Social Media Is Changing (Again): 5 Trends That Matter Most

The social landscape continues to evolve quickly, and each platform is shaping how content performs, connects, and converts in different ways. From Instagram fine-tuning insights and rolling out features that reward authentic engagement, to LinkedIn doubling down on thought leadership, the common thread is clear: brands need to be intentional with both format and strategy. We’ve rounded up the five most significant social media platform updates, trends and best practices to help you stay ahead and make the most of your content.

1. Video is Still King… but Carousels Are Queen

For the past few years, video has been the hot topic of social media. With the rise of TikTok, the favourability of reels on Instagram, and the recent introduction of video on LinkedIn, it’s an integral part of any social media strategy. However, it is not necessarily the most important measure of success or the only form of content that performs. Research has shown that while reels generate the highest reach, carousels outperform in engagement.

How does this impact your strategy? You need to balance both. Videos or reels generate high reach, making them ideal for brand awareness, event promotion, and audience growth. Carousels generate more likes, comments, shares and saves, and should be used to increase engagement and generate interest and conversation with your audience. Social media strategies that incorporate a dynamic mix of content forms will have the greatest impact.

2. Instagram Insights Just Got Smarter

Tracking your growth and engagement on social media is crucial to understanding what works and creating a smart, informed strategy. Some new Instagram insights have recently been introduced on the platform that make it easier to understand what drives engagement and help grow your account:

Carousel Like Insights: Determine which slide in a carousel post drove someone to like your post.

Reel Like Insights: You can now see the exact point in a video where someone liked your reel.

Top Follower Drivers: Discover which type of content is bringing in the most new followers.
Monthly Recap: Instagram now provides monthly performance summaries, making it easier to track results and adjust your strategy.

These insights provide unique data to help you refine and customize your strategy and double down on what works.

3. LinkedIn: Authentic Thought Leadership Wins

LinkedIn is the platform to be on right now, offering huge potential to connect with business leaders, decision-makers, and professionals. Recent updates, such as expanded video features and the ability to save and send posts, have encouraged many users to shift their focus from other platforms to LinkedIn.

Regular engagement with your network is essential. It’s not just about posting – it’s about commenting, resharing, and sparking meaningful conversations. This is where authentic thought leadership shines. By providing valuable insights rather than just sales pitches, brands can build trust and long-term relationships.

We’ve seen strong results across industries when clients make LinkedIn a priority in their marketing strategy.

Why LinkedIn matters right now:

News sharing: With Bill C-18 in place, news content cannot be shared in Canada on Meta, including Facebook and Instagram. LinkedIn offers the best space to share media and news articles, and participate in evolving stories. Read about the impact of Bill C-18 here.
Less saturated audience: With a growing audience base, LinkedIn offers more potential for organic reach and engagement for businesses and individuals.
Growing creator network: LinkedIn is turning into an influencer hub, attracting content creators to share educational and inspirational content, drive newsletter subscriptions, and target a niche audience.
Powerful for lead generation: According to Sprout Social, 89% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation, and 62% say it produces leads for them.

A Google Search for new restaurant menus generated a list of results, including Instagram posts.

4. Optimized Captions Are the New Hashtags

Social media isn’t just about posting pretty photos anymore; it’s becoming more like a search engine. Instagram post content can now show up with a Google search, and AI can pull content from your posts to generate answers to searches. Knowing how to make your captions and content easily discoverable can help more people find your brand. Here are a few tips to consider:

Prioritize keywords in captions over hashtags.
Use natural, searchable phrases (“best brunch in Vancouver” vs #brunch).
Watch for AI-driven topic tagging to expand discoverability.
Ensure content is accurate and timely.
Archive old posts that are outdated.

Think of social media captions as mini-SEO opportunities to attract your target audience. Experiment with different copy and phrases, analyze what works, and refine your strategy.

5. Facebook: Small Pay = Big Play

While newer platforms may dominate the spotlight, Facebook remains a reliable advertising channel. Facebook is well known as a “pay to play” space, meaning that although the platform is free for businesses to use, organic reach and engagement are difficult to generate and maintain. However, committing a small boosting budget behind posts can significantly increase reach and drive more clicks.

Get started with $100-250 a month and experiment with boosting different types of content in different placements to see what generates the most reach, engagement and clicks (for example, a reel versus a blog link). Paid ads remain one of the most direct ways to capture your audience’s attention and amplify your content’s visibility, and should be integrated with your social media strategy.

Social media is always evolving, shifting and introducing new trends and features. It’s important to stay on top of these changes to remain relevant, strategic and competitive.

If you’re ready to level up your social media strategy, grow your presence on new platforms, and make the most of your content, our team is here to help. Connect with our team to learn how we can support your brand.