The digital marketing industry is poised for transformative changes as we move into 2025. With significant advancements in AI, evolving consumer behaviours, and shifting priorities in data privacy and personalisation, marketers must adapt to stay competitive. Following 2024’s focus on doing more with less, 2025 is likely to continue on the same path with accelerated technological change. This blog explores key trends identified by our team of experts in Digital Marketing including MarTech, SEO and Biddable Media, offering valuable insights to help you and your business prepare for the future.
MarTech tools and innovations have already revolutionised the way businesses approach marketing, and 2025 will see AI driving even deeper transformations. AI isn’t new but things are moving faster by the day as computing power improves and AI technology has now entered maturity, providing more impressive results every month. When we attended Web Summit 2024, it was clear that if your business isn’t already using AI, you are behind so now is the time to embrace it!
The AI revolution is accelerating in the MarTech industry, with businesses already using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to personalise their marketing strategies and improve customer engagement. AI-powered tools and platforms are being used to analyse customer data, predict consumer behaviour, and automate marketing tasks. To stay ahead of the curve, businesses need to perfect their use of AI-powered MarTech solutions and develop a data-driven marketing strategy that can be enhanced through the power of AI and ML.
AI agents and co-pilots are becoming increasingly popular in the MarTech industry, with businesses using these tools to automate marketing tasks and improve customer engagement. These tools will have the capability to assist in everything from campaign planning to real-time customer interactions, freeing up teams to focus on strategic initiatives. AI agents and co-pilots use machine learning algorithms to analyse customer data and predict consumer behaviour, allowing businesses to personalise their marketing strategies and improve customer engagement. To get the most out of AI agents and co-pilots, businesses need to ensure that they have a robust data strategy in place and are using high-quality data to train their AI models.
Source: HubSpot
Businesses will need to align their people, processes, and platforms to extract the maximum value from their MarTech investments. This involves integrating tools seamlessly and ensuring teams are trained to use them effectively. We’ve already planned tech stack reviews for our clients in 2025, get in touch if you’d like help with yours.
With AI becoming a cornerstone of digital marketing strategy, organisations that invest in upskilling their teams will gain a competitive edge. Training in AI tools, data analytics, and personalisation strategies will be crucial to success.
Are you struggling to adopt AI within your business? Get in touch with our experts and we can support your team with this transformation to help you stay competitive and relevant in your market.
The way consumers search online is undergoing a seismic shift. The introduction of AI Overviews has already started changing search results in Google and it will continue evolving in 2025. And with Apple integrating ChatGPT4 into Siri, traditional search engine results could be a thing of the past. AI-driven assistants are changing the rules of the game, and businesses must pivot their digital marketing strategies to remain visible.
There’s a difference between AI assistants and AI agents - assistants handle routine tasks and wait for instructions whereas agents tackle complex tasks and act autonomously
Conversational AI search is revolutionising the way we interact with search engines. With the rise of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, users are increasingly using natural language to search for information. This shift towards conversational search is changing the way businesses approach search engine optimisation (SEO). To optimise for conversational AI search, businesses need to focus on long-tail keywords, use natural language in their content, and ensure that their website is easily accessible and user-friendly. Instead of displaying search engine results pages, Siri (powered by ChatGPT4) will provide direct, conversational answers to queries. For example, users asking “What’s the best mountain bike?” or “Where’s the nearest hairdresser?” will receive immediate answers rather than being presented with a list of web links.
As AI-powered bots become more prevalent, businesses need to optimise their website and content for these bots and tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity. This includes using schema markup to help bots understand the structure and content of your website, as well as using natural language and long-tail keywords in your content. Additionally, businesses need to ensure that their website is mobile-friendly and has a fast-loading speed, as these are key factors that AI-powered bots use to determine the relevance and quality of a website.
This requires a shift in focus from traditional SEO to conversational AI optimisation. Structured data, natural language processing, and content designed for AI consumption will become key.
Source: Perplexity
Local optimisation is more important than ever. Platforms like Google Business Profiles and Bing Places will play a vital role in ensuring businesses are found for geographically relevant queries. Keeping your business information accurate and engaging on these platforms will be critical. With the rise of mobile devices and voice search, users are increasingly searching for businesses and services in their local area. To optimise for GeoSEO and local search, businesses need to include location-specific keywords in their content, use schema markup to highlight their business’s location, and ensure that their website is listed in local directories and citations.
Our Google Business Profile
Product search results are becoming more like Amazon’s shopping feeds than Google’s traditional pages. Businesses will need to focus on optimising product listings, creating high-quality product photography, and utilising social proof such as reviews and ratings. Additionally, incorporating video marketing into product listings can significantly enhance customer engagement and conversion rates.
The role of social media platforms in the marketing mix will continue to evolve in 2025, with significant implications for biddable media campaigns.
Platforms like TikTok are increasingly being used as pseudo-search engines, particularly by younger audiences. This shift will drive increased advertising spend on these platforms, potentially raising costs.
Source: Adobe
Ongoing changes in privacy regulations from platforms like Chrome and Safari, coupled with Google’s Consent Mode, will impact how businesses track and target users. Marketers will need to adopt privacy-first approaches to data collection and ensure compliance to maintain campaign performance.
With platforms constantly evolving, businesses must remain agile in their biddable media strategies. Experimenting with emerging ad formats and adapting quickly to changes will be key to success.
Many of the overarching trends that are set to span the 2025 digital marketing spectrum will also be relevant to e-commerce, from AI integration to enhanced personalisation, but our e-commerce team’s expert predictions for 2025 also include:
The convergence of social media and e-commerce will continue to flourish, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram enabling seamless live shopping experiences directly within their apps. This trend capitalises on users' social interactions to drive purchasing decisions, making social media a critical component of the sales funnel.
Brands are expected to allocate substantial budgets to influencer partnerships, recognising their effectiveness in reaching targeted audiences. The influencer marketing industry is projected to be worth $24 billion by the end of 2024, indicating its significant impact on consumer behaviour.
With decreasing attention spans, short-form videos are becoming increasingly effective for marketing. According to HubSpot's 2024 Video Marketing Report, they boast three times the engagement of long-form videos, with platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels leading this trend. Marketers are noting their benefits, with 71% reporting the highest ROI from short videos.
Source: HubSpot
Financial hardship has been a key driver of consumers purchasing behaviour in 2024 and unfortunately, this trend is set to continue into 2025. Flexible payment options like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) will remain vital, empowering consumers with manageable instalments for high-value purchases while reducing cart abandonment. Coupled with seamless checkout experiences using digital wallets and one-click solutions, these strategies will be essential for staying competitive in a challenging e-commerce landscape.
While AI brings unparalleled efficiency and personalisation capabilities, there’s an increasing demand for human connection in marketing. The more we lean towards an AI future, we believe customers will increasingly resonate with authentic content and, over time, will become adept at spotting content that is 100% AI generated.
Hyper-Personalisation at Scale
AI tools will enable brands to create tailored experiences for diverse target audiences, particularly Gen Z, who have distinct shopping behaviours and expectations. From custom product recommendations to dynamic email content, personalisation will drive engagement in 2025 and beyond. Adobe touch on this in more detail in their recent Authenticity in the Age of AI study.
New technologies like like Lip Sync AI and advanced dubbing tools will allow businesses to repurpose video content almost instantly. This will make it easier to deliver fast, localised, and targeted campaigns.
Source: LibDub AI
As AI adoption grows, consumers will gravitate towards brands that feel genuine and relatable. Businesses should prioritise authentic reviews, relatable storytelling, and a human-centred approach to their marketing strategy.
Discover how to build brand trust and authenticity in the digital age
The interplay between technology and consumer behaviour will shape the following key trends:
The use and presence of AI will solidify as models and technologies achieve maturity. Recent leaps in generative AI indicate progress will continue to accelerate, allowing brands to use AI more confidently in their day to day.
Paradoxically, as AI continues to thrive, people will look for more human connections. Influencer marketing will continue to grow, with a focus on authentic partnerships as people buy from people. In search, Google’s emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) will keep being a critical part of content production to build trust and stand out in competitive markets.
Apple’s ChatGPT integration and the use of social media could signal a broader move away from traditional search engines. Businesses must monitor these changes and optimise their content for AI-driven platforms.
1. Invest in MarTech and Digital Marketing Strategies Training: Equip your teams with the latest AI-driven tools and invest in training to maximise their potential.
2. Prepare for Conversational AI: Audit your current content strategy and optimise for AI-powered search tools. Structured data, conversational tone, and natural language processing should be priorities.
3. Adapt to Privacy-First Marketing: Stay ahead of privacy regulations by adopting compliant tracking methods and preparing for potential disruptions in analytics.
4. Utilise Influencer Marketing: Build relationships with influencers who can authentically connect with your target audience and drive meaningful engagement.
5. Focus on Authenticity: In an AI-driven world, human-centred marketing will set you apart. Invest in creating genuine connections with your audience through authentic content and social proof.
2025 promises to be a year of significant change for digital marketing. By staying informed and adapting to these trends, your business can not only survive, but thrive, in an increasingly competitive and AI-driven landscape. As your trusted digital marketing partner, we’re here to help you navigate these changes and unlock new growth opportunities. Exciting new technologies like augmented reality will play a significant role in creating immersive marketing experiences. Together, let’s embrace the future of digital marketing with confidence.
We use smart technology to enhance your digital marketing strategies and drive profitable revenue for your business. For tailored advice and strategies to future-proof your marketing efforts, get in touch with our team today.