Welcome to this special end-of-year edition of Social Butterfly – TCD’s state-of-social-media wrap with Social Media Lead Jamie Hatch and Client Services Manager Tessa Charters.
If 2024 was anything, it was a mixed bag. From ‘very demure, very mindful’ to ‘looking for a man in finance’, the rise of Brat summer to all things AI-generated, there was a lot to digest. And we consider ourselves lucky to have witnessed the impact it had across socials and beyond.
Alas, all good things must come to an end – and with that, it’s time to dust off our crystal ball and take a peek into the year ahead. Our predictions? The future is all about content that’s real, adaptable, and purpose-driven. This means the brands that will thrive will be the ones who stay true to their core values, while continuing to innovate.
So, how do you stay ahead in the ever-changing world of socials? Well, grab your pen and paper (or more realistically your Notes app), because we’re about to reveal the strategies and trends that will keep you at the forefront.
Real humans, real content
In a world where AI-generation is everywhere, human stories are shining brighter than ever. The majority of people (60%) want real, raw and personal experiences from other people in ads, and that includes your brand’s social media profiles. From behind-the-scenes content to employee takeovers, we have expanded beyond the era of user-generated content and welcomed employee-generated content. Your brand is not a faceless entity. It’s made up of people, so let them take centre stage.
Brand (in)consistency
As the good little marketers we are, brand consistency has been drilled into the very core of our beings. But experimenting with tone of voice on a platform-by-platform basis is becoming more and more celebrated. We’re seeing brands stepping away from their strict branding towards boldness and creativity being rewarded.
Now, there’s no need to go crazy here. Don’t throw out your brand guidelines just yet. You still need to be recognisable. But finding the sweet spot between the brand and the tone of the platform is going to be far more effective than forcing your corporate branding onto a social platform that focuses on entertainment.
Looking for examples? Check out Grill’d and Queensland Health.
The long and the short of it
Video is no newcomer to the social scene but its saturation of platforms continues to grow.
Vertical video is the content of choice for YouTube (hello shorts!), TikTok, Instagram and it’s gaining traction on Facebook and Linkedin too.
So if your current social video strategy is to either avoid or only dabble in video, you’ll need a rethink. Vertical video is the currency of social media. And that rule extends to brands.
And while 12 months ago we were letting you know short video is the key to winning reach – we’re back to say the opposite. OK, short video is here to stay, but long-form video is getting more and more popular and the social channels are backing it. Naturally, all the platforms want to increase users’ time on the platform, so the longer the video, the better. As long as it’s *engaging*.
Would now also be a good time to suggest you take YouTube seriously in your social media strategy?
Social and search are one
This year we’ve seen social platforms such as TikTok and YouTube being used more and more as a search and discovery platform, and these platforms have leaned in by making the search features front and centre. For 72 per cent of Gen Z, when they say they’re ‘Googling’, they’re actually searching on TikTok.
We don’t expect user behaviour to change anytime soon, so brands need to consider how this influences not only their social strategy, but their organic and paid search strategies. The two have never been so intertwined.
The rise of exclusivity
This year we’ve seen brands experimenting with private and paywalled content as a way to build deeper connections with their audiences. We anticipate this kind of content is going to win the popularity contest of 2025, with more and more brands choosing to deliver premium content for a price.
From Instagram’s subscription feature to YouTube’s paid memberships, creators are using these platforms to offer exclusive content that makes paying members feel like they’re part of an intimate, tight-knit community. And it’s not just limited to social media – podcasts are getting in on the action too by offering early access to episodes or sharing exclusive bonus episodes.
Want to nail it? The secret is to offer something valuable that’s worth paying for, like expert knowledge, exclusive BTS footage and sneak peeks. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, not pushy and obvious sales content. Well, unless it’s a massive subscriber-only discount code, because we’d say that’s very valuable.
The takeaway? Invest time into fostering an exclusive community, and your ROI will thank you for it.
Keeping up with AI
The AI landscape has changed dramatically within a year. With new capabilities emerging every day, it’s an increasingly handy tool that we can utilise to be more efficient. And honestly, we’ll take all the help we can get.
One obvious downside is that it’s never been easier to churn out content in bulk (refer again to this link). Proceed with caution and always go for quality over quantity if there is a choice to be made. Plus get training on your prompts, because this will make or break your AI generated content.
And please, please, please (Sabrina Carpenter needed a 2024 mention, duh) don’t rely on it for original ideas. Creativity will always win.
Small but mighty
They may be small but they sure are powerful. Don’t be fooled by follower counts – micro-influencers will continue to be successful in 2025. These accounts have smaller, niche followings and highly engaged audiences and tend to create real and meaningful content that resonates with their audiences.
Big influencers are becoming more and more unattainable for brands to work with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t utilise an influencer strategy at all. You just have to be selective and work with the underdogs.
Platforms to keep on your radar
Snapchat
Yes, Snapchat is still around, and it’s still thriving with Gen Z. So if your brand is targeting this crowd, don’t sleep on Snapchat in 2025. Although with Australia’s social media ban for under 16s going full steam ahead, who knows what the future of this platform is.
Threads
Remember when everyone jumped on Threads as a poor man’s replacement for Twitter? Well, that initial hype is finally turning into real growth. In November 2024, Threads hit 275 million active users, a massive jump from just a few months earlier. While Twitter/X still has more users, Threads is growing faster – and that’s not something to ignore.
For brands that have real-time content to share, are active in community management or like to get involved in pop-culture conversations, Threads is a great channel to connect with audiences.
Bluesky
If you haven’t heard of Bluesky yet, where have you been? This platform is quickly becoming a favourite among ex-Twitter users looking for something different.
Founded by Twitter’s co-founder Jack Dorsey, Bluesky feels a bit like the good ol’ days of Twitter, before the chaos, the bots and the dodgy algorithms. It’s a text-first space that lets users post opinions, share real-time news, and just… be themselves without the constant noise.
It’s still a small player, with only 15 million users globally, so for now it’s best just to mark this one as a wait and see.
TikTok
8.5 million people and 350,000 businesses are already on TikTok in Australia – so it’s safe to say this channel is on your radar. One thing that may take that up a notch is the potential introduction of the creator fund to this market.
While platforms such as TikTok have launched creator funds in the US, UK, and various other countries, Australia’s creators have been stuck watching from the sidelines, hoping for a piece of the pie. But could 2025 be the year things finally change? Could the creator fund be making its way down under?
One thing’s for sure – we’re in for a wild ride in 2025.
