Listen to the Article
As much as paid social media marketing is relatively new, the field continually evolves. Elements change, new systems are developed, and user activity constantly fluctuates. When we are at the beginning of 2025, in terms of digital advertising, we are one step away from new trends that will define the future. Here are five trends you need to follow for the future of advertising.
1. TikTok is Hanging by a Thread — But Video Content is Here to Stay
Due to political issues, TikTok’s position as a leading social network is uncertain. In January 2024, the U.S. Congress may ban the app if its owner is not an American company. This ban could start in January 2025, leaving TikTok’s future in the U.S. unclear.
Still, the platform has not lost popularity among advertisers, especially in e-commerce, despite the threats yet to be revealed. It has become a desirable choice for brands because it can provide high-intent conversion opportunities, especially with the introduction of search campaigns and in-app shops. However, TikTok’s future lies in legal proceedings and future political verdicts.
While this side of social media may change forever, short-form videos are here to stay. Platforms like YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels are ready to capture the advertising dollars that TikTok might lose. Video content will continue to be a top choice for advertising.
Furthermore, Meta is adjusting its ad tracking to focus on ‘1-day engaged-view attribution.’ Marketers will be acknowledged if users watch their video content for at least 10 seconds, proving the format crucial for improving sales across different marketplaces.
2. Meta’s New Game-Changer for Ad Engagement
First used in Google Ads, Site Links enable advertisers to provide more links to people in their ads and help people navigate straight to particular pages on a site for products, offers, or information.
For advertisers, the flexibility of Site Links suggests massive opportunity. For one, brands can improve the usage of communication tools by linking products or promotions directly, which improves the click-through rate. The feature also supports custom thumbnails to enhance appearance and usefulness.
Businesses can also reach multi-intent audiences because the ads can target different user segments. For example, they could have the ‘Explore Catalog link’ for buyers in the awareness stage and the ‘Shop Now’ link for shoppers in the buying stage. Meta has already received good statistics concerning this segment, and it will likely become one indicator of successful advertising campaigns in 2025.
3. Meta’s New Metric for Campaign Optimization
Changes to Meta’s Opportunity Score, which started in 2024, have placed it on course to become helpful to advertisers in the following years. This, in turn, gives an overall evaluation of how effective an ad is to its intended audience and how efficient it is in meeting the set objectives.
While the previous Relevance Score only showed less detailed data concerning the performance reasons, the new Opportunity Score reflects a set of more comprehensive parameters that help to adjust the advertising campaigns.
The tool will be vital for brands as Meta continues to iterate on the algorithm, which presented itself as a practical means of scaling work effectively. Note that a higher focus on the platform as a means of success is recommended to monitor this metric closely while using it in decision-making.
It’s already evident that the feature will be one of the essential indicators to focus on in 2025, and the tool is still in its testing phase. Advertisers will need to monitor it and make consequent modifications for improved performance.
4. Reddit Stepping in as the New Powerhouse of Social Advertising
Reddit has been very active in the social media scene for quite some time now, though it has only recently begun attracting big players’ attention. It recorded good growth in the previous year, with daily visitors increasing by 46%, from 66 million to 97 million.
The increase is primarily attributed to a deal with Google, which boosted the platforms’ daily active users by 46% and saw a 53% increase in weekly active users. Today, Reddit content can be found four times as often in Google Search as in 2023, making Reddit more noticeable and configurable for different advertisements.
Even though Reddit does not boast a remarkably stable audience compared to Facebook or Instagram, targeting specific communities by interests or behaviors makes Reddit a platform to consider in 2025. If you are not currently concerned with advertising on this app, there is probably no better time to start.
Reddit’s niche subs allow firms to promote their goods and services to particular and relevant consumers who seek product information, which may be even more beneficial than the numbers mentioned above. However, because the traffic is generated through Google, the result may be less long-lasting than using, for example, Facebook or Instagram. However, as the platform strengthens and encourages returned visitors to become active, this site will become a tempting opportunity for powerful search-based traffic.
5. Navigating Stricter Privacy Standards
Leaving the fun topic of hands-on promotion on social media, on a more administrative side, privacy regulations are expected to become stricter by 2025. Meta’s plans for new confidentiality features due to launch in January 2025 are a new tactic—particularly for those in heavily restricted verticals such as healthcare. Most of these changes will force businesses to reconsider the methods used to gather, store, and utilize data in advertising.
According to current global statistics, as of the first months of 2024, 137 out of 194 countries have adopted certain types of national data protection. The expansion of privacy coverage is the most adequate testimony to the increasing worldwide focus on consumer security.
In the US alone, seven states enacted the first-of-its-kind data safekeeping laws, making 2024 the year with the most new regulations in the U.S. However, in 2025, new guidelines will come into operation in Delaware, Iowa, Minnesota, and other states to increase the fragmentation of sensitive records regulation. There could be changes on the federal level, provided that the American Privacy Rights Act, which is still being drafted, is passed; however, this process is now up in limbo due to the newly adopted political realism. Advertisers must be alert and adapt as more states pursue new laws independently.
Across the pond, Europe is still ahead of the world in terms of data protection, most notably now with the General Data Protection Regulation. However, significant new legislation, like the Digital Markets Act, will cause businesses to adapt to stronger consent conditions, new and broader consumer rights, and higher regulatory constraints on Big Tech. The AI Act, which defines limits for some AI systems and puts preconditions on their use, also affects data collection practices to the extent that such technologies are applied to advertising processes.
Consequently, in 2025, to adapt to this change, advertisers would also need to consider what is generally known as zero-party and first-party data as critical components of privacy advertising. Third-party cookies might become a thing of the past, so the emphasis will be on developing quality relationships directly with customers.
Therefore, consent and preference management integrated solutions are key for brands in regulated industries to comply with international and regional data protection laws.
Preparing for 2025: Embrace Change and Stay Agile
Ad management can be daunting for brands in this world of social media advertising and the ever-changing social network standards. As TikTok’s future hangs on the line, will Meta and Reddit rise to the occasion? Whatever scenario plays out, advertisers must adapt to evolving media technologies, privacy laws, and user behavior. Brands should embrace video regardless of industry and get on board with emerging trends such as Site Links and Opportunity scores.
This year, flexibility and the willingness to experiment will be crucial for success, so stay alert to platform changes. The future of digital marketing will remain just as dynamic, and being active and seizing opportunities will remain paramount in 2025 and beyond.
