5 Social Media Marketing Trends Dominating 2025

We’re now past the halfway point of 2025, making this a good moment for marketers to take stock of the year’s biggest social media developments so far — and to use those insights to fine-tune strategies ahead of the crucial holiday season. With digital platforms evolving faster than ever, understanding how new technologies and behaviors are shaping user engagement is essential for staying competitive during this peak sales period.

And make no mistake: this is a moment of profound change. AI is increasingly embedded in both consumer experiences and platform algorithms, while posting patterns are shifting in ways that require brands to rethink how they connect with audiences. Users are more likely to encounter AI-generated summaries of topics through Google before they ever see a link, and much of the sharing activity that used to happen publicly on social feeds is now happening privately in DMs.

So where should marketers be focusing for the remainder of 2025 — and as we head into 2026? Here are five defining trends to watch:

1. The AI Transformation

There is really only one megatrend that underpins everything else right now: AI. It spans content generation, ad optimization, SEO disruption, digital companions, and more.

AI is subtly reshaping user behaviors in ways that may not be obvious day to day, but at scale, the effects are significant. Consider search: ChatGPT’s market share has risen 720% in the past year. That’s still a sliver compared to Google’s dominance, but when combined with Google’s AI-driven search summaries — which reduce the need for clicks to websites — it signals a dramatic change in how people discover information. The ripple effects for SEO are undeniable.

At the same time, platforms are flooding advertisers with AI-powered tools — from automated ad copy and design to advanced targeting and bidding systems. Tests show these tools can deliver stronger results, though there’s a balancing act to maintain: lean too heavily on AI-generated creative, and brands risk backlash for cutting human creators out of the process.

The frontier now extends to AI “characters” and bots. Meta has teased AI-generated profile personalities to drive interaction, X is leaning into AI companions, TikTok allows AI avatars to front livestream shopping, and Snapchat has its ever-present “My AI.”

The big question is whether this still counts as “social.” If more of our interactions are with bots rather than humans, do we need a new definition of “social media”? Some users already have a word for these entities — “clankers.” Whether embraced or resisted, they’re becoming part of the online ecosystem.

But with that comes a growing flood of low-quality AI content, raising existential concerns about authenticity and trust in social platforms overall.

2. The TikTok U.S. Standoff

The long-running saga over TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains unresolved. More than a year after the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was signed into law, the platform is still operating in limbo.

President Trump, now openly supportive of TikTok (which he credits with amplifying his 2024 campaign), has signed executive orders effectively delaying enforcement of the law. Behind the scenes, negotiations continue over whether TikTok can be sold to a U.S. buyer — though the Chinese government remains reluctant, particularly when it comes to handing over TikTok’s core algorithm.

The stakes are enormous. A ban would upend marketing strategies, devastate creator communities, and leave a massive cultural vacuum. Platforms like Instagram and YouTube are poised to capitalize, especially in music and youth engagement, should TikTok stumble. For now, the next critical deadline for a resolution is September 17.

3. YouTube’s Rise Over Traditional TV

The dominance of YouTube has been years in the making, but 2025 has made it undeniable: YouTube is now America’s top streaming platform, steadily closing in on traditional TV.

For younger generations, YouTube creators are the celebrities they’ve grown up with — the equivalent of television stars for past eras. This deep, sustained connection is translating into long-term loyalty and rising viewership. Figures like MrBeast embody this shift, drawing audiences that rival, and in some cases surpass, prime-time television.

For marketers, YouTube now offers TV-level reach with vastly superior targeting tools. The platform’s sprawling ecosystem of niche communities makes it possible to connect with highly engaged audiences in ways traditional broadcast could never achieve.

4. Platforms Adjusting to Trump

Donald Trump’s return to the White House has forced a recalibration across major corporations — and social media giants are no exception.

While Elon Musk’s X has always been aligned with Trumpian rhetoric, Meta has pivoted sharply in 2025. In an apparent bid to win favor with the administration, Meta has introduced Community Notes (mirroring X’s approach to moderation) and has recruited prominent Republicans to key roles.

Why the sudden shift? Meta is eyeing government support on multiple fronts: from navigating European regulatory hurdles to advancing its massive AI infrastructure projects. Aligning with Trump’s pro-business stance could save Meta billions in penalties and secure political cover for future expansion.

For now, Trump remains primarily active on his own Truth Social platform, sparing Meta any immediate dilemmas around moderating his posts. But should political tensions flare again — especially if Trump pushes constitutional boundaries, as he has hinted — the question of platform enforcement may return with even higher stakes.

5. Threads vs. X

The battle for real-time social dominance is heating up, with Meta’s Threads now standing toe-to-toe with Elon Musk’s X.

Launched in 2023 as a direct counter to Musk’s chaotic Twitter overhaul, Threads has grown to around 400 million monthly active users. X, by comparison, is believed to have between 500 and 600 million, though Musk’s figures are notoriously opaque. The gap is narrowing fast — and if momentum continues, Threads could surpass X before the year is out.

Momentum matters in social networks: as more users flock to a platform, it draws creators, which in turn draws more users. With big names increasingly leaning into Threads, Meta looks well-positioned to capture the cultural conversation in real time.

X is betting heavily on its AI features — Grok, video generation, and companion bots — to retain relevance. And for certain communities, particularly those accustomed to breaking-news updates on the platform, X still holds sway. But Threads’ growth makes it a key channel marketers cannot ignore, especially now that Meta has opened its ad ecosystem to the app.

The first half of 2025 has underscored just how volatile and transformative the social media landscape remains. AI, regulatory battles, and shifting user loyalties are all reshaping the terrain. For marketers preparing for the holiday season, the challenge is not just to keep up — but to anticipate where these currents are heading next.

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