10 social media trends you need to know in 2025

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Combining performance and consumer preference data paints a vivid picture of the future of social media trends—one that’s so bright we need sunglasses. Data shows you what’s driving audience behavior and where your brand fits in the mix.

That’s why for the 20th edition of The Sprout Social Index™, we surveyed over 4,000 consumers, 900 social practitioners and 300 marketing leaders across the US, UK, Canada and Australia. We also formed the Index Council, a cohort of experts and thought leaders who helped us interpret the data and shared their advice for social marketers.

Learn about the top 10 social media trends driving our industry’s future, based slovenia mobile database on data from the report and the Index Council.

Download The Sprout Social Index™

Trend 1: Video is still king
Of course, video is the first social media trend on our list. TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and other emerging video formats on LinkedIn and Threads have created feature parity, making video content a priority across networks. And although TikTok’s future in the US is uncertain, it’ll remain a mainstay in international markets.

We already know short-form video is one of the best ways to connect with your audience and reach new followers. But long-form video is resurging. TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube have all offered longer lengths over the past few years. For example, as of October 2024, YouTub Shorts can now be up to three minutes long. And, The 2025 Index found that YouTube is one of the top three platforms where people have social media profiles.

Instagram Reels range from 15 to 90 seconds. TikTok videos are three seconds to 10 minutes long.