Social Media Trends in 2025: Unpacking Video Content Creation Trends for 2025 for Businesses
Video content is set to keep being the standard for digital entertainment in 2025. While short-form videos have long been the go-to format on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, the way audiences engage with content is changing. Evolving trends and new platform features are shaping what works and what doesn’t. In this article, we’ll explore the biggest video trends of the year and how to use them most effectively to connect with your audience.
Long-Form Video Content vs Short-Form Video Content
The debate between long-form and short-form video content continues in 2025, but the conversation has evolved. Instead of deciding between one or the other, brands should look into balancing both forms of content for the viewer. Short-form videos are needed for grabbing attention quickly, with Tiktok-style engaging narratives leading the charge. However, as short-form video fatigue grows, audiences are increasingly leaning towards content that provides depth and value.
Euromonitor's 2025 trends are showing that consumers are prioritizing authenticity and transparency. Long-form videos, when done effectively, not only resonate with the target audience but also provide the opportunity to explore complex topics while building stronger emotional connections. This aligns with a growing preference for purpose-driven marketing, enabling brands to address more complex topics in an engaging way.
Brands should embrace a balanced approach by using the strengths of both short-form and long-form video content. Short-form videos, are perfect for grabbing attention quickly, introducing products or ideas, and driving initial engagement. These bite-sized clips thrive on trends, humor, and immediacy, making them ideal for sparking curiosity and reaching new audiences.
To balance it out, long-form videos offer an opportunity to tell more detailed and informative narratives that can foster stronger emotional connections and trust with your audience. For instance, a long-form video can be used to explain the story behind your brand, demonstrate the value of your product in real-life scenarios, or provide educational content that positions your brand as an industry leader.
Combining these strategies ensures your content serves different stages of the customer journey. Use short-form videos to attract and hook viewers, leading them to long-form content for a more comprehensive experience. For example, Patagonia skillfully blends the two formats to support their mission of environmental stewardship. On one hand, they create short-form social media content highlighting specific sustainability initiatives, like micro-actions their customers can take to protect the planet. On the other, they produce breathtaking documentary-style films such as Wolfpack and Takayna. These longer videos explore profound environmental issues and celebrate the beauty of the natural world, encouraging viewers to see beyond the products and embrace Patagonia’s ethos of planetary care. This multifaceted approach not only engages audiences across different attention spans but also deepens their emotional connection to the brand.
Employing a balanced approach in 2025 would not only cater to the varying preferences of your audience but also maximizes engagement by offering value at both ends of the spectrum—quick, impactful moments and meaningful, enduring connections. By thoughtfully integrating short- and long-form content, brands can remain dynamic and relevant while providing depth and authenticity.
Casual vs Scripted Storytelling in Social Media
Empathy marketing is still going strong in 2025, and casual, unscripted storytelling is taking center stage. Trends like “Gen Z wrote our script” videos on Tiktok are perfect examples of how brands are leaning into humor and relatability to connect with their audiences. People want brands to feel personal and real - like they’re run by humans, not faceless corporations.
Unpolished, behind-the-scenes content is a great way to make that happen. Showing what goes on backstage, sharing raw moments, or just highlighitng day-to-day interactions can break down the walls between a company and its audience. Ben & Jerry’s nails this with their social media. They regularly share informal and unscripted content on social media, like live Q&A sessions with employees, stories about social justice initiatives, or even humor-driven posts featuring their office culture. It’s not fancy, but it’s authentic - and that’s what sticks.
Transparency and ethical communication are huge priorities for consumers, so weaving those elements into your storytelling makes it even more impactful. By using casual storytelling with purpose-driven messaging, brands can build trust and authenticity while making their values resonate more deeply with their audience.
Content Series Over Single Videos
A standout trend for 2025 is the growing appeal of content series. Inspired by TikTok playlists, series-based content allows brands to explore their narratives at a more nuanced level and keep their audiences coming back for more.
As Innova Market Insights highlights, consumers love holistic experiences, and storytelling through series content lets brands tackle big themes like sustainability, wellness, and innovation in a meaningful way. For example, Gucci has embraced this trend by creating short film series on Tiktok that highlight the creative process behind their collections. These videos don’t just show off the final products - they pull back the curtain on the artistry and thought that goes into every piece, blending luxury with cultural storytelling.
This kind of episodic content doesn’t just get clicks; it builds loyalty. If you want to jump on this trend, think about creating a series that showcases your brand’s values and taps into what matters to your audience—whether it’s eco-friendly practices or personalized wellness.
Filming content series over single videos is one of the re-emerging social media trends in 2025
Social Media Video Content and Empathy Marketing Go Hand in Hand
Did you know that empathy marketing can have a dramatic impact on the effectiveness of your video series? Any psychology-driven marketing agency, such as Ainoa, would agree that the key to forging deeper emotional connections lies in personal, authentic, and data-informed content. To create content series that embody these characteristics, empathy marketing experts savvily combine consumer psychology, data, traditional digital marketing and social media marketing psychology. The result? Stronger relations between consumers and brands, which in turn can boost customer loyalty and brand preference.
Social media-savvy generations, namely Millennials, Gen Z and the emerging Generation Alpha, have grown with social media. Consequently, they're now yearning for authentic interactions with brands, which makes empathy marketing and consumer psychology even more important in social media marketing. In response, major corporations are now racing to hire the best psychologists for their marketing teams to better understand and respond to social media trends and audience preferences.
What's worth noting is the considerable purchasing power these age groups command. In 2025, ”Millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce, makeing them a significant demographic with real purchasing power.” Gen Z is set to hold more than a quarter of the income by 2030, surpassing Millennials with over 33 trillion dollars in purchasing power according to the Bank of America.
Such staggering figures highlight the importance of developing a deep understanding of these demographics' preferences. It's not just about developing engaging content anymore; it's about layering in empathy and leveraging psychology to ensure the brand messaging resonates with these influential consumer groups. These population sectors cannot be sidelined when drafting a social media marketing strategy; they should be the focus of targeted and strategic social media content creation designed to foster authentic connections.
The Influence of Social Media Trends on Consumer Behaviour
In sum, social media trends for video content are influencing not just the way content is shared but also how consumers make decisions and interact with brands. Here’s what’s we predict will be the trends driving consumer behavior the year 2025:
Long-form vs Short-form Content: Short-form content continues to dominate on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, catching attention quickly with snappy, engaging formats. However, audiences are also looking for deeper connections with brands. Long-form content is the answer to brands providing more in-depth stories to their audience, whether through mini-documentaries, product demos, or extended storytelling. For 2025, balancing quick attention grabbing content with meaningful engagement will be key as audiences move beyond just quick entertainment to immersive, valuable experiences.
Casual vs Scripted Storytelling: Casual, unscripted storytelling is taking center stage in 2025. Raw, authentic moments are what audiences are looking for according to Euromonitor. Personalized, relatable content is helping brands feel more genuine and transparent to audiences. Brands like Ben & Jerry's use behind-the-scenes content, humor, and employee interactions to create a more personal connection with their audience. On the flip side, scripted storytelling still plays a key role, particularly for brands that want to convey polished, professional messages with a clear call to action.
The Rise of Content Series: Content series are gaining traction as a way to creating long-form and comprehensive narratives. TikTok playlists are a useful tool for creating series content and allowing brands to explore specific themes - whether it’s sustainability, wellness, or innovation - and build long-term relationships with audiences. For example, Gucci has used short film series to reveal the design processes behind its collections, offering a mix of storytelling and luxury branding that deepens audience engagement.
Empathy Marketing: Empathy marketing is more important than ever, as consumers prioritize emotional connections with brands. Brands can build trust with their audiences by creating content that reflects the values and experiences of their key demographic. Brands like Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s are experts at integrating empathy into their messaging, tackling social justice issues and sustainability with transparency and authenticity. Empathy-driven marketing is a growing preference for brands that align with consumer values, especially in areas like environmental responsibility and mental health.
By incorporating these trends—whether through content formats, tone, or subject matter—brands can create more compelling, resonant connections with their audiences in 2025.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the current social media trends, whether it's series content production, casual storytelling, long-form content, or a focus on empathy marketing, are shaping the future of social media. Brands must be aware of these social media trends, not just for 2025 but for the years to come. Adapting to these changes could be the deciding factor between visibility and obscurity for your business in the competitive digital landscape. What is clear, though, is that video content creation remains a lasting and significant force in the social media landscape.
If you aim to capitalise on these social media trends in 2025, we’re here to help, whether you’re looking for content creation or a full-scale social media strategy and social media management. Ainoa is one of the few agencies in the world that specialises in empathetic marketing, with consumer psychology as the cornerstone of its marketing approach.
