Core Insights - The term "Aura" has been named the Word of the Year for 2025, generating 31.9 billion impressions across major social networks, illustrating the impact of social media on culture and language [3][4] - Sprout Social's analysis indicates that niche trends, AI-driven discovery, and community-led content have significantly reshaped language and culture in 2025 [2] Social Media Trends - "Aura" exemplifies how viral micro-moments can evolve into global cultural phenomena, with related terms like "aura-farming" and "aura-maxxing" emerging from this trend [3] - The character "Labubu," created by artist Kasing Lung, gained over 5.8 million mentions online, driven by unboxing videos and celebrity influence, highlighting the power of niche communities in creating viral content [4] - The catchphrase "6–7," from Skrilla's song, became a popular inside joke among younger audiences, with 3.8 million mentions, reflecting the rise of absurdist humor in online conversations [5] Marketing Insights - The top marketing terms of 2025 included "GEO" (Generative Engine Optimization) with 116 billion impressions, indicating the importance of optimizing content for AI-driven discovery [6] - "Substack" also emerged as a significant term with over 117 billion impressions, showcasing brands' focus on engaging niche communities through long-form storytelling [6] Future Trends - Looking ahead to 2026, terms like "AI Slop" and "Clanker" reflect growing skepticism towards low-quality AI-generated content, with over 2 million mentions combined, indicating a preference for human-led content [7] - The term "Group 7" highlights the increasing appeal of niche, exclusive, and personalized online communities, a trend expected to expand in 2026 [8]

TikTokers have been proudly flaunting their membership to “Group 7,” an exclusive club dictated by the mysterious whims of the algorithm.So, what exactly is Group 7, and are you a member? https://t.co/xOL9mXCySj https://t.co/TTBqQTMSss ...

Singer-songwriter Sophia James tried to break through TikTok’s algorithm to boost her new song’s reach, but ended up creating “Group 7,” an exclusive “club” millions of TikTok users have found themselves part of.https://t.co/mnEZCpe9H7 https://t.co/4noYyR2qzv ...