The Future of Social Media in 2025 and Beyond: The Top 6 Platforms to Grow Your Brand

Which social media platforms are the most popular in 2025? Which platforms should your business be using? Where are your target audience? Why isn’t your social media strategy working? The questions are endless. Maybe you’re putting in the work, but you haven’t yet gone viral. Let’s talk about why.

In recent years there has been a huge shift in the favoured content types, from photo sharing to short-form videos, and from ad-style content to authentic, user-generated content. Thanks to the rise of TikTok and Reels, social media is now better than ever at grabbing and retaining attention. 

TikTok especially has thrown everything for a loop. Its popularity forced all other social media apps to become a jack of all trades – a place for posting photos, stories, video content, searching, shopping and more. Once upon a time, Google was everyone’s go-to platform for searching, YouTube was the go-to platform for video content, and Facebook and Instagram were the go-to platforms for sharing photos. Now, 40% of Gen Z prefer using TikTok over Google to search, TikTok and Instagram dominate the short-form video space (while YouTube shorts attempt to keep up), and Facebook is the leading platform for social commerce. 

Social platforms continue to expand and adapt, but how and where they engage is changing. Established networks are adding new features to retain users, while newcomers and regional apps rise in prominence. 

In this article, we’ll dive into the latest stats on the top six social media platforms, uncovering trends, behavioural shifts and more, to provide an overview of today’s online landscape, equipping your brand for growth in 2025. 

Facebook 

With 3.07 billion monthly active users (roughly 37% of the world’s population), Facebook is the largest social media app in the world. Facebook Messenger, the platform’s direct messaging spin-off app, boasts 931 million active users each month. Despite this, other platforms risk dethroning Facebook, as it’s become less and less popular with younger generations:

• A survey conducted in 2022 reported that 32% of U.S. users aged 13-17 use Facebook, compared to 71% in 2015. 
• While the average time spent on Facebook is around 31 minutes per day, for younger users (aged 18-24) this figure drops to 22 minutes. 

It might be too late for Facebook to escape their reputation as a platform for ‘older’ demographics, as industry experts suggest this is a result of the platform’s culture rather than its features. Meta are well aware of this, reporting that “most young adults perceive Facebook as a place for people in their 40s and 50s.” 

In reality, despite that reputation, the platform’s largest age demographic is actually 25-34 (31% of Facebook users). Though growth has plateaued in North America and Europe, emerging markets have kept Facebook’s user base expanding. To maintain engagement, Meta has refreshed Facebook with features mimicking rivals: emphasising Reels (short-form videos) to compete with TikTok, and integrating more AI-recommended content into the News Feed (showing users more posts from outside their friends network). 

Facebook is also doubling down on private Groups and local community features, as well as customer service functionality – it’s the top channel consumers of all ages turn to for customer support on social media. For marketers, Facebook remains vital for its massive reach and robust ad tools, but the content strategy is evolving: more video, less text, and a focus on fostering meaningful interactions (the algorithm favors posts that generate discussion). Notably, Facebook/Meta is also investing heavily in the metaverse (e.g., Horizon Worlds, a virtual reality social network), hinting at a long-term vision beyond the traditional feed. Until the so-called “Metaverse” takes off…let’s focus on Instagram and TikTok. 

Instagram 

Instagram continues to thrive, now reaching 2 billion monthly active users. 60% of IG users are under 35, with the largest user segment aged 18-24, and the average engagement time around 32 minutes per day. The platform has aggressively expanded into short-form video with Reels, responding to TikTok’s popularity. Instagram is now as much a video platform as it is a photo-sharing app. Instagram has also become a social shopping powerhouse: 

• 61% of users use Instagram to discover new products, the highest of any platform. 
• New shopping features (product tags, link in bio, in-app checkout, Shops) make it easy for brands to showcase and sell products natively. 
• In fact, 39% of social media shoppers have made purchases directly on Instagram or Facebook. 

The platform’s near-equal gender split and global reach make it a versatile marketing channel. Instagram is also increasingly intertwined with Meta’s broader ecosystem – for example, the Threads app (launched mid-2023 as a text-based companion to Instagram, targeting Twitter’s niche) gained over 100 million signups in days, showing demand for new social experiences integrated with IG. 

While Threads’ active user counts have fluctuated, it exemplifies Meta’s strategy of creating an “all-in-one” network family. For marketers, success on Instagram now means embracing short videos (Reels) for reach, leveraging influencer content, and using new tools like Broadcast Channels (a one-to-many messaging tool for creators) to engage followers more directly.

TikTok 

TikTok’s explosive growth has stabilised at a towering level – around two billion global users (monthly) as of 2025 – putting it on par with Instagram. It boasts some of the highest engagement of any platform, with users averaging 47+ minutes per day scrolling the never-ending “For You” feed. TikTok’s algorithmic content discovery is its secret sauce, serving an addictive mix of entertainment, education, and commerce. Initially fueled by Gen Z, TikTok’s audience is maturing and widening: 

• The largest age demographic is now 25-34 (35%), as Millennials have fully embraced TikTok. 
• Over 80% of Gen Z have TikTok accounts. 

TikTok has also become a go-to source for information – 63% of Gen Z users get news on TikTok, and 77% use it for product discovery, higher than any other platform for that demographic. The app is rapidly expanding its e-commerce capabilities (TikTok Shop, shoppable livestreams) to convert those discovery moments into sales. 

TikTok’s cultural influence is unparalleled – viral challenges, sounds, and memes spill over into mainstream media and drive music charts, fashion trends, and more. In short, TikTok in 2025 is a must-have channel for reaching under-30 audiences, but brands need to be agile with fast-moving trends and mindful of regulatory developments. 

Authentic, creative content, especially influencer-driven and short-form video, is key to cracking TikTok’s algorithm and capturing its huge engagement opportunities.

X (Twitter) 

Twitter underwent a turbulent transformation after Elon Musk’s late-2022 takeover and rebranding to “X.” In 2025, the platform formerly known as Twitter has around 556–586 million monthly users by advertising reach, though estimates vary and growth has been relatively flat. 

The platform’s active user base has shifted: some longtime users left amid policy changes, while power users remain highly engaged. FKA Twitter / X is being reshaped into an “everything app” – blending social feeds with payments, long-form content, and more. Already we’ve seen the introduction of longer tweets, support for hour-long videos, and a push for creators to offer subscriptions (paid content for followers). The algorithm on X now emphasises content from paid subscribers (“Blue” verified users) and recommended posts, not just chronological tweets, which has changed content dynamics. 

Advertiser uncertainty plagued Twitter in 2023, but by 2024 some brands returned as the platform introduced brand safety tools and adjacency controls. Still, marketers have diversified due to X’s volatility – the sudden rise of alternatives like Threads (which hit 100M users in five days) and decentralised networks like Mastodon and Bluesky reflects a broader trend toward micro-community platforms. 

While those alternatives remain niche compared to X, they attract tech-savvy and influencer audiences. Regionally, Twitter/X is less dominant in Asia (where Weibo, LINE, or regional networks lead) but remains influential in the U.S. and Europe for news, politics, and customer service interactions. For businesses, X in 2025 is useful for real-time engagement and PR, but the playbook is changing: there’s more emphasis on video content, space (audio) conversations, and even AI-generated summaries of tweets. Brands may need to pay for reach via X’s subscription or ads to ensure visibility in feeds. 

The Twitter of the past (simple 140 then 280-character tweets) is giving way to a more complex platform: marketers should watch how X’s promised features (from integrated payments to job postings) develop to capitalise on them early if they gain user traction.

LinkedIn 

The professional network has quietly become a social media powerhouse, especially for B2B, career content, and thought leadership. Evolving from a simple job search and resume site to a must-have networking app, LinkedIn continues to grow:

• In 2023, LinkedIn surpassed 1 billion members, with usage at an all-time high.
• Millennials (29-44) make up ~51% of the user base, dispelling the myth that LinkedIn is only for older professionals. 
• Gen Z usage is also rising fast as students and young graduates embrace the platform. 

LinkedIn’s feed has evolved to encourage personal stories, thought leadership posts, and industry news sharing. Unlike video-heavy entertainment apps, the average session length is shorter (about 11 minutes per visit on average). Interestingly, about 53% of LinkedIn users are from high-income households. This makes LinkedIn an attractive space for brands offering premium products or B2B services, as they can directly engage with affluent audiences who  influence business decisions, hold significant purchasing power, and have the means to invest in high-value products or services. 

The platform rolled out new features like LinkedIn Live video, audio events (similar to Clubhouse), newsletters, and enhanced analytics for creators, turning it into a true content publishing hub. For marketers, LinkedIn is crucial for B2B marketing, employer branding, and social selling. Company pages and employees can reach audiences organically, though the algorithm favors content that sparks conversations over overt self-promotion. 

Users indicate they want value and education from brands on LinkedIn – the most successful brands share educational product information and thought leadership rather than pure sales pitches. LinkedIn’s ad platform also expanded, offering better targeting by job title, industry, and now even retargeting website visitors, albeit at a higher cost per impression than Facebook. 

In 2025, LinkedIn stands out as the network where business happens – we see more CEOs posting regularly and companies forming niche interest groups. As a result, maintaining a strong LinkedIn presence (through both company content and employee advocacy) is a key strategy for any organisation in the B2B or recruitment space.

Snapchat 

Snapchat emphasises sharing photos and short videos (called snaps) between friends. It popularised the vertical video format, which later took off through other visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Instagram Stories, in particular, appear to have slowed Snapchat’s growth and reduced marketers’ interest in using the platform to promote their brands in general. While it’s easy to think that Snapchat’s been left behind, it remains hugely popular with young audiences:

• Snapchat has around 800 million monthly active users worldwide. 
• Snapchat reaches 90% of 13-24 year-olds in many Western countries (one of its bragging stats) and is a cultural staple for Gen Z, even if its relevance to ‘older’ demographics is expiring. 
• In the U.S. 69% of teens use Snapchat. 

The content on Snapchat is ephemeral by design – stories disappear, daily streaks encourage frequent chats – which creates an intimate, low-pressure environment compared to the polished feeds of Instagram. In 2025, Snapchat’s biggest strengths are augmented reality (AR) and messaging. 

The company reports that 75% of its users engage with AR features every day, whether that’s playful face lenses or more practical AR try-on experiences. Snapchat’s AR lens platform has attracted brands to create immersive ads (e.g. letting users virtually try on makeup or see how a product looks in their home). 

Over 100 million users have engaged with AR shopping lenses on Snapchat, indicating the potential of AR commerce. In terms of content, Snapchat’s Discover section still hosts short-form shows and publisher content, and Spotlight (Snap’s TikTok-like vertical video feed) garners 350+ million daily video views. However, Snapchat positions itself less as a viral content network and more as a private communication tool – a place for close friends. Nearly 40% of global Snapchat users are Gen Z, and older users are comparatively few (people over 35 are “substantially less likely” to use Snapchat). 

This means for certain youth-focused brands – in fashion, entertainment, fast food, etc. – Snapchat remains a key platform. In 2025 Snapchat also introduced its “My AI” chatbot (powered by OpenAI GPT) into all user chats, signaling how social platforms are incorporating AI assistants into the user experience. For marketers, advertising on Snapchat offers access to a hard-to-reach young demographic with formats like AR lenses, sponsored filters, and short video ads between stories. 

The takeaway: Snapchat isn’t “dead” by any means; it’s stable, growing slowly and innovating in AR. Brands that want to connect with Gen Z in an authentic, playful way should keep Snapchat in their mix.

What’s Next?

Every major platform is evolving in 2025. Facebook and Instagram (Meta) are leaning into AI-curated content and shopping features to keep users engaged, TikTok continues to set engagement records while inspiring competitors and raising regulatory eyebrows, Twitter’s reimagining as X is shifting the real-time social space, LinkedIn is capitalising on its reputation as a community for professionals pioneering thought leadership, Snapchat maintains a stronghold with youth, and in various regions, alternative platforms lead the way. 

Brands should closely monitor these platform shifts – both global and local – and be ready to adjust their channel mix. Investing in platform-specific content (e.g. short-form video for TikTok/Reels, AR filters on Snapchat/Instagram, thought leadership on LinkedIn) will be crucial as social media fragments into distinct arenas of user attention. 

To ensure the best social media strategy for your business, hiring a social media agency who can develop thumb-stopping content, stay ahead of the curve on trends, and track/report engagement metrics, can be a great investment. Benchmarking and adjusting your strategy is essential for success. To find out more, head over to https://ourownbrand.co/services/social-media-marketing/. 

Ready to elevate your social media strategy?

Contact us at hello@ourownbrand.co  to discover how we can help transform your online presence.