From AI growing pains to influencer power—five social media trends shaping the art world in 2025

From the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) to the slow seepage of influencer culture into the art world, The Digital Expert Hayden Corodos He shares his predictions on the trends the industry can expect from social media in 2025.

Growing pains

Cultural organizations will increasingly use AI tools to streamline their content creation, from creating short clips from longer videos to crafting engaging copy. However, there will be increasing difficulties as organizations strive to maintain personalization and engaging content that resonates with audiences and works within organizational values. As the general public continues to feel uneasy about the use of AI, especially in art, organizations should consider setting guidelines internally and creating a strategy for transparent communication externally with their audiences, for example through disclaimers or behind-the-scenes insights. Be open and flexible; These guidelines will likely evolve as your team gains confidence and experience using AI tools. Regular reviews and updates can help maintain alignment with organizational values ​​and technological advances. The Arts Marketing Association has a sample policy if you’re not sure where to start.

Keep it specialized

Forward-thinking organizations will focus on building deeper connections with niche communities, and creating personalized content that resonates with relevant audiences. This shift toward prioritizing quality audience following over vanity follower counts will open doors to new digital-driven revenue streams. Platforms like YouTube, Discord, and Instagram will be key to building successful communities. Features such as Broadcast Channels – one-to-many public messaging tools that allow organizations to interact with their most interested fans – and a “Close Friends” feature – which allows accounts to share private messages or announcements with only select followers – will be available. Important tools in this growth. Remember, niche doesn’t necessarily mean small. For example, the Sacramento History Museum has built a global following primarily focused on its print shop, and its TikTok page has 2.8 million followers.

Trend detection

Cultural organizations will continue to embrace meme culture and viral trends to attract attention and stimulate conversations and engagement. Arts spaces like the Southbank Center and Beamish Museum have succeeded in producing cultural versions of blockbuster moments: Beamish Museum created its version of “When Generation Z Writes the Marketing Text,” and Southbank deftly combined “naughty summer” with “very staid, very thoughtful trends.” In one post, expect more organizations to experiment with fun and timely content to capture the zeitgeist.

Influencing force

As the creator economy expands, more cultural organizations will collaborate with influencers and thought leaders. Cultural giants such as the Tate, National Gallery and Barbican have embraced influencer marketing as part of their content and growth strategy, and I expect the rest of the sector to follow suit. Customized influencer packages will be created to connect with niche and micro influencers. This trend will also push organizations to create more original and platform-based content: think lo-fi aesthetics and content.

Video prevails

Longer video content has become a cornerstone of social media storytelling. On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, videos longer than 90 seconds frequently appear in the “For You” and “Explore” feeds, providing deeper engagement opportunities. As video storytelling techniques evolve, cultural organizations must embrace longer videos alongside their short-form content to educate and enlighten their audiences, while remaining true to the look and feel of their chosen platforms. The Tank Museum is a good example of an organization that creates video content down to the fine art, creating a good mix of short and long-form videos for TikTok, YouTube, and YouTube Shorts.

• Hayden Corodos is a US-based digital consultant who specializes in social media for arts organizations