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16 Big Social Media Trends B2C Brands Should Be Acting On This Year

December 9, 2025 No Comments

Sourced from Forbes

Social media is one of the most important channels modern B2C brands use to get discovered, shape audience perception and spark real interest with consumers. As people change how they browse, shop, buy and interact with brands online, social media platforms are evolving along with them, favouring authentic content that builds a sense of real connection.

For B2C brands to stay relevant and meet audiences where they are, it’s essential to stay up on major shifts and developments in social media to understand how to best leverage or prepare for emerging trends. Here, 16 members of Forbes Agency Council explore the biggest social media trends influencing B2C marketing today to help brands make informed decisions about where to focus their efforts.

1. TikTok Ads

TikTok ads are winning the game when it comes to B2C advertising. Often, they are overlooked, and now with new advancements in TikTok Shop, buyers can click through to purchase seamlessly. TikTok advertising also seems to be less expensive than buying Meta ads, and the platform often offers advertisers incentives for coming on board. – Adrian Falk, Believe Advertising & PR

2. Raw, Real Experiential Content

There is a big shift in B2C brands moving away from their ultra-polished, longstanding brand messaging toward raw and real experiential content that taps into a consumer’s vibe. Social media platforms are rewarding brand content that looks less like an advertisement and more like something a real person would post: content with personality. Brands should get on board or risk being left at the station. – T. Maxwell, eMaximize

3. Social Platforms As Search Engines

Social platforms are becoming powerful discovery and search engines, especially for younger audiences. B2C brands should treat them like modern storefronts—optimizing content for searchability and relevance. The key is knowing your audience, how they search and the type of content they trust and engage with. – Dani Mariano, Razorfish

4. Reddit

Consumers are talking about your brand and competitors’ brands in subreddits. And the major AI players weigh Reddit heavily as a trusted source. Brands that aren’t sure whether they should treat Reddit as a valuable community should check their analytics and use platforms like SparkToro to see if their target audiences are on Reddit. – Joanna Wiebe, Copyhackers

5. More Intimate Connections

One of the biggest shifts I’m seeing is the rise of intimate social—brands moving away from chasing mass virality and instead cultivating smaller, high-trust spaces like Close Friends lists, private communities or creator-led collaborations. People are tired of performative marketing; they want belonging and truth. If it deepens connection, it’s worth it. If it’s just noise, pass. – Jacquelyn LaMar Berney, VI Marketing and Branding

6. AI-Generated Creativity

AI-generated creativity will be a major trend that B2C brands need to adopt. Brands should take a closer look at AI characters, as some may fit their storytelling. Today, this approach can have a second life, especially across social platforms. Another closely related trend is AI-empowered user-generated content. However, this is an ethical question for brands, as it carries significant reputational risks. – Oksana Matviichuk, OM Strategic Forecasting

7. Short-Form Video

Authentic, short-form video continues to drive engagement across TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts. At our company, we guide brands to participate only when the content aligns with their tone, values and ability to sustain consistent storytelling. The key is relevance and real connection, not replication of trends. – Durée Ross, Durée & Company, Inc.

8. Authenticity Over Aesthetics

One major trend right now is the shift toward authenticity over aesthetics. Audiences are responding to real, unfiltered content like behind-the-scenes clips, founder moments and quick, honest storytelling. Before jumping in, brands should ask if it aligns with their values and voice. Authenticity only works if it’s genuine, not forced. – Bryanne DeGoede, BLND Public Relations

9. Social Commerce

A significant social media trend for B2C brands is the rise of social commerce. Brands can assess participation by considering product suitability for visually driven shopping, audience readiness and the ability to offer a seamless checkout experience. When these align, social commerce can convert engagement directly into measurable sales. – Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne Advertising

10. Conversations With Consumers

Being involved in community conversations across social platforms and directly conversing with the consumer is of huge importance for brands today. It helps establish brand identity and build trust with your core audience. Brands should not shy away from this, but they should be mindful of how they communicate with consumers. – Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC

11. DM-Driven Commerce

One trend I’ve been seeing recently is commerce moving into direct messages. Comments and messages on Instagram and TikTok are turning into carts and loyalty moments. Brands that can consistently reply and route chats into their CRM system can jump in. They can test a two-week, DM-only drop and regroup if their response time slips or the payback isn’t there. Done right, it feels like a boutique conversation at scale. – Gabriel Shaoolian, Digital Silk

12. Storytelling

Storytelling is still king. It’s what sets human creativity apart from AI content. But not every brand needs it. Some just need to give clear instructions so customers can grab the content they need and move on. While that’s true for, say, utility companies, in life sciences, for example, stories build trust with patients or healthcare providers. – Nataliya Andreychuk, Viseven

13. ‘Algorithmic Authenticity’

The biggest shift is the rise of “algorithmic authenticity.” Raw, unfiltered content now beats polished ads because audiences trust what feels real. But not every trend is worth chasing. Before you jump in, ask: Does it serve your story, or just the algorithm? If it’s not building real connection or credibility, skip the hype and focus on impact. – Lars Voedisch, PRecious Communications

14. Creator Ecosystems

The biggest trend is the rise of authentic creator-style content over polished brand ads. Consumers trust faces more than logos. Smart brands now build creator ecosystems instead of running isolated influencer deals. Before jumping in, brands should assess fit—whether a creator’s audience shares your values, tone and desired emotional response, and if they’re your target demographic. – Tony Pec, Y Not You Media

15. Private Groups And Niche Communities

There does seem to be continued growth of private groups and niche communities. Platforms such as Next-door, a private social network that connects neighbourhoods to discuss local issues, offer opportunities for brands to hyper-target not only geographically and democratically, but also behaviourally and by interest. – Ellis Verdi, DeVito/Verdi

16. Creator-Driven Microcontent

A major social media trend for B2C brands is the rise of authentic, creator-driven microcontent—short, unscripted videos that build trust faster than polished ads. Before jumping in, brands should assess whether their voice fits naturally in that space. If authenticity feels forced, it’s better to collaborate with creators who already embody the brand’s values and audience tone. – Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.

Feature image credit: Getty

Sourced from Forbes

In News

Future Forecast: 10 Predictions for 2023

January 5, 2023 No Comments

By Jess Phillips of The Social Standard

Trends for 2023 in social media and beyond

As we wrap up this year, it’s time to pick up the crystal ball and look to 2023 and the potential changes in consumer and cultural behaviour, social media platforms and what brands might have in store.

Think ‘Shorts’ Term

YouTube Shorts will take over as the primary platform for social media influencers. In 2022, Shorts hit over 30 billion views per day, began distributing $100 million from the the Shorts Fund, and announced a 45 percent rev-split with creators starting in 2023. On his Full Send Podcast, MrBeast (114 million YouTube subscribers) explained: “You’re gonna be crazy to be a TikTok-first content creator.”

TikTok’s E-commerce Push

TikTok is expanding from a social network to an e-commerce empire with trending products readily available, shipping from distribution centers. This will incentivize the platform to promote in-stock inventory on its algorithm. Creators that push available products may also see a boost in users’ feeds.

Pinterest Video Content

Pinterest is rapidly evolving into a hub for video content and live e-commerce. The platform added an in-app video feed similar to TikTok and hosts Pinterest TV, a pre-approved set of live programming. Expect brands to partner with Pinfluencers, pitch content for the TV series and use short-form videos to promote paid integrations.

Twitter Goes ‘Super’

Elon Musk, the “chief Twit” at Twitter, has teased a “super update” to extend functionality and improve user experience. A complete rehaul of messaging, search optimization and peer-to-peer crypto donations is possible. Musk is also a proponent of free speech, so ousted content creators and their audiences may return.

BeReal Gets Real Serious

The popularity of the “authentic” social media app hit 53 million installs in October. BeReal’s next journey will focus on attracting brands and ad monetization. Users of the top charting social networking app should expect sponsored content in feed, paid subscriptions for extra features (like Snapchat+), and an influx of brands seeking to compete with early adopters like Chiptole and E.l.f. cosmetics for of Gen Z consumers. Brands will use their other platforms like Instagram and YouTube to draw attention to BeReal and provide freebies, discounts and exclusive offers for fans who join them.

Gaming Goes Hollywood

Stars of the silver screen are using their influence to promote mobile games aligned with film franchises. Iconic actor Samuel L. Jackson reprised his role as Nick Fury to promote the Marvel Snap mobile game. The game surged to number two in the App Store’s top charts for free games and number one in the Strategy category. In another example, Ben Stiller recently teamed up with LeBron James and John Travolta to promote the release of Sony’s popular franchise God of War. As the gaming industry continues to grow, expect to see popular creators move towards promoting mobile entertainment activations.

BTS Takes Center Stage

Overly produced professional content will take a backseat to behind-the-scenes influencer UGC as brands seek to fulfill Gen Z’s desire for authenticity. One example is the Adobe activation with video editor Motoki. His short-form BTS content went viral achieving over 10 million views total (exceeding performance expectations) and outperformed his traditional activations. The trend remained consistent on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

All-in-One Platforms

Social media platforms are all starting to look alike and this trend seems to have no way of stopping. TikTok has long-form video and detailed descriptions like YouTube, YouTube has vertical short-form videos like TikTok, and the list goes on and on. Even newcomer BeReal has had its unique dual function camera feature implemented by Snapchat, Instagram and most notably TikTok, which even limits posting a photo to once per day. As Twitter owner Elon Musk prepares for his “super app” update, it’s likely the platform will have all of these available and more.

Financially Responsible Advertising

Economic uncertainty will force second tier e-commerce social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and BeReal to provide advertising structures that optimize ad performance. TikTok is currently leading innovation with pay-if-you-engage ads, which charges marketers for advertisements if consumers watch six or more seconds of an ad. With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s likely that we will see other platforms adopt this option to draw in small and mid-sized businesses.

Trends Launch Pad for Films

In addition to traditional advertisements like commercials and billboards, films and television shows will launch influencer marketing campaigns ahead of premiers. The trend #TopGunMode rocketed the ’80s film reboot to prime discussion with a Gen Z audience that was highly unlikely to have seen its predecessor. Streaming platforms like #Netflix are already massively popular, so they have a massive opportunity to capitalize and create viral trends.

By Jess Phillips of The Social Standard

Sourced from Muse by Clio

In News

Five Key Social Media Trends For 2019

February 14, 2019 No Comments

By Claire Lancaster

Claire Lancaster, Head of Social Media at data driven creative agency IF Agency, starts the year with her prediction of the key trends that will define the next 12 months in social media, content and influencer marketing.

Having focussed on the fabulous world of social media and digital marketing for the last decade and the one thing that is always constant is that social media is always changing! Claire has immersed herself in all things social, all the time, and actively follows the work and insights of global thought leaders, case studies and all the latest facts and figures. This, combined with her own experience as a social media marketing practitioner, Claire has identified the key focus areas in social media for the year ahead.

Claire summarises what’s to come in 2019, “I expect reach, dialogue and influencers to all reduce as brands embrace niche and more focused targeting. Creativity and campaigns will increase and vertical will become the new horizontal.”

Here are five key factors that will shape social media in 2019:

Rebuilding Social Trust

2018 represented a crisis year for trust on social media. Privacy issues, fake accounts and bought followers on social platforms seemed like continuous headlines. With overall trust compromised, there has been a wave of social scepticism and a swing back to endorsements from immediate friends, family and acquaintances.

2019 is the year to embrace authenticity and place that sentiment at the core of all activities. A study from Sprout Social discovered that 86% of consumers believe transparency from businesses is more important than ever before. Naturally as a consequence, social media activity in 2019 needs to respond, address and reassure these concerns. The stakes are even higher with a need for trust and genuine engagement.

With users increasingly conscious and curious about who they’re interacting with on social media. Brands will need to adapt and understand what successful engagement truly means. It’s less about reach and more about being real and fostering communities.

A key trend expected in 2019 is a rise of rivate Facebook community groups – which allow for dialogue in a safe environment away from open broadcast feeds. These more niche groups can be a powerful way to bring interested users together for open and engaged discussion.

Embracing One to One Social Messaging For Brands

In an age where consumer trust is compromised, and social platforms become harder and more expensive to leverage embracing social messaging is a key opportunity.

Making brands more accessible and genuinely engaging with customers creates authentic word of mouth marketing that is naturally created face-to-face within communities. Expectations for high value and private interactions will increase in 2019. According to Twilio, 90% of consumers would like to use messaging to communicate with businesses. Successfully fulfilling this presents a delivery challenge for brands and businesses, one which the right agency partners, chatbots and AI are able to overcome.

Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer replies that range from streamlining customer service queries/FAQs to providing real, helpful advice. Brands can highlight the availability of new services by running social media campaigns that incorporate messaging apps.

The key opportunity on social media platforms has always been branding. Overtime this has been overshadowed by a focus on promotions, beating algorithms and vanity metrics. Consumers don’t just care about products and price, they want to connect and engage with brands that reflect their values. One of the biggest opportunities in 2019 is to improve brands connecting with audiences through unique direct messaging facilitated by chatbots and AI.

Nano-Influencers Are The Next Big Thing

Celebrities have lost their credibility, people are sceptical of posts from the big-time social media influencers. Likewise, micro-influencers, with followers ranging from the tens to hundreds of thousands, have become less trusted by audiences and for brands many have become increasingly demanding and expensive. Nano-influencers are the next big thing in influencer marketing.

Nano-influencers are typically those with less than 10K followers. Their comparably tiny follower count makes them a surprisingly valuable alternative to the internet famous however what they lack in initial reach, they make up for in more sincere-sounding opinions and higher engagement rates. Their lack of fame and ego is one of the qualities that make them approachable for brands and more authentic in the eyes of their followers.

Nano-influencers are a brilliant starting point for any brands completely new to influencer marketing. An initial campaign with 2-3 Nano-influencers is a low-investment way to test out the tactic. Their word-of-mouth holds great weight in consumer purchasing decisions, which can help to drive conversions for your brand. Significantly lower upfront investment means that even a moderately successful Nano-influencer activation can provide a solid return-on-investment (ROI).

Accountability In Paid For Social Media

Social media is now a pay-to-play medium and a paid social strategy is the cornerstone of successful social media marketing. Competition is driving up prices and driving down cost efficiencies. In 2019 it will be harder and more expensive to achieve cut through with an audience whose attention spans are already fleeting.

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter or any other paid for social ads do not have magical powers. Paid social ads are simply that – ads! They only work if the content is right and quality content has never been as critical as it will be in 2019. Paying entry into the target markets social feed is no guarantee they will take notice or take action.

For success in 2019, brands need to go beyond product and service and create ads that entertain and inspire. As a result I expect to see an increase in investment in planning time, creativity and smart targeting to the same level, if not greater, than the paid for media spend to achieve the best results.

Rise Of Vertical Formats

Snapchat pioneered the vertical video content format back in 2014. The format has subsequently been adopted by Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and most recently YouTube in Sept 2018 with the launch of vertical video ads.

Stories will dominate social media in 2019. As viewers hold their phones upright and sift through mountains of content with the tap of a finger, brands have to produce Stories that grab attention from consumers in the moment. Relevance, authenticity and action are all important but even the most visually stunning story can fall flat if it doesn’t captivate. A successful vertical story starts with grabbing an audience’s attention while also letting the passion and character of people shine through.

The rise of vertical video presents both opportunities and challenges when it comes to brand storytelling. The vertical format requires a closer cropped, more refined take. In return the vertical orientation offers an intimate view, immediacy and interactivity with customers in a way that fits their viewing preferences with their touchscreen smartphone in the upright position.

So there you have it, IF Agency’s top five social media predictions for 2019.

By Claire Lancaster

Sourced from Digital Doughnut

In News

10 Ways to Update Your Small Business for 2019

January 15, 2019 No Comments

By Annie Pilon

You don’t need to wait for a new year to update your business’s processes. But when the calendar changes, it serves as a good reminder to evaluate some of the tech and platforms you use so you can modernize your business and become even more effective. Here, members of the online small business community share some of the trends and changes that you should be aware of as you bring your business into 2019.

Keep an Eye on PPC Changes

The world of PPC advertising is always evolving to better target relevant consumers. So if you want your ads to have the biggest possible impact in the new year, you need to stay up on all the latest trends. This Search Engine Land post by Ginny Marvin features some of the changes you should know.

Approach Analytics Differently in 2019

If you haven’t updated the way that you approach your business’s analytics in several years, 2019 could be the perfect time to re-think some things. Today’s businesses have access to more data than ever before. Here, Lane Ellis of TopRank Marketing discusses some of the ways you can approach analytics differently moving forward.

Learn These Google Analytics Terms

Google Analytics is perhaps the most popular tool for measuring website activity and traffic. But for those who are new to the online business world, some of the jargon used may be a bit tough to understand. So check out this Search Engine Watch Post by Robin Sherwood to get a handle on all the essential vocabulary.

Consider These Social Media Trends for 2019

If you want to stay on top of the ever-changing social media landscape, you need to constantly learn about the upcoming trends. In 2019, there are likely to be several evolving platforms and features that could impact your business. Learn more in this Prepare 1 post by Blair Evan Ball.

Keep Up With These Social Media Changes

And that’s not all! In this post on the Inspire to Thrive blog, Hugh Beaulac offers even more social media trends that should be on your small business’s radar in the new year. And members of the BizSugar community also shared their thoughts on the post here.

Build Your Small Business Credibility

Sometimes, small companies don’t have the same type of trust and credibility as big brands. But even though your business may be small, you can still reassure potential customers about your brand. This SMB CEO post by Matt Shealy includes some tips specifically for small businesses.

Protect Your Trademarks on Social Media

Just as it’s important to protect your business’s intellectual property in other areas of marketing and operations, it’s also important to do so on social media. There are plenty of accounts that may try to copy or emulate your trademarks. To protect them, read this Social Media HQ post by Christian Zilles.

Check Out These Landing Page Design Trends

Landing pages are very useful for targeting new customers and getting them into your sales funnels. The design choices that you make for these pages can have a major impact on your conversion rates. In this GetResponse post, Brea Weinreb details some of the upcoming trends that could impact your landing pages in 2019.

Become Gainfully Self Employed

Entrepreneurship is more popular than ever. Plenty of people are realizing the freedom and excitement of owning a business or becoming self-employed. If you’re interested in taking the leap this year, check out this Copyblogger post by Claire Emerson. Then see what BizSugar members are saying here.

Get Your New Business Idea Off the Ground

When you’re first jumping into the business world, you need a plan for developing and getting the word out about your new venture. There are many different factors that go into this process. To get started on the right foot in 2019, learn from this PERK Consulting blog post by Lucy Reed.

Feature Image Credit: Shutterstock

By Annie Pilon

Annie Pilon is a Senior Staff Writer for Small Business Trends, covering entrepreneur profiles, interviews, feature stories, community news and in-depth, expert-based guides. When she’s not writing she can be found on her personal blog Wattlebird, and exploring all that her home state of Michigan has to offer.