Top 10 Social Media Trends in 2025 to Grow Your Audience & Engagement

Social media has become an essential instrument for businesses seeking to expand their audience and create engagement.

The growth of social media calls for businesses to be proactive in embracing new social media trends and strategies in the bid to stay on top.

According to Forbes India, 77% of small businesses use social media to connect with their customers, 44% for building brand awareness, and a significant number of small businesses—41%—also depend on social media as a revenue driver.

These stats clearly show how many businesses are constantly learning and embracing social media's growth.

Simply by combining performance and consumer preference data, you can have a vivid picture of the year ahead.

We’re not talking about which TikTok sounds will blow up in upcoming months. But what we’re talking about is what the driving forces behind social media are that will keep your online presence up so you can stand out from the crowd.

For 2025, being relevant on social media will mean something more than just the usual posting; it will require creativity, data-driven approaches to content and engagement.

This blog features the top 10 social media trends that have been reshaping the digital marketing space to help businesses expand their reach and build meaningful relationships with their audience.

Furthermore, don’t miss out on the latest social media trends of 2025. Let’s read further!

Top 10 Social Media Trends to Grow Your Brand

Social media has both advantages and disadvantages, however, that doesn’t stop businesses and individuals alike from leveraging its use to increase their brand awareness and boost the number of their potential customers.

Here, we have compiled some of the latest social media trends that you should learn about:

Trend 1: Video is King

The popularity of video, particularly short-form video, is bound to end up on a social media trends list every year. Many of us already know that short-form video is one of the best ways to connect with your audience and reach new followers.

As Forbes states, short-form videos—typically less than a minute in length—capture the attention of 66% of consumers. This means short-form videos are the most engaging type of in-feed content.

But here’s a twist; long-form video has seen a resurgence worth noting. TikTok has been recently pushing longer videos—starting with one-minute videos, then 10, and most recently, it started testing 30-minute uploads.

And with the platform saying that users spend over half of their time on TikTok watching videos that are a minute or longer, these long-form tests have a reason behind them.

It’s worth mentioning that you still need a short-form video as part of your day-to-day social media strategy. But think about how you can bring long-form storytelling into your content that will resonate with your audience.

Trend 2: Playful Content is the New “Brand Personality”

Businesses are now leaving behind that edgy brand voice strategy to a new brand trend which is experimenting with this social media trend: playful content.

Brands are consistently looking into creative ways to tap into meme culture and the voice of the Internet in a way that fits their voice. And we’ve seen more brands experimenting and playing with their voice and visual content to do so.

For instance take LinkedIn’s Threads, which have a human voice and cover topics that range from relatable and hilarious, to inspirational and endearing.

A LinkedIn thread post says "coming back from PTO be like:" contains several blurry images of Slack and a coffee.

Another cool example is Zomato, we all know they’re consistently playing with content that makes us all laugh.

Their recent social media interactions promoting ghar ka khaana went viral and the brand’s anti-marketing strategy hit all the right buttons.

As a business, you need to create content that riffs on Internet culture, memes, and trends while still staying true to its brand colors, tone, and image. Think about how your brand can get playful on social media platforms.

Trend 3: Shoppable Social… Social Commerce Continues its Rise

We all have seen the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend or bought something after witnessing it on TikTok or another social platform ourselves.

But this is more than just a fleeting trend,  social commerce is a continuing trend to watch and consider for your social media strategy.

Social platforms like TikTok are pushing for it. TikTok Shop officially launched in the US in late 2023, and they’re already looking for ways to make in-app shopping even easier.

A Social Media Director Jef McDonald considers this one as one of the top social media trends in 2024 to need to watch. He says live streaming and interactive shopping experiences are only expected to expand, so this trend is likely here to stay.

With all the limitations of e-commerce, give your potential customers another way to buy—look into whether opening up shop on platforms like TikTok, Facebook or Instagram is right for your brand.

Trend 4: SEO is Important for Your Social Channels too

Many of us search not only on Google but also on social media platforms, for example, instead of researching a few places to travel on Google, try searching location hashtags on Instagram.

This demonstrates that you shouldn’t underestimate the power of social media platforms as search engines and one should know that SEO is important for your social media too.

According to Business Insider, In 2022, nearly 40% of Gen Z preferred TikTok over Google for searching for information.

This makes optimizing your content for discoverability and engagement both in feed and via search more important than ever before.

Similarly, as you optimize an article on your page on your site for SEO, take an optimized approach to your social content.

Optimize your profile and posts for maximum discoverability by using the right keywords in your caption, the right hashtags, and relevant keywords within your alt text, too.

Trend 5: Behind-the-Scenes Content and Redefined Transparency

Both brevity and authenticity are winning the day on social media, Forbes states.

Today the social media audience's desire for authentic content lends itself to the need for brands to be more transparent about their business practices on social.

Future businesses need to look for social media trends and opportunities to offer more transparency about their brands, products, and practices.

To create authentic content for social, you can simply start by creating behind-the-scenes content about your workplace, products being made, the people behind your products, and your sustainability values.

But, remember to make sure that you have action or proof to back up your statements. In case the questions do arise that your brand should address, use the right tools to stay proactive.

Recommendations: What Are the Different Types of Social Media Marketing?

Trend 6: Authenticity Wins

Authentic content is the number one thing consumers say they don’t see enough of from brands on social media.

A company called Stackla recently surveyed consumers and marketers and found that 51% of consumers said less than half of brands create content that resonates as authentic.

We’ve seen how rapidly the creator culture has skyrocketed in popularity—and brands featuring authentic voices, from creators to employees, shine against those that don’t.

In this way, brands must recognize that this trend is not going anywhere any soon.  It’s a new era of social media marketing.

Experts who believe AI only drives this desire for more authenticity say that people will be yearning for authentic experiences on social media.

Although they admit that AI is fantastic and can help many of us get places faster, however, that personal aspect is so important and will continue to be in 2024.

Besides tapping into creators, as a brand you should create more authentic owned content, too.

Think of playful and trending social media posts, featuring fellow employees in video content who aren’t camera shy, or a “meet the team” series. Get creative!

Trend 7: Evolving Expertise

Is your social team structure based on platforms? Then you’re not alone—sources suggest that 64% of social teams are aligned to specific social platforms or networks.

But in reality, your team structure is constantly running the risk of becoming outdated. As social media trends evolve, so do the teams and skills needed to run it successfully.

And the rise of new platforms, like Threads, always brings back the same question: whose responsibility is a new platform when you’re already divided by network?

New social media job roles and titles are emerging and evolving rapidly.

Trend 8: Building Influence and Brand Partnerships

Now, it’s the content creator and influencer’s world, we’re just posting in it. In the realm of authenticity, social media creators and influencers lend an authentic, human voice and experience to the social scroll.

And their place on brand accounts will only become more important in connecting with audiences.

In a Sprout Pulse Survey of 307 US-based marketers, 8 in 10 social marketers say influencer marketing is essential to their social strategies.

The continued dominance of platforms like TikTok underscores the shift towards more authentic, unfiltered content. This trend is only likely to grow further, with users gravitating towards content that feels genuine and relatable.

Businesses will increasingly leverage creators and influencers who can create compelling stories and connect with audiences on a personal level.

With the rise of creators and influencers, the authentic voice they provide will likely remain on the list of social media trends for years to come.

So now is the time for your brand to kick off your creator and influencer marketing partnerships and program, if you haven’t already.

Trend 9: Meeting Customer Preferences with Personalized Care

In the last few years, the expectations for social media customer service have only gone up. Today, consumers no longer just want fast responses, but 70% of them expect personalized responses to their customer service needs.

In fact, 76% of consumers pay attention and appreciate when companies prioritize customer support, so companies who don’t do so inevitably fall behind.

On that note, businesses should analyze their role in social customer care and ask questions like how responsive are being, and what can do to scale their efforts.

Trend 10: AI in Action

The use of AI to streamline workflows remains one of the current social media trends that will stretch into 2024—and beyond.

As per recent reports, over 80% of marketers have already seen the positive impact of AI on their work. You may be in that group too.

And beyond scaling content creation and customer care responses, artificial intelligence will likely play an even larger role as a marketing and customer care tool.

In 2024, we can expect a deeper use of AI in personalizing user experiences.

Today, AI analyzes user data to provide highly tailored content recommendations, enhance customer service with more responsive chatbots, and drive more effective targeted advertising.

This marketing trend aligns with the increasing efficiency in content production, as AI tools become more adept at understanding and replicating human-like interactions and creativity.

Also Read: 10 Healthcare Social Media Marketing Strategies for Your Center

Future of Social Media Marketing Trends to Look Forward to in 2025

After we have concluded some of the best social media trends in 2024 that have taken businesses to grow to new heights, we will take a look at what to look forward to in 2025 with some of the latest ones:

1. Augmented Reality (AR)

It's no longer just a buzzword; it's a big deal. Various types of augmented reality (AR) have been changing the game because brands are given the power to create experiences that draw people in and hook them.

Platforms are getting in on the act, adding cool AR features like interactive filters and virtual try-ons.

With AR, shoppers can view how the product will look in their space before buying it; this eliminates the returns.

Everyone enjoys trying out clothes virtually or playing interactive games from feeds. AR ads with filters, games, and interactive stories will attract and establish emotional relationships between brands.

The AR overlays digital stuff on top of the real world; thus, everything is more fun and engaging.

2. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing isn't going anywhere; rather, it's growing bigger with time. Influencers have become an integral part of marketing because they can reach specific audiences and engage them.

The ongoing trends include micro-influencers. They have fewer followers than the big names but collect more engagement. Their followers believe in them, which makes them great marketing partners.

Authenticity is also becoming more important. People are getting smarter and want influencers who are real and honest about their brand partnerships.

These partnerships allow influencers to become genuine advocates for the brand, which can result in higher loyalty and stronger brand recognition.

3. Automation and Personalization Leveraging AI

Artificial Intelligence is transforming content marketing, creation, and personalization. AI allows the platform to give users a unique experience, provide spot-on content, and provide deep insights.

It can analyze the behavior of the users and help predict what people want and like. This means that businesses can craft messages that hit the mark and target their audience more precisely.

While generative AI tools are still niche, 18% of businesses use them, but 85% of marketers predict that AI will revolutionize content creation in 2025.

AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Copy.ai, can generate content that is very high quality and targeted to the specific audience that is being considered, as they analyze the data of the user to create personal recommendations and marketing messages that add to the experience of the users.

Brands that utilize AI effectively can deliver more relevant content, improving engagement and conversion rates.

In short, understanding how to use AI will be key for marketers to keep up with the current trends in social media marketing in 2025 and beyond.

4. Social Listening Trends

Unlike performance marketing, which has an almost crystal clear connection to revenue, social media marketing has been notoriously difficult to connect to ROI - a.k.a. the numbers that prove business success and win investment from leadership.

But we've seen more social marketers report that they're more confident than ever in their ability to prove ROI — and it's not coming from tracking "vanity metrics" such as likes, shares, and follows.

This year, we saw that confidence hit its highest level among social pros who use one specific tactic: social listening.

The concept of social listening comes from traditional market research and customer feedback mechanisms. However, the introduction of social media has drastically changed the face of this practice.

From a mere tracking of mentions and comments manually to now using advanced algorithms and AI tools to track large amounts of data in real-time, social listening today takes a wide range of forms of tools and platforms designed to assist businesses in monitoring and analyzing online conversations.

5. Short-form Video Content

Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are also significant participants in the short-form video trend. These platforms have introduced features specifically designed to compete with TikTok, offering users a similar experience.

For marketers, the implications are an opportunity to repurpose content across multiple platforms in an attempt to reach and engage with their audience maximally.

To create more engaging short-form videos, one might leverage story-building, trending music, and interactive elements such as polls and questions.

Even in long-form videos, interactive elements, such as annotation links, CTAs, and email capture forms, are becoming must-haves in videos.

In fact, 41% of businesses use them to boost conversions, and email capture forms take the lead with a conversion rate of 23%.

Learn: What is Fractional CMO Social Media Marketing?

How can Arramton Infotech Help You Leverage the Latest Social Media Trends to Grow Your Business?

Social media marketing trends are more than just a trend—they represent shifting consumer behaviors and technological advancements.

For businesses to thrive in this dynamic environment, it is essential to not just follow trends but to strategically leverage them for meaningful impact. This is where Arramton Infotech steps in.

We analyze data and consumer behavior to help identify trends such as shoppable content and influencer collaborations, thus ensuring brands capitalize on opportunities that drive engagement and conversions.

We also know the right tools and technologies, be it AI-driven insights or a social listening platform, are of utmost importance when it comes to staying ahead.

Our expertise, however, is in how we implement these advancements to your marketing plan, enabling you to personalize the approach, predict customer needs, and stay one step ahead.

Contact us to get personalized social media management services today!

The Final Thoughts

By using these 10 hottest current social media trends, as a business you can keep your strategy one step ahead. However, we can’t always know when a new platform, content format, or trending video will bubble up, as they usually surprise us.

But we can look at these larger social media marketing trends now and use them to build a stronger strategy that sets us up for success. And that builds a solid foundation that not even the advent of a new platform can shake. (Well, maybe a little.)

While we shared some of the trends we noticed are on top, do share if there are any we have just missed on this list of trends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the latest trend in social media?

Ans. Determining a single "latest" trend in social media can be challenging as trends often emerge simultaneously and evolve rapidly. However, based on recent reports, several key trends seem to be gaining significant traction in 2024 including the rise of long-form video, creating playful content, and keeping content authentic and transparent.

Q. What makes a social media trend?

Ans. If the content is timely and relevant it's more likely to generate engagement and become trending. Social media is all about sharing content. If something is shared widely, it's more likely to become a trend.

Q. What type of content is trending on social media?

Ans. The popularity of video, specifically short-form video is one of the best ways to connect with your audience and reach new followers. In fact, most social media users say it's the most engaging type of in-feed content.