With the end of the financial year approaching, we thought was a great opportunity to discuss the social media updates that have happened so far in 2025, which might form part of communications strategies for the new financial year.
Algorithm and content prioritisation
In January, Instagram announced that the app will focus on prioritising original and creative content, which is great news for marketers. The platform also pledged to improve tools to make posting and targeting easier such as offering advanced AI-driven personalisation, enhanced engagement signals, content-type preferences, relationship-based content and adjustments to political content recommendations.
Meanwhile, Facebook is prioritising content that is engaging to followers and sparks conversations. Pages with low engagement may see a decrease in reach as the algorithms change.
Video content
2025 will be the year of video across all social media platforms, with Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook all having made changes to their video strategy.
Instagram reels increased the length from 90 seconds to three minutes. The platform is also offering a test function, allowing users to publish trial reels to non-followers to test performance before being pushed to everyone. Instagram isn’t holding back with positioning itself as a replacement for TikTok, with the latest rumour that reels maybe getting its own app – it is definitely one to watch.
In recent months, LinkedIn has seen a jump in video consumption, with some sources reporting engagement rates twice as high as other posts. The professional platform has also rolled out additional features which include a full screen view for videos on desktop, mini profile views and a swipeable video carousel in the feed which all put video front and centre of its strategy. There is also an anticipation of new analytics functionality coming to support monitoring and reporting of video performance.
Facebook recently announced changes to its storage terms, which means after 30 days, live stream content will be deleted – you might want to remember to download any live content or archive it before the monthly deadline.
Tools to enhance content creation
Instagram plans to deploy CapCut video editing, with the launch of their new app, Edits. The goal of the app is to become the ‘ultimate creator editing tool’. It will include a dedicated inspiration tab, built in analytics, real time trending audio insights, with lots more features in the pipeline. Edits will also become Instagram’s test platform for new features and processes, with new features hosted on Edits ahead of full integration into Instagram.
For those who have perfectly curated Instagram feeds, you may have noticed the recent changes to the image specification, which is a creator’s nightmare in the short term, as images have been cropped and distorted in grid view. Fear not, the deployment of the new specification coincides with platforms transition to vertical reels, which offers a better scrollable experience for users on mobile devices. Long term this change is thought to be part of a strategy to offer content creators more freedom.
User interaction, engagement and tracking
All the major platforms have been focusing on improving user interaction and engagement this year.
Instagram followed TikTok and Reddit by launching its dislike button in February. This private feature allows users to flag content they find irrelevant without the need for escalation.
LinkedIn is testing a new “My Networks” feed, which separates content from users and pages you follow from content from new users. Research suggests that this will increase interaction from those you follow, boosting network engagement.
LinkedIn has also announced plans to launch impression tracking on comments, and read and open rates on email campaigns, although it’s not clear what this will look like yet.
Data integrity
Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will move to “Community Notes”, which is currently being tested in the U.S. The goal is for “Community Notes” to be less censored and more informal, similar to the original intent of third-party fact-checks, which is the current system.
Our final thoughts
Video content is set to grow from strength to strength, and the social media platforms are keen to give users more tools to create, engage and track the performance of their campaigns than ever before. Whether you’re starting out on social media, honing your skills, or refreshing your social media strategy, 2025 is the perfect year to invest in your social growth.
Get in touch with ADPR to discuss how we can help you and your team thrive in 2025 and beyond! Contact us here: www.adpr.co.uk/connect/