As 2025 progresses, the social media landscape is going to keep evolving. From platform dynamics to an increased role of AI and music in content creation, social media trends are going to shape how brands and businesses will be connecting with their online audiences. Social media marketing expert, Rita Agoulian, founder of LickYourPhone Media shares her predictions for the year ahead.

Influencer marketing, community building, and cross-brand collaborations are going to take center stage, while technological advancements like AI-driven content creation lower the barriers to high-quality marketing. Brands that want to see success on social media will need to adapt to these trends, embracing new approaches and tools that help them to grow and drive engagement with their audiences.

5 social trends to watch in 2025

The TikTok vs. Instagram battle continues

TikTok and Instagram will continue their rivalry, with evolutions in their offerings in 2025. TikTok will continue to cement its position as a platform where younger demographics, especially Gen Z, seek out trends, and inspiration for where to go and what to buy. This shift will see TikTok emerge as a search engine for recommendations rather than just a platform for entertainment. Meanwhile, Instagram is going to be a more personal space, oriented toward deeper connections, and it will let users interact more with family and friends’ recommendations over brand and influencer-driven content. This makes Instagram more of a source of personal referrals, rather than just a marketing outlet for businesses. The changes in these platforms that keep shifting along audience preferences will drive businesses to change their strategy around the content they share.

The rise of Micro and Nano influencers

In 2025, influencer marketing will be more about micro and nano influencers than macro ones. Smaller-scale influencers have highly engaged, niche audiences that trust their recommendations, offering businesses greater authenticity and higher engagement rates. Working with several micro-influencers at once rather than investing all their budget into one big influencer can help businesses reach a variety of demographics while seeing a better return on investment. By focusing on quality over quantity, they can create campaigns that feel more personal, credible, and impactful.

AI-driven content creation will take centre stage

AI will disrupt content creation, making high-quality images and video much more accessible and affordable. Some brands, especially in the product space, are already utilising AI to create realistic, visually stunning content that was previously cost-prohibitive. For example, AI-created videos and images will be an alternative to expensive out of home activations, enabling companies to execute creative campaigns with minimal overheads. This is going to democratise creativity and content production, allowing smaller businesses to make content that feels just as polished and impactful as that of larger, established brands.

Integration of music and sound becomes a must-have feature to make content viral

Music will be at the core of the user experience even more in 2025. TikTok and Instagram are going to increasingly focus on integrating music into their platforms, moving beyond basic track overlays to deeper partnerships with Spotify and Apple Music. Early adopters are already using static imagery with music, encouraged by algorithms that give favorable weighting to these posts. Expect to see users adding songs they discover on social media directly into playlists on music apps. This is the trend that is going to make music not just an entertaining tool, but also a marketing tool, enabling businesses to create viral moments and connect with audiences on a more emotional level. The brands looking to stay relevant and algorithm-friendly will need trending music integrated into their content, as it continues to take a leading role in establishing trends and user engagement.

Community building and brand collaborations

Community building is going to be a huge part of social media marketing in 2025. Businesses will focus more on building online communities with depth instead of just transactional relationships. Community-driven content and collaboration will help them connect with consumers and forge more genuine, meaningful relationships. Partnerships between brands will increase, with companies collaborating to leverage each other’s audience to increase the visibility of both brands. Expect to see some really inspiring and creative cross-brand collaborations through the co-creation of joint campaigns and launches.

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