Media Trends Executive

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Media Trends

Axios Media Trends

A line chart showing social media referrals to news sites from September 2022 to September 2025. Referrals peaked at approximately 1.75 billion in late 2022, gradually declining to about 1.22 billion by September 2025. The trend indicates a consistent decrease over the observed period.

Social media referrals to news sites

Data: Similarweb; Note: Analysis of top 100 news and media domains globally. Social media platforms include Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn and more. Chart: Axios Visuals

Social media traffic referrals to the top 100 global news sites have decreased by about 30% over the last three years, according to data from Similarweb.

Why it matters: The shift to short-form video on platforms like Instagram and Facebook has made it harder for link-based posts to break through.

Additionally, social giants like X and LinkedIn have deprioritized links in efforts to keep users on their platforms.

Zoom out: The shift away from links has created a new cottage industry around link-in-bio tools from companies such as Linktree, Beacons, and Linkin.bio that help creators and brands guide users to places they can further communicate and transact.

Yes, but: Those tools have primarily been used to fuel commerce. For news publishers looking to monetize attention, link-in-bio tools are mostly moot.

What to watch: Instagram is reportedly testing the ability to add clickable links directly within posts, which would make it easier for creators to send users to their owned and operated sites.

Go deeper: Media Trends Executive: Platform insights Q3 2025

Social media traffic referrals to news sites have fallen 30% since 2022

The shift to short-form video on platforms has made it harder for link-based posts to break through

Artificial Intelligence

Big Tech

Media

Social Media

Social media <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="traffic referrals" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/23/publishers-google-zero" data-vars-content-id="f1790785-bf27-45cf-9868-dd8ae523096f" data-vars-headline="Social media traffic referrals to news sites have fallen 30% since 2022" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/23/publishers-google-zero" target="_self">traffic referrals</a> to the top 100 global news sites have decreased by about 30% over the last three years, according to data from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Similarweb" data-vars-click-url="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d51yJ443Yn1bCuaveXVOovIv27pqnbVwhPpO4n-eiJ8/edit?tab=t.0" data-vars-content-id="f1790785-bf27-45cf-9868-dd8ae523096f" data-vars-headline="Social media traffic referrals to news sites have fallen 30% since 2022" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d51yJ443Yn1bCuaveXVOovIv27pqnbVwhPpO4n-eiJ8/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank">Similarweb</a>.Why it matters: The shift to short-form video on platforms like Instagram and Facebook has made it harder for link-based posts to break through.

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Social media traffic referrals to news sites have fallen 30% since 2022

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