Bringing together social media performance metrics and consumer insights offers a clear view of where social media trends are headed. The data reveals what influences audience behavior and how your brand can position itself effectively.
That’s why we gathered key findings from our latest reports — including The 2025 Impact of Social Media Report — to help you craft a strategy that delivers measurable business outcomes. We also consulted leading social media marketing experts to share practical guidance for marketers.
Trend 1: Video Is Still King
It’s no surprise that video tops the list of social media trends. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and newer video features on LinkedIn and Threads have reached near feature-parity, making video content a priority across networks.
Short-form video remains one of the most effective ways to engage audiences and attract new followers. However, long-form video continues to play an important role as well. Instagram Reels typically run 15–90 seconds, TikTok videos range from a few seconds up to 10 minutes, and since October 2024, YouTube Shorts can extend to three minutes.
This expansion was a strategic move by YouTube. According to the 2025 Sprout Social Index™, the platform ranks among the top three where users maintain social profiles. It is also drawing strong interest from marketers — 68% say YouTube delivers the greatest business impact, as noted in the 2025 Impact of Social Media Report.
Brand Takeaway
Repurposing content can work, but brands should move beyond a one-size-fits-all strategy. Develop platform-specific content that matches user behavior and expectations—for example, short, snackable videos on Instagram and TikTok, and more in-depth storytelling on YouTube.
Consider partnering with creators outside your usual niche and focus on subjects your audience genuinely cares about to showcase your brand’s flexibility. Whether it’s an adventure clip or a home-cooking tutorial, each video can help you reach new viewers and strengthen engagement.
Trend 2: AI-Generated Content Will Become Mainstream
AI’s influence on social media marketing is set to grow rapidly. According to the 2025 Index, 97% of marketing leaders believe marketers must understand how to use AI.
AI-generated content will become increasingly common, allowing marketers to produce posts without advanced technical skills. Instead of focusing on production logistics, they can concentrate on ideas, creativity, and quality control while AI manages the technical execution.
In short, content creation is shifting — strong concepts and storytelling will matter more than expensive equipment or complex editing tools
Brand Takeaway
In an era dominated by AI-generated content, what will set your brand apart is how genuinely human it feels. Treat AI as a creative assistant or brainstorming partner, but keep the vision and creative direction in human hands. Every piece of content should reflect authentic storytelling and real perspective — because meaningful connections on social media are built on trust, personality and relatability.
“As AI-generated content becomes more widespread, the demand for content that feels genuinely human will only increase. Relatability will matter more than perfection — less polish, more real life.”
Transparency is equally essential for building trust. If you use AI to create content, be open and honest about it with your audience.
Trend 3: Serialized Content Will Capture Audience Attention
What makes serialized content so appealing to consumers?
Content series allow brands to explore topics that matter to both them and their audience in greater depth, helping build stronger, more meaningful connections. They also often feature familiar, recurring personalities. As viewers keep watching, they become attached to these characters — and that familiarity keeps them coming back.
“People connect with individuals, not logos. The excitement around a brand name alone is fading — audiences now look for recognizable personalities and consistent voices they can relate to.”
Brand Takeaway
When developing episodic content, put people at the center. Format matters — whether it’s casual vlogs, direct-to-camera conversations or highly produced short documentaries — but it’s the personalities that drive loyalty and repeat viewership.
Whether you feature internal team members or creators you partner with regularly, audiences are drawn to familiar faces, authentic chemistry and stories that evolve over time. Aim to create content that feels less like isolated posts and more like a series worth binge-watching.
Trend 4: Brands Will Focus on Community and Connection Over Virality
The 2025 Content Benchmarks Report found that brands posted an average of 9.5 times per day across social platforms in 2024. While slightly lower than in 2023, many consumer-facing sectors — including media, retail, leisure, sports and recreation — exceeded this level, sometimes posting several times more.
This has led to heavy social media saturation. Content moves faster than ever, and many trends pass quickly, leaving users struggling to keep up or meaningfully engage.
Experts suggest that to succeed in 2026, brands will need strategies that address social media fatigue. A major shift will involve posting less often but with greater intention and relevance.
“See your audience as a community, not merely a customer base. Whether you’re a B2B brand or even a utility provider, you can foster loyalty and a shared identity around your values. Create inside jokes and moments that make people feel part of something.”
Brand Takeaway
In 2026, meaningful connection will be the most valuable asset on social media. People will gravitate toward brands that make them feel part of a larger community, choosing relevance and relatability over sheer reach. Rather than chasing viral moments, concentrate on cultivating community through shared humor, common identity and interactive storytelling.
Trend 5: Content and Platform Strategies Will Revolve Around Engagement
By 2026, simply listening to your audience won’t be sufficient — brands will need to anticipate what their customers want before they ask.
Gen Z especially values interaction in more intimate spaces, such as broadcast channels, along with unexpected “surprise-and-delight” experiences from brands.
The 2025 Index also showed that two of the biggest factors that help brands stand out on social media are how actively they interact with followers and how quickly they respond to customer inquiries.
About three-quarters of social media users believe brands should respond within 24 hours. Many also say that if a company never replies, they would choose a competitor instead.
As a result, experts predict community management will become a major social media marketing trend in 2026.
Brand Takeaway
To succeed on social media, brands must do more than simply respond — they need to actively understand their audiences and anticipate their needs in advance.
Social media intelligence and listening tools will play a vital role. Use them to track audience sentiment early, spot emerging needs and act on the moments that matter most.
When you combine social listening with timely responses, you can cultivate a stronger and more loyal brand community.
Trend 6: Authentic, Human-Led Storytelling Will Resonate Most
As 2026 approaches, brands will need to focus on meaningful connections and compelling stories instead of simply jumping on every trend or chasing short-lived moments online.
The brands earning real engagement aren’t those reacting quickest to trending audio. They’re the ones creating recognizable personalities, narratives and brand worlds that feel uniquely their own. Trends can support a strategy — but they shouldn’t be the strategy itself.
To meet audiences’ desire for genuine connection, brands should use AI carefully—especially when it comes to virtual influencers. While some marketers see AI-generated creators as the next step in influencer marketing, many consumers don’t share the same enthusiasm.
Instead, collaborate with real creators whose interests align with your brand to craft deeper stories and give audiences a recognizable, authentic face they can connect with and remember.
Brand takeaway:
As social media fills with automated content and rapid trends, authenticity becomes your strongest advantage. Audiences ultimately connect with real human experiences and emotional resonance.
The most effective brand strategies will be those that remain relatable and authentic despite the crowded social landscape. Brands should emphasize meaningful storytelling, develop recognizable personalities and partner with creators who share genuine experiences—helping audiences see themselves in the content and form deeper connections.
Trend 7: Social search continues to take center stage
Social platforms are increasingly replacing traditional SEO, especially among younger users. Nearly one in three consumers now bypass Google and begin their searches directly on apps like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. For Gen Z, that figure climbs to over half. And they aren’t only looking for entertainment—they’re also seeking purchase-driven content such as tutorials, product demonstrations, and reviews.
Additionally, as platforms roll out AI-powered search tools, the way users discover content is changing rapidly. Much like Google’s AI Overviews, AI-enhanced social search now delivers concise summaries that offer quick, easy-to-scan answers to user questions—similar to the Meta AI example shown below.
Brand takeaway
Modern marketers are embracing social engine optimization and beginning to master answer engine optimization (AEO). Think about how you can tailor your content for social search on each platform, and keep an eye on emerging AEO practices so you can integrate them into your strategy where relevant.
At the same time, watch how social media is influencing traditional search. Posts from platforms like Reddit, YouTube and Instagram increasingly appear on search engine results pages (SERPs), and highly engaging or widely shared social content often meets E-E-A-T expectations. These signals strengthen credibility and can significantly improve your brand’s visibility.
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