SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS
I ’ m not sure the outdoor power equipment industry – dealers , manufacturers , professional users – need real-time social media . Still , Hanson advises any business owner to grab your relevant handles on all three of these social platforms and monitor if you ’ re interested .
Bluesky , with a reported user base around 20 million , is the smallest of the three , but the fastest growing since the 2024 election .
OPE + has abandoned Twitter , is looking at Bluesky and is not interested in Threads . I see this as a tool Meta ( Instagram ) is pushing hard without much traction .
this LinkedIn trend is used by CEOs , managers , and employees who want social media to be more honest and less polished . It ’ s not for everyone , but it ’ s worth a try . Hanson advises owners and marketers to :
1 . Identify your employees who WANT to be on LinkedIn . Focus on them .
2 . Arm smaller groups of employees with information they need to be better content creators on LinkedIn .
# 3 . Substack emerges as a legit news and influencer channel
Hanson switched his weekly email newsletter to Substack this year , like many journalists and content creators , with the goal of paid subscriptions .
Though less social and more a content-sharing platform , Substack could be a good option for service-focused businesses , passionate manufacturers with a message , or independent consultant types looking to increase a brand following . Substack is today what blogs were 10 years ago .
Hanson said that Substack ’ s paid subscribers doubled from late 2021 to early 2023 . Why ? 1 . People want long-form content . 2 . Gen-Z journalists are making a splash on their own terms . 3 . Substack boasts a cumulative 35 million readers of its diverse slate of newsletters , 3 million of whom pay for content .
# 4 . Twitter , Threads or Bluesky ?
Meh , says Hanson . He sees no real winner when looking at the void in “ real-time social media ” ( since the changes at Twitter that reduced its user base by 25 % or more ).
# 5 . Community engagement becomes a superpower
Social media consultants like Hanson and others have long advocated for the type of “ community engagement ” that includes responding to all comments made on a brand ’ s social media post . In 2025 , it should go further than that . Brands should find , follow and interact with accounts – commenting on the social posts of their fans , as mentioned in the Reddit commentary .
Think about a brand or company you follow or like , and you post a thing on Facebook or Instagram sharing a good experience . Then that brand comments back to thank you , amplifying your profile . That can be big , turning first-time customers , for example , into fans , and boosting fans into advocates .
This is often referred to as “ active listening ” in social media circles . And it can be more than just responsive . Brands can and should search for brand mentions and then comment accordingly . Companies can also use social media platforms to – subtly or not – ask for such posts from customers and fans . This goes way beyond the old product giveaways where a company asks you to like and follow in hopes of winning . This is about creating opportunities for conversations and connections .
Final Thoughts
In his trends presentation , Hanson mentioned Unhinged , a social platform I have never heard of . And there are plenty of others . How many of you have marketing departments large enough to handle multiple social media platforms ? How many of you even have a “ marketing department ?” Smart marketers will focus on one social media platform and use it well . Still , you need to monitor others to see if your audience might be there .
Hanson did not mention Facebook . And personally , I ’ m trying to use the site less , though that ’ s not easy when so many companies use FB for event scheduling . Plus , Facebook Marketplace can be a good outlet for used vehicles or equipment – either for selling or buying . It ’ s not going away .
And that could be the closing message for this whole trends piece . Many marketers once asked , “ Should I use social media for marketing ?” You can ’ t ask that anymore . Today , you need to ask , “ Which social platform should get my time and attention ?” The only constant is change , and your assignment is to stay on top of it . We ’ re here to help .
www . OPE-Plus . com March 2025 OPE + 19