Content creators are quickly becoming the driving force behind social media engagement for brands, with impressive growth in audience interaction across major platforms, according to a new report from Dash Social.
The “2025 Social Media Trends Report” reveals that creator-driven content generated significantly higher engagement in 2024, with Instagram seeing a 13% boost in engagement and TikTok experiencing a remarkable 46% surge.
These findings underscore a fundamental shift in how brands must approach their social media strategies to remain competitive.
“Creators are reshaping the social media landscape and setting the standard for audience engagement,” the report states, highlighting how content creators have become “catalysts behind modern owned, earned and paid strategies” that give brands “a face, a sense of humor and authority as thought leaders.”
Four Key Trends Reshaping Brand Social Media Strategy
The report identifies four key trends that are redefining social media strategy for brands in 2025:
Creator Influence Continues to Grow Alongside Rising Engagement Metrics
The analysis, based on data from 149 TikTok creators and 151 Instagram creators across diverse audience sizes and interests, shows substantial year-over-year growth in engagement across platforms.
This indicates that partnering with creators is increasingly vital for brands seeking to connect with audiences authentically.
Creators Drive Different KPIs Depending on the Platform
TikTok creators excel at expanding reach and awareness, boasting 61% more followers on average compared to their Instagram counterparts.
Meanwhile, Instagram creators generate stronger engagement metrics, with 17% more likes and 30% more comments. This suggests brands should tailor their creator partnership strategies to each platform’s unique strengths.
“Working with creators on TikTok helps brands expand their reach, while Instagram creators boost engagement,” the report notes. “By collaborating with creators, brands are closing gaps in their strategies on the two channels.”
Source: Dash Social
Content Shareability has Become a Crucial Metric for Social Success
Brands saw significant increases in shares during 2024, with a 57% quarterly rise on TikTok and a 12% increase on Instagram Reels.
Most notably, creator-produced content on TikTok receives 10 times more shares than brand-generated content, making creator partnerships essential for amplifying reach.
Data-Driven Creator Partnerships Are Proving Essential for Brand Growth
Case studies highlight success stories like BÉIS, which expanded beyond founder-generated content to embrace broader creator partnerships, resulting in a 200% increase in TikTok comments and a 37% boost in shares during 2024.
Similarly, UGG transformed from a classic comfort brand to a digital trendsetter by staying atop creator-driven trends, achieving a 112% increase in new TikTok followers and a 367% jump in comments between 2023 and 2024.
Brand Success Stories Demonstrate Creator Impact
Paige Tapp, Social Media Manager at BÉIS, emphasizes the importance of authenticity: “People are drawn to other people — not just a brand name… Creators who connect with our brand identity help amplify it, but they also know their audiences best. By giving them the creative freedom to share our products in their own way, we foster trust and ensure campaigns feel natural and drive impact.”
Food brands Allrecipes and Crumbl are highlighted as leaders in creating shareable content. Allrecipes saw a 59% increase in TikTok shares and a 130% jump on Instagram by focusing on “videos that solve a need in our community, give an honest review of food trends, and provide simple dinner solutions,” according to Heather Oldenborg, Senior Social Media Manager at Allrecipes.
Meanwhile, Crumbl leverages its visually appealing products to drive shares, generating 21 million TikTok profile views and 1.5 million shares in the past year. “Shares have become a central focus at Crumbl because they’re a true reflection of how our content connects with people,” explains Kenzi Didericksen, Social Media Manager at Crumbl.
Strategic Recommendations for Brands
To capitalize on these trends, the report recommends three strategic approaches for brands:
Tap into creators for authentic engagement by partnering with those who align with brand identity;
Align influencer marketing strategies with platform strengths by tailoring content to each platform’s unique advantages;
Prioritize shareability to amplify reach, particularly by leveraging creators whose content dramatically outperforms brand-generated posts in terms of shares.
As social media breaks new ground, the report concludes that “creator relationships [are] growing and becoming a more prominent part of our strategy” across industries. For brands looking to thrive in this environment, strategic creator partnerships have become a “non-negotiable” element of successful social media marketing.
Nii A. Ahene is the founder and managing director of Net Influencer, a website dedicated to offering insights into the influencer marketing industry. Together with its newsletter, Influencer Weekly, Net Influencer provides news, commentary, and analysis of the events shaping the creator and influencer marketing space. Through interviews with startups, influencers, brands, and platforms, Nii and his team explore how influencer marketing is being effectively used to benefit businesses and personal brands alike.
Content creators are quickly becoming the driving force behind social media engagement for brands, with impressive growth in audience interaction across major platforms, according to a new report from Dash Social.
The “2025 Social Media Trends Report” reveals that creator-driven content generated significantly higher engagement in 2024, with Instagram seeing a 13% boost in engagement and TikTok experiencing a remarkable 46% surge.
These findings underscore a fundamental shift in how brands must approach their social media strategies to remain competitive.
“Creators are reshaping the social media landscape and setting the standard for audience engagement,” the report states, highlighting how content creators have become “catalysts behind modern owned, earned and paid strategies” that give brands “a face, a sense of humor and authority as thought leaders.”
Four Key Trends Reshaping Brand Social Media Strategy
The report identifies four key trends that are redefining social media strategy for brands in 2025:
The analysis, based on data from 149 TikTok creators and 151 Instagram creators across diverse audience sizes and interests, shows substantial year-over-year growth in engagement across platforms.
This indicates that partnering with creators is increasingly vital for brands seeking to connect with audiences authentically.
TikTok creators excel at expanding reach and awareness, boasting 61% more followers on average compared to their Instagram counterparts.
Meanwhile, Instagram creators generate stronger engagement metrics, with 17% more likes and 30% more comments. This suggests brands should tailor their creator partnership strategies to each platform’s unique strengths.
“Working with creators on TikTok helps brands expand their reach, while Instagram creators boost engagement,” the report notes. “By collaborating with creators, brands are closing gaps in their strategies on the two channels.”
Source: Dash Social
Brands saw significant increases in shares during 2024, with a 57% quarterly rise on TikTok and a 12% increase on Instagram Reels.
Most notably, creator-produced content on TikTok receives 10 times more shares than brand-generated content, making creator partnerships essential for amplifying reach.
Case studies highlight success stories like BÉIS, which expanded beyond founder-generated content to embrace broader creator partnerships, resulting in a 200% increase in TikTok comments and a 37% boost in shares during 2024.
Similarly, UGG transformed from a classic comfort brand to a digital trendsetter by staying atop creator-driven trends, achieving a 112% increase in new TikTok followers and a 367% jump in comments between 2023 and 2024.
Brand Success Stories Demonstrate Creator Impact
Paige Tapp, Social Media Manager at BÉIS, emphasizes the importance of authenticity: “People are drawn to other people — not just a brand name… Creators who connect with our brand identity help amplify it, but they also know their audiences best. By giving them the creative freedom to share our products in their own way, we foster trust and ensure campaigns feel natural and drive impact.”
Food brands Allrecipes and Crumbl are highlighted as leaders in creating shareable content. Allrecipes saw a 59% increase in TikTok shares and a 130% jump on Instagram by focusing on “videos that solve a need in our community, give an honest review of food trends, and provide simple dinner solutions,” according to Heather Oldenborg, Senior Social Media Manager at Allrecipes.
Meanwhile, Crumbl leverages its visually appealing products to drive shares, generating 21 million TikTok profile views and 1.5 million shares in the past year. “Shares have become a central focus at Crumbl because they’re a true reflection of how our content connects with people,” explains Kenzi Didericksen, Social Media Manager at Crumbl.
Strategic Recommendations for Brands
To capitalize on these trends, the report recommends three strategic approaches for brands:
As social media breaks new ground, the report concludes that “creator relationships [are] growing and becoming a more prominent part of our strategy” across industries. For brands looking to thrive in this environment, strategic creator partnerships have become a “non-negotiable” element of successful social media marketing.
The full report is available here.