Staying agile online isn’t about guessing what the algorithm likes next week—it’s about understanding the human behaviors, cultural moments, and technology shifts that keep the feed in constant motion. Social channels no longer reflect culture—they set its pace. In 2025 the velocity only accelerates. Master it or miss it.
Below is a 2025-focused playbook to keep you or your brand at the front of that motion.
What Can Be Trending on Social Media?
The phrase trending on social media still evokes viral songs and memes. From viral challenges, to popular hashtags, to trending news stories, there is always something new and interesting happening on social media.
1. Viral Content
One of the most common types of content that becomes popular on social media. This includes videos, images, or GIFs that spread rapidly through online platforms and part of email marketing, gaining huge amounts of attention from users.
Viral content can often be unexpected and unpredictable, making it all the more exciting when it does become popular.
Examples of viral content include videos about Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo, which gained millions of views on YouTube and sparked plenty of memes and other forms of content (and still remains a worldwide star).
2. Trending Topics
Trending topics are trending on social networks. Sounds redundant, but it’s accurate. These can range from breaking news stories to popular memes or hashtags.
Such topics are usually determined by algorithms that track engagement and conversations around specific keywords or phrases.
For example, during major events such as awards shows or sporting events, hashtags related to these events may trend on social media as users share their thoughts and reactions in real-time.
3. Influencers
Influencers are individuals who have a significant following on social media and can impact the opinions and behaviors of their followers. They may specialize in specific niches such as fashion, beauty, or fitness, and often collaborate with brands to promote products or services.
Influencer marketing is always popular, but it becomes even more prevalent during major events. Brands may partner with influencers to create sponsored content that ties in with the event or use hashtags related to the event to increase their reach and engagement.
4. Live Streaming
Twitch has become one of the most popular platforms for live streaming. It was originally built for streaming video games, but has since expanded to include a variety of content such as talk shows, music concerts, and even cooking shows.
Live streaming allows for real-time interactions between the person and their audience. This creates a sense of intimacy and authenticity that traditional advertising methods lack.
Additionally, live streaming can also generate a buzz and create a sense of urgency among viewers, leading to higher engagement and potential sales.
Popular Social Media Stats of 2025
Understanding the scale behind the buzz reveals why these shifts matter:
- Social media has 5.31 billion users—64.7 % of Earth’s population—with 241 million new joined in last year.
- The “typical” user spends almost 2.5 hours a day on socials, which is more than one-third of all online time.
- Short-form video ad spending is expected to break $100 billion by year-end, mirroring consumer appetite for snackable stories.
- 62% of organizations already deploy social-listening tools, elevating them to the #2 operational priority behind only community engagement.
These numbers point to durable social media growth, not a plateau—meaning there is still white space for fresh brands, voices, and new marketing tactics.
Why Trending Topics Matter?
Trending topics serve as a reflection of current events and popular discussions within society. They can also be used as a tool for businesses and brands to stay relevant and connect with their target audience.
Chasing every flash-in-the-pan hashtag burns budget and credibility, yet current social media trends are invaluable early-warning signals. They reveal unmet audience needs before traditional research catches up, spark creative R&D, and open arbitrage windows where organic reach is briefly free.
Brands that bake trend-tracking into strategy decisions:
- Prototype faster. A cosmetics label noticing #BlueBlush trending on TikTok can ship a limited-edition shade in weeks, capturing sales before mass retailers react.
- Reduce media waste. Real-time insights let teams pivot spend toward formats the algorithm is actively subsidizing (e.g., Reddit in May 2025, live every once in a month, etc.).
- Strengthen community equity. When audiences see a brand participating in the same topics they care about—whether mental health or retro gaming—they reciprocate with UGC that drives compounding returns.
7 Social Media Trends for 2025
Platform roadmaps, investor calls, and user behavior converge on seven macro-trends likely to dominate the current and future feed:
1. Short-form (still) rules
“Snackable” video, created in something like iMovie for Windows or Mac-related program, remains the internet’s default language. Platforms now let you stretch the format but the creative mindset is still hook fast, deliver one clear payoff.
2. AI-first creation
Generative video plus synthetic voice cloning make 15-second shorts as cheap as static banners once were. Expect digital avatars that host brand channels 24/7, localizing jokes on the fly and integrating shoppable CTAs.
Examples:
- In-app creation suites. TikTok’s new “AI Alive” turns a single still photo into a mini-video with atmospheric motion, and every AI-generated Story carries a C2PA label for transparency.
- Full-service assistants. Meta’s standalone Meta AI app (April 29 2025) lets users ask questions, generate or edit images, and then push the results straight into Instagram or WhatsApp chats.
3. Search-inside-chat
Gen Z already treats the comment bar like Google. Platforms are formally merging them: experimental TikTok “Search Highlights” and YouTube’s AI summarizer surface answers pulled from video transcripts. Owning conversational keywords will matter as much as SEO does.
4. The private-public blur
Encrypted groups (WhatsApp Communities, Snapchat Clubs) get broadcast tools, letting admins toggle posts from private to public. Brands will court “gated mainstream” status: close enough to feel exclusive, open enough for discovery.
Examples:
- Public posting is down; teenagers increasingly default to DMs and closed groups for safety and control.
- Instagram’s newest test feature, “Friend Map,” lets users share live location only with mutuals or Close Friends for up to an hour—a privacy-first riff on Snap Map.
5. Shoppertainment 2.0
The first wave of “shoppertainment” brought livestream-flash-sales to social apps. But ecommerce is constantly developing. The 2.0 version layers in AI-driven personalization, gamification, AR try-ons and always-on shoppable video feeds—turning every scroll into an entertainment-led storefront.
Examples:
- TikTok Shop launched 24/7 creator-led livestreams with “Buy” pop-ups and AI product recommendations.
- Many SMBs now report TikTok Shop as their #1 sales channel.
6. Green-glass storytelling
Climate-literate consumers demand receipts. Successful campaigns share granular carbon data (in grams) right in the caption, using blockchain tags to verify supply chains.
7. Authentic content
90% of consumers say authenticity is a key factor when choosing brands. Polished brand shoots have given way to raw, human, in-the-moment assets: unedited behind-the-scenes clips, nano-creator vlogs, customer duets and BeReal-style snaps.
Examples:
- Duolingo & Ryanair – intentionally low-fi TikToks starring staff in mascot costumes; the “unpolished” style keeps comment sections buzzing.
Notice how every example weaves utility with entertainment—an essential blend for social media trends that stick. Relying solely on novelty is a fading gamble; 2025 is about sustainable relevance.
Conclusion
Social media will not slow down, but pattern recognition beats speed alone. Pair these trends with a data-literate workforce, steady experimentation, and crisp storytelling, and you’ll transform fleeting hashtags into lasting business impact.
