Ready for 2025? Discover the Social Media Trends That Will Boost Your Brand!

 

With 78.3% of Australians now active on social media—equating to over 20 million users—it’s clear that social media has become central to the digital lives of Australians. Platforms like Facebook and TikTok offer incredible reach, each engaging millions for hours every month. In 2024, Australians spent an average of 42 hours on TikTok and over 20 hours on Facebook monthly. For businesses, this vast engagement highlights the power of social media as a tool for reaching and resonating with audiences.

However, the landscape is constantly evolving, with new trends, user expectations, and competitive strategies reshaping how brands interact online. Planning ahead and understanding emerging trends is crucial for businesses to maintain relevance and grow their social presence. Whether it’s capitalizing on the growth of in-app shopping or using authentic, community-driven content, businesses that adapt to these trends can build stronger relationships, increase visibility, and achieve greater engagement in 2025.

Here are nine must-watch social media trends for 2025 that every business should consider:

Reddit Advertising

As brands seek to reach more niche and engaged audiences, Reddit has emerged as a powerful advertising platform. With millions of active users organized into specific interest-based communities, Reddit offers an unparalleled opportunity for brands to target highly specific demographics with minimal competition. Reddit ads can be especially effective for brands that focus on tech, gaming, finance, and other popular topics within the platform’s “subreddits.”

In-App Shopping via Product Ads

In-app shopping is transforming the customer journey, allowing users to discover, browse, and buy products without ever leaving the platform. This trend is especially strong on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, where shoppable ads let businesses showcase products directly within users’ feeds. For e-commerce brands, investing in in-app product ads can streamline the purchasing process and drive conversions.

First-Party Data for Targeted Social Media Ads

With privacy regulations tightening and third-party cookies being phased out, businesses are increasingly turning to first-party data for targeted social media advertising. First-party data—collected directly from users through website interactions, CRM systems, and customer surveys—allows brands to create personalized ads that are privacy-compliant. This trend empowers companies to refine their ad targeting and deliver messages that resonate more deeply with their audience.

Forum Marketing

Forum marketing is making a comeback as brands tap into niche online communities to engage with their audience authentically. Platforms like Reddit, Quora, and specialized industry forums allow businesses to participate in conversations, answer questions, and share valuable insights. This strategy builds credibility and brand authority, positioning businesses as experts in their field without the overt pressure of direct sales tactics.

Playful, Authentic Content

Users are increasingly drawn to brands that feel relatable and authentic. Playful, unfiltered content that showcases a brand’s personality and behind-the-scenes moments can build stronger connections. Think less polished visuals, genuine interactions, and humour that resonates with your audience. This trend highlights the value of humanizing your brand, making it more approachable and trustworthy.

Community Over Follower Count

Building a loyal community is now more valuable than simply amassing followers. Brands are shifting their focus from follower numbers to nurturing engagement within their communities. By creating meaningful interactions, brands encourage loyalty and advocacy, turning followers into active supporters. Fostering community can involve starting user groups, responding to comments, and encouraging user-generated content to create a space where people feel valued and heard.

Social SEO

Social SEO is gaining traction as social platforms become an essential part of the search ecosystem. By optimizing content with keywords, hashtags, and geo-tags, brands can increase visibility within social media searches. For example, platforms like Instagram and TikTok are increasingly used as search engines, where users look up topics, products, and services. Investing in social SEO ensures that your content can be easily found by users searching for relevant terms within each platform.

Transparency and Ethical AI Use

As AI continues to shape social media, ethical transparency around AI use is becoming more important to consumers. Brands are now expected to be open about how they use AI tools, from content generation to chatbots, and to ensure that AI applications are ethical, transparent, and aligned with user interests. Emphasizing ethical AI use can foster trust and position a brand as socially responsible.

Creating “Edutainment” Content

Combining education with entertainment, “edutainment” content is an effective way to provide value while keeping audiences engaged. Whether it’s quick tips, how-to videos, or industry insights, edutainment is ideal for brands looking to educate their audience in an engaging, easy-to-digest format. This trend is especially popular on video-heavy platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where short, informative videos thrive.

 

By keeping these trends in mind, businesses can stay ahead in 2025’s dynamic social media landscape. From leveraging new advertising channels and optimizing for social SEO to building genuine community connections, these trends offer valuable opportunities for brands to enhance their social media strategy and achieve sustainable growth.