Jul 21, 2025
Top Social Media Highlights of the Year: Insights from ThinkSlope
In 2025, social media continues to evolve, with new trends, innovations, and strategies shaping the way we communicate, market, and engage with online communities. From the rise of short-form videos to the growing influence of user-generated content, the social media landscape has seen significant shifts. ThinkSlope’s insights into the top social media highlights of the year offer a comprehensive overview of the most important developments, trends, and strategies that businesses, influencers, and creators are using to stay relevant and successful in this ever-changing environment.
1. Short-Form Video Content: Dominating Social Media Engagement
Short-form video content has been the standout trend of 2025, with platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts leading the way. These platforms have made it easier for users to consume engaging content quickly, and businesses have adapted by focusing on creating bite-sized videos that capture attention and drive engagement.
Why It’s Important: Short-form videos are highly effective at grabbing attention and driving interaction. With social media users consuming more video content than ever before, short, snappy videos are perfect for telling stories, showcasing products, and encouraging shares and comments.
Exclusive Insight: ThinkSlope highlights the rise of TikTok, which continues to be a powerhouse for short-form video. Brands and creators are using TikTok’s algorithm to create viral content, utilizing trends, challenges, and creative storytelling. Similarly, Instagram Reels has become a key tool for businesses to showcase new products, promote services, and engage with younger audiences in fun, creative ways.
What’s Ahead: Expect further improvements in short-form video tools, including enhanced AI-based editing features and more interactive elements like shoppable videos. As platforms continue to optimize for video content, the trend of short, impactful videos will only grow.
Success Tip: To leverage short-form video, focus on creativity and engagement. Use trends, music, and visual effects to make your videos stand out, and always include a call to action to encourage interaction or sales.
2. Social Commerce: The Integration of E-commerce and Social Media
Social commerce has gained significant traction in 2025, with platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok integrating shopping features directly into their apps. Social commerce allows brands to seamlessly connect with consumers, enabling them to purchase products directly from social media posts without leaving the platform.
Why It’s Important: Social commerce shortens the path to purchase, making it easier for consumers to discover and buy products while scrolling through their feeds. This trend is helping businesses generate direct sales through social platforms, creating new revenue streams.
Exclusive Insight: ThinkSlope’s coverage of social commerce includes the rise of Instagram Shops, where businesses can create a storefront within the app and promote their products through shoppable posts. TikTok’s Shopping feature is also transforming how creators and brands sell directly through engaging videos, further blurring the line between content and commerce.
What’s Ahead: The future of social commerce will see even more seamless shopping experiences with integrated checkout systems, augmented reality (AR) features for virtual try-ons, and personalized shopping recommendations powered by AI. Expect social platforms to continue evolving as shopping hubs.
Success Tip: If you’re a brand looking to tap into social commerce, set up your storefront on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Use high-quality images, engaging videos, and influencer partnerships to promote your products and drive sales directly through social media.
3. Influencer Marketing: Shifting Focus to Authenticity and Long-Term Partnerships
Influencer marketing continues to thrive in 2025, but there has been a noticeable shift in focus towards authenticity and long-term relationships. Brands are increasingly partnering with micro and nano influencers, whose smaller, but highly engaged audiences offer more value in terms of trust and interaction.
Why It’s Important: Authenticity is critical for building trust with audiences. Micro-influencers often have more personal connections with their followers, leading to higher engagement rates and more meaningful content. As a result, brands are focusing on long-term partnerships rather than one-off sponsored posts.
Exclusive Insight: ThinkSlope’s influencer marketing insights show that brands are now seeking influencers who align with their values and have a deep connection with their communities. Long-term collaborations, as seen with brands like Glossier and Patagonia, are becoming the norm, allowing for more natural and consistent messaging that resonates with audiences.
What’s Ahead: The influencer marketing landscape will evolve towards even more collaborative and value-driven partnerships. Expect to see a focus on transparency, with brands and influencers sharing their values, causes, and behind-the-scenes processes to deepen relationships with their audiences.
Success Tip: When working with influencers, prioritize long-term relationships over short-term promotions. Choose influencers whose values align with your brand, and collaborate on campaigns that feel authentic and impactful to their audience.
4. User-Generated Content (UGC): Building Trust and Community
User-generated content (UGC) remains a cornerstone of successful social media strategies in 2025. UGC refers to content created by consumers or followers rather than brands, and it has proven to be a powerful way to build trust, authenticity, and community around a brand.
Why It’s Important: UGC helps humanize a brand and provides social proof, making it more relatable to potential customers. Consumers trust real people over branded content, and UGC helps amplify brand messages without the need for expensive production.
Exclusive Insight: ThinkSlope’s UGC insights showcase brands like Coca-Cola, which has used UGC campaigns to create massive engagement through its Share a Coke initiative. Additionally, GoPro continues to leverage its community of users by sharing videos and photos created by their customers, showcasing the product in real-world, action-packed scenarios.
What’s Ahead: Expect to see more brands creating UGC-focused campaigns and fostering community engagement. With AI tools making it easier to identify the best-performing UGC, brands will increasingly use this content in their marketing strategies.
Success Tip: Encourage your followers to share their experiences with your brand through contests, hashtags, or simple calls to action. Repost their content on your social channels to create a sense of community and show appreciation for your customers.
5. Social Media Privacy and Ethical Considerations: Building Trust Through Transparency
With rising concerns over data privacy and ethical marketing practices, 2025 has seen an increased focus on transparency and ethical behavior in social media. Consumers are becoming more selective about the brands they engage with, particularly when it comes to how their personal data is used.
Why It’s Important: As privacy concerns grow, consumers are looking for brands that prioritize transparency, ethics, and data security. Brands that are open about their data usage and respect consumer privacy will build stronger, more loyal relationships with their audience.
Exclusive Insight: ThinkSlope’s exploration of privacy highlights platforms like Apple, which has set the bar for privacy with features like App Tracking Transparency. In response to consumer concerns, social media platforms are increasingly offering better control over privacy settings and clearer information on how user data is collected and used.
What’s Ahead: Ethical considerations will continue to play a major role in social media marketing. Expect more brands to adopt ethical advertising practices, focus on consumer privacy, and implement transparent data usage policies that align with the growing demand for accountability.
Success Tip: Be transparent with your audience about how you collect and use data. Ensure that your social media marketing practices align with ethical standards and prioritize customer trust by respecting their privacy.
Conclusion
The social media landscape in 2025 continues to be dynamic, with new trends, technologies, and strategies reshaping how brands connect with audiences. From short-form video content and social commerce to influencer marketing and user-generated content, staying on top of these trends is essential for maintaining a competitive edge. ThinkSlope’s insights into the top social media highlights of the year provide valuable guidance on how to leverage these strategies to drive engagement, build trust, and achieve success in an ever-evolving digital world.
By embracing these social media trends and strategies, businesses and creators can position themselves for long-term success, building meaningful relationships with their audience and navigating the complexities of the digital landscape with confidence. Stay tuned for more updates on the latest developments in social media from ThinkSlope.