10 Social Media Trends Shaping 2025

Social media didn’t just change — it changed everything. Brands no longer manage a feed, they manage a footprint. That footprint exists in a single, fluid digital experience along with other brands, creators and people at home, all of whom post their own content and build communities that intersect with your brand’s. Each interaction, from casual scrolls to direct messages, shapes consumer perception, turning social media into the ultimate space for first and lasting impressions.

Brands have never had more exciting opportunities to connect with audiences and reach cultural relevancy. Navigating these trends effectively in your social marketing strategy allows marketers to resonate with today's diverse audiences. Below, we explain the latest social media trends social media managers should know and what they mean for your brand.

These 10 trends outline the changes in the social media marketing industry you should consider when planning your strategy. In this industry, the only constant is change — marketers who stay on top of trends will turn their social channels into powerful brand awareness and conversion machines. For more detailed analysis, check out our Social Media Trends Report, which we update twice a year (in January and July) with the latest trends.

Here's how smart marketers will stay ahead and stand out in the coming year.

1. Shares Are a More Relevant Engagement Metric Than Ever

Shares have quickly become the ultimate endorsement, skyrocketing by 57% on TikTok and 12% on Instagram Reels in the first quarter of 2025. This shift indicates that your audience isn’t just passively consuming your content by themselves; they’re actively sharing it with their peers, which is both a brand endorsement and doubles the reach (maybe more if they send it to the group chat). 

The way users connect and build community on social is completely different now. Crafting content that compels users to share can exponentially boost your reach and credibility. Think less about getting likes or followers and more about becoming share-worthy.

2. The Power of Personal DMs from Brands

Brands are tapping into direct messages like never before. According to eMarketer’s analyst, Minda Smiley, more users are using social for one-on-one connection, and that is corroborated by the increase in shares we’ve seen in the previous trend. 

In 2025, brands are now allocating between 5-10% more of their marketing budget towards advertising in messaging. Brands are even using Instagram Broadcast Channels to message more users at scale. DMs are effective at putting a personal touch on marketing, which can deepen brand loyalty. If your brand hasn't yet prioritized personalized messaging or at least responding to DMs, now is the moment. 

3. Search Ad Spend Shifts to Social

With 54% of Gen Z users choosing Instagram and TikTok over Google for product discovery, social media is the new search engine. This creates a fundamental dynamic where search engine marketing (SEM) and social media marketing intersect, and brands will have to rethink how their advertising budgets are allocated. Experts predict that more brands will increase their spend on social media advertising, and those ads will need to be visually compelling and well-optimized to stay relevant for social searchers. More social ads could appear in the form of user-generated content, content by brand ambassadors and more to stand out.

4. Brands Hone In on Social SEO

Social media’s new role as the front page of the internet isn’t just changing advertising. Brands are also paying more attention to social media SEO to be found more easily. It has become a core part of content marketing strategy. Utilizing smart keyword choices, targeted TikTok hashtags, and strategic content for TikTok SEO, Pinterest SEO, Facebook SEO and YouTube SEO ensures your brand remains discoverable. It's time to make your content impossible for searchers to miss.

5. More Creator and Brand Partnerships

Creators aren't just nice-to-have. They're essential. Deloitte reports that 52% of Gen Z and 45% of millennials trust creators more than traditional celebrities, and brands using ongoing creator partnerships instead of sporadic sponsored influencer ads will reap huge rewards. Macro creators give your brand reach, while UGC creators deliver unmatched engagement, and depending on your strategy, you may need brand partnerships with a healthy mix of creators of all sizes.

Dash Social has seen a significant increase in creator engagement, +13% on Instagram and +46% on TikTok year-over-year, respectively, reaffirming the idea that audiences’ love for creators continues to grow.

6. AI Integrations 

AI integrations are everywhere. But machine learning is not a new concept; tools like Dash Social’s Vision AI have existed for nearly a decade. The best AI tools are designed to provide deep insights at scale, such as how Vision AI understands what visual elements and themes your audience is most likely to engage with on social media, helping you create content that your audience truly wants. Other AI tools, like generative AI, can help you automatically write captions, which is beneficial for teams that have to move fast and at scale, although be sure to keep the previous trends about social SEO in mind.

7. Comment Sections Are the New Focus Group

Forget traditional focus groups. Your comments section is the new hub for genuine feedback. According to TikTok’s 2025 Trend Report, more brands than ever are looking away from focus groups and towards user comments to identify ideas for new product updates, flavors, colors and styles. After all, you are receiving real-time commentary from your biggest fans, and when paired with a smart community manager, it can help you pick out themes to inform everything from your product development to your next post.

8. Social Entertainment Reigns Supreme

Brands are taking more risks on social media, continuing to lean towards entertaining content over more traditional, promotional content. Brands excelling in entertainment marketing enjoy significantly higher engagement, with creators often driving this success. These days, 41% of US consumers want brands to participate in social media trends. This shift toward social entertainment has resulted in more content experimentation among brands, including trying new brand voices, taking visual risks and leaning into funny trends. If you're not entertaining your audience, you're missing out on substantial engagement growth opportunities.

9. ‘TikTokification’ Grows

With a potential TikTok ban looming, TikTok’s future in the United States is still uncertain. However, what is undeniable is that “TikTok” is already everywhere. Many platforms have been inspired by TikTok and its algorithmic video scroll in a phenomenon EMarketer calls ‘TikTokification’. Short-form, engaging video formats popularized by TikTok are now standard across multiple platforms, meaning that social media marketers need to take a multi-disciplined approach to their cross-channel strategy. If video hasn’t been a core part of your LinkedIn marketing strategy in the past, for example, perhaps it’s worth taking a look at now. After all, in the context of the previous trends, Gen Z now expects content to be entertaining, which is also true across all channels and formats.

10. Social Commerce Gains Momentum

Social commerce as a concept has been coming and going since 2004, but this time it may be here to stay. TikTok Shopping has become very prominent, with consumers jumping from their scroll to an impulse purchase in seconds. But beyond just standard checkout, content now significantly influences purchasing decisions. 50% of shoppers have used social media for product discovery, while 59% have used it for buying.

Creator marketing and UGC creators also play a role, as authentic, creator-driven content significantly influences purchasing decisions, blending genuine testimonials with quick check-out buttons. In the past, Dash Social and NielsenIQ found that TikTok’s best shops are capturing the majority of the business. Brands that prioritize smooth, interactive shopping using social commerce solutions will capture and convert more effectively than the competition.

Social media is the place where culture, content and commerce collide. With AI, shareable content, personalized DMs and the growing investment in creators, 2025’s social media trends demand creativity in how they show up online. To dive even deeper into these trends and how to put †hem into action, explore Dash Social’s Social Media Trends Report. 

What’s the best way to research social trends? 

The best way to research social media trends is to combine reputable industry insights from leaders like Dash Social with active community engagement and real-time social listening. After all, every brand is different, and your audience is already giving you signals about what content they like best. This balanced approach helps you understand what's emerging and why, positioning your brand for ongoing relevance.

How do you track social trends? 

You should use analytics to stay ahead of social trends, but be sure to also dive deep into community conversations and user-generated content to understand what the next trend is going to be. Continuous monitoring and active engagement ensure you're always prepared to respond to new trends quickly and effectively.