Reclaiming Social Media in 2025
As we enter another new year, I am sure your social media is overrun with 2024 recaps and predictions for the year ahead. For small business owners navigating the ever-changing landscape of social media marketing, the start of a new year offers an opportunity to reflect, strategize, and dream bigger. Let’s take a quick look at the past year's lessons to see what we can take into 2025 and what we might just want to leave behind.
Social Media in 2024
1. We went hard on videos. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram doubled down on video content, encouraging short- and long-form formats. While videos provided tremendous reach, they also posed challenges. The additional time it takes to plan, film, and edit videos, not to mention the vulnerability of being on camera, prevented some small business owners from really capitalizing on these trends.
2. Social commerce ruled. Apps learned yet another trick to keep you on their platforms - integrated shopping experiences let you purchase whatever the ad was promoting without leaving the app. While this opened some avenues for small business owners, it also added challenges and competition to those whose commerce was not available through the app.
3. AI took over. Whether it was AI-generated images that went viral or the internal battles of wanting to honor creativity and art while using all of the tools at our fingertips to improve continuously, AI was part of nearly every conversation on and around social media.
4. A desire for authenticity drove a shift in influencing. As someone who talks about authenticity in all aspects of business, it didn’t come as a surprise that people were craving something a little more real in their social media experiences. 2024 saw a significant shift toward real, relatable content, which gave an opportunity for smaller influencers to take control and shift what influencing looks like.
Looking Ahead: Murky Predictions for 2025
Like every year, 2024 brought some good and not-so-good things. While there’s nothing we can do to change the past, we can learn from it and use it to make decisions in the future.
I am calling these “murky predictions” for a few reasons, one being that I don’t love being wrong. While I know being wrong can open the door to learning, if I am giving people advice, I want to make sure I am being transparent with that advice. But I have been ruminating on these thoughts for a while now, so I think they may be worth sharing.
We may be at the cusp of a significant shift in social media. With the chaos of X and the constant threat of TikTok being taken away, I have heard whispers about what people expect the next big thing to be in the social media world, and while it could just be my limited worldview, I don’t think the next thing will be big. In fact, I would guess that what we will see is a step backward and a shrinking of our social media circles.
1. Smaller circles and deeper connections. Underlying so much of what we saw in 2024 was a desire for authenticity. I don’t think this desire is going anywhere, but how we achieve that goal might look drastically different. As popular platforms like X and TikTok face turbulence, there’s a growing trend toward re-evaluating what you want to see on social media. Users are prioritizing meaningful interactions over expansive networks.
Opportunity for Small Businesses: Take the time to build engaged communities. Foster deeper relationships by encouraging dialogue, celebrating user-generated content, hosting live events, connecting off the platform, or creating niche groups within your audience.
Action Steps for Individuals: Determine what you want to use each platform for. For example, Facebook may be how you connect with family and people in your physical community, Instagram may allow you to stay up-to-date on the lives of your friends, and X or TikTok could be how you get your news. Once you have this figured out, unfollow any accounts that don’t match the purpose, and don’t be afraid to use the “see less” options on platforms to teach the algorithm further.
2. A return to a simpler time. There is a desire to re-imagine social media by going back in time—unfiltered photos, simple captions, and spontaneous posts. This nostalgic shift could pave the way for more relaxed, in-the-moment content. We’re likely to see brands taking risks by focusing on creativity over strategy and pushing their own brand boundaries.
Opportunity for Small Businesses: Don’t overthink it. Snap a quick photo of your workspace or share a candid thought. Show up as you are, and let your authenticity shine.
Action Steps for Individuals: Post what and when you want to post - within reason. Remember, the internet lasts forever. But don’t feel like you have to wait for the end of the month to do a photo dump or take a gazillion photos so you can post the perfect one. Be real with your content.
3. A reworking of how we use AI in social media marketing. While I imagine AI will remain a cornerstone of social media innovation, users are becoming savvier about spotting and rejecting inauthentic AI-generated content. See the recent TikTok drama over crystal mugs that show up looking more like props from The Flintstone movie than whimsical cottage-core drinking vessels. I predict this shift means using AI in a way that opens up time for creativity without letting it do all of the creative work for you.
Opportunity for Small Businesses: Use AI to enhance your workflow, but always prioritize personal touches in your posts and customer interactions.
Action Steps for Individuals: Be aware as you scroll social media to catch the AI-generated content. If that’s not what you want to see, don’t interact with those posts. Also, look for ways to use AI to boost free time and creativity, like scheduling services or asking AI to give you creative writing prompts to get your mind flowing.
Creating Our Social Media Future
Will any of these predictions come true? Honestly, who the fuck knows. Will social media survive and adapt to whatever comes in 2025? Most certainly. The beauty of social media lies in its adaptability and ability to reflect the world we live in. Our power lies in the ability to evolve these platforms by how we choose to engage with them. As small business owners and individual social media users, you hold the power to shape this evolution. By aligning your content with not just your audience’s desires for authenticity, connection, and creativity but also your desire for a better world overall, you can create a social media presence that feels real and fuels that good.
The Question for 2025: How will you lead the change? Social media is your stage, your canvas, and your microphone. Take the power back and fill it with what fuels you.
