Social media strategy in 2025: What works, what’s a waste, and how to win
- Manelik
- il y a 6 jours
- 6 min de lecture
Social media strategy in 2025
Social media is no longer just about posting content and hoping for engagement. In 2025, it’s a dynamic ecosystem where businesses must be strategic, data-driven, and adaptable. With algorithms changing constantly and AI playing a bigger role, companies that stick to outdated tactics are doomed to fail.
This article breaks down the latest insights from Metricool’s 2025 Social Media Study, debunks common myths, and provides actionable steps to create a high-impact social media strategy that actually drives business growth.
The state of social media in 2025: Where should you focus?
According to the latest study of 21 million posts across 8 platforms, the respective performance of each network has shifted:
LinkedIn is thriving for B2B engagement and organic reach. With more professionals using LinkedIn as a content discovery platform, long-form posts, articles, and networking-based interactions are driving impressive results.
Instagram Reels engagement is declining, while YouTube Shorts is growing rapidly. As attention spans shrink, short-form video remains powerful, but YouTube Shorts has an advantage in discoverability and retention.
TikTok remains dominant for younger audiences but faces regulatory risks. While TikTok still offers excellent engagement, ongoing scrutiny in key markets (such as the US and EU) makes it a riskier investment for long-term strategy.
Facebook still holds value for community building and niche targeting. Many assume Facebook is dying, but it remains effective for localized marketing and groups, particularly for small businesses.
Where should businesses invest?
B2B businesses: LinkedIn is a must, especially for thought leadership and lead generation.
E-commerce brands: TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are the strongest platforms for showcasing products through video content.
Local businesses: Facebook and Instagram remain powerful due to geotargeting features and local community engagement.
SaaS and tech companies: YouTube and LinkedIn are top choices for educational content and lead nurturing.
Social media strategy myths that are wasting your time & money
Myth 1: "Post every day to stay relevant"
Reality: Posting frequently without a clear strategy is a waste of time and resources. Instead of churning out daily content, businesses should focus on consistency and quality. One well-researched, engaging post per week can outperform five generic posts.
Myth 2: "More followers = More sales"
Reality: Having a large audience doesn’t guarantee conversions. Brands with fewer but highly engaged followers often see better results because their audience actually interacts with their content and makes purchasing decisions.
Myth 3: "Organic reach is dead"
Reality: Organic reach has changed, not disappeared. It requires a combination of interactive content, video, and community engagement. Platforms like LinkedIn and TikTok still offer strong organic reach if content aligns with audience interests.
Myth 4: "You need to be on every platform"
Reality: Trying to maintain a presence on every platform spreads your resources too thin. Instead, a good social media strategy in 2025 should focus on 2-3 platforms where your target audience is most active and where you can create high-quality, tailored content.
Myth 5: "You should go viral"
Reality: Virality doesn’t necessarily lead to long-term business success. A viral post might increase brand awareness for a short period, but consistent, well-planned content nurtures relationships and drives sales.
Paid ads vs. organic: should you invest or grow organically?
The truth about paid social
Paid social media speeds up audience growth and conversions, but not all businesses need the same level of investment. The best-performing ad platforms depend on industry and goals:
LinkedIn Ads: Expensive but highly effective for B2B lead generation.
Facebook/Instagram Ads: More affordable but require precise targeting to prevent wasted spend.
TikTok Ads: Great for brand awareness but less effective for direct conversions unless you have a young audience.
What’s the right mix?
A balanced strategy works best:
Start with organic content to establish credibility.
Use paid ads to accelerate growth and target warm audiences.
Retarget visitors who have engaged with your content but haven’t converted.
The ROI of social media: What’s worth the budget?
How to measure social media ROI
Businesses often focus on vanity metrics like likes and shares, but real ROI comes from:
Engagement rate: Indicates how well content resonates with your audience.
Conversion rate: Measures the percentage of visitors who take meaningful actions.
Customer acquisition cost (CAC): Calculates how much you’re spending per lead or sale.
What do businesses actually spend?
Mid-sized businesses spend $7,000-$10,000 per month on social media marketing.
B2B companies allocate more to LinkedIn and long-form content.
B2C brands invest heavily in influencer partnerships and TikTok campaigns.
How AI is changing social media strategy in 2025
AI in content creation
AI tools can help automate tasks like:
Content repurposing: Transforming blog posts into LinkedIn carousels or YouTube scripts.
Scheduling and analytics: Tools like Metricool and HubSpot optimize posting times and track performance.
Copywriting assistance: ChatGPT and Jasper can speed up content creation but still require human refinement.
What AI can’t do (yet)
Despite advancements, AI still struggles with:
Replacing brand authenticity: AI-generated content often lacks emotional depth and personal touch.
Creating original thought leadership content: AI can remix existing ideas but doesn’t provide new insights.
Engaging with customers in a meaningful way: Automated responses can’t replicate real human interaction.
How to create a social media strategy in 2025 that actually works
Step 1: Define your business goals
Step 2: Pick the right platforms
Step 3: Set up a content system
Step 4: Measure performance the right way
Step 5: Optimize and adjust
The one thing no one tells you: Social media is not an instant miracle
Many businesses expect fast results from social media and get impatient when they don’t see immediate traction. While social media can deliver faster visibility than SEO, it is often less reliable, far less stable, and requires consistent effort to see meaningful returns.
Why organic social media growth is slow
Your brand is competing in a sea of content, with over 3 billion users posting constantly. The algorithm needs weeks or even months to identify your ideal audience and distribute your content effectively. Consistency is key.
The #1 reason businesses fail on social media? They give up too soon.
The #2 mistake? Constantly changing strategy in response to short-term engagement fluctuations, hoping to crack the code overnight. Low engagement early on is not failure: it’s part of the process. Instead of chasing immediate results, commit to at least six months before making major strategic shifts.
The truth about company pages & followers
Many business owners assume that once they gain followers, those followers will always see their posts. That’s not true. Social media platforms prioritize content based on engagement, meaning that unless your content sparks interaction, even your most loyal followers might never see it. This is why platforms like Facebook offer the option to boost posts toward your own followers: because without it, your reach is naturally limited.
Paid ads need time too
Even with paid ads, success isn’t instant. Finding your ideal audience takes 3-4 months of testing, optimizing, and building retargeting and lookalike audiences. If you stop too early, you lose the chance to refine your approach and maximize conversions.
The road ahead: The future of social media strategy & business growth
Social media will keep evolving, but the principles of success remain the same: focus on business goals, engage authentically, and adapt to what works.
Recommended reads & resources
If you don't feel like reading hundreds of pages of reports, here's a quick executive summary we've done and that you can download. It's mobile friendly, so you can keep it with you at all times: https://www.ultrabrand.io/social-media-reality-check-2025
Or if you feel like reading and crunching numbers, check out these authoritative sources for further learning:
About the author
Manelik Sfez, founder of the Swiss brand consultancy Ultrabrand, brings 25 years of international business, marketing, and brand strategy experience to the table. He has worked with some of the world’s most iconic brands throughout his career. From luxury goods to global retail, financial services and technological giants, he has guided companies through brand-led transformations that have redefined industries.
As a C-suite executive, a strategic branding consultant and a skilled brand designer, Manelik’s work has been recognized with prestigious awards, including a 2023 Entrepreneurship Award by one of Europe's top business schools in recognition for his contribution to support local entrepreneurship. His brand-led transformation methodology has been tested and proven over two decades, helping businesses in all sectors, from startups to billion-dollar companies drive growth, stand out from the competition, innovate and open new markets.
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