In 2025, social media continues to evolve. This year will give way to new trends in the digital realm, meaning that the only constant online will be change.
One recent example is Meta dropping its fact-checking program in favor of a “community notes” system. Just like social media companies tend to change how their platforms work, so too do users change how they engage with digital tools in the first place. We can bank on innovation when it comes to content creation and content consumption.
The Future of Hashtags
Here’s another example: the future of the hashtag. The history of the hashtag can be traced back to 2007, when Chris Messina suggested the use of a “#” symbol to group similar messages together and asked his friends to give it a try. It caught on, and many viral hashtags have followed over the years. In some ways, social media and the hashtag are synonymous—it is difficult to imagine one without the other.
But it seems like the hashtag is losing steam.
Part of the reason is that social media platforms like Facebook are relying on algorithms that are more and more sophisticated to better match content with users based on their preferences and past interests, meaning that content can reach target audiences efficiently and effectively whether hashtags are used or not.
Another part of the reason is that social media users are searching for content differently, relying less on hashtags because they can find content quickly without searching by category grouping. From Google Search to the emergence of ChatGPT, search capabilities are always improving, so search queries can be highly successful without hashtags pointing people in the right direction.
The Rise of Visual-First Content
The digital landscape is changing in other ways. On platforms like LinkedIn, text-based content is ceding ground to more visual forms of content delivery, especially video content. As videos from influencers and other sources become more omnipresent, the focus on written identifiers like hashtags naturally shifts to visual presentation.
The rise of video also speaks to ever-diminishing attention spans, as many social media users opt for the 30-second clip over a lengthy text post. When brevity is the name of the game, hashtags can become associated with clutter—words or phrases that don’t actually amplify a given message. Concise messaging is increasingly preferred, and today’s brands are working hard to simplify their talking points for the masses. Keep it short and sweet.
New Strategies for Engagement
It is important for brands to keep up with the times. Because the hashtag is losing steam, companies should try to improve their branding in other ways, and there are all sorts of non-hashtag tools out there. For instance, interactive polls and other immersive experiences may be more engaging than a simple post with a bunch of hashtags, and user engagement is the path to increasing brand loyalty—getting people to know, like and trust you.
The top brands track exactly how users are engaging with content. If a hashtag-based post is much less popular in terms of clicks than a video without hashtags or a poll that racks up millions of responses, then it’s crucial to read the writing on the wall. People who are loyal to a certain brand will voice their opinions and share their perspectives in ways that need to inform how brands communicate with consumers.
Think outside the box. Gone are the days when a simple post with hashtag clutter was enough to change hearts and minds. These are the days of short-form videos, influencer partnerships and other tools in the digital toolbox.
As always, the best way for brands to change with the times is to listen. Companies need to understand the market and their target audience, allowing consumers to lead them in the direction of better content.
Don’t just talk; listen to what people are saying and how they’re acting. That might mean leaving your hashtag in “draft” mode.
This article originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice in February 2025.
