Social Media Marketing in 2025: Where to Focus Your Efforts

Updated on 6/26/25 In the early internet days, online communities were small, focused and easy to dip in and out of — like digital clubs for your favorite hobbies. Then came social media. The rise in platforms like MySpace and Facebook flipped online socializing on its head, scraping the recesses of the internet to bring all those communities together in one big, always-on space.  Fast forward to 2025, and it feels like there’s a new platform every week. For individuals, it’s a lot. For brands, it’s even more overwhelming, with the pressure to be on every platform or risk missing out. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to be everywhere. With the rapid growth of new social media platforms, people are finding their own corners of the internet again, just like in the old days. That’s good news — it means you can focus your efforts on fewer but more impactful platforms. In this post, we’ll explore how brands can navigate today’s social landscape by honing their social media marketing on what actually works.

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Choosing the Right Platforms For Your Brand

So you know that you don’t need to be on every social media platform, but you still need to show up in some places. So, how do you choose? In short, your ideal social media platform will be where your most direct audience is and uses content formats that work best for your brand.

Facebook 

At this point, Facebook is less of a platform and more of an extension of our collective psyche. It’s integrated into almost every facet of life, and the effects are evident: Postdoctoral research in Berlin found that the reward center of human brains responds to Facebook engagement activity in the same way it would to cocaine. Regarding online presence, though, Facebook is still the social platform juggernaut. It has over 3 BILLION monthly users, tracking an enormous amount of demographic data in the process. The platform’s highly diverse user base allows brands to connect to hyper-targeted audiences. Dominant Demographics: Age Group: 25+ Gender: 54% women Best used for:

• Building brand awareness and developing brand “voice”
• Strengthening B2C relationships through post engagement
• Promoting brand-related content and entertainment

Instagram 

Created on the idea that everyday people should be able to share quality photos, Instagram turned Sharon from Accounting into @Sher.jpg, trendy food and style photographer. The app has over 2 billion monthly active users. Not surprisingly, the majority of Instagram users come from outside the U.S., making the platform a strong contender for global campaigns and initiatives. Dominant Demographics: Age Group: 25-34 Gender: 55% women Best used for:

• High-quality visuals
• Bite-sized educational content
• Short-form video (Instagram is TikTok’s highest competitor)
• Memes and trending content

TikTok

As we all likely know — and are tired of hearing by now — TikTok has completely changed the social media game. TikTok is still relatively new to the social media scene but has seen unprecedented growth over the past few years despite privacy and security concerns. With 1 billion monthly active users spending an average of one hour scrolling every day, it’s no wonder brands are scrambling to get in front of this constantly growing audience. Known for short-form videos spanning from dance covers and makeup videos to educational content, “unboxings,” and even full comedy sketches, this platform offers a little bit of everything for users and brands looking to make a mark. Dominant Demographics: Age Group: 18-34 Gender: 56% men Best used for:

• Short-form video
• Shoppable content & creator partnerships
• Memes and trending content
• Storytelling and behind the scenes

LinkedIn

If big business is your focus, look no further than LinkedIn. As a professional networking platform, it should come as no surprise that over half of LinkedIn users have annual incomes over 100k. Possibly, the best part about LinkedIn, from a business perspective, is that there’s very little guesswork involved. You KNOW why the users are there. Using each individual’s profile, you have access to their complete professional history and, through deduction, even their interests. If you’re looking to elevate your brand’s authority and target some prime talent in the process, this is your breadwinner. Dominant Demographics: Age Group: 25-34 Gender: 55% men Best used for:

• B2B powerhouse, now more content-driven than ever
• Thought leadership & employee advocacy
• Personal life lessons/short stories

X (FKA Twitter)

As the artist platform formerly known as Twitter, X  has been making itself known in the news lately. Between dicey leadership changes, accusations of algorithm biases and controversial content moderation policies, many brands and advertisers are pulling back from this platform completely.  Despite the changes X has seen lately, the platform still boasts around 600 million monthly users, with everything from news updates and link shares to Meryl Streep memes getting pumped across the platform. All of this to say, X isn’t entirely a lost cause — it still has a viable user base that can be easily accessed through hashtags and keywords if you’re savvy. Dominant Demographics: Age Group: 25-34 Gender: 63% men Best used for:

• Sharing breaking news and live updates
• “Social listening” via hashtags and keyword mentions
• Establishing brand voice
• Creating dialogue between your brand and consumers

A Note on Threads: In any conversation about X, Threads isn’t far behind. Developed as a direct competitor by Meta (the company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp), Threads is a great alternative to X for brands that appreciate the functionality but prefer less drama. Threads is still in its infancy, with advertising capabilities just rolling out in Q1 of 2025. If you’re interested in getting in at the beginning and capitalizing on a niche community, Threads might be a good option for you.

Emerging/Niche Platforms

At the beginning of this article, we talked about the diversification of social media and how it’s starting to resemble the early internet days once again. This can really be seen with the rise in niche/outlier social platforms. Reddit, for example, has been around for two decades, but lately, this platform has seen a resurgence thanks to the ability to subscribe to exceptionally niche communities. Similar things can be said about Tumblr. This “blogging” platform saw its peak in the early 2010s, but lately has been having a comeback due to the niche, personal communities found there. The anonymity that platforms like Reddit or Tumblr provide is just another added bonus. Similarly, apps like BeReal and Discord — what we call “Dark Social” — are on the rise as well. These are social media platforms that allow you to connect with communities in completely private spaces. This switch from public displays to private communities shows what audiences in 2025 truly value: personal connections with like-minded individuals.

Formats That Win in 2025

The rise in short-form video is one that advertisers can’t afford to ignore any longer. Nearly every social media platform now has its own version of vertical video feeds, and that’s for one reason — they work. Audiences enjoy the personal connection they feel when they see their favorite creators filming another “Day in the Life” or “Get Ready with Me” video. Brands can capitalize on this by making intentional content that personifies the brand and shows your audience that you “get it.” Other content types rising above the noise include carousels, live streams, YouTube videos and podcasts. At the end of the day, though, content that feels personal and genuine is always going to rise to the top.

The Role of Influencers and Creators

In 2025, creators play a bigger role than ever in helping brands connect with audiences. People trust authentic voices more than polished brand content — so once again, authenticity wins. Micro vs. Macro Influencers Micro-influencers (10k–100k followers) often drive better engagement than big names. They have smaller, more loyal audiences and feel more relatable. While you may get better reach from influencers with larger audiences, users are more influenced to take action by smaller creators who feel like close friends.  Let Creators Lead Creator-made content performs better than traditional ads. The key? Let creators tell your story in their own voice. It feels more natural that way. Audiences can always sniff out when something is ingenuine or too scripted, so let go and let the creators do what they do best — connect with their audience.

Practical Recommendations for 2025

So you’re armed with all of this information — now what? Audit your current social media presence What platforms are you using? Do they match where your audience is? Can you simplify by curating your online presence? Remember, quality is ALWAYS greater than quantity when it comes to social media marketing. What type of content are you sharing? How is it performing? If you’re seeing the same performance every month, that means it’s likely time to make a change. Experiment with short-form videos and other content that brings your community together. Your social presence should feel like a gathering of friends, not an omniscient voice demanding people to buy. Build out your content strategy Start small. Try to tweak what you’re already doing to fit within these trending formats. Try turning your monthly blog post into a video where you recap the most important parts, for example. Test. Test. Test. At the end of the day, social media will always be a bit of a guessing game. You make content, hit post, and hope that it resonates with the right people. If it doesn’t, do something else and try again. Continually testing and iterating on your social content is the only way you will see growth.

Conclusion

Social media in 2025 is no longer about being everywhere — it’s about being intentional. As users gravitate toward more personalized communities, brands have a real chance to reconnect in meaningful ways. Focus on the platforms where your audience actually spends time, embrace content that feels human, and collaborate with creators who bring your message to life authentically. The best social strategies this year won’t come from doing more — they’ll come from doing what matters. Need help building a social media presence that drives real connections? Check out some of our case studies to see effective social media strategies in action.