Trends & Patterns to Start into 2025
The race to become the new Twitter became a real thing in 2024. Social media underdogs are challenging the giants — and our very own social media styles. Here are strategies for 2025.
000 Check-in 👉️ What a year-end sprint! Bluesky is shaking up the race for Twitter's successor. Despite Threads having a much larger user base, Meta refuses to share the spotlight, continuously announcing success metrics and new features. Meanwhile, everyone is working on the decentralized future of social media. So, what’s in style for us social users in the new year? We’re taking a look at the hottest trends and patterns for the new season. Enjoy reading!
Daniel 🙌
P.S.: 64% of the Style & Stitches community want to become more active on Bluesky in 2025. We asked you about this in the last issue. To be honest, I didn’t expect this trend at the start of the year.
Style-Check: Mover & Shaker in 2025
010 👉️ Threads has seen remarkable growth, boasting over 300 million monthly active users and 100 million daily active users. Bluesky, while smaller, has also experienced significant growth, reaching nearly 25 million users since the U.S. elections. It has been particularly appealing to users looking for a decentralized platform where they have more control over their data and interactions. As of now, neither has fully replaced Twitter, but both are carving out significant niches in the social media landscape. But what can we expect in 2025?
The Mover: The platform that will drive the biggest shift in social media towards its decentralized future is Threads. The completion of the Fediverse integration will bring Mastodon & Co. into the mainstream, fueling further development. Meanwhile, Threads is achieving something that even Twitter never managed on such a wide scale: it is attracting mainstream users to a text-based network beyond the communications bubble.
The Shaker: Since the U.S. election, Bluesky has acted like a confident winner, waiting for its inauguration after users voted for the successor to Twitter. With its bold communication and a flurry of new features, it has even put Threads under pressure. After the first two-thirds of the year passed with few user numbers or major features announced, it seemed like Threads was aiming to outdo Bluesky in every aspect. While the Fediverse is maturing pleasantly faster than expected, for our social media craft, this means: thanks to Bluesky, cross-posting is now in full swing. Now, it’s the founding era for platforms, though the networking of the social world still looks great on paper but is far from being fully knitted together.
Trends & Patterns for 2025
020 👉️ Success Patterns for Threads: Consistency is key
Maintain a Regular Posting Schedule: Keeping a consistent posting routine helps keep your audience engaged.
Daily Posts: Aim for 3-5 posts per week as an ideal frequency for most users.
High Activity: For highly active accounts or those looking to gain traction, posting 5-10 times a day can be beneficial.
Optimal Posting Times: Identify when your audience is most active—typically late mornings, lunch breaks, and early evenings—and schedule your posts accordingly to maximize engagement. Engagement on fresh posts is crucial for extending your reach.
Focus on Ease of Comprehension: Shorter content requires less mental effort from readers, potentially leading to higher engagement rates. The ideal length for a post to maximize engagement on Threads is between 1 to 80 characters!
Videos Are Not Automatically Superior: Videos do not necessarily outperform text or photo posts on Threads. Clips up to 5 minutes are supported, but they don't guarantee higher engagement. Visual content (graphics and photos) tends to perform better than plain text. Amateur Canva graphics consistently outperform text posts. Another surprise: Replies and comments on existing threads often outperform original posts.
🧶🧵🪡
030 👉️ Social Trends to Conquer Bluesky: It’s All About Timing
Post 1-2 Times Daily for Optimal Engagement: Due to the timeline mechanics, choosing the best times to post is crucial. Best Days: Tuesday through Thursday.
Avoid: Sundays (lowest engagement).
Peak Posting Hours:
Weekdays: Between 9 a.m. and noon.
Evening Hours: Between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Specific Peak Times by Day:
Tuesdays: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
Wednesdays: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6-9 p.m.
Thursdays: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6-9 p.m.
While Bluesky doesn’t have the complex algorithm of some other platforms, certain content types tend to perform well during peak hours:
Eye-catching images and videos: Particularly effective during high-traffic periods, especially in the evenings between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Polls and thought-provoking questions: Generate higher engagement during peak hours, particularly during lunch breaks (12 p.m. to 2 p.m.) and after work (5 p.m. to 9 p.m.).
Posts Related to Current Events or Trending Topics: Perform well during morning (9 a.m. to noon) and evening (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.) peak times.
More In-Depth Posts or Threads: Tend to perform better in the afternoon (12 p.m. to 3 p.m.) when users have more time to engage.
Behind-the-Scenes Posts: Often resonate well during evening hours (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) when users are winding down and more likely to engage with personal content.
Einladung zum Webinar: Social-Media-Strategie 2025
Aber was ist mit Tiktok, Facebook & WhatsApp? Wie bespielen wir Instagram 2025 optimal? Wie haben die Deutschen ihre Netznutzung im Vergleich zum Vorjahr verändert?
Darum geht es in meinem Webinar-Klassiker zum Jahreswechsel: Alle Infos für eure Social-Media-Strategie 2025.Für 49,50 Euro könnt ihr live dabei sein, die Aufzeichnung nachsehen & nachhören, eine Zusammenfassung lesen oder die Präsentation nutzen.
🧶🧵🪡
The Style to Be Seen on Mastodon: Keep It Simple
Mastodon uses a strictly chronological timeline, without algorithmic prioritization. This means that posting during peak hours, when more users are active, is likely to increase visibility for any content type.
Enable the "Feature profile and posts in discovery algorithms" option in your privacy settings to support growth.
Actively participate in discussions and comment on others' posts.
Follow accounts in your niche and interact with their content. Remember those Follow for Follow times?
Mastodon users tend to lean more towards the nerdy side of the spectrum rather than the mainstream. However, media or commercial brands that tailor their content to this audience can see significant returns. Media brands should note that Mastodon users tend to be more engaged, with an average of 6.5 pages per visit and about 6 minutes spent on the platform per session.
Demographics:
25-34-year-olds make up about 32% of users.
Over half (56.19%) of all Mastodon users are between 18 and 34 years old.
Approximately 66-71% of users are male.
Mastodon has a global audience, with notable concentrations in:
Germany (over 27% of users)
United States (31.56% of traffic)
Mastodon caters to niche communities and focused discussions. Popular topics include technology, privacy, social justice, art, and hobbies. News is the most discussed topic on the platform.
Media brands should also note that Mastodon users tend to be more engaged, with an average of 6.5 pages per visit and about 6 minutes spent on the platform per session. This engaged audience provides opportunities for deeper, more meaningful interactions compared to larger social networks. They actually read the content.
🧶🧵🪡
050 👉️ Getting Ready for the Fediverse: Be a pioneer
As the Fediverse gains traction, media brands and journalists should consider actively participating. Here’s how you can take the first steps:
Integrate ActivityPub into Your Website: Simultaneously publish content on your site and federated platforms. Tools like WordPress's ActivityPub module make it easier to connect your site to the Fediverse.
Real-Time Content Distribution: Share articles, videos, and other media directly without relying on third-party platforms for visibility.
Own Your Audience Relationships: Build direct connections with your audience, similar to email newsletters, but with greater depth. ActivityPub also enables interactions like comments from federated platforms to appear on your site, creating a seamless and engaging user experience.
Educate Your Audience: Help your followers understand the benefits and mechanics of decentralized social media. This empowers them to join the movement and engage with your content across platforms.
By adopting these practices early, you position yourself as a leader in the decentralized social media space, fostering meaningful connections and staying ahead of the curve.
Question of the Week:
I’ll reveal the voting results on Threads & Bluesky and in the next newsletter.
🧶🧵🪡
059 … 060 … You’re weekly update regarding Threads & decentralized Social Media is complete
Do you know someone who might find this issue useful? Then feel free to forward this email or share the link.
On our topic list: How does the user experience on Bluesky differ from Threads? - Threads for Corporate Influencers – is there any progress? - After the API launch, which tools make Threads better? - Open Vibe Test
Daniel Fienes Blog — where everything comes together
Daniel Fienes Kiosk — treat yourself to the official mug for my blog or the mug for my newsletter and support with your purchase this free newsletter 🙏
More emails from Daniel? Thursdays (Podcast Strategy) – Sundays (Official Newsletter & Inspiration for the New Internet Week) – New issues of Style & Stitches come out on Wednesdays.
Einladung zum Webinar: Social-Media-Strategie 2025
Aber was ist mit Tiktok, Facebook & WhatsApp? Wie bespielen wir Instagram 2025 optimal? Wie haben die Deutschen ihre Netznutzung im Vergleich zum Vorjahr verändert?
Darum geht es in meinem Webinar-Klassiker zum Jahreswechsel: Alle Infos für eure Social-Media-Strategie 2025.Für 49,50 Euro könnt ihr live dabei sein, die Aufzeichnung nachsehen & nachhören, eine Zusammenfassung lesen oder die Präsentation nutzen.