Instead of casting a wide net on social platforms and pursuing the creators with the highest follower accounts, marketers are now more focused on resonating with the right audience.
“As we're starting to see more AI-driven influencer identification tools emerge, it's actually going to be much easier for marketers to focus on things like engagement rates and creative alignment,” said our analyst Jasmine Enberg in our "Behind the Numbers" podcast.
Here are some of the social and creator economy trends to watch in 2025, according to our analysts.
While using social for search isn’t new—Gen Z has preferred researching brands on social media over search engines since 2020, according to GWI Core—Enberg predicts that platforms will account for more of traditional search budgets in 2025.
The missing piece these platforms must prove to advertisers is that they can reach consumers who already know what they’re looking for, she said.
“When we’re going onto a platform like Amazon, we generally have a product in mind or at least an idea of what we want to buy,” said Enberg, stressing social search’s suitability for a consumer just looking to browse. “I think in order for social platforms to start capturing serious search ad dollars, they need to get that intent piece proven.”
Marketers are currently allocating around 5% to 10% of their social budgets to advertising in messaging, according to EMARKETER’s "Social Messaging Marketing 2025" report. As more users approach social platforms for one-on-one connectivity and platforms roll out more messaging ad formats, our analyst Minda Smiley said this investment will only increase.
“Marketers are aware of this trend and have organically shifted their strategies to create content that they think will be shared," Smiley said during the episode. "It’s not about likes and comments anymore. It’s ‘How do you break into these private conversations?’”
The creator economy has evolved into a more stable marketing partner for many advertisers, but creators themselves continue to search for long-term career success. While it’s “easier than ever to become a creator, it's harder than ever to build a business off of it,” Enberg said.
As influencer marketing matures and accounts for a climbing percentage of marketing budgets, there could be a rise in serial content that mirrors traditional entertainment channels. Smiley said this change speaks to both a desire from both creators and brands for predictability.
“As the industry grows and matures in that sense, a lot of creators are trying to find more ways to make their growth a little more sustainable, and one way is through serial video,” she said, adding that sponsoring content series can add structure and predictability to a brand’s influencer marketing strategy.
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