Which Platform is Ahead in the Social Media Race in 2025?
2024: A Year of Transformation in Social Media Content and User Behavior
The year 2024 marked a period of reshaping in the world of social media, both in terms of content formats and user habits. Short-form video content has taken center stage in this transformation, profoundly influencing brands’ digital marketing strategies. Striking changes have occurred in many sectors, particularly in the highly visual cosmetics industry.
Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube: The Shifting Balance of Power
Instagram: Leading Engagement with Reels
In 2024, Instagram maintained its position as the most preferred social media platform for brands. According to CreatorDen’s 2025 Influencer Marketing Outlook Report and CreatorHub Monitor's analysis, brand tags and collaborations on Instagram saw a significant increase.
As organic reach declined, brands significantly ramped up their advertising investments. While the average view count of the top 10 brand tags was 138 million in 2023, this number skyrocketed to 401 million in 2024. These figures clearly demonstrate why Instagram remains an indispensable platform.
The Rise of Reels
Reels have become the core of Instagram’s content strategy. Over half of the content shared on the platform now consists of Reels. These short, entertaining, and easily consumable videos allow brands to reach large audiences and achieve high engagement.
Why Reels Stand Out:
- Explore Advantage: Reels have greater potential to reach broader audiences compared to other formats.
- Algorithm Support: Instagram prioritizes Reels content in its algorithm.
- Short and Fun: Users prefer fast, engaging content.
TikTok: The New Hub for Beauty Content
In 2024, TikTok further strengthened its influence. Brands like Trendyol, Hepsiburada, Sephora, and A101 established strong visibility through multi-platform strategies across both Instagram and TikTok. However, beauty content has increasingly shifted towards TikTok.
Key reasons for this include:
- Dynamic content structure
- Effective discovery algorithm
- Creative influencer collaborations
TikTok, with its creative and authentic user-generated content, has brought a fresh breath to the cosmetics industry.
YouTube: The Digital Television Experience
In 2024, YouTube accelerated its evolution into a digital TV platform. With talk shows, debate programs, and entertainment content, YouTube has recreated the traditional television experience online. As a result, brands diversified their advertising strategies on YouTube through content integration and sponsorships.
The Rise of YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts has also secured its place in the short-form video race. Creators have been able to reach new audiences and attract traffic from other platforms through Shorts. The rise of short video formats is likely to continue shaping the future of digital marketing.
The Era of Short Videos Has Begun!
As of 2024, short-form video content has become the focal point of social media. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube offer brands unique dynamics to engage audiences, with the cosmetics sector among the biggest beneficiaries of this shift.
For brands to maintain their success into 2025 and beyond, investing in creative, eye-catching, and platform-specific short video content will be critically important.
