We’re barely into the year, and already, it feels like we’ve had to deal with a whole lot of changes in the world of social media. As one expert put it, “Is it just me, or does it feel like the second the calendar flipped to 2025, social media platforms turned into the wild, wild west?”
From our viewpoint here in the South, it certainly feels like there have been quite a few shots fired in many directions all at once. Don’t worry; we’ve gone through the headlines and trends and broken it down for you!
TikTok:
Is it a ban, or isn’t it?
For the time being, it isn’t. Whether it will become one again anytime soon is anyone’s guess. If TikTok is banned in the United States, you may think it’s A US TikTok ban could have ripple effects that impact all of us in and on social media around the globe, even if it’s still accessible in our country. Here are the questions that arise:
- Will my other platforms be impacted? Do I need to prepare for lower reach in the short term?
- Will my audience be moving, and if so, where?
- If TikTok creators and brands bring video to mixed platforms like Instagram or even LinkedIn, do I need to consider this?
- Could this be a good opportunity for our brand to try out elsewhere?
Although the TikTok saga is in the “to be continued” category, we will watch the signs and keep you in the loop. We are definitely interested in exploring alternatives and investigating new opportunities – watch this space…
META:
Then there’s Mark Zuckerberg’s META. Whatever your opinion of the man himself, Instagram and Facebook remain the top platforms for paid and organic efforts.
Here’s some of the recent and somewhat controversial news about META:
- Facebook and Instagram are replacing third-party fact-checks with ‘Community Notes’, a crowdsourced information tool. Meta say these won’t feature on paid ads.
- Meta admits some people can’t unfollow Donald Trump and others on their platforms.
- There are some users who are concerned about privacy, misinformation and the platforms’ overall direction.
We’re not in the business of having opinions on sensitive issues. It is our job to ensure that our clients benefit from their digital interactions. So, let’s examine these two platforms.
Instagram:
Here are some of the recent updates on “The Gram”:
- Reel length has increased from 90 seconds to 3 minutes for more content flexibility.
- The platform redesigned profile layouts with a vertical grid rollout and shifted profile names.
- Users can now publish ‘Trial Reels’ to non-followers first to test content performance before broader sharing.
- Direct message scheduling is now available, allowing users to set specific send times.
- A dedicated ‘Highlights Tab’ has been introduced for easier content access.
- Instagram says the app will prioritise original content.
We’re on it already and looking for ways to make these work for you!
Facebook:
Facebook has been focusing on updates to the News Feed to potentially attract younger users and allow for more personalised content. And you thought Facebook was for an older generation?
Here are the real demographics:
- The largest demographic is between 25 and 34, with over 31% of total users, followed by the 18 to 24 age group.
- So, Facebook’s most active users are between 18 and 35 years old, contributing to almost half the total accounts. This means the younger population still uses the OG platform!
- The 35 to 44 group is next, followed by 45 to 54, 55 to 64 and lastly, the 65+ users.
- As of October 2024, Facebook had 3.07 billion monthly active users, which is nearly 38.7% of the global population.
The truth is that Facebook is a social media giant that’s still relevant in 2025. It’s not going anywhere, and neither are we!
X (Formerly Twitter):
Getting your head around the goings-on at X and with its owner can feel like a full-time job. X has undergone many changes since Elon Musk acquired it in October 2022. The platform has been rebranded, features have been added and removed, and there have been controversies.
Here are some:
- The platform was rebranded as X on July 23, 2023, and the domain name was changed to x.com on May 17, 2024.
- Blocking an account no longer protects users from that profile seeing what they post.
- Likes are now private for all users.
- The ‘Explore page’ has been updated to include topic summaries generated by an AI chatbot.
- The site features crowd-sourced community notes used to fact-check or rebuff what posts say.
- Users are able to pay for blue ticks, which were previously given free as authentication that the person was who they said they were.
- The platform has been criticised for suspending journalists’ accounts, labelling media outlets as “state-affiliated,” and restricting their visibility.
- There are questions about the algorithm and what it promotes to the top of users’ feeds.
Whether you are an X-user or not, we will keep a close eye on things and how they affect you.
CONCLUSION:
Admittedly, it has been quite a difficult news cycle to navigate, and it’s understandable to feel a little overwhelmed. The good news is that you don’t have to fall down a rabbit hole to figure things out – we’ll do it for you!
In an upcoming blog, we will explore some of the alternative options to the above platforms and let you know what we think.