Social media in 2025 looks different. The tools may be familiar, but the rules for engagement, visibility, and results have shifted. Buffer’s year-long dataset, pulled from millions of posts, offers a detailed look at platform trends, post performance, and the subtle ways AI is reshaping content strategies behind the scenes.
Some Platforms Are Growing, Others Are Slipping
Not every platform is trending in the same direction. LinkedIn stands out right now. It’s seen a quiet climb to the top of the engagement charts, reaching an 8% median rate, the highest of any platform tracked. YouTube Shorts is also trending upward, while Facebook continues to hold steady, particularly due to activity in Groups and local communities.
Elsewhere, the picture’s different. Instagram’s public engagement has dropped sharply. At the start of 2024, median interaction sat near 3%. By early 2025, it had slipped below 1%. TikTok's performance remains solid, but the algorithm now seems to reward total watch time over likes or comments. Pinterest, less talked about but still relevant, gained momentum during the same period, especially for evergreen content that keeps circulating long after posting.
Threads, which launched strong, has started to settle into a middle ground. Its engagement rates are still well above X (formerly Twitter), but down from their original highs. And X? It’s continuing to decline, both in median and average engagement.
What Consistency Actually Changes
There’s a clear trend across every study Buffer ran: the creators who show up regularly perform better. Not just slightly better, a lot better.
Buffer looked at posting behavior across more than 100,000 accounts over six months. Those who posted at least once a week for 20 or more weeks saw over four times the engagement per post compared to accounts that posted fewer than five times in that same span. Even the ones who posted for just five to 19 weeks outperformed the lowest-frequency group by more than 3x.
The strongest results appeared around the five-month mark. After that, gains started to flatten, but the takeaway was the same: consistency doesn’t just help, it multiplies results over time.
AI Changed the Output, and the Outcome
Another layer to this year’s data explored something new: how much AI actually influences performance. Buffer analyzed 1.2 million posts across Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and X, comparing posts written with AI assistance to those created entirely by humans.
The difference wasn’t massive, but it was consistent. Posts that used Buffer’s AI Assistant had about 22% more engagement overall. Median rates jumped from 4.8% to nearly 5.9%. The biggest gains showed up on Threads, where AI-assisted posts doubled their typical engagement. On YouTube, the boost was smaller but still visible.
Part of this may come from writing itself, better hooks, tighter copy, more concise calls to action. But frequency played a role, too. Creators using AI published more often, tested more formats, and got past creative blocks faster. That volume, combined with smarter execution, added up over time.
It’s not that AI did the work. It just made showing up easier. And that made all the difference.
What’s Working on TikTok? Longer Videos
Most TikTok posts still fall under the 60-second mark, but the data says the longer you go, the better the results, at least right now.
Buffer looked at 1.1 million TikToks and compared performance by length. Videos over a minute long reached nearly twice as many users and had more than 260% longer watch times compared to short clips in the 5-to-10-second range. Even clips between 30 and 60 seconds beat the shortest formats handily.
Watch time seems to be the key signal now, not views. And while TikTok built its brand on short bursts, it’s rewarding creators who can keep people around longer.
Instagram: Reels for Reach, Carousels for Depth
If your goal on Instagram is to get discovered, Reels still deliver. Compared to carousels, Reels had 36% more reach. Single-image posts fell even further behind, getting less than half the reach Reels brought in.
But when it comes to interaction, not just reach, carousels came out ahead. They earned 12% more engagement than Reels, and more than twice as much as single photos. In short, Reels put content in front of new eyes. Carousels deepen the connection with the people already following you. Photos? They still work, but mostly when grouped into carousels.
Threads Grew Fast, and Still Beats X in Engagement
Threads started with strong momentum, and while growth has leveled off, it’s still ahead of X when it comes to interaction. Median engagement on Threads landed around 6.25%, compared to 3.6% on X. On average, Threads posts also did better, about 83% better.
That’s not just about user behavior. It’s baked into the platform’s structure. Threads has lower content saturation and a feed that prioritizes replies. Posts stick around longer, which helps them collect more engagement over time. X has broader reach, sure, but that reach comes with noise. For steady, mid-level engagement, Threads currently holds the edge.
Platform Preferences: What’s Gaining Ground
Newer players like Bluesky and Threads posted major growth over the past two years. Bluesky rose from about 1,600 connected accounts to over 27,000. Threads went from 3,300 to more than 23,000. TikTok also exploded in that window — from under 800 connected accounts to more than 275,000.
But legacy platforms didn’t fade. Facebook picked up over 700,000 new connections among Buffer users. Instagram nearly doubled its presence. Even Pinterest grew more than 100%, suggesting that creators and marketers are leaning into a multi-platform approach instead of betting on just one winner.
Threads, X, and Bluesky: Different Strengths, Similar Starts
When Buffer compared performance across text-based platforms, Threads, X, and Bluesky, one number stood out: the median post on each platform got four interactions. No matter which platform you choose, that’s the baseline most users can expect.
But averages told a different story. On X, the average post had 328 engagements. That number was driven up by a handful of viral hits. On Threads, the average was 58. Bluesky sat at 21, reflecting its smaller but more focused audience.
So where’s the opportunity? That depends. If you’re chasing viral moments, X still gives you the widest swing. Threads offers steadier interaction with less competition. Bluesky appeals to those looking for tighter communities and longer conversations.
What It All Adds Up To
Trends come and go, but some things remain consistent. In 2025, creators who post regularly, understand format trade-offs, and use available tools, whether AI or not, are outperforming those who don’t. Reels get eyes. Carousels build trust. Long TikToks beat short ones. Threads holds attention better than X. And posting once a week? That’s still the most reliable growth tactic around.
Whatever platform you choose, showing up on purpose, with content that fits both the format and the audience, matters more than ever.
H/T: Buffer App.
Note: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.
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