What 97 Trend Reports Reveal About Social Media & Influencer Marketing in 2025
I analyzed 97 reports on 2025 social media and influencer marketing to uncover the "trending trends" shaping digital strategy.
Over the past month, I’ve read every social media, influencer, and digital marketing trends report I could find. My goal was to consolidate insights from practitioners, journalists, and academics to identify the key trends shaping social media and influencer marketing in 2025.
I’ve organized my findings into two clear lists: Social Media Trends and Influencer Marketing Trends. Below, you'll find the top takeaways distilled from the digital world's leading voices.
Social Media Trends
Human-Led / Authentic Content – 26 mentions
Leading the pack with 26 mentions is “human-led” authentic content. Many writers predict brands increasingly repurposing creator content—UGC (user-generated content), EGC (employee-generated content), influencer material, customer contributions, and advocate voices—to present a more human and relatable face on their social media.
There’s also a noticeable shift away from overly polished, professional content, with a growing emphasis on low-fi, raw content that feels genuine and authentic to audiences.
AI Generated Content – 26 mentions
On the opposite end of the spectrum—and tying with human-led content—are predictions of brands increasingly using Generative AI to produce social media content. As I’ve noted, this type of content resonates more with marketers than with consumers. But, there’s no doubt that because it’s cheap and easy to produce, brands will lean into it even further. Will this AI-generated content succeed in driving conversions and engagement? We’ll find out in 2025.
Short-Form / Bite-Sized Video – 23 mentions
No doubt we’ll see even more short-form video from brands and organizations in 2025. Even if TikTok disappears, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are ready to step in and spread these quick, engaging videos far and wide. If you’ve got 15 seconds to spare this year, give one a watch.
Building Communities – 22 mentions
Private communities—including broadcast channels, newsletters, and message boards—offer brands and organizations an opportunity to build and nurture niche communities around their products and key issues. This is one I’m particularly excited about, as it has the potential to bring the “social” back to social media.
Social Commerce – 17 mentions
Social commerce has been a major force in APAC for years, but it finally took off in the U.S. in 2024, with $100 million in sales on TikTok during Black Friday. Frequently linked to live streaming, this trend will migrate to other platforms if TikTok Shop disappears. American consumers are now embracing a vertical version of QVC on their phones, eagerly buying random items to be dropshipped to their homes.
Social Search / SEO Video – 15 mentions
Google and YouTube have long reigned as the kings of search, but with the rise of Generative AI and the growth of social search, expect social platforms to enhance their search capabilities. Creators will likely invest more effort into crafting SEO-optimized captions, and users will increasingly turn to social apps for their searches.
Live Streaming – 12 mentions
Live streaming is here to stay across social platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, gaming hubs like Twitch, and even professional spaces with LinkedIn Live webinars. Brands and organizations should embrace this trend as users increasingly seek out real-time video content.
LinkedIn – 12 mentions
LinkedIn is the only specific social network to make the list this year. It’s emerged as a clear winner from the Twitter Xodus, and we’ll see more B2B influencers and B2C campaigns on the platform in 2025. Political campaigns also began to test the waters on LinkedIn last year. I expect to see the platform grow across unexpected verticals, becoming a space where more and more people spend their time.
AI in Social Platforms – 11 mentions
Writers are especially curious about how platforms will integrate AI into their services this year. LinkedIn is already overflowing with AI slop, Facebook is auto-generating birthday messages, and YouTube is offering AI-powered suggestions for video comments. While none of these features improve the user experience, it will be interesting to see if platforms can integrate AI in ways that make their networks more personal, engaging, and pleasant to use. We shall see.
AR (Augmented Reality) – 11 mentions
Call me skeptical that 2025 will be the year anyone suddenly cares about AR or digs out their Snapchat Spectacles, but there’s no doubt that networks and hardware manufacturers are true believers. So maybe by July 4th, instead of watching fireworks in the sky, I’ll be watching AR-projected fireworks through smart glasses while scrolling my Twitter feed. Sounds great.
AI Management / Reporting – 11 mentions
If there’s one place where AI can make a positive impact in the social media space, it’s in managing a brand’s ever-expanding collection of social channels and streamlining analytics and reporting. This application makes sense and has the potential to deliver real value.
Influencer Marketing Trends
Niche Influencers / Super Brand & Values Fit – 22 mentions
Leading the pack is the strategy of partnering with niche creators who genuinely connect with your brand and align with its values, regardless of their follower count. These types of creators often have built-in credibility with your target audience, stronger relationships with their followers, and higher engagement metrics. Collaborate with creators who have cultivated the specific audiences you want to reach, and give them the freedom to communicate authentically to foster real connections.
Genuine & Authentic Voices – 20 mentions
Closely aligned with niche creators are genuine, real, and authentic voices. These creators aren’t celebrities—they’re moms, teachers, nurses, firefighters, and community leaders. They have the ability to authentically speak about your product or cause, delivering real, scalable results.
Long Term Collaborations – 18 mentions
There’s real value in partnering with creators over the long term. They become experts in your messaging, can respond to comments more effectively, and ultimately become a genuine extension of your brand. While one-off collaborations still hold value—especially when content is scaled with paid campaigns or repurposed across other channels—longer-term partnerships offer greater ease and allow you to build trust with creators. This trust empowers them to authentically communicate your message to their audiences.
Pico/Nano/MicroInfluencers – 17 mentions
Creators with smaller followings often deliver stronger engagement metrics, maintain authentic connections with their followers, and produce the kind of low-fi, genuine content that brands need. Regardless of follower count, partner with creators who are a natural fit for your brand—remember, the messenger is the message.
Full Spectrum Reporting / AI Reporting – 17 mentions
Creators have finally gone full spectrum, engaging consumers and supporters at every stage of the marketing funnel. AI-powered tools can enhance reporting, offering deeper insights into comment sentiment and key themes. As clients demand better reporting, agencies are gaining the tools to deliver it effectively in 2025.
Expand Social Commerce – 14 mentions
Appearing on both the social media and influencer marketing lists, social commerce is here to stay. Partnering with creators who know how to sell products or drive fundraising for campaigns will be essential. Expect more creator campaigns in 2025 to focus on driving conversions and delivering a positive ROI.
AI-Driven Creator Selection – 11 mentions
There’s no doubt that AI can help vet creators at scale, identifying key indicators that signal a good fit for your brand or organization. But don’t remove the human touch just yet—ultimately, a creator’s job is to influence real people, not to impress an AI algorithm. Many of the AI-driven creator platforms I’ve encountered tend to surface low-quality UGC creators and lack the nuance to distinguish between a creator who produces great content and one who’s simply part of an engagement group, artificially inflating their audience activity.
Virtual Influencers – 9 mentions
Virtual influencers might seem at odds with the push for “human-led” content and authenticity, but younger consumers are showing interest in what these digital creators have to offer. They might be a great fit for tech brands or to hawk crypto, but do I really want to watch a virtual influencer tell me about their “trip” to the Amazon?
Values-Driven Campaigns / Sustainability – 9 mentions
If there’s two things virtual creators lack, it’s values or an interest in sustainability. Brands and organizations aiming to connect with audiences who care about key issues should seek out creators who share those values and can authentically communicate them. The right creator can forge meaningful connections with their audience while aligning your brand with those shared values.
Short Video – 9 mentions
Short video—one of only two themes to appear on both lists—is set to remain the dominant content format for influencers in 2025. With such a massive volume of short videos being produced, brands and organizations must focus on creating content that is authentic, engaging, and truly worth stopping the scroll for.
For a complete list of all my sources, click here.
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