News and Insights
BOOM SCROLL: MARCH 2025
March 24, 2025
Need to speed-read your social feed? Here’s the social intel from last month you definitely need to know.
tl;dr
YouTube is bigger than you think, Instagram increases influencer opps, Reddit monetizes even more, Facebook unfriends links, and TikTok is… back again (again).
#1 YouTube: Survival of the Stickiest
Don’t let YouTube fool you. It’s stuck around so long by being one of the hottest platforms out there—especially with trend-obsessed Gen Z.
💥 The Boom
– 90% of all teens use YouTube, beating out TikTok (63%) and Instagram (61%) according to Pew Research.
– Think TV is dead? Long live TV! It just passed mobile as the way to view YouTube in the U.S.
– With one billion monthly viewers, YouTube now owns visual podcasting.
Our take
Is YouTube at the top of your channel mix? It should be. From Shorts to TV, YouTube has got it all, and Gens A to Z can’t get enough.
#2 Instagram: Swears By Testimonials
Got a brand partner who’s obsessed with your product? Instagram will now let them shout it out with a quick text-only testimonial, in 125 characters or less.
💥 The Boom
– Brand partners can now add text endorsements to your existing ads.
– The testimonial gets routed to the right ad as a sponsored comment, right at the top of your comments.
Our take
Quick testimonials are a win-win for brand partnerships. They’re an easy lift for creators and a natural way to build credibility. Start testing them now with your influencer stable.
#3 Reddit: Snoo Sells Out
Reddit will join the gold rush with paywalled content later this year. Don’t panic—your favorite Subreddits are safe for the time being.
💥 The Boom
– The paywall will only hit new Subreddits created for paid members.
– Reddit is still figuring out how to pay creators for premium content.
Our take
Monetizing a platform of free user-generated content may result in backlash. But that’s no reason to abandon your current Reddit strategy (you have one of those, right?) Stay tuned… we know we will.
#4 Meta: The Weakest Link
Linking out on Facebook is SO out. The proof? Nearly all of the Facebook posts seen in the U.S. last year did NOT include links, according to Meta’s own Q4 2024 Most Widely Viewed Content Report.
💥 The Boom
– Meta has prioritized non-linking posts for years.
– Non-link posts made up 86.5% of posts seen on user feeds in 2021. In 2024? 98%.
– It’s all part of Meta’s move away from linking out to keep users inside their walled garden.
Our take
Say it with us: organic Facebook is NOT a place for links. If driving web traffic is important to your strategy, pair your link posts with an image or video… and then seriously consider paid social support. Facebook offers the most affordable CPC across all social networks, after all.
#5 TikTok: It’s baaaaaaack!
After a month-long vacay, TikTok and video-editing app CapCut are back and topping the app store charts. What happened? The ban got paused. How long will it last? 🤷🏻♀️
💥 The Boom
– With the ByteDance ban on hold, eager users are downloading TikTok and CapCut in droves.
– ByteDance has until early April to reach a deal with lawmakers, before the ban comes back.
– The latest news? Oracle is a “leading contender” in a deal to handle the US operations of TikTok..
Our take
The people love them some TikTok and CapCut—even if lawmakers aren’t fans. Keep your options open and your strategy going by cross-posting those videos on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook…and anywhere else you can.