AI Explored – Episode 3: Social Media Trends You Need to Know for 2025

Host: Michael Stelzner
Guest: Sean Cannell
Release Date: January 11, 2025

In the third episode of "AI Explored," Michael Stelzner teams up with social media guru Sean Cannell on the Think Media Podcast to delve into the three pivotal social media trends set to shape the landscape in 2025. This comprehensive discussion provides marketers, creators, and business owners with actionable insights to navigate the evolving digital terrain effectively.

1. Evolving Social Media Algorithms: From Reach to Relevance

Overview:
The first major trend centers around the transformation of social media algorithms, which are increasingly prioritizing content relevance over sheer follower numbers. This shift is leading to a noticeable decline in organic reach for creators who rely heavily on subscriber bases.

Key Points:

• Declining Organic Reach: Social platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn are increasingly pushing content based on user interest rather than subscription lists. This change means that even established creators with large follower bases are experiencing reduced visibility.
  Sean Cannell (04:22): “If you are seeing declining reach, views, exposure across all the platforms, first of all, you're not alone.”

• Vanity Metrics vs. Valuable Engagement: Traditional metrics like follower counts and subscriber numbers are becoming less meaningful. Instead, engagement and attracting the right audience are taking precedence over accumulating large but disengaged followings.
  Sean Cannell (06:18): “The problem is that that has become a metric that's not as important anymore. It's a vanity metric.”

• Content Over Frequency: In response to declining reach, many creators attempt to increase posting frequency, leading to burnout without significant gains in engagement. The focus is shifting towards producing high-quality, relevant content that resonates with a targeted audience.

Notable Quote:

Sean Cannell (09:31): “Small is the new big. That's the first concept. Well, I want to unpack a few things before we go on to the next macro trend.”

2. Authenticity as the New Currency

Overview:
Authenticity is emerging as a critical factor in building genuine connections with audiences. As high-production, sensational content floods social platforms, users are increasingly seeking raw and authentic stories that offer real emotional connections.

Key Points:

• Shift Toward Vulnerability: Audiences are tired of superficial content and are gravitating towards creators who share personal struggles, failures, and authentic experiences. This trend is evident across various platforms, including YouTube, where long-form, genuine content is gaining traction.
  Sean Cannell (13:19): “People crave authenticity. There's so much fakeness on the social platforms... What really people want is they want to hear the real, true behind the scenes.”

• Enhanced Engagement Through Authenticity: Authentic content not only fosters deeper connections but also enhances engagement, as viewers relate more personally to the creator’s narrative.
  Sean Cannell (20:34): “What are the areas you could maybe create some of your next videos, some of your next content in sharing the real and the raw and really connecting with people?”

• Algorithmic Favoritism: Authentic and engaging content tends to perform better within algorithms because it naturally encourages user interaction, which platforms reward with increased visibility.
  Sean Cannell (20:43): “The algorithms love this. The reason they love this is because people are actively engaging with this content.”

Notable Quote:

Sean Cannell (22:44): “Nobody cares about how to anymore. They care about why they want to know the story. That's the key to the whole thing.”

3. Artificial Intelligence: Disrupting the Creative and Marketing Sectors

Overview:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize every facet of content creation and marketing. From generating photorealistic images to automating complex creative processes, AI tools are democratizing content creation and enabling creators to produce at unprecedented scales.

Key Points:

• AI as a Creative Partner: AI is not just limited to text generation like ChatGPT; it extends to creating images, videos, and even automating video editing processes, significantly boosting productivity and creativity.
  Sean Cannell (26:00): “Artificial intelligence requires enormous amounts of power and requires enormous amount of investment. If these huge corporations... they see something the rest of us do not.”

• Proliferation of AI-Enabled Creators: The barrier to entry for content creation is lowering as AI tools empower individuals to produce high-quality content without extensive technical skills, leading to a surge in new creators.
  Sean Cannell (26:15): “OpenAI is going to allow people to become creators that never realize that they were creators, because it's going to give them all the tools that they need to be able to produce content in mass.”

• Competitive Edge Through AI Adoption: Early adopters of AI can leverage these technologies to enhance their content strategies, outpacing competitors who are slower to integrate AI solutions.
  Sean Cannell (30:06): “Because Sean and I know this, we can. We've already probably twice increased our productivity because of artificial intelligence.”

Notable Quotes:

Sean Cannell (26:00): “95% of what marketers use... will be easily, instantly and at almost no cost be handled by AI.”

Sean Cannell (34:53): “This is the biggest land race that has ever happened in the history of the world. So if they are doing that, they see something the rest of us do not. And it's crazy.”

Practical Takeaways for Creators and Marketers

Reframing Success Metrics:

• Shift focus from quantity (e.g., follower count) to quality (engagement and relevance).
• Prioritize attracting a targeted audience that aligns with your mission or business goals.

Embracing Authenticity:

• Share personal stories and vulnerabilities to build stronger connections.
• Experiment with different mediums (audio, written word, video) to express authenticity.

Leveraging AI:

• Integrate AI tools to enhance productivity and creative capabilities.
• Stay ahead by continuously learning and adapting to emerging AI technologies.

Notable Quote:

Sean Cannell (32:06): “I'm giving five-minute prompts. I'm talking to AI all the time right now. Might sound funny, but I talk to AI more than my friends.”

Conclusion: Navigating the Future of Social Media

As the social media landscape continues to evolve, staying informed about these three critical trends—algorithm changes, the rise of authenticity, and the disruptive power of AI—will be essential for anyone looking to thrive in 2025 and beyond. By adapting strategies to focus on meaningful engagement, embracing genuine storytelling, and harnessing the capabilities of AI, creators and marketers can navigate the complexities of modern social platforms and achieve sustainable success.

Final Thoughts: Sean Cannell emphasizes the urgency of adopting these trends, stating, “Now is the time to get in” (34:53), highlighting the transformative potential of AI and the shifting dynamics of audience engagement.

For those eager to delve deeper into these trends and explore actionable AI tools, the episode encourages listening to Part Two, which promises an in-depth exploration of AI applications for creators.

Stay Connected:

• Podcast: AI Explored
• Follow Michael Stelzner: Socialmediaexaminer.com
• Attend Social Media Marketing World: socialmediamarketingworld.info

Note: This summary intentionally omits promotional segments, intros, and outros to focus solely on the valuable content discussed in the episode.