{"id":4278173,"date":"2025-01-13T09:07:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T07:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deptagency.com\/insight\/demure-deinfluencing-reddits-rise-and-the-axing-of-x-social-in-2025\/"},"modified":"2025-03-24T11:27:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T09:27:11","slug":"social-media-trends-2025","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.deptagency.com\/en-nl\/insight\/social-media-trends-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Demure deinfluencing, Reddit\u2019s rise, and the axing of X: social in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\n\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tBack to all articles\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n<\/button>\n\t\tDemure deinfluencing, Reddit\u2019s rise, and the axing of X: social in 2025\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\n\t<\/div>
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\n\t\tErwin Bossers\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t13 January 2025\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\tWill BlueSky reign in 2025? Will TikTok be banned (or de-banned)? How will influencers change the game? <\/p>\n\tAs with every new year, social media trends are hard to predict. But we\u2019re going to try.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0

As we look to 2025, we\u2019ve reflected on lessons learned in 2024. From platforms rising and falling, trends coming and going, and shifts in generational attitude (looking at you, Brat Summer), recurring themes have emerged that can help you shape your social strategy<\/a> in 2025.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\tLess micro trends, more eras\u00a0<\/h2>\n\tIt\u2019s challenging to recall the thousands of micro-trends that happened last year\u2014often lasting a mere 24 hours before fading away into obsolescence.\u00a0

And while TikTok\u2019s M.O. is rooted in micro trends, some brands have leaned so hard into them that they\u2019ve started to shift into cringe territory, peddling products and spurring discussions on overconsumption. And of course, all this has trickled down to the creator economy, leading to the rise of the \u201cde-influencing trend<\/a>,\u201d which had nearly 730 million views on TikTok. This pushback reflects a growing demand for something more than a trendy meme.\u00a0

Enter, Brat Summer.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n
\n\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/iframe>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\tBrat Summer<\/a> was more than a trend. It was an era. Popularised by Charli XCX and creators on TikTok, the Brat Summer movement was characterised by a rebellious aesthetic, bold fashion choices, and carefree attitudes. Startup brands, billion-dollar corporations, and even the White House attempted to capture the \u201cBrat era\u201d moment.\u00a0

This phenomenon suggests that social media users are more interested in cultural eras than fleeting moments.\u00a0

Unfortunately, brands don\u2019t create cultural eras. People do. However<\/em>, if you have a well-defined identity and social strategy that listens to the desires of younger audiences, you can participate in a way that feels authentic. So, in 2025, stop inserting yourself into trend after trend. Instead, think about larger cultural moments and see how your brand fits.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n
\n\tIt\u2019s time to pivot away from X and prioritise Reddit for social listening\u00a0<\/h2>Since Elon Musk\u2019s $44 billion takeover of X in 2022, the platform has been plagued by issues. Considering Twitter was once considered a public service, it\u2019s been jarring for many ex-users to see the platform become an unregulated forum and distribution hub for hate speech.\u00a0

According to X\u2019s data<\/a>, users reported 81 million incidents of abuse and harassment and 66 million cases of hate speech during the period. Of those, 1.35% of the abusive accounts (per user reports) were suspended, and 0.004% of those posting hate speech were removed.\u00a0

This rise in toxicity and user dissatisfaction with the platform has led to X CPMs falling 38% year over year, according to a report from Tracer<\/a>. Click through rates have also fallen 54% over the same period, indicating reduced demand from brands and users. According to Kantar<\/a>, 26% of marketers have reported plans to reduce ad spend on X in 2025, the largest recorded pullback from any major global ad platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\tof marketers to reduce spend on X in 2025\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\tBut as one platform falters, another is always just around the corner, looking to capitalise.\u00a0

    Reddit is on a fast-paced trajectory to take a bigger piece of the social media pie. According to a     Q2 2024 report<\/a>, Reddit saw a 54% increase in revenue and expanded its user base by 8.5 million daily active users. This brings its total to 91.2 million daily users, with weekly users rising to 342.3 million\u2014a 57% increase compared to the previous year.\u00a0

    Reddit, a place of community, intrigue, and often NSFW questions, has also been driving many cross-pollinations to other social platforms. The most viral social media trends and conversations start in subreddits, are upvoted and shared on the platform, and then re-shared to other channels like TikTok and Instagram, suggesting that Reddit is becoming a more robust and sophisticated social-sharing platform.

    You might perceive Reddit as a challenging or hostile environment for brand participation. We predict, however, that alongside Reddit\u2019s rapid growth is a raised user expectation around brand involvement. In an     AMA<\/a> with the VP of Ad Product Management, Jyoti Vaidee pointed to internal Reddit user research, which found that 60% of Redditors want brands to participate in communities so long as their interactions are relevant and respectful.

    If you\u2019re not ready to fully invest in Reddit as a marketing or social platform, you can take small steps to start building your brand presence. Commit to active engagement on the platform, gather feedback from the community, and engage with light banter in relevant communities. These are all great ways to learn the Reddit ropes.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\tThis year, invest in real-time influencer marketing\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\tReal-time influencer marketing is now one of the key drivers for brand success on social, and TikTok and Instagram are your best bets as long as the content feels tailor-made to meet the moment.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\tThe most common opportunity is when creators experience their first few minutes of fame. Find a natural tie-in and move at the speed of culture.

    One of the best 2024 examples is Logan Moffitt and     DoorDash\u2019s collaboration<\/a>. This moment led to ~3 million impressions at the height of Logan\u2019s fame and showcased DoorDash as a collaborative, in-tune brand.\u00a0<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\tYou don\u2019t need to seek out the most talked-about creators. Collaborating with niche to mid-sized creators with a dedicated audience is a great way to endear yourself to their community. For example, Lyft partnered with this unusual creator<\/a> to announce a new safety feature for female passengers.\u00a0

    This creative opportunity isn\u2019t for everybody<\/strong>, but it\u2019s definitely for this creator’s audience. They shared the video widely, amassing over 2 million views on the platform.

    Seize these timely opportunities in 2025. They will help you build stronger connections with new audiences\u2014ones seemingly out of reach, boosting your relevance in a rapidly evolving social media landscape.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\tAs ads get scrolled past, creativity and repeatability are king<\/h2>\n\tNext year, adults aged 18-24 are expected to spend an average of 77 minutes per day on TikTok, nearly matching the     86 minutes spent on linear TV<\/a>. And even if the US TikTok ban goes through, almost a billion people worldwide will have sustained access<\/a>.\u00a0

    It makes sense that brands are taking bigger swings on the platform by introducing creative series and episodic content on social media. Luxury designer Alexis Bittar\u2019s     Margeaux series<\/a> has made waves, parodying the fashion industry. Episodic series such as Four Favourites<\/a> by Letterboxd are hotly anticipated by movie lovers.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n

    \n\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/iframe>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\tNot every brand can commit to this level of production and creative storytelling for social media, but this could be a sign of what\u2019s to come as platforms prioritize original video content and brands struggle to appear in users’ feeds.\u00a0

    While having a budget for high-end production helps, the best social teams find ways to stay scrappy and engage in crafts. For example, the DEPT\u00ae social team helped Twitch debut     Grass Lord at TwitchCon<\/a>, combining social and experiential marketing into something delightful but economical.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t
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    <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\tYounger social media audiences want to get back to fun. They care more about creativity than the costs involved. Brands should respond by incorporating excitement, pride, and creativity into social media and brand advertising. And if it\u2019s repeatable, that\u2019s even better.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\tTo capture the newest generation, invest in YouTube\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\tSo long are the days of Cartoon Network. Today, kids and their parents are on YouTube.\u00a0

    According to     Nielsen<\/a>, in April 2024, kids aged 2-11 watched YouTube three times as much as they did Disney+ programming. Cocomelon, a popular children\u2019s show, has over 180 million subscribers and is one of the most popular children’s programs today.

    YouTube offers a unique advantage over typical mobile social feeds because ads are integrated into the user experience (unless users opt for YouTube Premium). This setup reduces the chances of users being annoyed by ads or leaving the platform. In fact, 31% of kids say YouTube has the \u201cbest commercials,\u201d compared to just 18% for broadcast TV. This combined enthusiasm and trust for the platform by a young and receptive audience has led to an increase in purchase requests for younger audiences.\u00a0

    One brand that has benefitted from the strength of this platform is     LEGO<\/a>. In the first six months of 2024, YouTube saw more than 13 billion views of videos related to LEGO. This organic user interest and enthusiasm has led to LEGO becoming one of the most subscribed brand channels on the platform. The channel appeals to both kids and adult fans by featuring a mix of awe-inspiring original content, creator collaborations, and user-generated videos.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n
    \n\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/iframe>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\tBrands looking to break through on the platform could take notes from the most successful creator, Mr. Beast. Regardless of your appetite for his style of content, his audience is young, enthusiastic, and highly engaged. In September, his \u201cSecret Sauce\u201d for YouTube video production<\/a> was leaked, revealing key insights into his success on the platform.\u00a0

    If you\u2019re committed to reaching younger audiences, deploying a YouTube strategy is a great way to break ground with the next generation.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n
    \n\tOn our mind<\/span> <\/h2>\n\tVIEW ALL INSIGHTS<\/a>\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t
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