2025: the year the advertising industry admits how much social media matters.
In 2025, advertising goes 'social first'.
This is specifically addressed to the ad industry, who seems to struggle with the notion that social matters, a lot (and BTW, it’s where a real-life focus group of your actual customers exist daily…hourly…).
Here are 3 ‘ins’ for the next year.
#1 In 2025, we know the difference between paid and organic social.
We understand that paid is…advertising. Paid social is simply ads on social, within a variety of placements across different platforms. They exist to drive digital CTAs, like book now, order now, visit now, learn more, contact us, shop now, etc. They take the viewer from the spot they’re at to a new one (for example, stopping on an Instagram ad and clicking it takes you out of Instagram and into a brand’s website to action).
It’s a way to drive reach among new people/prospects, but also among existing targets. For example, a campaign that hits current customers, in order to let them know of a new collection or limited-time deal.
Organic on the other hand is a bit less cut and dry. On the one, it’s a space for people and prospects to find you. (I say people, because there just might be an interested audience who’s curious about your brand or content who does not fall into the category of someone who will 100% buy something from you, and that’s ok!) It’s like the social media version of your landing page, so it should reflect you and welcome folks in.
On the other, it’s a hub for your current customer base. A community of folks who have decided to align to your brand (be it taking lifestyle cues like tips or aesthetics, or true customers who shop you regularly). It drives community among current customers, offers them a deeper connection to the brand. It’s a platform for our brand to express itself, its values, its dynamic with customers (UGC!). It has the potential to extend brand awareness far beyond current customers and target demos.
The gist.
Paid is advertising. It drives reach and actions among new people and existing (or similar to existing) customers. (Think - more linear actions, like conversion, clicks.)
Organic is community; creativity; connection; engagement. It drives creative brand expression. It allows us to become one with our community — to interact with them, and see them.
#2 We stop being so ‘everywhere all at once’.
In 2025, we create a thoughtful approach to each channel, making better use of our time and creativity where we so please.
Is this a Substack long-form post, or just a note? Does it actually belong on LinkedIn…or, is LinkedIn dead because it just annoys the piss out of all of us, and should I really find a way to make it visual for Instagram? Does it warrant it’s own post, or just a Story? Does it actually belong on Threads — err wait, isn’t Bluesky the new Threads? Isn’t Twitter — I mean, X — still kicking?
If you’re struggling (like me) to decide where to post things you think about, odds are brands are struggling to do the same.
Take the time to map out a simple plan for what kinds of things go where. Be open to adjusting as you monitor performance.
#3 In 2025, we learn more our audience via social.
Whether it goes down in the DMs, gets found via social listening, or manifests in CX via social… Social is a key ticket to learning more about our audience.
For more traditional ad folk, consider organic like a focus group of your audience (or niches within your target audience).
then we should we learning LOTS about our people from these environments.
We can also use paid efforts to learn more about what creative (colors, messaging, layouts, CTAs, etc.) resonates with who most.
In learning more about who we are trying to reach and how we are trying to reach them, we can get closer to achieving a true brand-fan connection. We help brands exist in the same space as their consumers, without overpowering or making it all about buying sh*t.
We can find folks who are all about us — and create meaningful experiences for them.