2025 Social Media Predictions
NAU Social Interns take on Industry Predictions
Social Media Predictions
If there’s one word to describe the state of social media it would be — ever-changing. From platform updates, to content formats to lightning-fast trend cycles, we’re always changing things up (and our methods) to be capture the planned and unplanned moments.
What does 2025 bring? We read over social media news and predictions and are sharing the highlights with YOU!
Data & Personalization
Consumers want to feel connected with the brand or product before they buy or engage with it. Understanding consumer behavior through each point of the buying process and personalizing it can go a long the way.
🗣️ Darlin: Personally, this is something that I have also noticed in my classes. The idea of making a brand or product to be more relatable — the more connected people feel to it the more they are willing to engage with it.
This will cause bigger brands to rethink how they are currently branding themselves. Whereas being the unattainable “It thing” may have worked in the past, if consumers don’t care for the story behind it all — then it might backfire.
This is something that NAU social media Instagram does well, it showcases the students and makes it relatable for students/ incoming students to want to engage. This isn’t necessarily a thing that can hurt #highered, but more shift the way they are trying to reach students.
Instead of a business professional tone to come from a more relatable voice. If students feel less like a number to schools and more like a someone to get to know, there will be more engagement.
A Shift to LinkedIn
Professionals, experts, and organizations are shifting to LinkedIn more. Before, they used to be more active in sharing and engaging on Twitter/X; however, since the rebranding, LinkedIn is becoming a more prominent form of social media for business professionals.
🗣️ Darlin This is really an interesting shift to be noticing in real-time.
LinkedIn before wasn’t as engaged, at least that I had noticed. Now, it kind of feels like a business Instagram.
It encourages even me to be more engaged in it and post more on it. It’s also another way to get a good sense of people and company in a way that perhaps other platforms aren’t able to.
This can encourage institutions to possibly shift over to LinkedIn, to showcase achievements, new opportunities, and professional events. This can be a way for schools to showcase career fairs and be more about that aspect of how they are preparing students for careers/ that business aspect that the institution offers.
🗣️ McKinley:
I love LinkedIn, it’s super helpful to see what my peers are up to professionally.
I also like to keep up with brands to see what they’re up to outside of just sales, like how they take part in their communities.
It’s also a great way to connect with people in interesting industries!
Sustainable And Ethical Branding: More Than Just A Buzzword
Darlin: Consumers are trying to align with brands that align with their values, especially when it comes to sustainability. With this, it aims for brands to become more transparent which allows for consumers to build trust with the brand.
They need to not only preach it but also stand by it.
The brand that comes to mind when I read this is Patagonia. They created an ad campaign saying that you shouldn’t buy their jacket in hopes that people would consider reusing and repairing.
The lengths they have gone to stay true to their mission of sustainability are remarkable and it makes me want to be a part of the cause and possibly purchase their clothing.
NAU has clubs on campus that are about sustainability and they are also trying to make more moves about being sustainable.
From a student aspect, we like to see how campuses are joining the cause instead of ignoring it. It would be encouraging to see changes and campuses being more vocal.
🗣️ Leilani: I love this because it’s promoting and advertises more for sustainability. I think sustainability is going to be becoming more apparent to people and brands. A lot of famous brands like Patagonia, IKEA, Toms, etc. are famous and do so successful because they support sustainability which I think a lot of brands are going to start adapting more.
Livestream Shopping: Impacting consumerism and marketing
A study earlier this year conducted by National Research Group examined how social media users engage with content related to four commerce categories: apparel, beauty, specialty, and home goods.
Based on this, the data showed that Snapchatters were increasingly likely to be open to online shopping.
With the rise of in app and livestream shopping — it looks like online and app shopping is going nowhere but up.
🗣️ Tarryn: The introduction of livestream shopping promotes the idea of one-click shopping. From a business standpoint, this makes it easy for customers to find and purchase your product from their living room.
You can easily see a real example of the product and choose your favorite. From a shopper standpoint, it adds to the consumers’ need to constantly be buying the next greatest product on the market. And in not having to leave the comfort of your house and you might end up spending even more.
🗣️ Leilani: Livestream shopping is a new thing I have seen recently a lot on the media. Like Tik Tok for example, when I’m scrolling on my FYP I see a lot of business people live streaming them packaging their products, making their products, while answering questions the audiences is asking about their product.
I think this is very beneficial to the company because it reaches new customers and gives the opportunity for customers to ask about the product making more sales. I think this is going to be the new thing businesses and corporations are going to be doing in the future.
The Rise of Micro-Influencers
🗣️ Tarryn: As the possibility to go viral increases exponentially, so does the ability to become an influencer over night. Smaller celebrities are now going viral for single moments and riding that wave as far as possible, for example Alix Earle, and continuously grow their fan base.
Especially on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, it is easy for people like Charli D’amelio, to turn their following into millions in just a few months.
🗣️ McKinley: The spotlight is now on niche influencers. Brands want more personalized, authentic content, that reaches smaller audiences, that are potentially more engaged in that content.
I have noticed that I follow a lot of influencers with whom I feel connected and who focus on topics and make content based on things I am passionate about. These influencers may of smaller followings but I am deeply invested in their content vs. influencers with millions of followers.
Long form content coming back
🗣️Tarryn:
People have recently been addicted to short-form content.
What this has left is a void in substance that only long form content can give.
I feel like long form content such as YouTube videos and especially podcasts have been making a come back since their fall off a few years ago.
This could impact marketers to have to find ways to get into long form content, but is also good news for someone in the journalism or film areas.
🎓 McKinley
Personally, I have been loving longer videos from niche influencers if it’s a video I am interested in like Emma Chamberlain’s 1 hour closet cleanout.
When someone has interesting things to share I think vlog style/speaking videos can be very powerful if they have an engaged audience.
