Picture this: you’re scrolling through Instagram, and a stunning photo of a cozy treehouse in Bali pops up, posted by someone who just stayed there. That’s no accident—Airbnb is leaning hard into social media in 2025 to make travel feel less like booking a place and more like joining a global community of explorers. The company’s not just about finding a cool spot to crash anymore; it’s aiming to be your go-to for everything travel-related, from unique stays to unforgettable experiences. Here’s how Airbnb’s social media game plan is shaking things up and why it’s got everyone buzzing.

Going All-In on Social Vibes

Airbnb’s big boss, Brian Chesky, and marketing guru Hiroki Asai are on a mission to make the brand feel fresh and exciting again. They’re calling it a “reintroduction” of what Airbnb’s all about: real connections, not just a bed for the night. With over 1.5 billion devices checking out Airbnb’s platform last year—many just browsing without booking—they see a huge opportunity to hook people through social media. Think of it as Airbnb saying, “Hey, come hang out with us, whether you’re planning a trip or just daydreaming!”

Their strategy boils down to three things: sharing real stories from users, launching campaigns that make you want to pack your bags, and adding features that make the app feel like a travel buddy. Let’s dive in.

Real People, Real Stories

Airbnb’s always been great at letting users do the talking. You know those jaw-dropping photos of quirky rentals—like a lighthouse in Norway or a desert yurt—that flood your Instagram feed? Most of those come from regular folks, not some fancy marketing team. Back in 2016, 77% of Airbnb’s Instagram posts were user-generated, and those drove 80% of the likes, comments, and shares. That magic’s still working in 2025. Guests and hosts post about their stays, from quirky lofts to homemade breakfasts by their hosts, and it’s like a virtual travel scrapbook that screams, “You could be here!”

Hosts are the heart of this. They’re sharing stories about welcoming guests with local tips or even hosting cooking classes in their kitchens. It’s all about that “Belong Anywhere” vibe—making you feel like you’re visiting a friend, not just renting a room. Remember the “Live Anywhere” campaign from 2021? People shared their year-long adventures across Airbnb stays, racking up over 223 million views and inspiring tons of longer bookings. Airbnb’s doubling down on this, turning hosts and guests into storytellers who make the brand feel alive and authentic.

Campaigns That Spark Wanderlust

Airbnb’s social media campaigns are like mini-adventures in themselves. They’ve always known how to grab attention—remember #OneLessStranger, where people shared random acts of kindness? It was heartwarming and totally shareable. Fast forward to 2024’s “Icons” campaign, where you could book a night in a floating “Up” house from Pixar or score tickets to a Doja Cat show. One TikTok video from that campaign got over 2 million views, and you can bet people were talking about it.

In 2025, Airbnb’s all about its relaunched Experiences—think learning to make croissants in Paris or playing beach volleyball in Rio. They’re pushing these through short, snappy videos on Instagram and TikTok, tailored to hotspots like Tokyo or Miami. It’s smart because so many of us now use social media to plan trips, scrolling for inspo instead of Googling. Airbnb’s tapping into that, making you want to book that pottery workshop or share your own travel clips, which keeps the buzz going.

Features That Feel Like a Group Chat

Here’s where things get really fun: Airbnb’s adding social features to make the app feel like a community hub. Imagine booking a hiking tour in Peru and joining a group chat with other travelers to swap tips or share photos of the epic views. That’s happening in 2025, with new tools letting guests connect over shared Experiences. User profiles are getting a glow-up too, letting you share fun details like your hometown or languages you speak—profile completions are up 15x because people love it.

Plus, Airbnb’s got an AI-powered assistant that’s like a super helpful friend in your DMs, answering questions fast and making sure you’re set for your trip. These features aren’t just about booking; they’re about keeping you connected to the travel vibe long after you’re home. It’s like Airbnb’s saying, “Let’s keep the adventure going!”

Taking on the Big Players

Airbnb’s not playing small. They’re going head-to-head with travel giants like Tripadvisor and Booking.com, and even dipping into Yelp’s territory with new Airbnb Services—think hiring a local chef or booking a massage. They’re using social media to shout about these offerings, teaming up with influencers and running targeted ads to pull in new users. But it’s not all smooth sailing. Hotels like Hilton are pushing back, hyping up the reliability of traditional stays, and Airbnb’s got to keep its quirky, authentic edge to stand out. Plus, with new markets come new rules, and some places might throw up roadblocks that could slow down their plans.

What’s in It for Hosts and Travelers?

For hosts, this social media push is a goldmine. Got a cool listing? Post killer photos or a video tour, and you could catch the eye of travelers scrolling Instagram. Airbnb’s encouraging hosts to be local rockstars, teaming up with nearby businesses or influencers to boost their visibility. Take that “Home With Open Arms” contest with Shah Rukh Khan’s Delhi pad—pure social media gold that drove tons of interest.

For travelers, it’s all about inspiration and connection. You’re not just booking a place; you’re discovering experiences and meeting people who share your travel bug. Whether it’s swapping stories in a group chat or finding the perfect cooking class through a TikTok video, Airbnb’s making travel feel personal and exciting.

Okay, so picture this: Florida just announced some pretty tough laws for kids and their social media adventure. Governor Ron DeSantis got the changes started by signing a bill that has everything to keep our youth safe in the digital world. Let’s take a closer look at what this bill is about.

The Lowdown on HB3

This new rule in the books, House Bill 3 (HB3) is here to address concerns about how social media is messing with young minds. Here's the details:

1. Age restrictions: If you’re under 14, sorry but you cannot have a social media account in Florida. And for 14- and 15-year-old's, it’s best to get your mother's or dad’s approval before you get involved online.

2. Account Cleanup: Social media big shots are now required to destroy accounts of children under 14. Failure to do so could find themselves in some legal hot water.

3. Consequences: Here's the kicker - companies not following these rules might have to cough up some cash. If they don't delete those underage accounts, they could face lawsuits. And the kids? Well, they could get up to $10,000 in damages. Companies could be on the hook for up to $50,000 per violation, plus all those fancy lawyer fees and court costs.

Governor DeSantis Says...

When Governor DeSantis put pen to paper on this bill, he made it clear: parents need a helping hand in this digital parenting game. He knows social media can be a maze, and he's thankful for everyone who pitched in to make HB3 a reality.

The Big Picture

Florida isn't the only one peering into social media's dark corners. Across the country, folks are keeping a close eye on what's happening online, especially when it comes to the young ones. Remember back in December? Over 200 groups were bugging Senate Big Cheese Chuck Schumer about the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). This act wants to make sure apps and online spots take responsibility for stuff that could mess with a kid's head.

It's a Balancing Act

But hold on a sec. While protecting kids is super important, some folks are worried these rules might put a damper on free speech and tech progress. Finding that sweet spot between keeping kids safe and letting the digital world do its thing is a tricky business.

In recent times, there has been a disturbing surge in both antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate speech across the internet. This alarming trend has been particularly noticeable following a terrorist attack by Hamas.

The Rise in Hate Speech

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) conducted two separate investigations which revealed a shocking increase in hate speech. They identified a significant increase in antisemitic comments on YouTube and a substantial increase in language associated with anti-Muslim hate when compared to the days prior to the attack. Similar spikes of both antisemitic and anti-Muslim language were observed on alternative social media platforms.

The Real-World Impact

Hannah Rose, ISD’s Hate and Extremist Analyst, highlighted the real-world impact of this online hate speech in an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation. She stated, “What we know about online antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred is that it never stays online”. This statement underscores the potential for online hate speech to translate into real-world harm.

The US Context

In the United States, advocacy groups have reported a spike in hate incidents against Jewish and Muslim individuals amid the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas. The Anti-Defamation League reported that since the Hamas attack, antisemitic incidents in the US increased significantly, according to preliminary data. The Council on American-Islamic Relations also reported an uptick in incidents, but did not release specific numbers.

Foursquare was launched in 2009 as a local search and discovery mobile app, based on a user’s browsing history, the app makes recommendations for places to go near their current location. This technology was made possible by smartphones’ use of GPS, providing greater personalization for marketing. In 2014 Foursquare launched a new feature of social networking, allowing users to interact with friends using the heck-in’ feature and share their location by selecting a venue nearby.

Social media platforms have provided a new form of advertising, opening up the opportunity for businesses to market their products more directly. Writing an effective advertisement is one thing, but knowing what its impact is and whether the advert reaches its desired target audience is another. Foursquare’s partnership with TikTok aims to address this issue, combining Foursquare’s location data to TikTok’s advertising, providing metrics for businesses to see how effective their campaigns are.

Advertising Options

Mostly used by young adults with almost half of users aged between 18 and 24, TikTok has a huge market reach of over 1 billion users and offers the following advertising options:

· In-feed ads: created using the TikTok manager interface

· Image ads that run of TikTok’s news feeds

· Video ads: full-screen videos that are 5-60 seconds long

· Spark ads: boosting organic content from either the company’s or other users’ account

· Pangle ads: utilizing the Audience Network

· Carousel ads: up to 10 images with their own captions that run through TikTok’s news feed app

· Branded hashtags: campaigns that promote interactions, typically a 3–6-day campaign

With so many forms of advertising available, choosing which method –or methods– to employ is a huge challenge to businesses, even if they can identify TikTok as the best platform to market their products or services. Needless to say, the motivation for advertising is to make people purchase their products. Although sales figures provide useful indicators by correlating sales to the timing of campaigns, Foursquare seeks to go further than that.

Foursquare Measurement Product

Foursquare Attribution is Foursquare’s measurement product, which is being integrated with TikTok in the US and Canada. The new technique seeks to provide data on how effective advertisements are at drawing people into stores, focusing on metrics for businesses with physical locations. The hope is that data analysis will provide critical answers to advertisers, namely:

· The number of incremental visitors TikTok drives to a store

· How much needs to be spent advertising on TikTok to get one more customer to the store

· Which audiences are the most valuable to the business

Social networking has been made easier with the emergence of various media platforms such as TikTok. TikTok is currently a global app that allows people to record and share short videos about any topic. Just like any other social media platform, TikTok provides a wide range of content and new leads that one can use to advance a career.

Trend on TikTok that Provides Career Advice

TikTok is now accelerating from just fulfilling entertainment needs to providing career guidance and advice. #CareerAdvice is now a growing trend on TikTok. We have various individuals now coming on board to guide young job seekers on navigating their careers and maximizing their potential. Older individuals who wish to advance their careers or pursue new careers now have a home on TikTok.

Different Kinds of Videos you Can Find with A Job and Interview Advice

TikTok is now a popular social media platform that has attracted career coaches to make use of it. There exist various kinds of videos on career advice to choose from. These videos come with different titles that, upon identifying them, one can access job or interview advice. These titles might include making your resume stand out, writing a professional email, a guide on the first job interview, common interview questions, and many other titles.

Companies that are Finding New Workers from TikTok

Companies are now recruiting interns and workers through TikTok. For instance, various clothing brands often partner with TikTok to come up with a challenge where people post videos promoting a certain brand. Individuals with the most viewed videos get hired as brand agents. As individuals share content, Freelance companies can identify content creators on various topics. The creative industry is using TikTok to recruit different creative skills that could be nurtured for economic gains.

Some of the most Popular Channels with Job Advice

TikTok career advice has several popular channels created by career coaches who give job advice through short videos. For example, @j.t.odonell is one of the popular TikTok channels that offer job search tips, resumes, changing your career, among others. @youknowitjulian on TikTok is a channel that provides career development content such as tips on salary negotiation. Besides, @shadezahrai is also a popular channel that provides a guideline on interviews, among other career tips.