The Anatomy of Social Media Engagement: Shifting consumer interests in early 2025

In 2024, music led the Social Media Star Index, followed by film, TV & movies, with cooking in third place. However, early 2025 saw a shift.

What key takeaways emerge from our in-depth analysis of the first two months of 2025?

1. Music holds strong – with a consistent share, music remains the top-performing category, reflecting its stable engagement across platforms.
2. Lifestyle (January) → Beauty (February) – interest shifts from new-year wellness and habits in January to beauty and self-care in February, likely driven by Valentine’s Day and seasonal skincare needs.
3. Instagram’s influence – the second-ranked category each month sees its highest engagement on Instagram, reinforcing the platform’s role in visual and aspirational content.
4. Entertainment stays steady – the movies, TV, and streaming category maintains a steady share, showing ongoing consumer interest in entertainment year-round.

Why this shift?

Lifestyle dominates in January as people focus on fresh starts and self-improvement. The New Year brings resolutions around health, wellness, and productivity, while the post-holiday reset motivates better habits.
Winter blues also drive interest in self-care and motivation, amplified by “New Year, New You” campaigns. Financial planning also plays a role as people reassess their spending and saving habits.

Beauty gains traction in February due to seasonal, cultural, and consumer trends.
Valentine’s Day drives interest in makeup, skincare, and fragrances for both gifting and self-pampering. The rise of self-care culture extends February’s focus on love to personal well-being, encouraging indulgence in beauty treatments.
Additionally, winter skin and hair care needs peak, with consumers looking for hydration-focused solutions. New product launches – including spring collections and Valentine’s-themed releases – further fuel engagement.

How does this impact marketers and businesses?

The Social Media Star Index data from January & February 2025 aligns with key insights from the InfluenceMe 2024 study, reinforcing how influencer marketing impacts consumer awareness, research, and purchase decisions, especially in high-involvement categories like beauty.

Awareness transfer from influencer to brand:

• the InfluenceMe study highlights that an influencer’s awareness is directly transferred to the brand, even in low-involvement categories. However, beauty is a high-involvement category, meaning consumers are more engaged and selective in their purchasing decisions;
• the fact that Instagram dominates beauty influencers’ reach shows that high-visibility influencers like Ioana Puiu and Drusckha play a critical role in maintaining brand relevance.

High involvement triggers research:

• beauty consumers actively research products, either due to the nature of the category (requiring product testing, comparisons, reviews) or because of increased engagement through brand activations;
• this explains why influencers like Adelina Ioana Pestrițu, who rank high on both Facebook and Instagram, can be particularly effective – engaging audiences across different research touch points.

Influencer campaigns & category-specific engagement:

• the InfluenceMe study shows that consumers recall fashion & beauty influencer campaigns the most. However, there’s also demand for more beauty collaborations with travel, education, and personal development influencers, signaling an opportunity for brands to diversify content;
• the February 2025 ranking shifts indicate dynamic consumer interest, with beauty overtaking lifestyle as a key engagement category. This shift suggests increased campaign activity and influencer effectiveness in beauty during this period.

Influencer marketing drives consideration for categories like beauty:

• unlike banking or insurance, where planned decisions require strong brand activations, beauty thrives on multiple influencers and product presentations (30% impact on purchase decisions);
• the top-ranking influencers in February 2025 rely on Instagram dominance, reinforcing the importance of visual storytelling and social proof in driving purchase intent.

Beyond these key findings, additional insights into consumer behavior and social media trends are available for those seeking a deeper understanding in a dynamic digital landscape.

The role of CRM in maximizing engagement

Understanding these shifting consumer interests is only the first step – turning insights into action requires effective customer relationship management (CRM).
By integrating social media engagement data with CRM strategies, brands can personalize interactions, improve customer loyalty, and drive conversion rates. Leveraging influencer insights, customer preferences, and engagement patterns allows businesses to craft targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience at the right time. 

In an era where data-driven marketing is essential, aligning CRM efforts with social trends ensures long-term success and deeper customer connections.

Photos @Unsplash