As the calendar turns a page each year, a lot of marketing leaders identify trends which are either emerging or already arrived. Social and digital media are no different. Our team looks at these each year and then evaluates them against the needs of our current clients.
We studied a number of trend posts in December and January. But now that we’ve nearly got the first quarter of 2025 under our belts, we’re already revisiting them for relevancy.
Here are three that we feel aren’t as trendy as the prognosticators might think.
Influencer use is still strong, but under scrutiny.
Marketing budgets are tighter than ever so marketing teams are looking closely at all their expenditures. Some organizations still have trouble getting senior leaders to understand the power and reach of influencers, particularly micro-influencers. Will some marketers pull back this area of spend to preserve more predictable tactics? We predict to see more clarity on this by summer.
Social fatigue is real.
Back in January, the trend watchers only referenced social fatigue in passing. But as the political climate becomes more contentious, the spillover into social is fatigue. Users are taking breaks, metering their time online and using other balance strategies to combat overwhelm. Brands need to take note and balance their approach to these channels but also recognize that online communities are exercising their power.
Use of AI is still controversial.
While many predicted that AI is fully embedded into social/digital practice this year, we have clients who forbid its use in day-to-day business and others who are just dabbling in the “help me write” prompt that all their tools are offering. It’s all over the place so don’t feel bad if you’re not sure how to navigate this trend.
Here are links to a few of the sources we studied to advise our clients earlier this year.
If you need help navigating your social/digital world, let our team Step In and assist you.