data that websites collect and track to push content based on browsing history.

Ever Google something and then see ad after ad for that same thing on Instagram? You can thank third-party cookies for that.

Are third-party cookies inherently bad? We’ll let you decide. In Google’s eyes, the search engine giant wants the internet to feel more private and fair.

They want a new approach — one that still helps brands serve relevant content, without tracking your every move.

Whenever this happens, it is going to shake up social media marketing in a few key ways:

• It’ll become harder to track social media users across platforms, so attribution will be a bit more difficult.
• Retargeting strategies will need to shift
• Universally engaging content will become more important
• First-party data through things like email lists, quizzes, and SMS opt-ins will also become more important

Ways to embrace this trend:

Keep tabs on Google’s third-party cookie phase-out and start exploring alternatives like:

• First-party data
• Social listening
• Contextual ads
• Influencer marketing

11. SEO takes the wheel

Younger demographics are ditching Google and turning to social media to answer their questions. Now that Google indexes these platforms, it’s essential to merge your search engine optimization (SEO) with your social media marketing strategy.

While social SEO is nothing new, brands must recognize its importance now more than ever.

Why? As the spending power of younger populations continues to grow, they’ll lean more heavily on their go-to platforms to research and shop. If you want them to find you, you’ll need to get strategic with optimizing your socials.

Ways to embrace this trend:

• Carry your keyword strategy over to your social media content.
• Engage with other brands to foster inbound links and boost brand awareness.
• Check out our guide to social SEO to maximize your digital reach.

Social media trends on the horizon

Curious about what the future holds? Goodnough has a few predictions.

Being memorable without spamming

Goudnough says that approximately 20-30% of posts in feeds are now sponsored content. To strike the balance between being memorable and being spammy, she offers a word of advice:

“Brands need to create scroll-stopping ads without being ‘click-baity’ or desperate,” she says.

The resurgence of long-form videos

While short-form video content is having its moment, long-form videos aren’t dead. Just look at TikTok, which originally allowed 7-15-second videos and has now extended its length to 10 minutes.

Instagram Reels also pushed their original 15-second cap to 90 seconds, and even 15 minutes in some cases.

Could long-form video content make a comeback?

Social media infiltrates gaming

Revenue in the Games Live Streaming market is projected to reach $15 billion by the end of this year. This presents a massive opportunity to drive social interactions and community engagement.

It’ll be interesting to see how brands interweave gaming marketing with social strategies.

Social audio platforms

Following the explosive growth of podcasts comes social audio platforms. These voice-based social networking sites let individuals record and share audio (instead of text, images, or videos) with other users.

Popular platforms include Discord, Clubhouse, Facebook Audio Rooms, and XSpaces (previously Twitter Spaces).

Decentralized platforms rival mainstream platforms

For Americans concerned about freedom of speech on social media, many have turned to decentralized social media platforms like Lens Protocol, Mastodon, and Minds for more control and enhanced privacy measures.

Social media marketing pro tips

Still working to get your social media strategy off the ground? Here are some key insights from the experts.

1. Ensure you’re tracking everything properly

Setting up proper tracking ensures you have all the metrics you need at your disposal to analyze, report on, and optimize your current strategies.

Here’s how:

Google Analytics

Google Analytics offers insights beyond what ad platforms can show you.

• Create an account at analytics.google.com
• Connect it to your website
• Install the GA4 tag using Google Tag Manager or directly in your site’s code.

UTM parameters

UTM tags help track where your traffic comes from. Follow this complete guide to learn how to create your own: How to Use UTM Parameters (with Examples + Pro Tips)

Platform Pixels

Pixels help track actions like purchases back to ads. To add them:

• Meta: Events Manager > Connect Data Sources > Web > Meta Pixel
• TikTok: TikTok Ads Manager > Assets > Event > Web Events
• LinkedIn: Found under Account Assets > Insight Tag

Add them via Google Tag Manager or directly in your site’s code.

Conversion events

Inside each ad platform, define what counts as a conversion (think: form submission, add to cart, or a purchase).

• Meta: Events Manager > Custom Conversions
• TikTok: Web Events > Create Event
• Google Ads: Tools > Conversions

2. Conduct consistent testing

Sure, you know testing is a key part of creating the most effective campaigns.

But planning for how often you’ll test (and conduct paid social audits) can keep this task from falling to the bottom of that ever-growing to-do list.

You may find that new copy, new imagery, or even a slightly different price point could improve your campaign performance and get you a higher ROI.

Add a recurring note in your calendar or project management app to revisit your social media marketing metrics and see where you can make tweaks or improvements.

Pro tip: It can be tempting to eliminate a failed paid social idea. But before you start over, see if you can tweak the campaign or ad, like swapping out the image or call to action (CTA). A small fix may be key to turning a mediocre campaign into a successful one.

3. Let data drive your decision-making, not opinions

It’s easy to fall into the trap of being so familiar with your product or service that you forget that those seeing your paid social campaign might not be.

When you use too much jargon or assume users have a certain level of knowledge, you risk alienating your audience.

Keep both new and returning leads in mind. When creating paid social content, ask yourself:

• Is the creative enticing enough to get clicks, even if they’ve never seen the product before, or would someone have to already be somewhat familiar with it?
• Would someone unfamiliar with your product understand what it is or does from your ad copy?
• Does it discuss the benefits in enough detail?
• Is it persuasive enough to inform and convert the clueless non-believer, or are you just preaching to the choir?

Got the resources to dig deeper? Get some uninitiated target audience members to go over your campaign and provide feedback.

Ask about the wording, their understanding of terms, the level of interest the creative generated, and anything else you (or they) can think of.

Alternatively, your target audience can surprise you. You may think the ideal audience for a new cookbook is middle-aged women, but you could be missing out on a whole segment of young college students who want to learn to cook as well.

It’s all about being open-minded. Test and iterate to see what works best.

(Image: Unsplash)

4. Consider your audience when choosing platforms

When determining which platform would work best for your paid social ad, consider your audience.

Some people default to the platform they’re most familiar with. For the best results, however, you want to go to where the majority of your customers are.

You can find this through your own research, discussions with customers, and market surveys. And if you find the platform you chose isn’t working, test out a new one and see how it stacks up.

5. Set a high bar for your content

Millions of content pieces are posted online every day. With so much out there, what you publish needs to be engaging, original, and eye-catching to compete.

With younger generations sporting short attention spans, it’s more important than ever to create paid social posts that:

• Use audience targeting effectively
• Quickly grab the viewer’s attention
• Provide entertainment value
• Are memorable in some way
• Are short enough to be consumed quickly

Pay attention to the ads that catch your eye on social — what messages do they include? What’s the CTA? What visual elements do they have? This insight can help inform how you approach your own paid social.

Pro tip: Haven’t leveraged an industry influencer yet? Influencer marketing is a nearly $10 billion business, so now is a great time to explore if it’s right for your company.

6. Prioritize CTAs

Let’s circle back to testing.

One area that can make or break a paid social campaign is your CTA. Many businesses will focus too much on the ad and not enough on what action they want the viewer to take next.

When you’re creating paid social campaigns, spend time making sure your CTA is strong and drives the viewer to make the decision you want. For best results, A/B test a few and see which ones your viewers respond to.

Meta lets you choose from several CTAs for Instagram and Facebook ads, such as:

• Book Now
• Contact Us
• Download
• Learn More
• Shop Now
• Sign Up
• Watch More
• Donate Now
• Shop Now

Looking for more ways to amp up your social media marketing plans? Let’s talk.

(Image: Unsplash)

7. Embrace new layouts and features

The trendy nature of social media means these platforms usually don’t stay stagnant for long.

With growing competition and a handful of big platforms vying for the most eyeballs, there’s a near-constant stream of updates and changes.

It may seem like a pain to hop on board the latest buzzy platform or feature, but it can give you an edge over your competition and get you seen as an industry leader.

Often, when beta versions of these social platforms are released, a site-wide change isn’t far behind.

By trying out a new feature or interface when it’s first available to test, you can set yourself up to be a pro at the new way of doing things — potentially before the brands competing against you.

Better yet, these new tools could give you an extra boost, like refining your target audience or improving your return on ad spend (ROAS).

Further reading: How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy: 9 Steps [+ Free Checklist]

The takeaway

At HawkSEM, we don’t just follow trends — we set them.

We love creating innovative strategies that deliver game-changing ROI for our clients. However, understanding social media trends is essential to identify which strategies help you thrive and which make you obsolete.

Feeling overwhelmed by the ever-changing trends? Goodnough and our social media strategists have your back:

“One of my higher education clients historically had never used UGC from their students,” she recalls. “Last year, they worked with students to create ‘day in the life’ videos to use organically and in ads.”

The results?

“Application and enrollment numbers increased year-over-year after leveraging UGC submitted by students, demonstrating the power of sharing relatable, authentic content to spread awareness and build trust,” she shares.

Ready to watch your numbers soar?

It’s time to bring that same energy to your social media strategy. We’re ready when you are!

This article has been updated and was originally published in June 2020.