Social media marketing, like everything else, continues to evolve, with 2025 set to bring new opportunities and challenges for businesses and creators.
Here are 5 key trends that are likely to dominate the social media landscape next year, and how your business can utilise them:
1. AI-Driven PersonaliSation
Artificial intelligence is transforming how brands interact with audiences, enabling highly personalised content and real-time engagement. AI tools are being used to analyse user data and deliver tailored messages based on individual preferences, behaviours, and contexts, e.g. location or time of day. In 2025, AI will also enhance chatbots and virtual assistants, providing instant, personalised customer support on social media platforms (similar to chatbots you might have already seen on many websites).
To capitalise on this trend, businesses and brands should invest in AI tools that automate personalisation while maintaining authenticity.
Image credit: Tidio
2. Short-Form Video Content
The popularity of platforms like TikTok, Instagram (reels), and YouTube (shorts) continues to cement short-form video as a primary content format. This trend, driven by mobile users and decreasing attention spans, will persist into 2025. It’s clear that brands that create concise, engaging, and visually dynamic videos will see higher ROI – in fact, 73% of digital marketers using video marketing strategies claim that video has already had a positive impact on ROI.
To stand out, businesses should focus on storytelling within short time frames, using trending sounds, effects, and hashtags. Brands like Chipotle have successfully embraced this by crafting humorous, relatable content that aligns with platform trends.
3. User-Generated Content (UGC)
Consumers trust UGC (user generated content) far more than traditional advertisements. This form of marketing helps build community and authenticity, and fosters trust and engagement. Big brands like GoPro have turned UGC into a strategy by encouraging customers to share their experiences, effectively creating ambassadors out of their audience.
To adopt this trend, businesses should encourage and incentivise customers to share their stories, run challenges, and showcase UGC on their own social media accounts. This approach not only boosts credibility but also reduces content production costs. Win-win!
4. Ethical Data Practices and Transparency
Data privacy will remain a concern in 2025, with stricter regulations and growing consumer awareness. Audiences today demand transparency in how their data is collected and used. Ethical data practices, such as requiring explicit consent and offering clear value exchanges (e.g. personalised experiences in return for data), will be essential for maintaining trust.
Businesses should also integrate transparency into their messaging and operations, ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Leveraging data responsibly not only avoids legal pitfalls but can also strengthen customer relationships.
Not sure if your website and social media are secure and compliant? Reach out to our Mildura digital marketing experts!
5. HyperLOCAL Marketing
Hyperlocal marketing, which focuses on targeting people in a specific geographical location, will gain popularity in 2025. By tailoring content to local audiences, businesses can create highly relevant campaigns that resonate deeply with specific groups. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram, with advanced geotargeting tools, are enabling brands to connect with nearby consumers more easily and effectively.
This trend is especially valuable for businesses looking to drive foot traffic or local engagement. Incorporating local influencers, events, and cultural nuances into campaigns can significantly boost their local impact.