Social media advertising is always changing with new tech and shifting user trends. To stay ahead, it’s important to keep up with what’s working now, anticipate what’s coming next, and follow best practices that get results.
2025 Social Media Trends
Below are some of the top social media trends of 2025:
Short-Form Video Content
With the continual decrease in users’ attention spans comes the need for advertisers to fashion shorter-form content that is unique, exciting, and attention-grabbing. This is exactly what platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube aim to do. Advertising on these platforms could be right for you if you can produce frequent, short-form videos that potential customers will find intriguing.
The average view time of a paid social ad is two to three seconds, so grabbing users’ attention as quickly as possible is paramount.
Careerarc.com reports that the average attention span of Facebook videos is two seconds, ranging from 1.7 seconds on mobile devices to 2.5 seconds on desktop. While that may seem like no time at all, in less than two seconds, 38% of brand recall, 23% of brand awareness, and 25% of purchase intent results from video impressions, according to Nielsen Research.
While an Instagram Reel can be up to 15 minutes, it’s recommended to stick to less than one minute (15-30 seconds) for short, impactful videos. Socialinsider reports that even shorter Reels, those that are 7-15 seconds, tend to perform better than longer Reels “because shorter content is easier to consume and encourages viewers to watch the entire video, which boosts completion rates, a key factor in Instagram’s algorithm.”
Traditionally, TikTok videos had seen the most success around 21-34 seconds; however, new guidance reported by Shopify is to make TikTok videos one minute or longer to see a higher number of views. TikTok advertisements are still short, around 10-15 seconds, but knowing you can supplement with longer, lifestyle advertisements on your channel can double your chances of visibility and engagement on the channel.
Social Commerce
When users can purchase products from your ads, either via the platform on which the ad was presented or via your ecommerce store, it provides a seamless shopping experience and reduces friction along the buying journey.
If you don’t sell a product and advertise to get more leads, make sure users can easily complete the form on your website or use Meta’s instant forms so users don’t have to leave Facebook or Instagram to become a lead. Test the experience on multiple devices to ensure a smooth process.
Influencer Collaborations
Brands these days often partner with influencers, people with significant followings, who create user-generated content (UGC) for them to help drive sales or traffic to their site.
If you’re not already working with an influencer, consider finding one specific to your niche that can help create authentic content that will resonate with your audience.
Make sure you track leads and transactions from influencer collabs with a custom promo code or query parameterized URL so the return on the investment is clear.
Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences on Landing Pages
AR is becoming more widely adopted by brands across the globe to create immersive and interactive advertisements and landing page experiences.
An example of an AR experience is a virtual try-on feature offered by many fashion brands today. Users can see how a product like clothing, jewelry, and eyewear will look on them before purchasing it, which can increase confidence and lower the chances of returns.
Another AR example is from the furniture industry where users can see how a piece of furniture would fit in their space with a 3D product visualization.
Relatable Brand Content
Along with authenticity, consumers want relatable and entertaining ads from brands. SproutSocial.com reports that consumers are interested in brands that produce original content and “who know their identity and embrace it.”
Consumers are also paying more attention to how brands interact with their followers. “36% say how they engage with their followers makes brands stand out.”
Takeaway: If a user comments on an ad you’re running, make sure you respond quickly and in the most on-brand way!
Expected Social Media Trends
These are the social media advertising trends we expect to continue to see later this year and in the coming years:
- Increased Automation – Modern advertising platforms like Meta’s Advantage+ and TikTok’s Smart+ are transforming how brands deliver personalized experiences at scale. These tools use advanced automation and machine learning to serve highly relevant ads based on a person’s interests, browsing behavior, and purchase history. Rather than displaying a one-size-fits-all message to a broad audience, these dynamic systems tailor content to individual users in real time—boosting engagement and driving higher conversion rates.
- User-Generated Content Expansion – UGC acts as powerful social proof, influencing consumer decisions by providing authentic, peer-driven recommendations. As trust plays a crucial role in purchasing behavior, brands will continue to leverage and promote user-generated content to strengthen credibility and connect with their audience on a deeper level.
- Adoption of Emerging Platforms – New social platforms like BeReal, Supernova, Lemon8, Threads, and Reddit present fresh opportunities for brands to connect with untapped audiences. Exploring these platforms can help expand reach, engage potential customers in innovative ways, and drive increased transactions and revenue.
- Note: Threads will be rolling out advertising capabilities very soon!
- AI Integration – While AI shouldn’t be the sole driver of ad creation, tools like ChatGPT, DALL·E, Gemini, and Perplexity can enhance content personalization and boost engagement. Many of these tools now include image-generation capabilities, providing a valuable resource for creating ad visuals when design teams are stretched thin or unavailable.
- Tip: Always double-check AI-generated images before posting for hallucinations (especially fingers, toes, arms, and legs)!
Social Channel Advertising Best Practices
- Be authentic – users want to see authentic and engaging content, which fosters trust and encourages engagement.
- Show lifestyle content – users who engage with social media ads often do so when lifestyle imagery or video is present. Make sure your ads show your product in use so consumers can get a better idea of how the product would work for them.
- Showcase premium products – focus on promoting your highest-quality products in social media ads, as users are often seeking top-tier options when deciding whether to engage with an advertisement.
Need a winning social media ad strategy? Our experts can craft high-performing campaigns tailored to your audience. Schedule a free consultation today!
