Artificial Intelligence · Digital Influencer · Social Media · Trends

“Creative boldness” and the growing importance of digital listening

I love Hootsuite’s Social Media Report 2025!

The global report, which is always released between December and January, highlighted four important trends:

Creative bravery – the courage to create boldly
The importance of social listening – the growing importance of digital listening
Outbound engagement – brands connecting with external communities by commenting on creators’ posts
AI – a 100% increase in the number of social media professionals using artificial intelligence to optimize their work and focus more on creativity

I like to take my time digesting the information and comparing it with other studies on Brazilian trends. And that’s exactly what I did to bring you the insights that make sense for our market.

Of the four trends identified, I’d like to highlight the two I believe will be most relevant to our market in 2025.

Let’s dive in!

Boldness and Joy (and Results!)

Since 2023, several reports have highlighted the importance of producing content that truly entertains audiences.

And Where Do Brands Fit Into This?

According to Hootsuite, 60% of brands are prioritizing entertainment, education, or information in their digital communication strategies — even if that means temporarily shifting the focus away from the brand and its products.

In other words, they’ve realized that attracting and retaining audiences requires capturing their attention through quality content. In today’s hypercompetitive battle for attention, creative boldness isn’t a differentiator — it’s a necessity. And building a community goes far beyond sales-driven or business-centered posts.

But this boldness requires greater flexibility. While it was once essential for brands to maintain a consistent tone of voice and content format across all channels, adaptability has now become a key factor. The same consumer may be on TikTok and Instagram but expect different content on each platform.

Brands that understand this dynamic and adapt their narratives to audience behavior are more likely to generate genuine engagement.

So, what are the watchwords for 2025? Experiment, be bold, adapt — and, of course, measure everything to ensure the strategy is delivering the expected results.

Social Listening – Once an Important Asset. Now a Necessity

I believe there’s finally a consensus on the importance of investing in digital communication. But what is essential to overcoming the challenge of demonstrating the ROI of social media strategies?

Align traditional metrics with social listening indicators. Analyzing reach, likes, and impressions isn’t enough if those numbers don’t reflect real conversations and purchase intent.
Understand whether your content is actually moving the needle! Social listening will tell you whether it’s generating relevant discussions, whether conversations demonstrate genuine interest in the product, and whether you’re growing not only your audience but also the number of consumers who speak positively about your brand.

This alignment between data from owned social media channels and social listening is an essential step toward achieving digital maturity.

Furthermore, social listening is a powerful tool for producing more strategic and effective content. With information overload and increasing competition for audience attention, there’s no longer room for assumptions. Constantly monitoring audience conversations allows brands to understand exactly which topics resonate, which questions need answers, and which formats have the greatest potential to generate engagement.

In other words, those who master social listening not only create more relevant content but also improve their performance and build a more engaged and loyal community.