30+ social media best practices to follow in 2025

Social media keeps changing — new features, shifting algorithms, and changing audience expectations make it essential to stay sharp. Below are some strong practices that can help anyone build presence, engagement, and growth across platforms this year.

Universal Best Practices for All Platforms

These are foundational practices that work across every social platform:

• Understand your target audience: research their interests, challenges, preferred content types, and where they spend time.
• Audit your social media presence: review profile info, engagement, strengths, gaps, and consistency.
• Choose the right platforms: focus on networks where your audience is active rather than trying to do everything.
• Set SMART objectives: make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• Use a content calendar: plan ahead for consistent posting and to balance content types.
• Customize content for each platform: adjust formats, length, visuals, captions, hashtags per platform norms.
• Diversify content strategy: mix promotional, educational, entertaining, and interactive posts to keep audiences interested.
• Schedule posts for optimal times: use data to post when your audience is most active.
• Monitor and adjust: check analytics, test what works or doesn’t, and refine your strategy.

Quick Answer

To up your social media game in 2025, start by defining who you are talking to & setting clear goals. Use a calendar, customize for each platform, test different content, and adjust based on what your analytics show.

Platform-Specific Tips That Help

Each social network has unique features and user expectations. Here are tips for some big names:

• Facebook: Prioritize video content, make use of shopping or product features, engage actively via comments.
• Instagram: Use 3-5 relevant hashtags, mix popular & niche ones, use product tagging where possible.
• X (formerly Twitter): Use no more than two hashtags, include visuals for engagement, tag relevant accounts to spark conversations.
• LinkedIn: Share industry-specific content, keep profile info up to date and professional, grow your network with meaningful connections.
• Pinterest: Inspire rather than sell, use strong visuals, keywords in titles & descriptions, create themed boards for discovery.
• Google Business Profile: Keep business info accurate, respond well to reviews, focus on business-oriented content.
• TikTok: Short interactive videos often outperform longer ones, use trending sounds and hashtags, join relevant trends/challenges.

Bringing Best Practices Together

Combining universal and platform-specific practices will give your social media strategy both breadth and depth. Start small, test often, learn what resonates with your audience, and build up from there. Consistency and genuine value are still what wins in the long run.