SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS

Here is our annual look at social media trends for service professionals , business owners , marketers and casual users . In this

By Glenn Hansen third-annual report , I again referred to the work of Minneapolis-based social media expert Arik Hanson . I add my perspectives as an insider in the outdoor power equipment and landscape industries . I boiled down Hanson ’ s predictions into five ideas .

# 1 . Maybe Reddit actually IS a place for brands

Hanson points to REI ’ s CEO Jerry Strizke who took to r / campingandhiking to do an AMA last fall . Many of the users who have loved Reddit for years have been anti brand interaction , thinking it too promotional . Is this a trend ? Could this work for smaller brands with less passionate followers than REI ? Hanson shares three points in support of brands using Reddit : 1 . Posts can appear in Google searches . 2 . It ’ s offering more advertising options . 3 . Reddit is what social was originally meant to be , an unfiltered community-focused discussion place .

I see OPE brands on Reddit such as Milwaukee Tools , Ego and others . Active user communities exist around big brands like John Deere , which should be monitoring this community closely .

With other social sites losing popularity ( Twitter / X ), or leaving the U . S . ( TikTok ), Reddit can gain attention and users . At the very least , search Reddit communities to learn if there is an opportunity for your brand , expertise or service . And join user communities to listen and learn about product use trends and consumer needs .

The site has seen a greater-than 40 % increase in daily active users over the past year , outpacing every other social app ’ s growth . Reddit said that , in December , it averaged 101.7 million daily active users . As reported by SocialMediaToday . com , Reddit made a deal with Google that allows the search giant to display Reddit insights in Search , while also using Reddit ’ s trove of product-related discussion to help power its AI responses via its Gemini tools . That means Reddit gets a lot more exposure in Google ’ s products . It has also helped Reddit boost its stock price and improve its market standing , making it the hot social media sector of the moment .

The site has received some criticism of late for its new use of an “ AI-powered conversational interface ” ( that ’ s Reddit ’ s term ). I ’ m a casual fan of Reddit , and I do follow sub-Reddits like r / photography , r / motorcycles and r / xcountryskiing . Though many users of such online forums are loathe to interact with company officials , most people today appreciate helpful advice from experts , including manufacturer representatives . It ’ s all in the communication style . Be helpful ; don ’ t sell .

# 2 . LinkedIn , for three reasons

Hanson is bullish on LinkedIn for 2025 , and three of his top trends involve the Microsoft-owned professional social platform . We combine them into one here ( and we plan to make this professional platform a focus for OPE + in 2025 ).

With its B2B focus , LinkedIn is a good opportunity for any business professional , not just job seekers . Yes , you will see some personal posts ( even “ political ” ones ). But this ain ’ t Facebook , and the personal side is a positive trend , said Hanson .

First , consider a LinkedIn newsletter . The site ’ s infrastructure helps people and brands create newsletters , and the analytics are excellent . According to Hanson , companies that create LinkedIn newsletters find very high subscription rates . He suggests you create a LinkedIn newsletter if you can fulfill it at least once a month , ideally every week . Be careful , though , and don ’ t make LinkedIn your only distribution source for a newsletter . Doing so would put LinkedIn , not you , in control of your audience . Build and maintain your own e-mail list and supplement it with other communication platforms .

Second , be unique and thought-provoking with your LinkedIn posting ; be a thought leader . Hanson posits that 2025 could be the year of the LinkedIn “ Influencer .” He ’ s not saying you should strive to become a LinkedIn influencer , but you should find those users in your industry who have influential content . Engage or even partner with them to take advantage of their influence .

Third , Hanson points to the personality trend he ’ s seen developing on LinkedIn . “ Real is going to win in 2025 ,” said Hanson . By “ real ,” he means personal and authentic content that shows your humanity and vulnerability , your successes and lessons ( failures ?), your personal story and professional story . Hanson notes

18 OPE + March 2025 www . OPE-Plus . com