SOCIAL BEST PRACTICES
2025
Discover how to use today's social media to outshine the competition.
WE ARE THE EXPERTS.
In 2024, we witnessed social media evolve at lightning speed, and it’s crucial to keep up. As we step into 2025, STN Digital is here to elevate your brand as the leading social-first marketing agency in sports and entertainment. This guide serves as your playbook for staying relevant and ahead of the trends. Trusted by major brands, we’ve packed it with the strategies you need to lead the conversation.
08K
SOCIAL POSTS PUBLISHED
01m
NEW FOLLOWERS
02B
TOTAL IMPRESSIONS
57m
TOTAL ENGAGEMENTS
HERE'S THE STORY
HERE'S THE STORY
In 2024, social media captivated nearly half of the global population, with a staggering 63.7% of people actively engaging on these platforms. This shift has made social media essential for building genuine connections and driving commerce. Marketers recognized the rise of direct purchasing from their favorite brands, while algorithms got smarter, using data and AI to refine targeting.
As we head into 2025, staying adaptable is key to navigating these changes. We’ll break down the essentials for each platform and share the latest strategies to keep your brand ahead of competitors.
LET'S DIVE IN
LET'S DIVE IN
2025
5th
In April 2024, TikTok rose to be the 5th most-used social network worldwide, with 1.58 billion active users.
$10.42B
US TikTok ad revenues were projected to reach
$10.42 billion in 2024 and are estimated to hit
$15.26 billion in 2026.
30%
Of TikTok’s daily users, 30% have used TikTok Shop.
19.26%
Out of 5.4 billion internet users worldwide,
19.26% are monthly active TikTok users.
53.8 MIN
In the US, users spend an average
of 53.8 minutes per day on TikTok
WHAT OUR EXPERTS ARE SAYING:
If you're posting like a brand on TikTok, don't. Overproduced content with logos, fancy animations and all the works has a place, but not here. Instead, think and post like a creator, because that's what users come to TikTok to see. The goal should be for fans to see your content, engage with it, and *then* realize "Oh, the brand posted this?!”
– Zach
Vertical video continues to dominate the social space across just about every platform. Particularly, vertical video that can be swiped away in mere milliseconds with the brush of a thumb on a screen.
With attention spans dwindling and the comfort of unlimited content at the swipe of a finger, including an engaging hook to immediately start the first 2-3 seconds of your video content is essential. High watch time remains important, but if you leave the best part of your content at the end to keep the audience waiting, it will be a tough ask to keep their attention that long. Give your viewers a snippet of the best & most engaging part of your video right off the bat to hook them before letting your video play out. Ideally, they will want to see where that teaser you showed them appears in the video, keeping them on your content longer and creating a payoff for your audience.
– Hugh
2025
2B
There are 2 billion monthly active users
on Instagram and it is the third
most-used social platform.
50%+
More than half of the content viewed on
Instagram is recommended by AI.
16 MIN
US Instagram users will spend an average
of 16 minutes a day on the app.
36%
of people use Instagram
as a search tool.
86%
of businesses have a
presence on Instagram.
46.8m
people in the US were expected to make
purchases via Instagram in 2024.
WHAT OUR EXPERTS ARE SAYING:
I'm excited for 2025 to be the year that follower count becomes
a vanity metric once and for all.
More than ever, across all social platforms, it's not about the followers you have but the accounts you REACH. Create content that is shareable and meaningful and growth will follow.
If there was any hesitation, stop sleeping on TikTok! The platform is not only catching up to Instagram Reels in reach, but it's still the best platform for engagement. I expect to see TikTok's influence continue to grow, especially in the live coverage space.
– Taylor
2025
2.5B
YouTube is the second largest social media in the world, with over 2.5 billion active users.
164.5M
People were estimated to watch Shorts
by the end of 2024.
7+MINs
On average, users spend an average of
7 minutes and 37 seconds in a session.
$28.29M
The majority of YouTube’s in-app revenue came
from the US, with $28.29 million.
90%
Over 9 in 10 YouTube users in the US stated that they used the platform
to gather information.
500+Hrs
More than 500 hours of new videos are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
WHAT OUR EXPERTS ARE SAYING:
Authenticity and relatability are going to be more important than ever. People don't want to feel like a brand is talking at them on social. They want the brand to be talking with them and giving them something that really evokes emotion.
– Gabi
2025
59%
of users have reached out to a brand on the platform.
2.11B
The platform has 2.11 billion daily active users,
representing 68.73% of its monthly active user base.
30.9MIN
The average time spent on Facebook
per day is 30.9 minutes.
3.07B
monthly active users worldwide.
9AM-1PM
The highest engagement times are
weekdays from 9 am to 1 pm.
WHAT OUR EXPERTS ARE SAYING:
Authenticity! Whether it's the brand you're managing or a cast of characters within a brand, your content strategy must include natural personality and real-life moments to effectively connect with your audience.
– AP
Behind the scenes, first-person content will continue to rule. Audiences want to see and hear directly from their most beloved characters. It will be ever-important for big brand logos to collaborate with their athletes, celebrities, etc. on content coming from their channels as an added layer of legitimacy.
– Olivia
2025
611M
There are approximately 611 million
active monthly users on X.
News (48%) and entertainment (48%)
are the most popular reasons for using X.
34MIN
The total average time spent on X each day
is 34 minutes and 6 seconds.
4.3B
As of August 2024, X receives around
4.3 billion visits per month.
92%
10% of X users are responsible
for 92% of all posts.
WHAT OUR EXPERTS ARE SAYING:
One key takeaway for social media managers heading into 2025 is the importance of authenticity and community-building. As users become more discerning about content, fostering genuine connections and creating engaging, relatable content will be crucial. This includes prioritizing transparency, embracing user-generated content, and actively engaging with audiences. Additionally, staying adaptable to emerging platforms and trends will be essential, as the landscape continues to evolve rapidly. Balancing creativity with data-driven strategies will help in crafting content that resonates and drives engagement.
– Mau
2025
1B
LinkedIn is the top professional platform, with over 1 billion members from 200 countries
and regions worldwide.
5X
Video posts on LinkedIn receive 5 times
more engagement than static posts.
16.2%
of LinkedIn's 950 million members are daily active users.
30%
Posts with hashtags receive 30% more
engagement than those without.
310M
LinkedIn has approximately
310 million monthly active users.
WHAT OUR EXPERTS ARE SAYING:
Create for the platform! Each platform has a different audience so creative on X may not work as well on Facebook and creative for Facebook may not work as well on TikTok.
– Rob
Keep it relatable. More and more people are going to social to simply escape and be entertained, even if it’s just for five minutes. LoFi content continues to be king. Be nimble when it comes to providing content for your community, keep it simple and real allowing people to relate on a more personal/everyday level.
– Jess
Want to see how last year's trends played out? Check out our 2024 Social Best Practices and compare them with our latest insights for 2025.
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