This month, we’re spotlighting brands who use influencer marketing to inform their strategy beyond social content, and how that leads to sustainable business growth. While it’s well-established that influencers increase awareness, a Q1 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey also found that social teams say influencer marketing drives revenue. To capitalize on the influencer opportunity, over half of marketing teams plan to build out their roster of influencers and expand partnerships this year.

As they do, teams should consider the role influencers play in their big picture marketing strategy. According to The 2024 Influencer Marketing Report, 80% of consumers agree that they would be more willing to buy from brands that partner with influencers on in-person events, brand trips or multichannel ad campaigns.

These brands illustrate what it takes to craft memorable, full-funnel influencer strategies, and can help inspire your own partnerships.

Dick’s Sporting Goods: Dick’s Varsity Team rallies around in-store promotions

Dick’s Sporting Goods equips athletes of all kinds to achieve their dreams. The American sporting gear retailer offers everything from golf clubs to running shoes to kayaks, and prides itself on delivering customized, white glove customer service in stores.

The brand is always finding new ways to enrich the in-store experience, like when they expanded Dick’s Varsity Team. The team is composed of young influencers who craft social content that the brand shares on its channels. But the partnerships go further than standard content, as Dick’s also features Varsity Team members in brand photoshoots, videos and in-store signage.

Through the Varsity Team, Dick’s weaves the appeal of influencers and online culture into the IRL brand experience. The continuity between their digital content and in-store visuals strengthens their brand identity, and drives people to their shops.

These partnerships are part of a larger strategy to experiment in brick-and-mortar locations. At a time when many retailers are shuttering their doors, Dick’s is expanding and introducing new store features like rock walls and turf fields. In fact, Dick’s executives cited the brand’s omnichannel shopping experience and investment in store features as contributing factors to their higher than expected financial performance in 2024.

The play: Partnering with influencers and creators on in-store promotions and signage is one way to help turn your physical locations into destinations, and cultivate a stronger brand identity across channels. Take a cue from Dick’s and extend influencer partnerships beyond digital content.

Blueland: The Black Forager leads product development

Blueland creates eco-friendly cleaning products. Instead of single-use plastic and unfamiliar ingredients, the brand sells reusable glass bottles, tablets and powders that get the job done—without harming the planet or your health.

For their recent hand soap drop, they collaborated with Alexis Nikole—better known by her username Black Forager on social media. Alexis shares content about foraging, vegan recipes, and environmental science and justice to her nearly 8 million followers across platforms.

For the new hand soap collection, the brand closely partnered with Alexis to develop authentic nature-inspired scents, as she explained in her Reel about the collab. The sentiment in the comments section was overwhelmingly positive, and the post received nearly 30k likes. Alexis’ first partnership with Blueland in 2024 sold out very quickly, so this new line was long-awaited.

The play: This collaboration is part of a long-standing strategy where Blueland works with influencers and creators to amplify their mission. The key to their successful partnerships has been finding influencers who are values-aligned, resulting in content and product collaborations that feel genuine. When looking for influencers to co-create products with, follow Blueland’s example.

Deliveroo: Tom Gilbey provides Valentine’s sommelier service

Deliveroo is a leading British online food delivery company with a tried-and-true formula. Customers place orders through the website or app, and a courier delivers it. But they also like to surprise and delight their customers with fun contests and giveaways, like their latest influencer partnership.

For Valentine’s Day this year, Deliveroo teamed up with the internet’s favorite sommelier, Tom Gilbey. Gilbey has been a sommelier for over 32 years, and brings his expertise to his hundreds of thousands of followers on social—without any pretentiousness. Deliveroo tasked Gilbey with providing a private sommelier service to three lucky winners, which he was well-suited to do given his past pairings with everything from Taco Bell to Toby Carvery.

Customers signed up for the contest online, and then Deliveroo pre-paid for their meal and sent Gilbey to their home. When he (and the food) arrived, he offered each winner three different wine pairings and they were able to keep their favorite bottle and enjoy it with their meal.

This promotion was a well-timed effort given their strategic reinvestment in the UK market, helping them grow customer loyalty and expand to new audiences.

The play: Influencer marketing and customer engagement efforts are too often framed as opposing ideas (i.e., if you host an influencer brand trip, you risk alienating your everyday customers). Deliveroo found a clever way to marry the two instead. When planning your next influencer campaign, think outside the bounds of typical activations and find ways to engage both influencers and customers.

PGA Tour: The Creator Classic returns

The PGA is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. On the eve of their famed tour, The Players Championship, the PGA brought back a fan favorite—the Creator Classic.

The day before golf legends like Rory McIlroy stepped on the fairway, content creators like Nick “Fat Perez” Stubbe, Gabby “Golf Girl” DeGasperis and Tisha Alyn had a chance to try out the course. The eight-hole event was broadcasted on YouTube, ESPN+, Peacock and the PGA Tour FAST channels. The creators also crafted content from their perspectives leading up to, during and after the event.

When PGA introduced the first Creator Classic last August, fans of both the creators and professional golf were thrilled. The tournament illustrates a new era of golf—one where social media influencers are required to reach new viewers, and their endorsement can turn followers into lifelong fans.

The success of the first Creator Classic prompted PGA to introduce an entire season-long creator series. As the brand’s Senior Vice President of Media Chris Wendell put it, “The PGA Tour is intently focused on delivering unique, premium content and experiences like this to our diverse and growing fanbase, all while amplifying the voices of our participating creators.”

The play: Brands are no stranger to turning IRL events into online engagement. But what about trying it the other way, too? Take PGA’s lead by hosting events led by online creators and broadcasting them on traditional and social platforms. This approach fosters synergy between digital and real life spaces.

Estée Lauder: Introducing the Global Sleep Advisor

Luxury skincare brand Estée Lauder has a medicine cabinet full of products with a cult following. Their classic offerings are staples in skincare routines of creators, influencers and even casual social media posters. Recently, the company has made a concerted effort to reach younger and more diverse audiences, like female NFL fans.

To support audience expansion, Estée Lauder has leaned on influencer and creator partnerships. Recently, the brand appointed the title of “Global Sleep Advisor” to Dr. Matthew Walker, renowned author, professor and creator. Walker boasts hundreds of thousands of loyal followers, is a frequent guest on sleep health podcasts, and has a wealth of experience in sleep research and innovation—making him the perfect face for their Advanced Night Repair campaign.

The campaign serves up “medutainment” content, or medical education that’s also entertaining. In the campaign posts, Walker focuses on tips followers at home can implement to improve their sleep quality and overall health. With his background and media experience, the content pipeline fuels itself. In addition to the excitement on social, the campaign spilled over into traditional media.

The play: Estée Lauder’s campaign illustrates how thinking outside the box can help your influencer campaign get the right kind of attention. A beauty brand is expected to partner with beauty, fashion or lifestyle creators. But by teaming up with an expected partner,  Estée Lauder was able to break through. This approach is something a lot of brands—especially those in regulated industries—can tap into.

Awards show spotlight: Amelia Dimoldenburg was the official Oscars red carpet correspondent

Amelia Dimoldenburg, creator and host of the YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, was named the official red carpet correspondent for this year’s 97th Oscars awards ceremony. The awards, which celebrate the best film achievements every year, is known as the ultimate event of the season.

This wasn’t Dimoldenburg’s first red carpet hosting gig, as she also stepped in to fill the role during the 96th awards season. Nor was she the first internet creator to serve as a red carpet correspondent—Emma Chamberlain famously appeared as a special correspondent at the Met Gala on behalf of Vogue Magazine in 2021 (and has since returned).

What sets this year and this red carpet apart was how well-established Dimoldenburg’s relationships were with Hollywood A-listers. The witty host’s rapport with some of the most well known celebrities proves how much media has shifted. Many of those in attendance have even appeared on Dimoldenburg’s own show (or will soon, no doubt).

Only a few years ago, influencers weren’t even invited to A-list events. Now, they regularly appear on red carpets and press tours, attend the most prestigious events and are given journalistic access at the White House.

The play: Influencers are legitimate media figures. Full stop. They play a critical role in our modern media ecosystem, and help democratize access to major events. Use that to your advantage by sending a social media correspondent of your own to cover an upcoming cultural event, weaving your brand into the conversation.

Influencer marketing’s potential extends past the online world

That wraps up this month’s installment of PPR. Stay tuned for next month, where we’ll be focusing on leading healthcare brands paving the way for highly regulated industries on social. In the meantime, remember these key takeaways:

And if you see a social post or campaign that deserves to be highlighted, tag us @sproutsocial and use #PostPerformanceReport to have your idea included in a future article.

The post Post Performance Report: Influencer partnerships that go beyond social media appeared first on Sprout Social.

The good news is, we surveyed over 1,000 Australian social media users and 200+ social media professionals to find the freshest insights on current trends and what’s on deck for the future in 2025. In this article, we’ll explore 10 of these Australia social media trends and give you the insights you need to navigate your social strategy successfully.

What trends have impacted social media marketing in Australia?

Social media marketing has never been an easy job, and it’s full of interesting challenges in 2025. Parliament has banned social media for all children under 16 in Australia, making it difficult for marketers to reach a younger demographic.

And yet, internet culture is as vibrant and important as ever. Audiences crave authenticity rather than trend-chasing; they want brands to listen to them rather than talk at them.

Among brands, there’s a gap between C-suite executives and social media pros when it comes to appreciating the value of social media. A growing number of Australian social practitioners report feeling creative fatigue, and many are confident that AI-driven social media tools can help overcome the challenge.

Let’s take a closer look at these trends impacting Australian social media marketing in 2025.

1. Social media is the epicenter of culture

The online world is enmeshed with the real world and has a very tangible impact on it. According to the Index, 91% of Australian social media users agree that social media is how we keep up with trends and cultural moments, and they expect brands to be in tune as well. Fifty-four percent of Australians use Instagram, 49% use Facebook and 39% scroll through TikTok to stay in step with social trends.

But when a brand hops on a trend they don’t fully understand, it’s cringe. While 40% of consumers find it cool when a brand joins a viral trend, 32% find it embarrassing and 28% think it’s only effective if it happens within two days of the trend starting. It’s a fine line for brands to walk. Be thoughtful about your approach to viral trends—don’t just jump on every trend blindly.

But listening to online conversations and having your finger on the pulse can be immensely useful. Hit children’s TV show Bluey uses social listening to understand what their community wants. For instance, they know that fans adore the chaotic character Muffin, and they deliver more Muffin content to fans’ delight.

Bluey also understands what their audience connects with emotionally. Hit episode “Sleepytime” is a notorious tearjerker for parents, and Bluey doesn’t hesitate to share Sleepytime-themed content regularly. Fans feel deeply connected to the themes of the episode, the music and the experience of parenting it depicts. Leaning into that helps build community and brand loyalty.

Takeaway: At the end of the day, brands need to remember that like any culture, online culture is about belonging and emotional connection. And authenticity is key to a brand’s success online—more on that later.

2. Content saturation and the battle for Australia’s attention

The Australian social media landscape is crowded with content. To cut through the noise and earn and maintain consumer attention, brands must be strategic. Having a high-quality product or service and creating original content helps you stand out from the crowd.

Create valuable, engaging, relatable content that shows you deeply understand your audience.

For example, DIY, garden and hardware store Bunnings shares loads of useful content that illustrates a keen understanding of their audience. Their Instagram Reels show easy DIY projects, cleaning and gardening tips, fun crafts and helpful products, all in a friendly and easy-to-digest format.

Takeaway: Nothing beats knowing your audience. If you try to create content that caters to everyone, you’ll stand out from the crowd for no one. Focusing on your niche and creating valuable content that meets your audience’s needs or answers their questions is a huge win—for both of you.

3. Authenticity and engagement over trend-chasing

Consumers favour authenticity and relatability, but the definition of authenticity is shifting. In the past, we assumed that unscripted, lo-fi content was inherently more authentic, but that’s no longer the case. Instead, it’s all about whether the brand and its content are aligned with its values and story. Brands’ content should feel honest and real. What happens behind the scenes at your brand? Sharing a sneak peek with your audience can help humanize your brand, bringing your story to life so it’s clear that you live your values every day.

User-generated content is another great way to show up authentically. When your customers share photos, videos or reviews of your product, their honest reactions are a priceless illustration of how beloved your brand is. Sharing user-generated content about your brand feels natural and less promotional.

Qantas Airways periodically shares a peek behind the scenes of different endeavours that folks might not otherwise know about. For instance, in this reel, one flight attendant shares a glimpse of her day delivering gifts to children in Cairns for the holidays. Commenters enjoyed the flight attendant’s friendly, cheerful demeanor and applauded the brand for their efforts to spread Christmas joy. The content came across as real and meaningful rather than performative.

4. There’s a gap between Australian social teams and executives

A significant gap exists between Australian social media teams and executive leadership in the understanding of social media’s business impact. Raise your hand if you’re surprised.

Almost half (47%) of social media practitioners believe their executive teams don’t trust them enough to determine what content performs best on social. Social practitioners desire greater autonomy, more resources and improved cross-departmental collaboration. They also seek better technology to track performance and impact.

Takeaway: Trusting your social team is important. Social media managers know the ins and outs of internet culture and understand their audience thoroughly. Empowering social media professionals to do what they know best is the first ingredient in your recipe for success. Sometimes a weird, offbeat idea is the creative gem you never knew you needed to delight your audience and reach a new demographic, too.

5. Evolving skillsets

The skills deemed most important for social media practitioners in 2025 are advanced skills in social listening tools, creative direction, data analysis, cultural competence and brand voice development.

Human experts remain necessary in the world of social media marketing, and building your specialised skills will help you excel in 2025 and beyond. Functional skills that help in day-to-day social media work include social listening, creative direction, data analysis and storytelling. By listening to your audience online and reviewing your social media analytics, you can better deliver the content they crave. Honing your storytelling and creative direction skills will help you create unique, engaging content that stands out and is truly memorable for your audience.

As for soft skills, focus on improving brand voice development, project management, partnership building and cultural competence. Partnership building is especially useful, whether it’s for interdepartmental efforts or collaborations with influencers. Learning about other cultures is a great way to become a better marketer, too. Focus on recognizing your biases, educating yourself about other cultural beliefs and practices, and finding ways to uplift and celebrate other cultures in your work when possible.

6. Brands are expected to combat misinformation

Ninety-three percent of Australian consumers want brands to step up and combat misinformation more than they currently do, per the 2025 Index. Meta recently eliminated their third-party fact-checking program in the US. It has been replaced with Community Notes, a feature where individual users can leave notes adding context if they believe the content is false or misleading. While it’s unclear how much this will impact other countries, some sources report fact-checking is already being replaced with Community Notes in Europe as well.

Takeaway: If third-party fact-checking is eliminated globally, online misinformation will likely increase significantly. That makes it even more critical for brands to speak up, particularly when they spot false claims about topics in their industry.

7. Social customer service is essential

Social media networks are a preferred method of customer service. A whopping 73% of social users agree that if a brand doesn’t respond to customer service questions on social media, they will buy from that brand’s competitor next time. The research also shows that customers prefer to get help from brands via comments sections, DMs and @-mentions, so it’s key to monitor and respond promptly.

Activewear brand Lorna Jane replies to commenters even when it may not seem beneficial for them to do so. Lorna Jane shared a video by creator @katelin.z.wears showing off a two-tone denim outfit, and a few commenters were captivated by the green robe she wore for a fraction of a second at the beginning of the video. Many brands would simply ignore comments about a product by another brand, but Lorna Jane kindly tagged the creator and asked her to weigh in. She responded and folks genuinely appreciated it. It’s a small, quick act of service for the consumer, but an easy way to add value by being kind and helpful.

Takeaway: Reply consistently and with kindness. Offering great customer service via social is a surefire way to boost your brand’s reputation.

8. Social commerce is expanding in Australia

Social media plays a significant role in consumer discovery and purchase decisions, with many Australians making spontaneous purchases based on social content. In fact, per the Index, most social users (38.5%) make spontaneous purchases based on social media content a few times per year, with 28% reporting that they make spontaneous purchases every month.

Plus, with TikTok Shop set to launch in Australia in 2025, it could be a real game-changer for social commerce.

Many Australian brands are already being smart about social commerce. Iconically Australian hat brand Akubra has begun integrating shop buttons into their Instagram content. This gradual integration coupled with the ease of tapping to find the exact hat in the photo makes the shopping experience smooth and enjoyable.

9. Creative fatigue is on the rise

We hate to see it, but burnout is increasing in 2025. Social media practitioners are struggling with content creation; 52% report feeling the same amount of fatigue as last year and 26% report feeling more tired than before. There’s an expectation to be chronically online and keep up with trends, which can be exhausting. Battling burnout isn’t easy, but it’s possible.

Start by reducing the time you spend online outside of work, finding a supportive community‌ and advocating for more resources at work.

Sometimes the additional resources you’re hoping for just aren’t in the cards. In those situations, AI tools can be incredibly helpful. For example, when you’re stuck staring at a blank screen and trying to draft social copy, Sprout Social’s AI Assist can offer jumping-off points for captions and hashtags.

10. Using AI in social product

Social media practitioners view AI positively as a potential tool to combat creative fatigue. The majority of social media professionals report feeling either very or somewhat confident in AI’s ability to help them. Sprout experienced this firsthand, incorporating Sprout’s AI tools into the social team’s social media management workflow. The data showed 72 hours saved each quarter on reporting, US$16,000 (AU$ 25,406.10) of time saved on reporting per year and US$132,000 (AU$ 209,600.33) in time saved on customer care each year. And just as important? Our teams reported that it freed up time for more creative work.

AI is particularly helpful for automating tasks in your workflow. When crafting social media copy, AI tools can assist with crafting messaging, checking grammar and syntax, generating headline and hook ideas, and more. Writing alt text is an important part of publishing social content too, but is often a clunky piece of the workflow. With Sprout’s AI Assist, you can streamline the process with AI-generated alt text.

The tedious work of scheduling social content can also be alleviated by AI. AI social media scheduling tools help with bulk scheduling, optimizing for different platforms and managing assets, just to name a few tasks. Incorporating AI into your process will give you time back in your day for the tasks that energize you most.

Social media marketing can be cyclical, and when we hit our busy seasons, those feelings of burnout intensify. AI can be a great tool for getting through peak seasons, especially when it comes to customer service on social. It can even function as a social media assistant, whether it’s through chatbots for placing and tracking orders or optimizing your content schedule.

The holidays can be extra-frantic for social media marketers, particularly if you’re a small and scrappy team. Utilizing AI is welcome by customers now: 74% of consumers are comfortable with brands using AI to deliver faster customer service on social. Sprout’s Enhance by AI Assist is a good resource for using generative AI to improve your responses to comments and DMs.

How to keep up with social media trends in Australia

You can’t keep up with social media trends in a silo. With the right resources and community, it’s easy to keep up with social media trends in Australia.

Follow industry blogs and publications

There’s no shortage of excellent social media publications. Some favourites include Social Media Examiner, Sprout Social’s blog, We Are Social and Margin Media.  

Participate in social media communities

Finding community online is a meaningful way to make friendships and learn new things. Sprout Social’s the Arboretum is a good place to start. Facebook and LinkedIn have lots of lively groups for social media practitioners too—check out Social Media Managers on Facebook and Social Media Today on LinkedIn.

Depending on your niche within the social media marketing world, you can also find more specific communities for freelance social media marketers, nonprofit social media marketers‌ and beyond.

Use trend-tracking tools and platforms

Sprout Social and Google Trends are handy for staying on top of trends. You can browse what’s trending now, set up reports or search for specific items of interest.

Follow influencers and thought leaders

Beyond tools and articles, we can learn a lot from each other. Jon-Stephen Stansel, Jayde Powell, Annie-Mai Hodge and Zaria Parvez are a few talented social media practitioners and thought leaders who share informative (and relatable!) content about social media in 2025. Australian social media agencies like Eight Clients and Melbourne Social Co are great follows, too.

Experiment and analyze

Experiment with new features as they roll out, test trends and see what performs well‌, and pay attention and think critically when you engage with content online.

Social media marketing in 2025

Keeping up with evolving social media networks and trends is tough, but it can be energizing. Social media practitioners face complex challenges in 2025, like finding ways to show up authentically, making strides to combat misinformation and standing out in a crowded online environment.

Start with a solid foundation of data about audience behavior and expectations. If you know what they want, you’ll be better prepared to flex with the changing tides. Take a deeper dive into The Sprout Social Index™, which covers what brands need to know for 2025 and beyond.

The post 10 Australian social media trends for 2025 appeared first on Sprout Social.

The April 5 deadline for enforcement of a federal law banning TikTok nationwide is approaching, after enforcement was deferred for 75 days in January.

Brands based in the US—or who have a strong follower base in the US—will need to reevaluate and diversify their network strategy as the situation continues to evolve. The ban requires marketers to pivot quickly, adapt fast and make room for experimentation.

What is the US TikTok ban?

The US TikTok ban is a federal law that prohibits US app stores and internet hosting services from distributing or hosting the TikTok app. In January 2025, the ban was upheld by the Supreme Court. After going dark for US users on January 18, the app became operational again less than 24 hours later.

Because this is the first time the US government has banned a social network, much is still unknown about how the ban may be enforced and implemented for TikTok’s 170 million US users.

4 steps to take in the short term

While this change may seem daunting, social marketers can successfully navigate it by doing what they do best: embracing adaptability and channeling a test-and-learn mentality.

Here are four steps you can take right now to prepare for potential, upcoming platform changes. In the next section, we’ll break down how you should alter your long-term strategy.

1. Download existing TikTok content and resources

Download your existing TikTok content, data and other resources and as soon as possible, as it is unclear what access to the app will look like long-term.

2. Prepare proactive messaging

Prepare a message to tell your audience how you will be altering your online presence if the ban is enforced. Communicate which other channels you will post on, introduce new accounts (if you have any) and reassure your community they will still have a relationship with your brand on social.

3. Review your active TikTok influencer contracts

Give influencers and creators permission to use their content on other channels, and empower them to post where your brand plans to invest. Your influencer partners are likely to incur significant financial impacts as a result of the ban and will be eager to find new homes for their content. Provide visibility into your future strategy, and which channels you see your brand growing on. Invest together in the same channels to grow your brand authentically side by side.

4. Repurpose TikTok content and campaigns

Repurpose content and campaigns you planned to post on TikTok for use on alternative platforms. Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat and LinkedIn will be especially key for filling the short-form video appetite left behind by TikTok. Leveraging existing content on new channels ensures visibility of business-critical messaging, while bridging performance gaps caused by the ban.

Ongoing considerations for brand social

As the future of the ban becomes clear in the next few months, social teams must remain agile—ready to adjust their strategy to comply with legal precedent and evolving audience expectations.

By making these adjustments to your strategy, you can maintain (and even grow) your social performance and audience engagement for the long haul.

Diversify your platform strategy

Consumers are experimenting with multiple apps, trying to find one (or many) that can replace TikTok in their daily scrolls. Now is the time to stake your claim in emerging or untapped spaces—e.g., leaning into Reddit for audience insights, testing growing channels like Bluesky or newsletter platforms like Substack—and investigate how to best adjust your content strategy to succeed in them.

Review performance of your short-form video on tried and true networks like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to determine the best place to build your brand over time. Stay up to date on trending conversations about each platform, and make the case to leadership when you find a new network that’s the right fit.

Bandwidth is often a top barrier to new network experimentation. Sprout’s AI Assist can help. It saves you time by creating multiple iterations of the same message, all fine-tuned for different platforms. With a smaller learning curve to enter new spaces, your team can dive into emerging networks. Sprout’s Publishing Calendar makes it easy to cross-post and schedule content on all of these platforms—creating more time for strategic work.

Meanwhile, you should also consider which platforms present the best social commerce alternatives to TikTok. According to Sprout’s Q4 2024 Pulse Survey, most US consumers who plan to buy directly from social platforms in 2025 will do so on Facebook Shop. Instagram and YouTube are two other top contenders.

Digital commerce solutions like Shopify can help extend your storefront onto these social channels. Sprout’s Shopify integration makes social commerce accessible and minimizes the gap between interest and purchase—enabling you to meet consumers where they’re at.

Use data to drive decision-making and build a resilient content ecosystem

In light of the ban and general uncertainty in the network landscape, much is still unknown about how consumers will change where they spend time on social. It will be extremely important to tap into conversations about network shifts and track user trends closely. But monitoring every change and trend is impossible for teams to do natively 24/7.

Social listening solutions like Sprout’s will play a pivotal role in helping you predict which network will be the next “big thing” and unearth changing consumer behavior. Listening will reveal audience insights that inform how you allocate your budget and resources, helping you do more with less and improve ROI. Sprout Listening customers can use the TikTok Ban News Featured Topic to stay on top of the latest conversations in the market and update your social strategy in real time as the TikTok situation evolves.

The social landscape is unpredictable, and it’s important to leverage different channels—including SEO, content marketing, loyalty programs and brand communities.

That doesn’t mean you need to create a brand presence everywhere. Instead, invest where it counts.

Sprout’s My Reports maintain a single source of truth for your performance across platforms—simplifying complex, multi-platform data into actionable learnings you can take to leadership. These insights enable you to quickly realize what’s working and what’s not, so you can move fast to refine your strategy, especially when it comes to experimentation on new networks.

Expand your reach with brand advocacy

You should also explore other avenues to amplify your brand, like influencer marketing on new channels. As US influencers migrate from TikTok, the success they’ve found on the app will echo across other platforms, creating new opportunities for brands.
Grow together with your existing partners who are eager to nurture and grow their community on new channels.

Use Influencer Marketing by Sprout Social, our all-in-one influencer management platform, to discover new influencers on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and emerging platforms like Snapchat. Browse influencers’ engagement rate by platform, and learn more about them and their audience to decide if they’re the right fit for your brand.

And remember: Partnering with TikTok influencers outside of the US is still an option for international brands. Finding them will be much more difficult for social teams headquartered in the US without solutions like Influencer Marketing.

Amplifying your brand shouldn’t stop with influencers. Your employees are your hidden asset when it comes to directing audiences to your content without additional paid spend—offsetting awareness gaps created by the TikTok ban.

Use Employee Advocacy by Sprout Social to empower your employees to become brand advocates. Directly from the Advocacy platform, they can share pre-approved message ideas with their networks—multiplying your reach exponentially.

What’s next: Adapting through the US TikTok ban

Navigating the US TikTok ban requires brands to be nimble, strategic and proactive. By diversifying your platform presence, building a resilient content ecosystem and using data-driven insights to inform your decisions, you can adapt to this seismic shift and maintain audience engagement.

We will continue to keep our customers updated about the evolving state of the US TikTok ban and what it means for Sprout’s functionality.

The post Navigating the US TikTok ban: What brands need to know appeared first on Sprout Social.

For the most part, scrolling through social is a no-brainer. We can log on while we watch TV, throughout the day, even during Zoom meetings (hey, we’ve all done it.)

But the ease of scrolling through social isn’t a universal experience. For people who use accessibility aids to people who need additional contrast in visuals and text, partaking in social media can be a frustrating experience.

Thankfully, you have the power to make your social channels inclusive of more of your audience. And that puts your brand in the enviable position of improving social media engagement, while showing the whole of your audience that you see them.

What is social media accessibility?

Social media accessibility is the practice of designing and developing social media content and posts that provide a smooth, inclusive experience for everyone—including for you, the marketer.

Non-accessible content can cause all sorts of annoying, disruptive experiences—like videos with a lot of background noise that don’t use captions. Creating more accessible social content is truly a win-win for everyone involved—from you, to your audience.

We talked to social strategist, accessibility advocate and creator of Accessible Social Alexa Heinrich for this article. When it comes to social media accessibility, she said: “Creating accessible social media means ensuring that everyone can access your content. No matter their physical or cognitive abilities.”

Make accessibility part of your strategy, and apply it to your social content every day—not just when disability awareness dates are trending.

Why accessibility matters on social

One in four Americans lives with a disability. And according to Pew Research, 62% of adults with a disability report owning a laptop, and 72% use a smartphone.

In other words: without inclusive social media, you risk alienating members of your audience, or missing them entirely.

“Logically, the more accessible you make your content, the more people that will be able to access and engage with it,” Alexa tells us. “Inclusive best practices can have a direct impact on your communication efforts and affect how many people you reach with your digital content.”

From screen readers to Sticky Keys and more, technology has made it easier for people with disabilities to be a part of the online conversation. But that same technology requires you, the marketer, to follow accessibility best practices to provide an inclusive experience.

“Marketers should care about the experience that their followers have when they engage with their brand on social media.”

In short, Alexa summed it up best, “Marketers should care about the experience that their followers have when they engage with their brand on social media.”

10 social media accessibility best practices for social platforms

Making your social posts more accessible on social media is relatively easy, once you know where to start.

Here are 9 social media accessibility best practices and tips you can start implementing today:

1. Add alt text to images
2. Use AI to auto-generate alt text across platforms
3. Make your text accessible
4. Be mindful of emojis
5. Add closed captions and subtitles to videos
6. Use AI to generate subtitles for your videos
7. Make your visual content accessible
8. Use inclusive language
9. Prioritize inclusivity in your images
10. Make accessibility and inclusion part of your routine

1. Add alt text to images

Alternative text, or “alt text,” is a short yet informative description of an image that screen readers use to describe that image on social media.

Here’s an example of what it looks like on X (formerly known as Twitter):

Alt text is easy to add, yet underused. Other times, it’s used incorrectly altogether. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see some brands or accounts use alt text to hide unhelpful easter eggs, image credit and calls to action.

Best practices for creating and adding alt text

Alexa put it best: “When writing alt text, ask yourself, ‘What about my image is vital for someone to know?’ Think about what you’re trying to achieve with your social media content. Make sure that your alt text is descriptive enough to make your image accessible in a way that helps you meet those objectives and properly informs your followers.”

Here are some best practices to follow:

• Keep it succinct, yet informative. 125 characters is a common guideline, but don’t be afraid to write longer to paint a clearer picture for graphics or images alike.
• Skip writing “image of” or “picture of.” These are a given.
• Include keywords. Alt text plays into SEO—include keywords, as long as they’re relevant.
• Include context, too. The alt text for the post below is “A bear laying face down with arms and legs spread out in a classic sploot pose,” which clearly explains why the image was paired with a caption and on-screen text about splooting.

And pro tip: Add video descriptions, too. Videos may not have an alt text option, so remember to add descriptions to your captions or threads to describe your video content. The below video from US Fish and Wildlife Services provides an in-depth and extremely informative description of their video.

Finally, just remember: don’t overthink it. Alt text is subjective. As Alexa put it, “As the content author, you have the power to decide what details are important in not only your image, but your entire post as well.”

As far as how you actually implement it, here are a few tips on how to add alt text on each platform:

As far as how you actually implement it, here are a few tips on how to add alt text on each platform:

X:

1. Upload an image to your post.
2. Select add description under the image.
3. Enter your alt text description up to 1,000 characters.
4. Tap save.
5. An “ALT” badge will appear on your image to indicate that it contains alt text.
6. If you have multiple images, tap add description for any of them and use the arrows in the editing window to toggle between images.
7. According to Accessible Social, using GIFs from X’s media library allows you to add alt text to GIFs, too.

Facebook:

Facebook will automatically add alt text to images, but these auto-descriptions are far from perfect.

To add alt text to a new post:

• Upload your image to a post.
• Tap edit (or, on mobile, tap the three dots on your image.)
• Tap Alternative text.
• Add your Custom alt text.

Editing alt text that was automatically assigned to your photos is easiest on mobile. The auto alt text for this image was “may be an image of cat and indoor”—all the more reason to add your own. To edit your alt text:

1. Go to your post.
2. Tap on your photo.
3. Tap the … in the top corner.
4. Select Edit Alt Text.

Instagram:

When adding Instagram images on desktop, you’ll see an Accessibility dropdown option. But adding alt text to images as you share them on mobile is more complicated:

1. Upload your image once you’re done editing.
2. Hit Next.
3. Tap Advanced settings.
4. Tap Write alt text.

To add alt text to an existing post:

1. Tap the … above your post.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Tap Accessibility.
4. Write your alt text.
5. Hit Done.

LinkedIn:

1. As you add an image to a post, tap select the Alt icon at the bottom of your image.
2. Type your text in the Alt text field.
3. Click Add on desktop, or Done on mobile.

Between the back and forth and limitations, like different options available in different platforms, adding alt text platform by platform can be challenging. Using Sprout Social streamlines your accessibility and publishing efforts. You can add alt text to your images across Facebook, X and LinkedIn, in one step.

While API limitations mean you can’t add alt text to Instagram images in Sprout, you can add image descriptions to your captions as you schedule your posts—an accepted and widely-used alternative.

2. Use Al to auto-generate alt text across platforms

New innovations in AI can simplify your alt text workflows even further, with the goal to increase alt text adoption and social media accessibility across platforms. In a recent Arbotetum webinar on The Power of Accessible Social with Alexa Heinrich, Sprout revealed Generate by AI Assist–a new alt text generator built into Sprout’s Publishing platform for certain plans. Alt text usage on social media images is notoriously low, and features like Sprout’s Generate by AI Assist hope to change that.

With Generate by AI Assist, Sprout’s integration with OpenAI creates alt text suggestions for you. When you add image posts to Sprout to publish on X, Facebook or LinkedIn, you can click the “generate” button to get detailed alt text suggestions in a matter of seconds. From there, you can use the auto-generated text as is or edit it directly in Sprout’s Publishing tool.

Sprout helps cut down on steps so you can double down on accessibility. In fact, our accessibility features were a big factor in why Texas A&M University chose Sprout as their go-to social media management platform. And new AI alt text workflows have already proved useful for social marketers.

3. Make your text accessible

While playing around with typography on your website or social posts can be trendy, fancy fonts can be a nightmare for screen readers.

When it comes to social posts, a number of best practices will make all of your text more inclusive.

How to write accessible text

Let’s start with a few best practices to follow:

• Format your hashtags the right way. From adding humor to celebrating hashtag holidays, hashtags are here to stay. Make hashtags easier to read for screen readers and users alike with “CamelCase,” where you capitalize the first letter of each word in a hashtag. So instead of #weloveteamsprout, write #WeLoveTeamSprout.
• Avoid all caps. All caps make words harder to identify by their shape, and screen readers may read them as acronyms—not full words. For example: text vs TEXT.
• Be mindful of font color. This is more relevant for landing pages or blog posts you link to. Ensure your font and hyperlink colors are accessible.
• Spell out acronyms first. This helps screen readers and people unfamiliar with acronyms.
• Write in plain language. Avoid jargon and overly technical language to make your posts more accessible to those new to your industry, non-native speakers or people who experience cognitive impairments.
• Avoid run-on sentences. Instead, opt for clear, short sentences.
• Present the most important information first. Helpful for accessibility, and to get your point across clearer, sooner.
• Include @ mentions at the end of your posts. This helps the flow of your post, especially for screen readers.
• Use special characters correctly, and in moderation. Screen readers know to not read all special characters aloud, like ampersands. But too many special characters in your text can result in a confusing experience for people using screen readers.
• Avoid “creative” typography. Playing around with cute fonts has become popular in social bios and posts. But these don’t work well with assistive technologies.

4. Be mindful of emojis

Consider this: every emoji has a description assigned to it, like alt text to an image.

A screen reader would read the post below as, “I pencil love red heart writing writing hand: light skin tone content laptop.” Not so cute.

How to use emojis while keeping your content accessible

You don’t need to stop using emojis, just be mindful of where and how much you use them. Here are some tips:

• Be mindful of trends that rely on repetitive, overused emojis. The viral “red flag” trend, for example, is a nightmare for screen readers. If you must jump on a trend like this, limit your post to just a few emojis rather than using dozens. Find more tips in this article.
• Use emojis in moderation. This limits confusion in your posts. Put them at the end of a social post. This also helps you lead with your key information. And keep in mind: custom emojis that represent different skin tones are fantastic and inclusive, but be aware that they have longer descriptions. If you use multiple in a row, you’ll add complexity for folks using a screen reader.
• Avoid emojis in your profile name. This is disruptive to screen readers.

5. Add closed captions and subtitles to videos

Including closed captions should be an essential part of your video marketing strategy.

As Alexa put it, “Captions make videos accessible for a variety of users—from those with hearing loss or cognitive disabilities to those learning a new language to people who simply don’t want to wake their sleeping partners or babies.”

It also happens to be popular with Gen Z and millennial content consumers. Plus, captions even give you an SEO boost.

Captions are always a win when added to your videos. Here are a few common best practices:

• Go beyond what’s being said. Subtitles write out what’s said, but closed captions add extra information for context like sounds in the background or music being played.
• Ensure captions aren’t covered by platform content. Especially important in formats like Reels and TikTok.
• Create high contrast captions. Make sure your captions are visible against your background, like white text against a black highlight, or vice versa.

Here’s how to add and edit closed captions

Most social networks have made this an easy step to include with auto captions that you can edit for clarity and accuracy.

Using Sprout: With Generate Subtitles by AI Assist, you can add subtitles in seconds, fine tune for accuracy, translate into multiple languages for global reach and generate SRT files all within Sprout. You just need to start composing a post, upload your video and then click on Add Video Subtitles to get started.

You can also upload SubRip Subtitle Files (SRT) to Facebook, YouTube and X videos while creating your posts in Compose.

1. Navigate to Compose.
2. Select Facebook, YouTube or X from the Profile Picker.
3. Click the camera icon, select Upload Video and add the video you want to use. Or click the pages icon to choose an existing video from the Asset Library.
4. Add a title.
5. Select the language for the SRT files you plan to upload.
6. Click Choose File to upload your file. You also have the option to click Upload another language file.
7. Schedule your post.

YouTube: It’s important to caveat—on YouTube, closed captions are called subtitles. There are a number of tools you can use to generate YouTube subtitles faster. But adjusting auto captions is an easy and quick place to start.

1. To add or edit auto captions on your videos, log into YouTube Studio.
2. Click the Subtitles tab on the left navigation.
3. Select the videos you want to add subtitles to, or edit subtitles of.
4. Set your language.
5. You’ll be taken to a page where you can edit the auto-subtitles of your video. Click Duplicate and Edit to correct any auto-caption errors.
6. Publish.
7. Heads up: When you upload a video and opt into auto captions, your captions may not populate right away. Keep checking back, then edit them when they are available.

Facebook:

On desktop:

1. Add your video to a post.
2. Click Edit.
3. Click Add Captions.
4. Click Upload Captions. Facebook uses Subrip (.SRT) files for captions.

On mobile:

1. Add your video to a post.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Tap CC at the top of the screen.
4. Facebook will transcribe the audio.
5. Select the look of your captions.
6. Edit them by tapping the Edit Captions button. Then, adjust words you need to change by tapping on them and typing in corrections.

Instagram:

1. Upload your video (all videos on Instagram upload as Reels now.)
2. Tap Next.
3. Tap the Stickers icon at the top of the screen.
4. Tap the Captions sticker.
5. Instagram will transcribe your audio.
6. Tap your captions as they appear on the screen to edit individual words.

TikTok:

1. Upload your video.
2. Tap Captions on the side navigation.
3. TikTok will transcribe your audio.
4. Review your captions, and tap the pencil icon to edit them.

LinkedIn:

1. Log into LinkedIn.
2. Add a video to a post.
3. Under Auto Captions, toggle on Add auto captions and review captions before viewers can see them to be extra safe.
4. You’ll see a banner below your post when your captions are review-ready.
5. Review your captions by clicking the … on your post.
6. Click CC Edit Captions.
7. You can also upload an .SRT file instead, which is prompted above your auto caption option.

X:

1. To add captions to your X video content, you need to upload an .SRT subtitle file.
2. Click on a video within your Media Studio Library.
3. Select Subtitles.
4. Choose your text language.
5. Click Upload and select the .SRT file.
6. To update the file further, click the pencil icon.

6. Use AI to generate subtitles for your videos

While adding closed captioning to your videos on social media is crucial to accessibility and has numerous other benefits, it can be time intensive. To solve for this, you can now use Generate by AI Assist in Sprout to create high-quality subtitles with ease. With just the click of a button, Sprout customers on all plans can generate accurate SRT files for their videos. This feature eliminates the need for a manual and time-consuming process or the use of additional, costly tools.

Once the SRT file is generated, users can view and edit the captions to ensure they’re 100% accurate. They can also preview the video with the subtitles overlaid to ensure a seamless and professional look. The SRT files are supported in multiple languages and you can download them after the editor is closed, making it easy to use the files across various platforms. By using this new feature, social media practitioners can save time, improve engagement and enhance their SEO, ultimately leading to more successful and inclusive content.

7. Make your visual content accessible

Making your images and videos accessible goes beyond just using alt text and captions.

From providing warnings on content that would impact people with photosensitivity to making your content accessible to people with colorblindness, there are a number of ways you can provide a better experience with your visuals.

How to create accessible visual assets

There are a number of ways you can make your visuals more accessible to all:

• Avoid packing a graphic with text. Consider limiting the information on your graphics and linking to a blog post or landing page for a full statement, full event info, a full blog post, etc.
• Include a warning for people with photosensitivity. If you post a video with strobe effects or flashing lights, include a warning and create a pause before your content plays. TikTok includes a warning for content that may trigger unpleasant or dangerous effects for some people.
• Be mindful of viral trends that are not accessible. Trends that rely on unique post formatting, like the handshake trend below, may be fun to jump on. But they’re not friendly to assistive technologies. Before jumping on trends, consider how they would be read by a screen reader, and consider limiting using these trends, or holding off altogether.

• Don’t rely on different colors to convey meaning. This may exclude those who are colorblind, and may be impacted by cultural differences.
• Create visuals with high contrast. High contrast makes graphics easier to interpret. Ensuring the colors in your graphics have a 4.5:1 contrast will help make the text on your graphics visible to everyone.

8. Use inclusive language

It can be all too easy to perpetuate bias, stigmas and marginalization in the words and phrases we may have gotten used to every day—even when we don’t realize we’re doing it. Not even beloved musical artists are immune.

Inclusive language is what it sounds like: using language that is inclusive and respectful, and free of bias, discrimination or exclusionary terms. Using it in your communications—from social posts to job descriptions—helps everyone feel like they’re addressed, included and welcome to participate.

Here’s how to use inclusive language

Inclusive language takes self-checking and education. But it’s important to start now and to make it a part of your everyday process.

Here are a few ways to start using more inclusive language:

• Bust bias in your writing. For example, using the word “normal” as a comparison group can be ableist, or puts one group in “the norm.” Using gendered language is biased, too—a tool like the gender decoder can help.
• Use people-first language. For example, saying “a person with a disability” vs “a disabled person.”
• Keep an eye out for offensive language. Language is ever-evolving. Keep an eye out for now-outdated phrases, sayings or references, and cultural appropriation in your language.
• Keep learning. Language is constantly evolving, and we are constantly learning. Be curious about others, and educate yourself on preferred terms. Our inclusive writing guide is a great place to start.
• When in doubt, ask. Preferred terms even differ within groups and over time. Rather than assuming pronouns or preferred terms, when in doubt, respectfully ask.

9. Prioritize inclusivity in your images

Accessibility and inclusion matters when it comes to HOW you post.

But it also applies to WHAT you post.

After all, according to a Sprout Social Pulse Survey, 66% of respondents said they were more likely to buy from brands showcasing people of diverse races, gender identities, ages and more. A Facebook analysis found that people with disabilities and the LGBTQIA+ community, for example, are underrepresented in digital ads.

Prioritize diversity in social media and ensure that the whole of your audience feels included. Just remember to make these images accessible, of course.

How to prioritize more inclusive marketing assets

These are just a few tips to get you started. To dive deeper, check out our article on diversity in social media.

• Be mindful of your models. Do your models reflect the many ages, backgrounds and perspectives of your audience?
• Consider your collaborators. Inclusive social media content extends to creators, agencies and partners you work with and feature, as well. What voices are you amplifying, and are there voices you could amplify more?
• Listen. Listen to your audience if they take issues with your materials, and make changes.
• Prioritize diversity all year-round. Only featuring a diversity of gender identities and couples during Pride Month, or women during Women’s History Month is inauthentic and risks tokenism. Feature people of all ages, backgrounds, body types and more all year around to truly represent and speak to your audience.
• Make your alt text descriptions inclusive. There are many resources out there about being inclusive with your alt text. Educate yourself on how to be inclusive with your descriptions, and know that this could come down to preference—for example, how someone identifies. When in doubt, ask—never assume. This resource has some great examples.

10. Make accessibility and inclusion part of your routine

If all of this seems overwhelming when you’re just starting out, know that you’re not alone. In a recent Sprout Social survey of 300 marketers, almost a third said that the time commitment to making posts accessible is their biggest challenge when it comes to accessibility.

But by now, you know how important it is to include more social media accessibility and expand your audience.

Integrating accessibility best practices into your content creation workflow makes accessibility part of the process—not an afterthought.

And, silver lining: in that same data above, almost a quarter of marketers report being able to prioritize accessible content smoothly.

Provide training for yourself and your team. Then, bake accessibility practices into your social scheduling and content planning routine. Setting your team up with a platform that makes adding alt text as you publish easy (like Sprout Social’s publishing tools) can help you streamline this further.

Social media accessibility benefits everyone

Don’t let the fear of perfection hold you back from making your posts more accessible and inclusive. The first step is the most important. The sooner you start putting accessibility and inclusive practices into your social media strategy, the better.

If you want to see how Sprout can streamline social media management for your entire team—accessibility features included—try us for free for 30 days. Sign up for a free trial and start your accessibility practices today.

Start your free Sprout trial

The post 10 guidelines to make social media posts more accessible appeared first on Sprout Social.

Sounds too good to be true? It’s not. This is the power of live social shopping, a retail trend that started in China that is reshaping social commerce worldwide. As the industry steadily gains popularity outside of Asia, more brands and creators are tapping into its potential.

This article will break it all down: what live social shopping is, how it works, the latest trends and real-world brand examples. Plus, we’ll look at what’s next for this evolving space. By the end, you’ll have a clearer picture of whether live shopping is a smart move for your brand.

What is live social shopping?

Live social shopping is a virtual event that combines live product demonstrations with the connective power of social media. Like QVC for Gen Z, brands and influencers can showcase their products via a livestream shopping platform. Viewers can then shop the products through clickable links, ask questions and engage with other viewers in the chat.

Live social shopping is an especially compelling e-commerce trend because it is an interactive experience. Unlike a traditional QVC-style television broadcast, live social shopping allows brands and creators to engage directly with their audience.

For example, during a live social shopping event, a fashion brand might showcase a new dress while viewers ask, “Does it run true to size?” or “Can you show how it looks with heels?” The host can respond instantly to these questions and try on the dress with different footwear options to show its versatility.

Live social media e-commerce is already mainstream in China, but a McKinsey survey found that live commerce is gaining traction globally. Forty-three percent of U.S., 52% of European and 64% of Latin American users attend live shopping events at least once a month.

How does live social shopping work?

A live social shopping event typically takes place on a social media platform like TikTok, YouTube or Instagram, or a dedicated live shopping platform (more on these later).

Here’s a breakdown of what you must do before, during and after the event.

Before the event

First, select the products you want to feature and choose a live shopping platform to host the livestream. Many platforms allow viewers to buy products without leaving the livestream, with features like QR codes, pinned product links and in-app checkout.

Also, picking the right host is key. You need someone who is high energy, comfortable on camera, knows the products inside and out and won’t be easily fazed by potential technical or on-air issues. The host could be a brand representative, but teaming up with an influencer can help you reach more people and build trust. It could also help increase social media sales since their audience already values their recommendations.

We recommend promoting your event on your primary marketing channels and offering exclusive products or discounts to build buzz. You also need to prepare your set-up and ensure you have a clean backdrop, good lighting, audio and video quality. Lastly, prepare some talking points and rehearse what you plan to say.

During the event

It’s showtime! Once you go live, your host must demonstrate and discuss the products you’re featuring while answering questions and interacting with viewers. You may also want to have a few team members on deck to monitor the chat and troubleshoot any issues that might come up.

To keep the energy high throughout the event (and make it feel less like a one-sided sales pitch), consider including audience interaction moments like polls, contests and giveaways. To wrap things up, give your viewers a final call to action, like a post-event deal exclusive for live viewers.

After the event

The work isn’t over once the live stream ends. After the event, review key metrics like views, engagement and sales to track success and see how you could improve future live shopping events. Also keep engaging with attendees after the event. Send follow-up messages or emails. Answer any questions you missed, or share exclusive deals and resources to keep them interested. Lastly, consider repurposing the live stream recording for social content to create some FOMO and encourage your audience to join the next one.

The different types of live social shopping platforms

Where you go live matters just as much as what you’re selling. Different platforms offer different tools, audiences and selling experiences, so finding the right fit can make all the difference.

Here are three common live social shopping platforms to consider.

Social media networks with live shopping functionality

TikTok and YouTube offer live shopping features that allow brands and creators to feature products in livestreams, which viewers can easily tap and add to their cart without leaving the app. You can also go live on Facebook, Instagram or X, but these networks don’t have live shopping functionality. Instagram does, however, offer Instagram Shopping.

If you’ve never done a live social shopping event before, hosting one on a network where you already have a presence is a great way to test the waters. Plus, most social media algorithms prioritize live content, boosting your reach. But you won’t have as much control over the shopping experience.

Dedicated live shopping platforms and apps

Unlike social media platforms that offer live shopping as an add-on feature, apps like TalkShopLive, Buywith and Whatnot are explicitly designed for live, interactive online selling.

These platforms offer more control and stronger buyer intent since users are there specifically to shop. However, they don’t have social media’s built-in audience or viral sharing potential and they may take more work to set up.

Self-hosted shopping platforms

You could follow in the footsteps of global watch and jewelry retailer The 1916 Company and create your own live shopping app. On their platform 1916 Live, the brand hosts weekly livestreams where viewers can shop their new arrivals before they hit the site.

A self-hosted app gives you complete control over the branding and shopping experience. You don’t have to rely on third-party platform data or revenue-sharing fees. But this option requires the most set-up and effort to drive your audience to your app.

Livestream shopping trends

Livestream shopping is all about creating an experience. The following trends keep shoppers hooked and turn these livestreams into must-watch events.

Themed events and promotions

Tying your live shopping event to a special occasion helps create excitement and build urgency around your event.

Handbag maker Parker Thatch goes live on Instagram and YouTube every Friday to showcase new product launches and answer styling questions. With Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday this year, they hosted a special themed livestream. They highlighted their most festive products and wrapped up the event with a giveaway.

Creator collaborations

Partnering with an influencer for a live shopping event allows your audience to ‘hang out’ with their favorite online personality while they shop together in real time. This experience is much more fun and intimate than a typical sponsored post.

UK beauty influencer Cariad Ryan recently made TikTok Shop history when she hosted a 12-hour live session, showcasing 26 TikTok Shop brands. The event featured an immersive carnival-themed set, brand-led product bundle giveaways and representatives from P. Louise, Doll Beauty and BPerfect acting as co-hosts.

Entertainment and e-commerce

The founder of UK vegan sweets brand Candy Kittens, Jamie Laing, knows how to capture an audience. With over a million Instagram followers and three podcasts, his star power helped the brand’s debut live event break all food category livestream records and illustrate the power of social commerce in the UK.

Exclusive offers and promotions drew viewers in, but Jamie’s energy and charisma made the event a hit, with fun personal touches like FaceTiming customers live during the event.

What’s next for live social shopping

As new technology and trends emerge, the future of live shopping will be more interactive, immersive and creator-driven than ever.

AI-powered events

AI is becoming more integrated into our lives and live shopping is no exception. It won’t be long before we see livestreams with AI customer service chatbots that answer customer questions, provide recommendations and assist with checkout and payment processes.

We also predict that AI-generated captions and translations will help make live social shopping more inclusive and accessible.

VR and AR live shopping

Live shopping helps by showing products from all angles or on an influencer, but it still leaves some guesswork for shoppers.

That’s where augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) come in. AR and VR could allow customers to see what a product looks like on their body or in their home before making a purchase.

Many brands, like Warby Parker, already offer ‘virtual try-on’ features, so integrating them into a live social shopping experience is a natural next step.

Influencer to co-owner

Already common in the beauty space, we’ll likely see more brands developing product lines with influencers. For example, in 2023, TikTok influencer Kat Stickler made headlines for joining natural water enhancer brand Stur as an investor and owner. In a statement, Kat said: “I’ve been such a fan of the brand for so long, the fact that I can now add investor and owner to my resume is mindblowing.”

Influencers already have a built-in loyal audience and a proven ability to drive sales. But now, instead of just promoting a brand, they’ll have a real stake in its success. In turn, brands win by partnering with someone customers trust and will be eager to engage with live.

Why brands should embrace live social shopping

Live social shopping is more than just selling (though that part is key!). It’s about connection. Through livestreams, brands and influencers can connect with their audiences in real-time, blending the human element of traditional retail with the incomparable reach of digital platforms.

It’s also an opportunity for brick-and-mortar stores to bring their in-store experience to a global audience. They can show off their products, answer questions and be in community with their customers.

Before you start streaming, we recommend zooming out to consider how social commerce fits your overall marketing strategy. Check out our social commerce strategy interview guide to help get you started.

The post How live social shopping is driving brand results appeared first on Sprout Social.

Explore some of the most important social media statistics in Australia to find the data you need to stay competitive, boost ROI and build better strategies.

Social media usage statistics in Australia

It’s safe to say that digital culture is ingrained into Australian life. In 2025, the number of active internet users is forecast to exceed 23.3 million, representing over 91% of the total population. This figure is expected to grow in the coming years, with a projected 27.7 million active internet users by 2029.

But what are people doing online? Top online activities include emailing, web browsing and digital banking, followed by streaming and shopping. Here’s a quick snapshot:

• As of January 2024, there are approximately 20.8 million social media users in Australia, equating to roughly 76% of the population.
• Australians spend an average of six hours and 20 minutes per week consuming social media.
• The average Australian internet user has 7.2 social media accounts.
• By 2029, Australian social media users are projected to grow by 2.1 million, reaching 26.68 million.

Social media advertising statistics in Australia

Around the globe, businesses are leveraging social media platforms to connect with consumers. Australian companies are no exception.

• In 2023, social media advertising accounted for approximately US$3.8 billion (AU$6 billion*) in ad spend.
• In 2025, social media ad spending is projected to reach US$4.73 billion (AU$7.5 billion).
• Australia’s social media ad spending is expected to grow by another 7.74% annually from 2025–2030. This means the sector’s value will exceed US$6 billion (AU$9.1 billion) by 2030.

Takeaways:

• With such strong projected growth, Australian businesses must incorporate social media advertising into their overall marketing strategy to facilitate long-term growth.
• As the social media advertising sector grows, it will become increasingly saturated. As a result, brands will need to prioritise compelling visuals, strong targeting and data-driven strategies to maintain a competitive edge.

Social media usage statistics by age in Australia

People of all age groups use social media in Australia. Their behaviours on these networks, such as the time spent and the networks used, differ. According to a 2024 report, here’s how much time each generation spends on social media:

• Gen Z: 10 hours and five minutes.
• Millennials: seven hours and 45 minutes.
• Gen X: six hours and five minutes.
• Boomers: four hours and 30 minutes.
• Matures: two hours and 40 minutes.

In 2024, Australians favoured Facebook, YouTube and Instagram overall, while Gen Z preferred Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

Beyond 2025, social media usage by age will likely shift. In November 2024, Australia announced a ban on social media for children under 16, covering TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X, but exempting YouTube. The law takes effect in late 2025.

Takeaways:

• Because network preferences vary by generation, brands must develop network-specific tactics to effectively reach different age groups and ensure their messaging resonates.
• Given the impending social media ban for people under 16, brands targeting younger audiences need to explore and potentially invest more in YouTube and alternate platforms.

Facebook marketing statistics for Australia

With over three billion monthly active users globally, Facebook is the world’s (and Australia’s) most popular social media platform.

• In 2024, Facebook led social media in Australia, with over 21 million users.
• Nearly one in four Australian Android users spend an average of 20 hours and 15 minutes per month on Facebook.
• As of October 2024, men and women aged 25 to 34 make up the largest share of active Facebook users in Australia, representing 12.8% of the total user base.
• The number of active Facebook users in Australia is expected to dip by 1.47 million users from 2024–2028.

Takeaways:

• With Facebook usage stabilising among older demographics, brands should adjust content strategies to cater to Gen X and Boomers, focusing on video and trust-building content.
• Facebook’s ad reach in Australia is still among the highest. Brands should focus on retargeting and lead generation campaigns to make the most of existing audience behaviour.
• Despite a gradual decline in younger users, Facebook remains a top platform for community engagement and local business discovery. Marketers should prioritise groups and local ad targeting.

Instagram marketing statistics for Australia

Instagram is a popular platform in Australia, favoured for its visual format.

• Three in five Australian internet users (roughly 14 million) engage with Instagram. On average, this cohort spends 11 hours and 46 minutes on the platform each month.
• In 2024, women 25–34 made up 24% of Australian Instagram users, and men 21%.
• Instagram ads have the potential to reach over 52% of Australia’s total population.
• Users are expected to steadily decline, reaching a new low of 9.27 million users in 2028.

Having gained over 1 million followers, Qantas is one of the most prolific Australian brands on Instagram. On its feed, you’ll often see the airline showcasing gorgeous images of destinations along its global travel routes.

Takeaways:

• With 60% of Australian internet users engaging with Instagram, it offers a significant audience for businesses to target, especially through ads (reaching over 52% of the population).
• Marketers should focus predominantly on the 25–34 age group. This demographic, especially women, uses Instagram as a discovery tool, making it ideal for brand awareness and influencer marketing strategies.
• With in-app shopping adoption slowing, brands should shift focus from direct sales to community-driven engagement and influencer partnerships.
• While Instagram remains strong, the anticipated decline in users by 2028 suggests brands should diversify their social media strategies to stay relevant.

LinkedIn marketing statistics for Australia

While it was originally designed as an employment marketplace, LinkedIn is much more than that. It’s also an outlet for skill-building, thought-provoking discussions and industry updates.

• As of 2024, there are roughly 13 million LinkedIn users in Australia. In the following five years, this figure is expected to grow by 500,000, reaching a new peak of nearly 13.9 million users in 2028.
• Approximately 54% of Australian LinkedIn users are male.
• In 2024, LinkedIn had the 15th highest advertising audience reach in the world, with a reach of 71.7%.
• In terms of time spent on the platform, LinkedIn is less than other social media sites from July to September 2023. During this period, Android users spent an average of one hour and six minutes on the app per month.

Takeaways:

• LinkedIn’s user growth in Australia signals an opportunity for thought leadership and B2B marketing. Brands should prioritise employee advocacy and long-form content.
• With higher organic engagement than other platforms, LinkedIn remains a cost-effective channel for B2B brands to drive trust and industry authority.
• LinkedIn’s algorithm favours personal storytelling and expert-driven content. With this in mind, executives should build their personal brands to amplify their reach beyond company pages.
• Since 54% of Australian LinkedIn users are male, brands targeting male professionals—especially in industries like finance, tech and engineering—can tailor messaging to this demographic.

Pinterest marketing statistics for Australia

Pinterest has transformed search, shopping and saving by making the process entirely visual and enabling users to explore and curate images and videos into custom boards.

• As of April 2024, there are 5.1 million Pinterest users in Australia.
• Women make up approximately two-thirds of Pinterest’s user base worldwide.
• At 42%, Gen Z is Pinterest’s fastest-growing user base in Australia.
• Pinterest reaches 41% of Australians aged 14–24; 37% of Australians aged 25–39; and 35% of Australians aged 40–54.
• Safety and security are high priorities for 44% of Australian Pinterest users.

Per ANZ managing director, Melinda Petrunoff, Pinterest is helping retailers reach young audiences. One of them is none other than David Jones.

While David Jones is one of the oldest brands in Australia, it’s done a great job of keeping up with social media trends. A curated mix of stylish fashion, home, food and beauty items, its Pinterest feed attracts an average of two million monthly views. In 2024, David Jones became one of the best brands on Pinterest when it partnered with the network for an exclusive gift-shopping guide.

“Over 50% of our users tell us they come to the platform to shop,” said Petrunoff. “This campaign with David Jones is the perfect example of how a brand can reach our highly engaged audience, at the right time with relevant content.”

Takeaways:

• Brands should tailor content to appeal to women who make up about two-thirds of the global Pinterest user base, as well as Gen Z.
• Since Pinterest has significant engagement from Australians aged 14–54, this provides an opportunity for brands to target diverse audiences across age brackets.
• Since safety and security are a high priority for users, brands should ensure their content aligns with user expectations for a safe and trustworthy environment.

Threads marketing statistics for Australia

Threads enables users to share short-form text-based posts as well as photo and video content. Much like X, Threads is designed to foster real-time conversations and thought-sharing.

• In the 24 hours following its release in July 2023, roughly 30 million people worldwide, including major Australian figures like Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, signed up for Threads.
• As of 14 July 2023, global users were spending an average of six minutes per day on Threads, a drop from the average of 21 minutes per day as of 7 July 2023.
• An estimated 1.6 million Australians used Threads during the month of its release. But a later survey revealed that only 5% of Australians were actively using the app by September 2023.
• Threads has maintained a sizeable user base worldwide, with an estimated 275 million monthly active users as of Q4 2024.

Takeaways:

• While Australians’ Threads usage has decreased significantly since the platform’s launch, it’s still widely used globally. As a result, Threads may be well-suited to Australian brands looking to target international consumer markets.
• Because users typically only spend a few minutes per day on the app, marketers need to tailor their posts to be as engaging as possible. Best practices include crafting strong hooks, showcasing eye-catching visual content and keeping text succinct.

TikTok marketing statistics for Australia

After rising to global prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok has proven that it’s here to stay, with over two billion users worldwide. In Australia, individuals and businesses on TikTok alike are embracing the power of the platform.

• As of June 2023, there are 8.5 million Australians and 350,000 Australian businesses on TikTok.
• As of February 2025, 38% of the Australian population aged 18 and over uses TikTok.
• Approximately 53% of TikTok users in Australia are female.
• Over a third (34%) of Gen Z say they consume news on TikTok.
• In 2024, TikTok had the highest time spent on the network of any social media site. Australian Android users were spending an average of 42 hours and 13 minutes per month on the app.

With a young, predominantly female audience, Australian brands like Princess Polly are thriving on TikTok. Often through giveaways and user-generated content, the label showcases its trendy, youthful clothing. Its marketing efforts have earned the brand a 2025 nomination for TikTok Advertiser of the Year.

Takeaways:

• TikTok’s rise means authentic, low-production content is outperforming polished ads. Brands should embrace the right trends rather than overproducing content.
• With over 8.5 million Australian users, TikTok is no longer “just for Gen Z”. Multi-generational engagement is growing, making it a viable channel for broader campaigns.
• Brands should leverage TikTok’s search behaviour, keeping in mind that users increasingly treat it like a search engine. As a result, optimising captions and hashtags with TikTok SEO in mind is key.

Reddit marketing statistics for Australia

Reddit is one of the most popular forum-based social networks in the world. The platform fosters online discussions, allowing users to ask questions and share their thoughts in groups known as subreddits.

• In January 2024, Reddit received visits from approximately 1.22 billion users worldwide.
• Australia is responsible for 3.5% of Reddit’s global traffic share, accounting for approximately 192 million site visits in 2024.
• Many Reddit users aren’t active on other social media networks; 45% of global Reddit users aren’t on Instagram, 69% aren’t on LinkedIn and 58% aren’t on TikTok.
• According to a 2024 survey, 16% of Australian Reddit users claim to use the site regularly.
• Reddit is more popular with male social media users than female.
• Reddit is also more popular with Gen Z than other social media networks.

Takeaways:

• Brands should use Reddit to build trust with their customers by engaging with them directly. Some best practices include answering questions, offering advice and addressing concerns or complaints.
• Because the majority of global and Australian Reddit users are male, brands may want to tailor their messaging to align with this demographic.
• Brands can also leverage Reddit Ads to increase brand awareness and access the platform’s niche audience members, many of whom can’t be reached on other networks.

X (formerly Twitter) marketing statistics for Australia

Since its inception, X/Twitter, has cemented itself as a major player in the social media space. It’s known as a hub for quick updates, unfiltered thoughts and real-time discussions. With the right tools, X is a great place for businesses to monitor their brand reputation and stay connected to customers.

• In 2025, the number of X users in Australia is expected to hit 4.03 million.
• Projections show that the number of X users in Australia will increase slightly in the coming years, reaching 4.08 million in 2028.
• X is more popular among Australian men than women.
• X is also more popular among Millennials than other social media networks.

EB Games Australia is one of the many brands leveraging the power of X in 2025. The gaming giant uses it to update its 150,000 followers about new releases, upcoming sales and limited-edition offers.

Takeaways:

• X’s strength lies in real-time updates and conversations, making it ideal for customer service, crisis management and direct engagement. Brands can use social listening tools to track mentions, address concerns and capitalise on trending discussions.
• Given X’s fast-moving nature, negative sentiment can spread quickly. Brands should implement a proactive monitoring strategy to respond to feedback before it escalates. A well-managed X presence can enhance credibility and trust by demonstrating responsiveness and transparency.
• With over 4 million Australian users and growing, X is a valuable platform for targeted marketing, particularly for industries that thrive on news, sports, finance and tech discussions. While it may not have the largest audience, high engagement from certain demographics (such as men in Australia) makes it a strong platform for brands targeting male consumers.
• Brands can position themselves as thought leaders by sharing industry expertise and engaging in relevant conversations. A well-crafted X strategy can help B2B and other brands establish authority in their space. Partnering with influential voices on X (journalists, analysts, industry experts) can also boost credibility and visibility in niche markets.

YouTube marketing statistics for Australia

Although it was often treated as a streaming service, YouTube is becoming more recognised as a social media network in Australia. YouTube allows users to share videos, like content, leave comments and engage with online communities.

• YouTube is projected to reach a new peak of 15.8 million Australian users by 2029 (a 2.4% increase from 2024).
• In 2025, YouTube is expected to surpass Facebook in its total number of Australian users.
• In 2024, watching videos (including on YouTube) was the top form of digital home entertainment among Australians.
• On average, Australians spent an average of over 22 hours per week watching videos at home in 2024. This includes videos on YouTube, subscription video on demand (SVOD) and free-to-air television.

Many Australian brands, including Telstra, have made YouTube a core part of their content strategy. On the channel, you’ll find everything from bite-sized ads to handy smartphone tutorials.

Takeaways:

• Since YouTube is expected to surpass Facebook, brands should prioritise YouTube in their digital strategies. Brands should use it to grow brand engagement through likes, comments and community interaction.
• Watching YouTube videos is the top digital entertainment activity for Australians, making YouTube a prime space for ads and brand storytelling.

Influencer marketing statistics for Australia

It’s impossible to talk about social media statistics in Australia without touching on influencer marketing. Having more than tripled globally since 2020, influencer marketing is no fad, but a marketing powerhouse.

• Australia’s influencer marketing laws require influencers to clearly disclose when content is sponsored to avoid misleading or deceiving consumers. Clear disclosure practices include mentioning that it’s an ad in the post caption or hashtags, or using native branded tools.
• A 2023 Australian Consumer & Competition Commission (ACCC) review found that 81% of influencers were posting potentially misleading advertising. It’s important for brands to vet and set clear expectations with influencers to avoid spreading misinformation.
• Micro-influencers (10K–100K followers) are becoming increasingly popular in Australia. Although their followings are smaller, they are highly engaged, signalling a more authentic and relatable connection with their audience.
• Australia’s ad spending on influencer marketing is projected to reach US$589.1 million (AU$943.8 million) in 2025.
• Ad spending on influencer marketing is forecasted to reach a market volume of US$874.5 million (AU$1.3 billion) by 2029.
• According to a 2023 survey, 43% of Australian businesses reported spending less than $10,000 per year on influencer marketing. But 67% of businesses said they intended to boost their influencer marketing budget in the following 12 months.

Takeaways:

• Brands need to invest in influencer marketing. With ad spending surging, influencer marketing is a proven strategy for brand visibility and consumer trust in Australia.
• As influencer marketing continues expanding, brands that build strong partnerships now will benefit from greater reach and ROI in the long run.
• Brands need to be transparent about their partnerships with influencers to not only abide by Australian Consumer Law but also to convey authenticity and gain consumer trust.

Social media consumer behaviour in Australia

In the age of ecommerce, it’s no surprise that social commerce has boomed in popularity. Below is a quick overview of the social commerce sector in Australia.

• As of 2024, 57% of Australians have shopped on at least one social media site.
• In 2023, Facebook was the most widely used social commerce platform in Australia, with 58% of survey respondents shopping on the site.
• In 2023, 40% of social shoppers in Australia used Instagram to make purchases.
• Australia’s social commerce revenue is expected to exceed US$5 billion (AU$8 billion) in value by 2029.

Takeaways:

• Social commerce is growing, but consumer scepticism around in-app purchases remains. Some of consumers’ most common concerns include security issues, fake ratings, scams and dishonest influencer endorsements.
• Sceptical users may be more inclined to use social media for product discovery before proceeding to the brand’s website to check out.
• Brands should focus on building trust through reviews, UGC and seamless checkout experiences.

Use social media statistics to guide your strategy

With this data on your side, there’s only one thing left to do: put it to work. By considering these facts and figures, you’ll craft a social media marketing strategy that works smarter, not harder.

Maybe it will see you invest more in influencer marketing. Maybe it will lead you to explore social media networks you never would have considered for your business. Maybe you’ll grow so much that you start branching out overseas. If you do, be sure to read our global social media statistics for insights on attracting an international audience.

*All AUD currency equivalents are approximate, based on exchange rates at the time of publication and subject to change.

The post Social media statistics shaping Australia’s digital landscape in 2025 appeared first on Sprout Social.

Nothing is guaranteed—it’s a lesson we relearn everyday in the social media industry.

Between bans, boycotts and algorithm changes, the social media landscape is fragmenting even further in 2025. The race to win brand equity and relevance in new spaces is on.

Which makes social marketers (understandably) uneasy. Most say their greatest fear is their audience moving to private, closed or otherwise niche platforms, according to The 2025 Sprout Social Index™.

The fears are justified—it isn’t just all in our heads. Almost 40% of marketers say their audience is already starting to spend more time on emerging platforms like Threads, Bluesky, Lemon8 and Mastodon, per the Q1 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey.

This seismic shift has been a long-time coming, with clear signals along the way. So, why are so many brands caught on their heels? Social marketers aren’t getting the support they need to take big swings on new platforms.

Betting on emerging platforms

What works today won’t be the ticket to relevance tomorrow. If a social marketer told you their brand’s strategy was built around Vine, you’d probably assume you teleported back to 2013 (#DoItForTheVine).

In today’s social media landscape, you have to keep a constant pulse on where your audience is showing up. Only investing in legacy or established platforms will make it hard to break through on new networks. Being an early adopter gives your brand an edge over your competitors and industry peers.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not advocating for nixing all popular platforms. Your customers are eager to interact with your brand in a variety of spaces.

But the same report found that when consumers were asked where they wanted brands to stop showing up, their answer was somewhat surprising: nowhere. Every network offers opportunities for finding and growing your community, because social users use every platform to meet different needs for connection and consumption.

With a new platform coming onto the scene seemingly every week, that makes things complicated. It’s unrealistic for social teams to build a presence on each emerging network. Even folding one or two experimental platforms into your 2025 strategy would still be enough to diversify your investments and hedge your bets. But your leaders will need convincing that it’s worth doing.

Making the case for platform experimentation to your leaders

We recently asked brands experimenting on Bluesky how they plan to fuel their content pipeline. Almost 60% say their current strategy is reposting content from other platforms, according to the Q1 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey.

While repurposing content can help fill production gaps, every platform and algorithm are different and performance varies drastically. Plus, many new networks require social teams to hone different skills and invest in net new content creation. Even repackaging takes time—whether you’re repurposing a video into a long-form text post, or translating a static image into a filter.

Testing the waters on new platforms will probably require cutting back elsewhere to accommodate your bandwidth. That’s okay. You just need to be transparent about how much time you will need to reallocate (e.g., 20%) and the anticipated impact to your publishing cadence.

The best way to make your case is by proposing a controlled, defined experiment with extremely specific goals in mind. For example, “Over the next three months, we will use this new platform to grow our community by X%.” Keep in mind that metrics like audience engagement and growth are most likely to resonate with marketing leaders, per the Index.

If you meet resistance, ask leaders to consider how much growth is still possible for your brand on networks where you already have a stronghold. The limit does exist. That doesn’t mean new platforms guarantee audience expansion, but they do offer potential. You can also suggest leaning on user-generated and influencer content on established channels to get ahead of performance headwinds.

Remember that nothing spurs leaders on like knowing they’re being outpaced by other brands. Point them in the direction of other companies who have already diversified their approach.

Brands charting a new path on emerging networks

For the past three years, L.L.Bean has gone “off the grid” during the entire month of May in honor of mental health awareness. The brand completely stops posting on all traditional social channels—giving their team and followers a chance to get outside. Their community engagement actually increases during these months, thanks to their outdoor-focused challenges on apps like Strava and NatureDose. The brand has also reported increased YoY impressions, greater awareness of their mission and no negative impact on sales—insights that helped convince their leaders their approach worked.

L.L.Bean’s success is an example of a wider trend we’ve observed: Brands accounts are popping up on community-driven networks (especially retail brands). From Louis Vuitton’s Discord server to The RealReal’s new Substack, brands are creating spaces for authentic community and forging stronger parasocial relationships with their audiences.

In the face of so much network volatility, doubling down on community management makes a lot of sense. Platforms come and go, but a strong community can withstand (and even prosper in) an era of network diversification.

If you’re unsure which alternative platforms you should invest in, start where conversations about your brand are already happening. For example, at Sprout, we’ve been fostering community engagement on Reddit. On the platform, users talk about their martech stacks and offer unfiltered feedback about our product. Not showing up was an opportunity cost we couldn’t afford.

Stand out in the social media landscape for the right reasons

We get it—finding the bandwidth to experiment on emerging platforms feels overwhelming, and divesting from core networks is a risk. But maintaining the status quo is a bigger one.

Social teams already have the community management and audience engagement skills to succeed in these other spaces. They just need the buy-in to make it happen.

While no one can predict which platforms will stand the test of time, one thing is certain—building strong, engaged communities will always be a worthwhile investment. By experimenting with emerging networks and meeting audiences where they already are, brands can future-proof their social strategies against platform volatility. The key is to stay adaptable, listen to your community and embrace change as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Looking for more on what social teams should prioritize in 2025? Read the latest edition of The Sprout Social Index™.

The post The social media landscape is being upended: Don’t wait to make a move appeared first on Sprout Social.

Every generation has core memories like these because social media is the epicenter of modern culture. The Sprout Social Index™ shows today’s consumers use social media to keep up with trends and cultural movements, even more than TV and streaming services, talking to friends and family, and other digital media.

Understanding social media culture is a non-negotiable for brands. We spoke to social media experts to explore the complex dynamics of social media culture. We’ll discuss the key aspects of social media culture and the importance of cultural fluency, from amplifying brand efforts to securing more executive buy-in.

Meet our experts

Meet our experts Meet our experts Meet our experts Meet our experts Meet our experts

Name: Kikora Mason

Company: Chase

Title: Vice President, Social Media + Community Management

My definition of social media culture:

Social media culture can be defined as the behaviors, trends, values and expressions that emerge from how people interact on digital platforms. It encompasses the way people and communities interact and engage. A recent, timely example would be Kendrick Lamar’s Big Game halftime performance. It was the perfect recipe to define social media culture: virality, engagement, impact, identity/self-expression and platform influence.

 

The evolution of social media

“Social networking, as it was once called, began as a way to connect with classmates outside of the classroom. Now, [social media] is so ingrained in many parts of our lives, especially marketers. Brand-consumer communication these days is more instant, transparent and community-driven than ever before. It’s really important for brands to adapt to these changes. Otherwise, they run the risk of losing trust from their audience,” says Kikora Mason, Vice President, Social Media + Community Management, Chase.

To understand social media culture, it’s important to know about key milestones over the past several years. These include the rise of the influencer-creator economy, video content, network transformation and community management.

Influencers and creators create a new talent economy

The growth of the creator economy has changed social media culture. Influencers and creators drive trends and shape public opinion. With a diverse pool of creators and influencers that appeal to various audiences, niches and industries, brands aren’t limited to collaborating with celebrity-level people because there’s value in working with smaller creators and influencers. The future of influencer marketing is bright for creators, influencers and brands.

“Changing social-economic dynamics and the rise of the internet and digital devices has driven internet culture at an exponential rate. This has led to the rise of more platforms investing in [independent content creators and influencers]. Brands need to take advantage of this new creator economy because it has proven to be more impactful (and cost-effective) than traditional marketing strategies,” says Annette Chacko, Content Strategist at Sprout Social.

Video dominates social media feeds

Video has been a top social media trend for years. Networks like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and LinkedIn offer long- and short-form video formats, making video content a clear priority across networks. And although TikTok’s future in the US is uncertain, it’ll remain a central component in international markets. With the growth of live streaming, brands can interact with audiences in real time and expedite the buyer’s journey. Overall, video has reshaped the way businesses and consumers reach and engage with their audiences. It’s become an essential part of brand storytelling.

Network transformation influences commerce and culture

The transformation of social media networks has impacted commerce and culture, reshaping consumer behavior and brand engagement. Social networks are no longer just for sharing selfies or chatting with friends. They’re a marketplace for goods and services, with in-app e-commerce functionalities and live reviews a la your favorite influencer.

According to The Sprout Social Index, 81% of consumers report social media influences them to make spontaneous purchases multiple times per year. Another 28% say they make impulse buys at least once a month. Social is also a main channel for customer service where consumer standards remain high—73% of social users agree that they’ll go to a competitor if a brand doesn’t respond on social media. Overall, consumers flock to social when they’re looking to buy something.

Niche interests and sub-communities take center stage

Chacko says sub-communities connect people across the globe and empower them to crowdsource ideas and democratize information that isn’t always accessible.

“[Social media culture] has allowed people to gain knowledge that’d otherwise be difficult to attain based on socioeconomic and other factors. For example, Vivian Tu, also known as @YourRichBFF is a popular influencer with 3.2M followers, who shares advice on financial literacy for young people interested in learning how to make sound investments and grow wealth,” she says.

#BookTok and #Studygram are other great examples of sub-communities on TikTok and Instagram. #BookTok is centered around the love of reading, which has impacted the publishing industry and increased popularity for some authors and books. “Studygram” consists of scholars that publish content about their academic journeys. They share aesthetically pleasing notes, organized desks, study tips and motivational quotes. Both communities have created norms about post formats and hashtags.

Community management has shifted from broad, generalized engagement to a more nuanced approach that caters to niche interests and sub-communities. Brands now recognize the value in fostering deep connections with specific groups, leading to more tailored, meaningful experiences both on and offline.

The role of social media in shaping modern culture

Social media provides a glimpse into the trends and issues of today’s society by offering a window into what people care about and how they choose to express themselves.

“Social media is the heartbeat of internet culture—it’s where trends are born, ideas are shared and people connect across the globe. Social is a reflection of us—ever-changing, endlessly creative‌ and deeply connected,” says Rachael Goulet, Director, Social Media at Sprout.

Social media networks have revolutionized how consumers and brands communicate and interact. Networks have changed the paradigm from one-way communication to a more interactive 1:1 model.

“What defines social media over other forms of media is the ability to participate. Whether through polls, comment threads or duet challenges, the platforms thrive on two-way interaction. Internet culture is co-created—everyone has a role to play,” she says.

Brands also use social media to build authentic relationships, respond to feedback in real time and create content that resonates with their audience—hopefully enough to retain or convert them into customers. They also use social media to aid in the research and development of their products and services. Index data reflects consumers’ value these touchpoints.

When asked what makes their favorite brands stand out on social, 63% said the quality of their product or service, followed by original content (46%), audience engagement (36%) and how quickly they respond to customers (24%).

Social media plays a part in the cultural zeitgeist by providing a platform for communication, customer service, commerce, community building‌ and content creation. There are several key aspects of social media culture marketers should understand.

Key aspects of social media culture

The 2025 Sprout Social Index reveals that 93% consumers think it’s important for brands to keep up with online culture.

“Social media culture is a culture of immediacy and ephemerality with real-time updates and disappearing content. Understanding these key aspects is crucial for navigating the ever-evolving landscape of internet culture and creating effective social media strategies. By embracing internet culture and its trends, and understanding its impact, you can connect with your audience in a meaningful way,” says Savanna Sargent, Manager, Content at Sprout.

She compares social media to millions of town squares, each representing various experiences and perspectives. These town squares become interconnected through the key elements of social media culture, along with algorithms that personalize online experiences.

Let’s explore the core elements that drive the ecosystem of social media culture: viral moments, visual content, short-form video, user-generated content, influencers and creators, and sub-communities and niches.

Viral moments and trends

Goulet says internet culture thrives on virality. These moments create shared digital experiences, bringing people together in a way that feels personal but scales globally and rapidly. They also reflect collective interests and humor.

Consider the rise of memes. They’re a cornerstone of social media culture because they’re a universal language—funny, relatable and rooted in shared experiences or trends. Viral moments and trends are one way brands can participate in social media culture.

Although consumers expect brands to keep up with social media culture, they don’t want them jumping on every trend for the sake of it. Index data shows over a quarter of consumers agree it’s only effective if the brand can participate within one or two days after the trend emerges online.

The takeaway? Understand the nuances of viral moments and trends within the scope of your brand identity. Only participate if it makes sense for your brand.

“When a brand taps into a meme authentically, like when Duolingo uses its quirky owl mascot to join trending humor, it becomes part of the conversation instead of just observing it. This integration builds brand personality and makes people feel like the brand ‘gets it,’ creating a sense of connection,” says Goulet.

Visual content

Text threads, photography, video, GIFs, carousels, infographics—regardless of the medium, visual content dominates social media feeds. Participating in the culture means producing visual content that interrupts doom scrolling.

Visual content is eye-catching and captures attention, but there’s another element of why it’s so popular: edutainment. Edutainment blends educational content with entertainment and it’s exactly what modern consumers expect from brands. The 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report found 66% of social users find edutainment to be the most engaging of all brand content, even more than skits, memes or serialized content.

Short-form video

Short-form video is one of the most popular types of visual content. Major networks like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn all offer short-from video as a storytelling medium.

“It’s quick, digestible and taps into our short attention spans. Short-form video isn’t just content—it’s emotion-packed entertainment or education in under a minute. It drives trends, sparks conversations and gives everyone, from brands to creators, a powerful way to show rather than tell,” Goulet says.

User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is the backbone of authenticity online. “Whether it’s a customer review, an unboxing video or a hilarious take on a brand challenge, this type of content creates a sense of community. People trust people, not polished ads. When brands embrace UGC, they amplify real voices and build stronger connections,” Goulet says.

Since the heart of UGC is authenticity and relatability, it can be an opportunity for brands to establish trust and build brand awareness. User-generated content creators—who don’t need large followings or recognizable personal brands—are important contributors for brands seeking content that looks and feels organic.

Influencers and creators

Influencers and content creators are cultural architects, as Goulet describes them. Influencers and creators share trends, set aesthetics and shape public opinions. Whether it’s a niche micro-influencer or a viral mega-star, their ability to humanize content and make it relatable is unmatched. By teaming up with influencers, brands can connect into new audiences and craft content that resonates, which can lead to boosting engagement and driving sales.

Mason describes influencers as cultural tastemakers who impact consumer behavior. She says influencers are positioned as trusted friends who have the best, relatable recommendations on anything from fashion to finance to beauty. They’re also the bridge between brands and consumers.

“These days, consumers are less likely to visit a brand’s social footprint to learn more about a product. If they want an accurate review, with no filter, they’re more likely to do research on TikTok or visit their favorite influencer’s page for guidance. There’s something about word-of-mouth marketing that works. It’s simple and real,” she says.

Online sub-communities and niche interests

Mason says subcultures on social media are the driving force behind many trends and cultural moments. She says subcultures birth important cultural conversations, but influencers have the power and authority to drive those conversations purely off their social influence.

“What starts as niche, slang or inside jokes can easily go viral, shaping how more people communicate online. This sort of influence can be exciting to see in real time, but it’s also critically important to remember and acknowledge the communities that start the trends to avoid appropriation or taking credit for something when it’s due somewhere else,” she says.

She says as influential as content creators are, there’s still an ongoing issue of systemic pay gaps for Black creators in particular. Multiple studies have revealed in recent years that Black creators, along with other creators from marginalized backgrounds, are routinely offered lower rates than their white counterparts with similar followings.

“There’s more to share here, but the general sentiment is that there’s still a lot of work to be done between brands and providing equitable opportunities for diverse creators,” she says.

Creating a deep sense of community and engagement within the subgroup is a key aspect of subcommunities.

“It reminds me of chat rooms back in the day. There is a sense of belonging and self-sustaining energy where these communities feel safe to share and create freely with no judgement or misunderstanding. This is critically important for culturally diverse groups of people; that’s why so many perspectives on activism, social commentary thrive and take off here. Often, mainstream narratives misrepresent or underrepresent these communities, which is a huge missed opportunity to understand a culture,” she says.

Why brands need to be fluent in social media culture

These key elements of social media culture don’t just define social; they shape how we communicate, learn and make purchase decisions.

“For brands, aligning with these aspects of internet culture isn’t optional—it’s essential. By understanding what drives social media behavior, brands can stay relevant and build relationships that feel personal, authentic and meaningful,” says Goulet.

And today’s consumers can spot inauthenticity from a mile away. Whether it’s a perfectly timed meme or a meaningful response to a trending topic, fluency ensures you’re not just talking at your audience but engaging with them. Along with understanding your audience better, there are several reasons why brands need to be fluent in social media culture.

Understand your audience better

Index data shows 98% of social media practitioners agree that social content has to keep up with online trends and culture. Being fluent in social media culture means you speak the same language as your audience. You know about the cultural references that exist across networks and conversations that are important or influential to your audience.

“If social is where culture is born and culture shapes buying behavior, that means your audience is on social right now learning about which brands they should support, trends they should adopt and products they should try. If you don’t show up where they are, you are giving your competitors the chance to swoop in and stake their claim over your audience. Even in B2B or other unexpected industries, consumers are still turning to social for product and brand discovery,” says Aubree Schaefer, Content Strategist at Sprout.

Understanding internet culture will also help you prioritize which content formats to use.

“While trends may come and go, content formats (e.g., spend a day with me, sludge content, heavily referenced memes) are the bridge between past internet references and emerging culture. Internet culture is cumulative, always building on the past. Content formats help us digest these new iterations and create shared understanding,” says Schaefer.

Balance brand safety and trendspotting

Not all trends and viral moments are suitable for your brand. As Mason says, everything isn’t for everyone. You should know your audience and prioritize maintaining a strong brand identity when participating in broader conversations. She says it’d be challenging for a brand to be innovative without a strong understanding of social media culture and its impact.

She recommends spending ample time in networks to understand platform changes and using social media tools to help with discovery—doing this helps marketers take a realistic approach to participating in social media culture. It can also aid with trendspotting.

“Certain tools can help identify emerging trends and understand subculture behavior. They can analyze which groups are engaging with certain content and how they interact. Tools can help businesses understand what works (and what doesn’t work) for certain target audiences and monitor brand sentiment in real time to help address controversial moments before they become a much larger issue,” she says.

If you don’t understand the language of these spaces, you risk being ignored or ridiculed. Ultimately, staying in the know helps you communicate more effectively and identify how you can stand out and avoid potential missteps.

Support other business areas with data

People share their unfiltered thoughts about products, services‌ and brands on social media. By using social media listening and other AI-powered tools, you can actively monitor social conversations and extract information about your brand that you might not have known existed. Social data provides a direct line to your target audience and unearths opportunities to stay relevant in real-time. These insights can inform other areas of your business including marketing strategies, product development and customer service.

Monitoring these conversations gives businesses a direct line to customer sentiment, pain points and wants. For example, H&M realized many of their consumers were bothered about the environmental impact of fast fashion and made several changes to their sourcing policies. They increased the price of certain items, which led to the brand having a broader range of products catered to a more diverse economic group, helping them to remain competitive.

Since your competitors are active online, you can observe their contribution to social media culture from their campaigns and messaging to audience interactions. Use competitive data to inform your strategies, find gaps to fill or opportunities to differentiate.

How to create culturally relevant social content

Let’s address an elephant in the room: it’s tough convincing leaders who aren’t as connected to social why incorporating social media culture into strategy is important. Index data shows social marketers (41%) don’t think their leaders trust them to develop content that’ll perform. They also wish executives understood the importance of audience-centric content. Before you can go all in on creating culturally relevant content, you likely need to get leadership on board first. Even if your leader understands the importance of being culturally relevant and audience-centric strategy, you’ll still need to demonstrate the impact of social media.

Social teams will inevitably need more resources, but to do that they’ll need to show how their strategies are paying off to get more buy-in. Index data shows 65% of marketing leaders say social teams need to demonstrate how social media campaigns are tied to business goals.

With the right social media analytics tools, social teams can present performance metrics, but also show deeper impact by sharing audience insights aggregated from social listening and competitive research. By monitoring and sharing examples of how your team successfully used social media culture to impact your business, you can build a case for more resources.

Resources for becoming culturally fluent in social media

Being culturally fluent in social media is an ongoing process. Here are some practices you can use to keep a pulse on culture:

• Read newsletters from industry experts like Link in Bio, After School, User Mag and Hung Up.
• Follow social media leaders, marketers, influencers and creators on LinkedIn and other networks.
• Set Google News alerts for music, tech, business, sports and cultural topics
• Create a “dummy account” (an account outside your personal social media) on networks like Instagram and TikTok for social research. Follow trendspotting accounts like Death to Stock, Digifairy, Antonio Gary Jr. and Burrell Communications.
• Create a balance of consuming content natively and using social listening tools, especially for keystone cultural events (e.g., New York Fashion Week, awards shows) to understand larger themes of online conversations.

Become a steward of social media culture

Social media culture has transformed significantly since the early 2000s. It’s revolutionized our daily lives—from how we communicate with each other to how we consume information and conduct business. Curious to learn more about social media culture? Download The 2025 Sprout Social Index™.

The post Social media culture: Why cultural fluency is a must for brands appeared first on Sprout Social.

To achieve all of those results, your LinkedIn efforts need to be seen by the right people. One reliable strategy is using the right LinkedIn hashtags. Hashtags on LinkedIn are always evolving, so it’s important to keep pace with what’s new and how they’re being used. We’ll walk you through how to use hashtags on every part of LinkedIn, including comments, posts, articles and your business profile.

We’ve also listed 30+ of the best LinkedIn hashtags to use on the platform today, so you can join the right conversations to jumpstart your LinkedIn marketing strategy.

What are LinkedIn hashtags?

LinkedIn hashtags are keywords or phrases that categorize content. This makes it easier for users to find and engage with topics they’re interested in. You can add hashtags to posts, comments, articles, profiles and even pages on the platform.

Hashtags help your content become part of a larger, dynamic conversation happening on LinkedIn. They’re powerful tools for increasing the visibility of your posts, reaching people with similar interests or in the same industry, and tapping into trending topics.

How to use hashtags on LinkedIn

There are several ways you can incorporate LinkedIn hashtags to increase your visibility. Let’s look at examples of how and where to use them on the platform appropriately:

How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn business page

Creating and managing an effective LinkedIn business page is the first step towards successful LinkedIn marketing. When optimizing your page, make sure you’re adding relevant hashtags so it’s easier for people to find you.

LinkedIn business page hashtags were changed to “Specialisms” in late 2024. To find this, navigate to your LinkedIn business page, select Edit page and then Details from the About section on the sidebar.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to find Specialisms. You can add up to 20 different phrases here. Though they don’t have a #, they work the same way and help your company page appear when users make relevant searches.

Use this section to add keywords relevant to your industry. For example, if you work in marketing, add specialisms like “social media marketing”, “brand design” or “social media content”.

You can also add hashtags to personal account pages, where they’re called “Skills”. To change these, click the Add profile section button on your personal profile, then select Add skills.

H3 How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn posts

LinkedIn’s post creation interface makes it easy to add relevant hashtags to your posts.

To start writing a post, click the Start a post button at the top of your homepage. When you want to add hashtags, simply press the # key and write your chosen hashtag.

By using a LinkedIn post scheduler, you can weave the hashtags naturally within your post content or place them all together at the end if you feel they’re diluting your post’s impact.

How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn articles

To write an article, push the write article button at the top of your homepage. Similar to posts, just use the # key to add hashtags.

Adding relevant hashtags increases your article’s exposure. You can incorporate hashtags within the body of your articles or add them all at the end so they don’t interrupt the flow of your content.

You can also add hashtags to your posts when you share your articles. Here’s an example of what that could look like:

How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn comments

Finally, you can include hashtags directly in your comments when interacting with other people on the platform. Here’s an example:

Try to always use hashtags naturally within your comments to avoid looking like a spam bot. Also, use them sparingly or not at all if they’re not highly relevant to the topic.

How to find new hashtags on LinkedIn

There are a lot of hashtags to choose from, so you need to know how to find the right ones. Here are a few strategies for finding relevant LinkedIn hashtags.

Use the LinkedIn search bar

You can still search for hashtags using LinkedIn’s search bar, though this feature has changed in the past few months. LinkedIn won’t recommend hashtags within the dropdown of their search bar anymore, but relevant content will still appear if you search for them.

Here’s an example below of a recent search for #SocialMedia:

Manually searching for hashtags isn’t as effective as it used to be, so you should use more advanced tools to improve your hashtag strategy.

Using social listening to identify trends

One such advanced tool is social listening. Monitor conversations and posts in your industry, especially involving thought leaders and influencers, to spot trending topics. Note the hashtags these people are frequently using in their discussions.

For example, when listening you might see top-performing posts in your industry mentioning “employee advocacy”. In this case, you could start experimenting with hashtags like #EmployeeAdvocacy to capitalize on this trend with your relevant content.

Use a social listening solution like Sprout Social to keep an eye on specific topics and keywords.

Sprout aggregates data on the mentions of your LinkedIn accounts connected to the platform. You can also collect listening data on comments across connected accounts. By using Conversation, you can uncover keywords and hashtags that are being used throughout these comments.

Sprout’s Conversation also helps you identify what your followers are talking about, and from this data, you can refine a list of keywords and hashtags for your account. More details on Sprout’s LinkedIn listening capabilities can be found on our help page.

Tips to optimize your hashtags on LinkedIn

As LinkedIn continues to evolve, you must optimize your use of hashtags and keywords across profiles and posts to remain relevant, and boost impact and reach.

Here are some tips for how to optimize your LinkedIn hashtags:

Combine hashtags with an effective keyword strategy

While hashtags are still important on LinkedIn, changes made in late 2024 have pushed the platform more toward typical SEO. These changes include removing features like following hashtags, listing them on profiles and no longer showing them in the dropdown search bar.

Hashtags should be combined with a keyword strategy and social search best practices. This includes optimizing each section on your business page with keywords related to your industry.

Some profile sections, like your Featured page, are given a higher priority in searches. Make sure to pay particular attention to opitmizing those sections. With a content strategy focused on quality, and using hashtags and keywords, you can build more reach and engagement with your LinkedIn posts.

Use LinkedIn analytics to refine your hashtag strategy

One of the many ways hashtags are still useful on LinkedIn is as an analytics tool. Improve your strategy over time by understanding how the hashtags you’re currently using contribute to your brand’s visibility and engagement on the platform.

Use LinkedIn hashtag analytics to track the performance of posts with specific hashtags. Access the platform’s built-in analytics tool or use third-party software like Sprout for in-depth data exploration and a visual perspective.

Based on hashtag analytics, tweak your hashtag choices for future content. For example, you might find #DigitalMarketingTips is more popular with your target audience than #MarketingTips. Or, you might find certain hashtags increase your reach but others get you higher engagement.

Use hashtags sparingly and strategically

Hashtags can easily be overused and end up being counterproductive. Spamming your posts with hashtags can make people think you’re a bot. Use a mix of niche and popular hashtags to balance reach and targeted engagement.

As a general rule, aim to use around 1–5 hashtags in your LinkedIn content.

Here’s an example of a recent post by Sprout. This only uses a single hashtag, #CreatorEconomyLive, which links directly to the event the post is promoting. By only using this one hashtag, the post stays relevant and focused on the event. It also means we’ll be able to analyze how this and other posts related to the event are performing through hashtag analytics.

Remember that this rule doesn’t apply to more keyword-focused sections on your profile, like Specialisms. For those, you should add as many keywords as are relevant to your industry.

Write your hashtags for accessibility

Think about accessibility when you use hashtags. If your hashtag has several words, make sure to capitalize each of them, such as #SocialMediaMarketing or #LinkedInMarketing.

This makes your hashtags easier to read especially for people using screen readers. Combine this with other social media accessibility strategies so that everyone can engage with your content.

Experiment with your hashtags

Growing on LinkedIn means you need to continuously test and improve your strategies, especially if LinkedIn lead generation is a primary goal. This includes experimenting with your hashtag strategy.

Let’s say you’re in the financial sector and regularly use #Finance. Add more depth, relevance and reach by introducing niche hashtags like #FintechInnovation or #WealthManagementTips to posts and articles that align with these content themes.

The benefit of testing different hashtags is you often stumble upon keywords that resonate highly with specific target audiences. You’re also able to rule out hashtags that might not be working as well as others—saving space for better ones.

Track your competition

Keep an eye on your competitors to see which hashtags they’re using and which ones seem to be working for them. Competitive monitoring gives you a window into trending topics and helps you find and incorporate relevant hashtags into your own content.

For instance, if you notice that a competitor is getting lots of engagement with #DigitalMarketing, consider how you can use this hashtag in your own posts.

Does the hashtag align with an article you’re planning? Remember, the goal isn’t to copy but to find inspiration and identify trends that you can adapt to your own strategy.

Also look at how they mix their hashtags, whether they use popular and niche combinations, and whether they create branded hashtags for specific events or talking points. Understanding and applying similar combinations can improve the reach of your content.

30+ of the most useful LinkedIn hashtags in 2025

There are many examples of LinkedIn hashtags commonly used across multiple industries. Using these popular hashtags can help improve the reach of your content, and get it in front of industry leaders in your field.

It’s now harder to judge how popular hashtags are because LinkedIn has removed hashtag following. We’ve created this list based on previous following metrics and our social media expertise to help you create your own bank of useful hashtags:

1. #Hiring: useful for recruitment, or for finding work
2. #DigitalMarketing: useful for all marketers, having over 27 million followers at one point
3. #Innovation: has previously been the No. 1 followed hashtag
4. #StartUps: useful when talking to founders or the start-up community
5. #Sustainability: when talking about green initiatives
6. #Management: when targeting c-suite
7. #Technology: this was reliably one of the most-followed LinkedIn hashtags
8. #SocialMedia: useful when talking about socials
9. #Creativity: useful when promoting an interesting brand launch
10. #Investing: helpful when targeting investors
11. #Education: effective in the industry or when posting educational content
12. #Future: when talking about new ideas
13. #Careers: when promoting culture or recruitment
14. #Branding: when sharing brand changes
15. #Motivation: accompanying motivational posts
16. #JobInterviews: sharing your personal recruitment journey, or promoting job openings
17. #Law: when marketing to law firms
18. #B2B: when discussing B2B sales
19. #SaaS: if you work in software
20. #Economy: when discussing money
21. #PersonalDevelopment: when sharing content around individual growth
22. #Leadership: when targeting c-suite
23. #Strategy: when sharing professional and business advice
24. #RemoteWork: when sharing remote working content
25. #HomeOffice: when working from home
26. #Design: when sharing visuals or if you work in design
27. #Cloud: if you work in cloud solutions
28. #Culture: if you’re promoting work culture
29. #SocialNetworking: if you’re trying to build your network
30. #Travel: if you’re sharing travel content
31. #DigitalNomad: if you’re working as a nomad
32. #Crowdfunding: to announce a crowdfunding campaign

Remember that trending hashtags on LinkedIn are always changing, so whilst these are a great starting point for your LinkedIn strategy, you should make sure to monitor hashtags in your industry.

Elevate your LinkedIn hashtags strategy

Hashtags can drive engagement to your LinkedIn posts and put it in front of the right audiences. Start by finding the right hashtags and place them strategically in your posts and articles to join relevant conversations happening in your industry.

Use Sprout Social’s LinkedIn management tools to take your marketing strategy to the next level. Listen to your comments, plan your content calendar and analyze hashtags to keep growing your reach across LinkedIn.

The post LinkedIn hashtags: The complete guide for 2025 appeared first on Sprout Social.

Although picking the perfect March Madness bracket is nearly impossible, millions of people complete the legendary ritual each year and tune into the live games. The famous NCAA tournament draws in die-hard fans and bandwagon supporters alike.

And what would March Madness be without brands getting in on the hype? Last year, almost all of the ad spots during the men and women’s tournaments were quickly picked up, with total ad spend on the men’s tournament alone breaking away above $1 billion.

The impressive investments mean the stakes are high. So, which March Madness marketing strategies will go all the way? We looked to past tournaments to make our strategy predictions, and turned to Sprout Social’s Influencer Marketing platform to find out where the best partnership opportunities lie.

Let’s dive into the results and a few tips to help your brand stay in the game.

The March Madness marketing opportunity

Last year, the men’s March Madness championship game drew an average of 14.7 million viewers. The women’s championship attracted an even larger crowd, with an average of 18.7 million viewers. With tens of millions of people tuning in, it’s clear that March Madness is a major cultural moment.

And not just for typical fans, or sports and fitness-adjacent brands. Between the play-by-plays, trending commentary and student-athelete influencers on social media, March Madness has more impact on the zeitgeist than ever before.

Zooming out, social has helped transform many sporting events into a lucrative marketing opportunity for brands of all kinds—from food and beverage to fashion houses to insurance companies.

As more brands hustle to make the most of March Madness, stand-out campaigns will feature student-athlete influencer partnerships, incorporate online cultural touchstones and address a growing female audience that has been historically under-engaged.

4 March Madness marketing ideas (with campaign examples)

With a massive event like March Madness, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. To craft scroll-stopping campaigns, you need to tap into online culture. Doing so will enable you to partner with the right influencers, forge brand alliances your audiences will love and find ways to set trends instead of just reacting to them.

Here are a few tangible ways to get in on the action, and examples from 2024 to inspire your strategy.

Collaborate with unexpected brands

As brands across industries experiment with March Madness marketing campaigns, more unexpected partnerships have emerged. Often, newcomers to the tournament (and, sometimes, sports marketing in general) will partner with established athletic brands to increase their relevancy and credibility. These partnerships also benefit sport and fitness brands by helping them reach new audiences.

Take the Home Depot’s corporate sponsorship of the NCAA. While the home improvement retailer does have a storied history with college athletics, their brand isn’t necessarily the first most people associate with March Madness. To promote their sponsorship last year, the brand crafted a content series called “Tips from the Tool Shaq” featuring legendary basketball player Shaquille O’Neal. The series tied together basketball themes with spring DIY home projects—a match made in social media niche heaven.

Why it works: Even if your brand doesn’t have an obvious connection to the tournament, partnerships and sponsorships can help insert your brand into the discourse. Not every brand has the budget to be an NCAA corporate sponsor, of course. But you can look for partnerships with other sports brands instead—from CPG brands to clothing retailers to college and professional teams. The best crossovers happen when you tie different aspects of online culture together.

Create an IRL moment

While social spurs on March Madness hype, the best way to experience the tournament is in real life. IRL brand activations also fuel a pipeline of user-generated content, increasing brand awareness on social and extending the lifespan of your campaign. Even if you aren’t actually on-site at the tournament, you can still find ways to foster community.

Take Marriott Bonvoy, the official hotel partner of the NCAA. Last year, they offered their loyalty program members a chance to win tickets to the Women’s Final Four. The grand prize included flights, hotel accommodations, courtside seats, and a game day ritual session with former Texas A&M player and current Texas women’s basketball coach Sydney Carter. They also created a hub on their site where guests can plan their March Madness travel experiences—from booking a hotel to buying tickets.

Why it works: Enriching fans’ March Madness experience is the name of the game. When brands succeed at making the event more fun and memorable, they win loyal fans of their own. Travel and hospitality brands can shine especially bright during the tournament—just be sure to avoid trademark infringement and ambush marketing in your content.

Put your own spin on a bracket challenge

Filling out a bracket is a signature part of the March Madness experience. But the official NCAA bracket isn’t the only one fans obsess over. Brands and social users create bracket faceoffs of their own, where romance novels, sweet treats and even memes compete for the top spot. These unofficial brackets are the perfect way to engage people who want to be part of the cultural significance of March Madness, but don’t know a lot about basketball.

On the other hand, some brands can find ways to layer their brand into the official bracket. In Buffalo Wild Wings’ Shorty Award-nominated campaign, the casual dining restaurant crafted a gameshow called “Beat the Buffalo.” The show let fans go head-to-head to pit their brackets against Jack—a real, live buffalo.

As Buffalo Wild Wings said, “We trained a real, majestic buffalo to select NCAA basketball winners, and then challenged fans to beat his picks. Many did, some didn’t and everyone had their minds blown. It’s an innovative take on the familiar March Madness bracket competition, where contestants enter their picks against a fellow competitor to see who is right, who is wrong and who is a buffalo.”

Why it works: Buffalo Wild Wings took a well-established March Madness custom, and found a way to make it fresh and brand-forward. The stand-out campaign resulted in hundreds of thousands of views and media pickups. When outlining your tournament marketing, consider how you can rewrite the rules of the traditional bracket.

Tap into a new marketplace of influencers

A historic Supreme Court decision in 2021 allowed collegiate athletes to get paid for their name, image and likeness for the first time. In the past few years, a multimillion dollar-industry has emerged. Student-athletes began partnering with everyone from local college town restaurants to major brands like Nike. During March Madness, brands take these partnerships to the next level.

Last year during the tournament, Raising Cane’s brought back their “Underdog Challenge” campaign. The restaurant chain famous for their chicken tenders partnered with student-athletes from “underdog teams”—aka, the teams picked to lose their matchups. Whenever an underdog won, Raising Cane’s gave away free combos. As NC State’s DJ Burns put it, “When the odds get beaten, the chicken fingers get eaten, baby!”

Why it works: We mentioned the free chicken, right? In addition to a delicious giveaway, the campaign also speaks to a favorite March Madness pastime: cheering for the underdog. By partnering with the student-athletes fans already know and love, Raising Cane’s is getting ahead of the pandemonium that will follow an underdog win—tying their brand to the team early.

When seeking out your own partners, remember they don’t have to be from the top seeded team or an MVP to make an impact. In the next section, we explain how to find the right student-athlete partners.

Top college athlete influencers for March Madness marketing (and beyond)

There are more than 520,000 NCAA student athletes. This record-breaking figure explains why the influencer marketing opportunity for brands is at an all-time high in the wake of the NIL ruling.

To help narrow down this massive pool and find the right partners for your brand, turn to a solution like Influencer Marketing.

To demonstrate how it works, we created a Signals Report in the platform to identify the top college  athlete profiles by earned media value (EMV) that have posted about or are affiliated with the NCAA and March Madness since November 2024. Here’s who we found.

Jada Brown

Jada Brown is a basketball player at Vanderbilt University. With over 3 million followers across platforms, Brown has amassed an impressive and loyal following. Her engagement rate is 43%, and her growth rate is in the top 1% on both Instagram and TikTok.

According to Influencer Marketing data, 80% of Brown’s audience is Gen Z and Millennials, with an even split across genders. In the past, she’s shouted out brands including Coach, Bloom Nutrition and Student Beans in her content.

The EMV of Brown’s posts equals around $2.12 million.

Brandon Dwyer

Brandon Dwyer is a basketball player at Florida Gulf Coast University. The Eagles guard boasts over 4.4 million followers across social platforms, and is in the top 50% of growing accounts on Instagram and YouTube, and in the top 20% on TikTok.

In his content, the player has mentioned brands like Hoopers, Sunny D and Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and has a reported EMV of $167K. Almost 80% of his audience are Gen Z or Millennials, while 62% are male.

Dominique Darius

Dominique Darius is a basketball player at The University of Southern California, and has amassed 178K followers across networks. Darius is in the top 5% of creators on TikTok and in the top 1% on Snapchat. Her impressive engagement rate (23%) confirms how much her growing audience loves her.

In previous posts, Darius has mentioned brands like La Victoria, GLD and WSLAM. The Trojan guard’s posts have an EMV of $79K, and her audience is primarily made up of Gen Z and Millennials and leans slightly male.

Mary Lengemann

Mary Lengemann is an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University basketball player. The Eagles forward/guard has around 140K total followers, and an engagement rate of 15.4%.

In her social posts, Lengemann has mentioned brands like Nike, Under Armour and Girlfriend Collective, and has an EMV of over $40K. Nearly 80% of her followers are Gen Z and Millennials, and a slight majority are female.

Jackson Young

Jackson Young is a basketball player at Southern Methodist University. The Mustang guard has around 348K followers across platforms, with a follower base that is 80% female (the largest gender divide on our list) and primarily made up of Gen Z and Millennials.

Young has previously mentioned brands like Raising Cane’s, Optimum Nutrition and Burberry in his content. He currently has an EMV of $23K.

How your brand can pull off a social media upset

March Madness isn’t just a basketball tournament—it’s a cultural phenomenon that presents massive opportunities for brands.

Whether through unexpected brand collaborations, immersive IRL experiences, unique bracket challenges or student-athlete influencer partnerships, the key to success lies in tapping into online culture and meeting audiences where they already are.

As brands continue to raise the stakes each year, those that embrace authenticity and innovation will stand out from the crowd. With the right strategies and partnerships, your brand can turn March Madness into  one shining marketing moment. Now’s the time to get in the game.

Looking for more instruction on finding the best student-athlete influencers? Read our guide to finding the right influencers for your campaign.

The post March Madness marketing: How elite brands can score major points appeared first on Sprout Social.