Social Media in 2025. Unmissable platfrom trend forecasts from a top trend watcher

2025 is aleready shaping to be to be a game-changer for creators. The creator economy is growing fast, and with it comes a ton of new opportunities—and challenges.

Late last year, we invited Youtuber and trend watcher Jade Beason to hear her opinions on coming changes

Today, we break down her thoughts on the key trends everyone working in the creator economy should watch out for!

More opportunities than ever before

We’re at a more mature stage in the creator economy, and you can see it in the huge investments pouring in. That’s going to have a big impact. From a creator’s perspective, there are more ways to make money than ever. But with that comes challenges: decision fatigue, shiny object syndrome, and lack of focus. A lot of creators struggle to figure out which path to take because there are so many options.

Influencer marketing is booming, so creators looking to make that a solid income stream should find even more opportunities. However, that’s evolving too. But luckily, most creators are used to constant change—it’s been that way for years. Yes, flexibility and adaptability will remain key for 2025!

The main shifts in brand partnerships?

Brand partnerships are going to change. People are spending a lot of money on influencers. But the way in which they’re spending is shifting a bit. I’m seeing two trends. Some brands, especially smaller ones, are tightening their briefs and getting super specific about what they want since they’re investing more money. On the flip side, bigger brands are moving toward giving creators more freedom. They realize that creative flexibility often leads to better content. So it depends on the brand. Some are all about control; others want structured freedom. It’s a balancing act.

Engagement and organic connection are the key

Brands are increasingly focusing on smaller influencers—especially micro and nano influencers—because they tend to have more engaged communities, making them more valuable right now. There’s a growing trend where brands prioritize creators who already have an organic connection to their product. These tools allow them to search for creators who’ve authentically mentioned or engaged with their brand before.

Metrics in focus for brands

It really depends on the type of creator you are. If working with brands is a big part of your monetization strategy, you’ve got to understand your value to them. Some creators are great at driving awareness and reaching massive audiences. For them, metrics like views and reach are key. Others might have smaller but more engaged, niche audiences. In that case, metrics like engagement rate, comment quality, and meaningful interactions matter the most.

I always tell creators: don’t try to be everything to everyone. Very few creators can do it all—it’s rare.

No more fake engagement

Brands are investing in advanced tools to analyze creators and evaluate campaign performance now. From what I’ve seen, some of the custom tools they’ve developed are pretty impressive. So, pulling the wool over brands’ eyes isn’t going to work anymore. Not that we should try! If you’ve bought engagement or followers before and hoped to get away with it, those days are done.

New ways brands are using content

About 70% of my brand partnerships now want usage rights, compared to just 10% a couple of years ago. This year, brands are going to want the right to use your content beyond just organic social media. They might want to feature it on their own channels, in a TV ad, a paid social post, or even a brochure. If they’re investing that much, they want to maximize its value. More often than not, brands get the best results when they mix organic content with paid, so it makes sense.

Platforms to focus on in 2025

Which platform to focus on depends on the creator’s goal. If a creator is aiming for maximum reach, TikTok is still the best platform for that, as long as it sticks around.

YouTube is going to stay huge—it already has been—especially for creators who prefer long-form content.?

If you’re someone who prefers writing—I can’t really relate; I’m a terrible writer—Substack is an amazing choice right now. It’s growing fast and getting a lot of attention.

Snapchat is also having a glow-up right now. I always feel a bit too old for it, but I gotta give it credit.

Prepare for a new platform to pop up!

Looking at how platforms have performed over the last 10 years, I feel like we’re due for something new to shake things up. It could be Blue Sky—it’s already making some noise, so maybe my prediction’s already happening.

Instagram’s influence is fading, but it’s not disappearing anytime soon

Instagram isn’t a front-runner anymore because they haven’t nailed their algorithm. They built the platform around connecting with friends and family, but now creators want to reach beyond their inner circle. How do they balance that? How do they keep showing us posts from people we know while helping creators grow and reach new audiences?

These two goals are kind of at odds, and they’re struggling to merge them. Until they figure it out—and creators feel like their effort will actually pay off—Instagram won’t be a top platform for me. Creators get that reward on other platforms, but not on Instagram right now.

Communities’ rising importance

Having a loyal community has always been a key part of your social channel, and it’s only going to get bigger. Social media used to be more of a broadcast model—just putting your message out there to as many people as possible. But now it’s shifting. It’s not just about you shouting your message anymore—it’s about listening to your community and having conversations with them.

Platforms have been tweaking things all year to adapt to this. Instagram even said most of their engagement now happens through private sharing—in DMs. That’s why they’ve made so many changes to DMs and introduced features like Notes and broadcast channels. They’re watching where user behavior is going and trying to keep up.

YouTube also announced a new communities hub. It lets your audience share content on your channel under the community tab, kind of like a discussion board. That’s another move toward making it more about conversations and not just creators broadcasting content.

Community managers, it’s your time!

This role is about to grow big. Community managers already exist, mostly for paid communities, but I think we’re going to see this become a bigger job for regular organic channels too.

Authenticity is a must

Now more than ever, it’s super important that whatever content you create, whether you're in a niche or not, you really dial up who you are—your personality and your vibe. Anyone can use an AI chatbot, enter a prompt, and get a whole video script. So focus on what you bring to the table. If you’re an educational creator, make sure you’re sharing your opinions and strategies. If you’re into entertaining or relatable content, show your true personality, not just what you think others want to see from you.

This is an excerpt from a bigger interview with Jade—see it in full on our YouTube now. It's part of the Prequel Live series, where we chat with guest experts from the world of audiovisual production and creation. Follow us on IG @prequelapp not to miss the next episodes!