December’s arrived, which means your calendar is rammed, your inbox is carnage, and somewhere between wrapping presents and wrapping up the year, you’re supposed to stay on top of social media trends too.
The good news? Most of what’s working right now requires minimal effort and maximum relatability. We’re talking formats that don’t need a film crew, a Ring Light, or pretending your life is more sorted than it actually is. December content performs best when it feels familiar, comforting and refreshingly human – which is convenient, because that’s all most of us have energy for at this point in the year.
So here are the 10 December 2025 trends actually worth your time – the ones small businesses are using without losing their minds or their authenticity in the process.
“2025 Wrapped” – The Year-in-Review Carousel Trend
Look, Spotify nailed this format years ago, and now everyone’s nicking it. Brands are creating carousels titled “2025 Wrapped” or “Our Year, Wrapped,” with each slide showing a stat, milestone or moment from the past 24 months (see what I did there).
It works because people are inherently nosy and love a good number. Plus, year-end makes everyone weirdly sentimental about things that happened in February.
How to Use It
Small businesses: Share your year in actual numbers – orders fulfilled, clients helped, cups poured, classes taught. Not aspirational bollocks, real data.
Service providers: Highlight wins, growth moments or lessons learned. The embarrassing early-year predictions that were wildly wrong also make excellent content.
Community brands: Include inside jokes, team moments or customer shout-outs. The stuff that only your lot will get.
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Zara Larsson “Lush Life” – The Carefree Energy Trend
This dance trend is basically permission to look slightly unhinged on camera while pretending you’re having the best time of your life. Creators film themselves dancing solo or with others, showing moments of celebration rather than actual choreography skills.
It’s high-vibe content that doesn’t require 24 takes to get right.
How to Use It
Retail and hospitality: Celebrate hitting your target, surviving Black Friday, or making it through another day without crying in the stockroom.
Gyms and studios: Mark client wins or end-of-year milestones. Your instructor doing this after the last class of 2025? Gold.
Teams: Capture that shared moment of “we actually survived this year” energy. Authenticity beats coordination every single time.
Tame Impala “The Less I Know the Better” – The Catchphrase Trend
Creators use this audio to highlight phrases they say (or hear) constantly – usually something clients or customers repeat again and again until you want to scream into a pillow.
It’s funny because it’s painfully, universally true.
How to Use It
Service businesses: Share that line clients always say. “Can you make the logo bigger?” “I want it to pop.” “Just make it go viral.”
Retailers: Highlight common customer requests or habits. The person who asks if you’re open when they’re literally standing in your open shop.
Founders: Turn an everyday phrase into a knowing joke. We’ve all got one. Ours involves the word “synergy” and it still makes us wanna puke.
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Post Malone “Storage Full” – Then vs Now
Creators use this audio to show a present-day clip before flashing back to an older photo or video – often awkward, chaotic or shot on a phone from 2015 with 12 pixels total.
It taps into nostalgia and that very British love of self-deprecation disguised as progress.
How to Use It
Small businesses: Show early days vs now. Your first market stall vs your actual shop. Your kitchen table “office” vs the real thing.
Creative services: Compare first work to recent projects. We’ve all got work from 2015 that makes us physically cringe.
Retail and hospitality: Highlight how far your space or brand has come. Bonus points if the “before” photo is genuinely tragic.
@stellllaarr defs posted this one to my story back then #bathbombs #storageisfull #lifestylegirls #trending #2015 ♬ White Iverson – Post Malone
Olivia Dean “Lady Lady” – Quiet Growth Content
This audio is used for reflective, personal transformation moments. The tone is calm, thoughtful and understated – the complete opposite of those “I made 6 figures in 24 hours” posts that make you want to throw your phone.
It’s ideal for showing growth without being a absolute dick about it.
How to Use It
Coaches and trainers: Share client or personal progress (with permission, obviously).
Organisers and designers: Show before-and-after transformations. The satisfying kind, not the “look how amazing I am” kind.
Founders: Reflect on how your business or mindset has evolved. The real stuff, not the LinkedIn version.
Fleetwood Mac “Landslide” – Time-Travel Nostalgia
The live version of “Landslide” is being used for emotional two-slide carousels. The first slide shows the present; the second reveals the past. Cue everyone getting misty-eyed about the passage of time.
It’s sentimental and powerful – especially for businesses that’ve been around longer than TikTok has existed.
How to Use It
Family businesses: Show generations or years of growth. Your nan opening the shop vs you running it now.
Teams: Share first team photo vs now. Preferably with questionable haircuts in the throwback.
Founders: Highlight how and where it all started. The unsexy origin story (you know the one).
@throwbackhitsforyou Fleetwood Mac “Landslide” 1975 #tiktokforyou #70smusic #folk #stevienicks #landslide #throwbacksongsforyou #livemusic #fleetwoodmac #performance #fypofficial ♬ Landslide (2017 Remaster) – Fleetwood Mac
Ina Garten Brownie Pudding – Satisfying Food Content
This dessert trend focuses on contrast – the crackly top being broken to reveal a molten centre. The texture reveal is what hooks viewers.
It’s slow, indulgent and highly watchable. Also genuinely delicious, which always helps.
How to Use It
Bakeries and cafés: Film the crack-and-reveal moment. Close-up, good lighting, let the texture do the work.
Food brands: Showcase texture, freshness or reactions. People losing their minds over how good something looks never gets old.
Caterers: Feature it as a seasonal offering. It’s basically foolproof and impressive, which is the sweet spot.
@allrecipes Consider us influenced, Ina! 🍫🤤 We’re making the Barefoot Contessa’s famous Brownie Pudding! So toasty, slightly chewy, and oh-so good! 🤎 Get the full recipe in our @allrecipes bio! Ingredients: 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 2 cups sugar 3/4 cup good cocoa powder 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Vanilla bean paste 🧑🍳: @NicoleMcLaughlin #browniepudding #browniesen #pudding #icecream #chocolate ♬ Jazz Bossa Nova – TOKYO Lonesome Blue
Mariah Carey “All I Want for Christmas” AKA Finishing with a CLASSSIC
This audio needs no explanation. It’s being used for decorating clips, festive packaging, gift guides and team moments.
It works because it’s instantly recognisable and emotionally warm. Also because it’s basically illegal to not play Mariah in December.
How to Use It
Retailers: Create gift guides or festive displays. Let Mariah do the heavy lifting while you show the products.
Service businesses: Share behind-the-scenes Christmas prep. The tree going up, the decorations, the chaos.
Teams: Capture decorating, celebrations or end-of-year moments. The messier and more human, the better.
@brickingit1 All I want for Christmas is…who did it best? #dancingbuilders #crankdat #alliwantforchristmas ♬ original sound – The Famileigh
The Takeaway
December trends favour warmth over polish, humour over perfection, and familiarity over novelty. The formats doing best are the ones that feel easy, recognisable and human.
You don’t need to do all ten. Pick one or two that fit your brand, adapt the format, and let consistency do the heavy lifting. And for the love of all that’s holy, don’t try to force a trend that doesn’t suit you. Cringe isn’t allowed this Christmas.
