32 Marketing Trends You Need to Know for 2025

The marketing world is always changing, and staying on top of the latest trends is the only way to stay ahead of the competition. As we enter 2025, businesses are navigating a dynamic environment shaped by technological advancements, shifting consumer behaviors, and innovative strategies.

The year promises to be transformative, bringing exciting opportunities for marketers ready to embrace change. From artificial intelligence and immersive experiences to ethical consumerism and personalization, 2025 will redefine how brands connect with their audiences.

Whether you’re an experienced marketer or just starting out in the industry, learning about these trends will help you succeed in any marketplace. This article highlights 32 must-know marketing trends in 2025 that will shape the future, offering insights to help you adapt, innovate, and grow.

Quick Takeaways

•  AI-driven tools are automating mundane tasks, enabling hyper-personalized marketing, and redefining customer interactions.

• Social media’s contribution to website traffic is declining, so marketers should prioritize SEO, organic traffic, and direct engagement strategies to stay relevant in 2025.

• First-party and intent data are becoming essential for personalization and predictive analytics, helping marketers adapt to privacy regulations while staying ahead of consumer behavior trends.

• Brands that prioritize building strong customer relationships and coordinating across teams to ensure consistency throughout the customer journey will see greater loyalty and profits.

• As physical stores embrace digitalization through technologies like AR and VR, the future of shopping will be an integrated experience.

• Consumers are increasingly prioritizing brands that align with their values, especially regarding environmental and social responsibility.

1. AI-Based Marketing Automation

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Will 2025 be the year of the rise of the robots? Maybe (but hopefully not in the Terminator-style of dystopian science fiction movies!)

Remember, marketing automation has been around for decades. The rise of AI technology is simply automating more of the mundane tasks that marketers should be doing. Think A/B test copy versions, multiple variations of social posts, etc.

We’ve already seen huge advancements in AI over the last few years and a significant increase in the number of businesses using AI-powered technology and automation to assist their marketing efforts.

AI is one of the major technologies behind voice search and smart assistants. It’s also made chatbots possible, which are now popping up on more websites than ever before.

AI technology and automation are helping to take some of the grunt work out of marketing so brands can concentrate on strategy and crafting a fantastic customer experience.

And there has been a ton of progress this year on AI-based image enhancement (please stop sharing nine images of your AI face on social) and AI-writing tools.

Takeaway: Humans are going to continue to be important to content creation and marketing in the foreseeable future.

Remember, the human aspect of marketing is still important (perhaps more important than ever before), so the idea is to use this technology to enhance your marketing efforts, not replace the real people behind them.

I call this the Paradox of AI: the more technology marketers use, the more human our audiences are going to want us to be!

Big data, supported by AI and predictive analytics, is also helping brands to learn more about their audience and customers and is one of the biggest marketing trends in 2025. It enables the hyper-personalization of customer experiences and marketing messages at scale.

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Takeaway: AI will embed itself in everything we do as marketers, from customer research and persona development to short-form content creation, content distribution, campaign automation, and predictive analytics.

2. The AI Paradox: Balancing Automation and Humanity

AI is more prevalent than ever, automating everything from customer service to marketing campaigns. But here’s the kicker: As we lean more into automation, consumers crave genuine human interactions.

The secret sauce to resolving this paradox? Organizational empathy. Brands that successfully blend AI’s efficiency with a layer of human empathy are not just improving customer satisfaction; they’re also seeing a boost in ROI and brand loyalty.

As we look at marketing trends in 2025, the challenge for marketers will be to find that sweet spot between automation and genuine human connection. Because let’s face it, in a world run by algorithms, being human is our competitive advantage.

3. The Declining Role of Social Media in Website Traffic

If you’re still banking on social media as your primary source of website traffic, it’s time for a reality check. Research shows that social media’s contribution to website traffic is relatively low:

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What This Means for Marketers

• Rethink Your Social Strategy: It might be time to reassess if you’re pouring resources into social media to drive website traffic. Our advice is to minimize your effort here, but don’t abandon the networks completely.
• Double Down on Organic: With organic search still reigning supreme, focusing on SEO and content marketing is a no-brainer.
• Don’t Ignore Direct and Referral Traffic: These sources are showing growth, so consider strategies to leverage them.

These marketing trends in 2025 show that the old ways of driving traffic are evolving. Marketers must adapt and diversify their strategies, focusing more on organic and direct traffic sources while not completely abandoning social media but certainly re-evaluating its role.

4. LinkedIn Strategy for B2B Marketers: The New Frontier

Why LinkedIn?

As social media’s role in driving website traffic dwindles, LinkedIn is emerging as a beacon for B2B marketers. It’s not just a platform for job hunting; it’s a goldmine for quality leads and meaningful engagement.

Here’s how to be successful in 2025:

• Consistent Content: Gone are the days when you could post sporadically and expect results. Consistency is key. Share valuable insights, industry trends, and company updates to keep your audience engaged.
• Live Video: Live video is the new black. It’s real, it’s raw, and it gets people talking. Use it for product launches, behind-the-scenes looks, or Q&A sessions.
• Engagement: Don’t just post and ghost. Respond to comments, engage in conversations, and don’t shy away from sliding into those DMs when appropriate.
• Personal Branding: Encourage team members to share and engage with company content. It amplifies reach and adds a personal touch.
• Quality Over Quantity: It’s better to have 500 engaged followers than 5,000 who don’t interact. Focus on building a community, not just a follower count.

5. Content Amplification: The Smarter Way to Drive Engagement

Why It’s Better Than Ads

Let’s be real; nobody wants to see ads for products anymore, and the marketing trends in 2025 show this fact.

But what people will click on is a related article when they’re already reading something else. That’s where content amplification shines. It’s not about pushing a product but promoting valuable content that resonates with the reader.

How We Do It: The Zemanta Magic

At Marketing Insider Group, we use Zemanta to drive a high volume of engaged readers and conversions at a super-low CPC. Why does this work? Because we’re not advertising a product; we’re advertising an article. We then retarget these engaged readers for conversions.

The AI Advantage

The secret sauce here is AI. Zemanta uses AI to find the right people already reading related content. So, instead of throwing your content into the void and hoping for the best, you’re strategically placing it in front of people who are already interested in what you have to say.

6. First-Party and Intent Data: The New Goldmine for Marketers

The Shift to First-Party Data

Say goodbye to the days of relying solely on third-party data. With increasing privacy regulations and the demise of third-party cookies, first-party and zero-party data is now the MVP in the marketing game.

This data is something you collect directly from your customers. It could be email sign-ups, purchase histories, and website interactions. It’s not just compliant; it’s also more accurate and actionable.

The Power of Intent Data

While first-party data tells you who your customers are, intent data reveals what they will likely do next. This data is the crystal ball that helps you predict consumer behavior, from what they search for online to the content they’re engaging with. In 2025, intent data is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have for any serious marketer.

How to Use Them in 2025

• Personalization: Use first-party data to personalize email campaigns and website experiences. The more tailored the experience, the higher the conversion rates.
• Predictive Analytics: Combine first-party and intent data to forecast customer behavior. This information can help you optimize your marketing spend and focus on high-ROI activities.
• Privacy First: Always be transparent about how you collect and use data. Not only is this good ethics, but it’s also becoming a legal requirement.

As you explore marketing trends in 2025, expect to see even more sophisticated tools for collecting and analyzing first-party and intent data. But remember, with great data comes great responsibility. Ethical data usage will differentiate between brands that merely survive and those that thrive.

7. Search Generative Experience: The Future of Online Discovery

Move over, Featured Snippets; there’s a new player in town. Generative Search Experience will redefine how we interact with search engines and online platforms. Powered by Generative AI, this trend is all about creating a more dynamic, personalized, and interactive search experience.

Why It’s a Game-Changer

Generative AI is already a hot topic, and tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Meta are investing heavily in it. The technology can potentially democratize access to information and transform how we search online.

Imagine a search engine that finds what you’re looking for and creates content on the fly based on your query. Mind-blowing, right?

Beyond Text-Based Search

Generative Search isn’t just about text; it’s multi-modal. It can understand and generate various forms of content, including images, audio, and video.

So, you could ask a search engine to show you a video explaining a concept, and it could generate one for you in real-time.

The Rise of Generative Commerce

This technology will also impact e-commerce platforms. Imagine searching for a product and having the platform generate personalized recommendations with custom video demos or interactive 3D models. The possibilities are endless.

Ethical Considerations

While the technology is exciting, it raises ethical questions, especially about misinformation and data privacy. As generative AI becomes more prevalent, debates about its responsible use will be ongoing.

Generative Search Experience is still in its infancy, but it’s one of the marketing trends in 2025 worth keeping an eye on. As AI models become more sophisticated, we can expect to see more disruptive innovations in this space.

8. The Next Generation of Account-Based Marketing

Account-based marketing personalizes messaging to businesses, targeting each decision-maker with the information they need to solve specific departmental problems. Like personalized messaging directly to customers, account-based marketing yields a higher ROI than other types of marketing.

If you sell to other businesses, particularly large corporations, account-based marketing is one of the “already here” digital marketing trends you must embrace in the coming years.

Here are five things to consider in your 2025 marketing strategy as it relates to Marketing Automation:

1. Fuel Your ABM Strategy with Intent Data: Intent data is becoming a cornerstone in ABM. It helps you identify high-value companies that are actually interested and more likely to convert. This step is crucial for targeting the right accounts and building audiences for your ABM campaigns.
2. Hyper-Personalization: Forget generic messages; hyper-personalization is where it’s at. The idea is to deliver value at every touchpoint based on deep insights into individual needs and pain points. This personalization can significantly improve customer engagement and conversion rates.
3. AI-Driven Tools for Smarter ABM: AI makes ABM more efficient by analyzing vast amounts of data and identifying patterns. This information enables you to direct your resources more effectively and precisely engage your target accounts.
4. Sales and Marketing Alignment: ABM is a team sport. Aligned teams work better by closing deals faster and contributing to revenue growth. Regular cross-departmental meetings and shared dashboards can help maintain this alignment.
5. Optimize Full-Funnel Metrics: It’s not just about bringing potential clients into the funnel; it’s about guiding them through it. The new directive assesses ABM’s impact across the entire sales funnel, from lead generation to closing deals.

9. Martech: Consolidating or Proliferating?

The Big Question we have been discussing for a while is whether the dizzying martech landscape will consolidate into a few big players or proliferate into various specialized tools.

A Coupe of Scenarios

• The Rise of Super Apps: AI could enable a few prominent vendors to offer ‘do-it-all’ platforms, simplifying the martech stack but potentially stifling innovation.
• Custom-Built Martech: AI-powered low-code/no-code platforms could democratize software creation, allowing brands to build custom solutions tailored to their unique needs.
• A Martech Explosion: The most likely scenario, according to Brinker, is a proliferation of both custom and commercial software driven by AI innovations.

What This Means for Marketers

• Be Agile: The only constant is change. Be ready to adapt your martech stack as the landscape evolves.
• Invest in Skills: The right skills will be crucial to managing a super app or building custom solutions.
• Keep an Eye on AI: AI will be the game-changer, influencing which scenarios will become reality.

10. Strategic Marketing Transformation

CEOs expect marketers to demonstrate business results in a way they (and the CFO) can understand.

So, when you’re reading about up-and-coming marketing trends in 2025, it’s easy to think that being successful in marketing can be simplified to following a list of best practices and making sure you’re using the latest techniques and technology.

The business of marketing is becoming increasingly complex. For companies to succeed in 2025, they’ll have to think beyond what they’re doing and link everything back to the why of the business as a whole.

Your marketing goals and objectives must align with the overall goals of your business. That means revenue growth and new customer acquisition.

What is Strategic Marketing Transformation?

Strategic marketing transformation is the term used to describe the process when a business operating without a strategic marketing plan evolves by changing its fundamental business processes and procedures.

Undergoing a marketing transformation can help companies improve customer service and experience, boost brand awareness and reputation, and ultimately increase revenue and profits.

Businesses achieve these benefits through:

• Data collection
• Modern technology
• Building customer relationships and engaging with customers online
• Publishing quality content
• Improving their online presence

These things are part of the underlying strategy that influences every department and employee in the company, not just the marketers.

Your strategic marketing plan defines goals and determines which marketing tactics you will employ to reach your customers, including content marketing, SEO, email marketing, social media, advertising, and offline marketing. It then lays out a plan for how every part of the organization will be involved in these tactics.

Your marketing strategy is no longer only the responsibility of the chief marketer or CMO. Strategic marketing transformation recognizes this and ensures that the brand, company reputation, customer relationships, and customer experience are part of every business activity.

11. Social Commerce

Social commerce isn’t new, but it is finally becoming a mainstream form of shopping. Brands are becoming savvier than ever about leveraging influencer marketing, creating ads that fit seamlessly into social media feeds, and integrating their e-commerce marketing strategy platforms with social media channels.

Instagram and TikTok have been particularly influential in accelerating the social commerce trend. Instagram Checkout makes it easier than ever for brands to advertise and sell their products directly through the platform.

TikTok is changing the game regarding influencer marketing with tools like Creator Marketplace, where brands can find creators that align with their products and interests, and TikTok Shopping, which allows brands to engage with customers right through the app.

12. Employee Activation: A Giant Leap Beyond Engagement

If efficient and friendly service is the cornerstone of excellent customer experience, how do you ensure you provide this?

The answer, of course, is in your employees. According to PwC, 65% of US customers believe a positive experience when interacting with a brand is more important than advertising. The same research suggests that 32% of customers would stop using a brand after one bad experience.

Your employees are the human face of your brand, so concentrating on interactions between your employees and your customers should be a key part of your marketing strategy. When you’re turning the responsibility of creating great customer service over to your employees, you need to make sure that they want your business to succeed as much as you do.

Get Your Employees Involved

The key to this is building a solid foundation of employee engagement and taking steps to ensure every employee understands and aligns with your brand mission and values.

You can’t expect your employees to care about your customers if they’re not happy at work and don’t really believe in what you’re doing as a business. So, achieving high employee engagement is the first and most important step in improving customer experiences and one of the marketing trends in 2025 to watch.

Employee engagement requires you to make your workplace such an attractive place to work that your employees’ happiness will spill over onto the customers. Indeed, a smile and an extra effort to please that comes from the heart is one of the most effective forms of marketing out there.

Treat Your Employees Well

However, that one giant leap for humankind – walking on the moon – is a piece of cake compared to convincing some companies to treat their employees like valuable colleagues instead of glorified house servants. Taking the next step – employee activation – requires you to treat your employees as your most treasured customers.

When you activate your employees, though, it’s marketing magic. Activation includes a wealth of tools to empower your employees to become walking billboards for your company, including:

• Training that not only makes them more informed about your products but also allows them to climb up the corporate ladder. You gotta love a company that trains you to qualify for a better job.
• Permission to post content on social media and elsewhere about your company’s culture, products, and services.
• Involvement in creating blog posts, videos, white papers, and other “official” marketing content, creating a platform on which they can showcase their expertise.

Once your employees start sharing the love your company has shared with them, it will pay off. Not only will it pay off in good vibes, but it will also likely make a huge impact on your bottom line.

13. Data Everywhere

Over the next decade, this trend will ramp up even more as it becomes the norm for everyday devices and embedded technology to keep everyone connected all the time. Privacy issues are certainly a concern, but the use of apps like Life360 shows that younger generations don’t mind being tracked if it’s for a clearly understood purpose.

Smartphones, smartwatches, and smart TVs are already commonplace. The technology is becoming smaller and cheaper all the time. In the not-too-distant future, almost every electronic device will likely be “smart” in some way. Even more striking is that smart microchips are already being implanted in humans.

Smart cities – urban areas that use IoT technology to manage resources and services – are also rising globally. By the end of 2025, smart cities globally will have over 2.7 billion connections and that number will grow by 500 million annually for the foreseeable future.

This massive number of connected objects will generate a huge quantity of data that companies can use to gain advanced customer insights. This information can then help businesses personalize the customer experience and provide easier communication and engagement with the brand.

14. Story-Driven Content Visualization

With the explosion of smart speakers and voice search in recent years, you might think that “readable” content is more important than visuals and design these days.

While advancements in voice search are certainly influencing how we’ll create content now and in the future, you shouldn’t neglect one of the most vital marketing trends in 2025: visual content and the basic elements of brand storytelling.

Typically, people prefer visual content to plain text. You just have to look at the growth of image-focused platforms like Pinterest and Instagram to see proof.

Visuals are also easier to remember than written content. Adding data visualizations, infographics, images, and videos to your text makes it more interesting and attractive and can help your message to be absorbed better.

15. Personalization: Your Key to Their Heart

When a customer has two relatively equal products to choose from and needs to decide which one to buy, my money is on the brand that won their heart. One of the ways to engage your customers’ hearts as well as their heads is to personalize marketing to meet their needs.

For years, psychologists have taught us that people love to hear their name and see it in print. But today’s technology allows digital marketing teams to dig deep into the data to identify the things that keep customers up at night – and determine what messages will solve those problems and give them a good night’s sleep.

In the 2002 movie Minority Report, the character John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, is bombarded by a series of personalized ads calling him by name as he walks through the city. This scenario was complete science fiction at the time, but not quite two decades later, reality has almost caught up with the marketing future of Stephen Spielberg’s imagination.

Today’s consumers are flooded with marketing messages from multiple channels to the point where they have started to tune them out.

Traditional advertising is losing its effectiveness, so what’s the answer?

Personalize Your Message

Personalized marketing messages that forge a real connection between the brand and the target market are one of the notable marketing trends in 2025. So, go way beyond the “Hi [Customer Name]” emails, “Don’t you want to make more money?” popups, or “Hey, come back here!” cheesy messages in the browser titles to find what makes your customers tick. Then, give them content that will win their hearts.

Improvements in technology such as AI combined with increased data collection and insights from social media and other sources have made it possible and easy to hyper-personalize everything from content to design to product recommendations and everything in between.

16. Voice Search: Evolving and Improving

I’ve mentioned voice search several times already, so you knew it would be on this list. Voice search shows no sign of slowing down and will continue to influence how brands create content and market themselves online.

Over 20% of people use voice search worldwide, with some locations having far higher adoption rates than others:

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Voice search brings with it new challenges but also exciting opportunities. “Branded skills” is one example of a smart speaker advertising opportunity that has appeared and is a worthwhile marketing trend in 2025.

Tequila brand Patròn is an example of a company that’s seen success using branded skills. Smart speaker users can ask their digital assistant to “ask Patròn for a cocktail recipe.” This action helps to increase brand awareness and visibility and enables users to buy the product directly from the recipe results.

Even if your brand isn’t ready for smart speaker advertising, optimizing for voice search is important. Voice searchers use search differently. They use longer, more conversational queries, so slanting your content to serve these queries and answering questions can help make it more visible to voice searches.

This method has the bonus of making your content more likely to be picked up as a featured snippet or found at position zero on Google.

17. Video Marketing: The Unstoppable Force of Digital Content

If you thought video was big before, brace yourself. Wyzowl reports that 87% of video marketers believe video directly increases sales. The same research suggests that 82% of consumers were convinced to buy a product after watching a video in 2024.

But the video landscape is ever-changing, and here’s what’s new:

The SEO Powerhouse

Videos are not just engaging; they’re an SEO goldmine. There are now video snippets and featured video sections on search engines, making it even more crucial for brands to optimize their video content for search.

The Consumer Convincer

Today, 82% of consumers say a video has convinced them to make a purchase. But it’s not just about product videos anymore. Tutorial videos, unboxing experiences, and customer testimonials are becoming the go-to content types that tip consumers from “maybe” to “take my money.”

The Marketer’s Best Friend

If you’re in digital marketing and not using video, you’re in the minority. A staggering 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool. And why not? Video offers the highest ROI, especially when integrated into a multi-channel campaign.

The Future is Interactive

The next big thing? Interactive videos. Think clickable links, embedded quizzes, and shoppable features right within the video. It’s not just content; one of the marketing trends in 2025 you should know is that you have to create an experience.

The Omni-Channel Approach

Video isn’t just for your website or YouTube channel anymore. Brands are leveraging video across all digital touchpoints—social media, email campaigns, and even customer service inquiries. The goal is to provide a cohesive and engaging customer journey.

The takeaway? Many content marketing trends in 2025 involve video. Brands must integrate video content like product demos, webinars, and live video events (more on those shortly) to keep their content fresh and aligned with what consumers are looking for.

18. Live Video: The New Frontier of Real-Time Engagement

The live video industry isn’t just booming; it’s evolving. Estimates suggest the live-streaming sector was worth over $87 billion at the end of 2023, and that number could grow exponentially in the coming years.

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Live video isn’t just a trend; it’s becoming a staple in marketing strategies.

Why It’s Still Hot

People still spend three times longer watching live videos than pre-recorded content. But here’s the kicker: It’s not just about watching anymore; it’s about interacting. Real-time polls, Q&A sessions, and even live shopping features make live video more interactive.

The Rise of Multi-Platform Streaming

Brands are no longer sticking to just one platform like Facebook or Instagram. They’re going live across multiple platforms simultaneously to maximize reach. Think YouTube, LinkedIn, and even TikTok.

The FOMO Factor

The “Fear of Missing Out” is real, and it’s not going anywhere. Live videos still tap into this psychological trigger, making them irresistible to viewers. But now, brands are upping the ante with exclusive offers, behind-the-scenes looks, and real-time announcements that you really don’t want to miss.

Virtual Events and Webinars

The pandemic showed us the power of virtual events, and this extends to live video. Webinars, virtual conferences, and even live product launches are becoming the norm, offering value beyond the typical live stream.

The live element makes the video more engaging as the audience feels part of it and can influence the content rather than just passively watching.

Live video is great for grabbing the attention of your social audience on Facebook or Instagram. These videos attract viewers because they tap into “FOMO” or fear of missing out.

When you’re not sure if a live video is going to contain a tidbit of information that you can’t get anywhere else or if it will mean you’re the first to find out about some new and exciting news, you’re going to want to watch it.

19. Gen Z Will Continue to Influence Marketing More Than Millennials

The marketing industry has been obsessed with millennials for the past two decades, so this isn’t a new marketing trend in 2025.

But today’s millennials have outgrown their caricature as a bunch of entitled 20-somethings. The first millennials are now past their 40th birthday. While this age group still makes up a significant proportion of many marketers’ audiences, some predictions about their importance have fallen short of the mark.

Generation Z consists of people who were born from 1995 to 2010. These young people have grown up in a digital world and have very different viewpoints from the generations that came before them. They’re also more diverse than any other generation in history.

A more diverse audience can make content marketing challenging, but it also opens up more opportunities to reach different segments of that audience through personalization.

If you’ve been focusing your marketing strategy on millennials, it may be time to take a step back and develop some new ideas for reaching the workforce and decision-makers of tomorrow.

20. Growth in Emerging Markets and a More Diverse Audience

Emerging markets in Asia have grown significantly over the last decade and will continue to expand over the next ten years.

Over a billion new middle-class consumers from countries like China, India, and Indonesia will be added to the global pool of consumers.

One of the marketing trends in 2025 you’ll notice is companies expanding their marketing efforts beyond North America and reaching these new consumers.

Different cultures, languages, social norms, and online behaviors can all make marketing a challenge when creating content for these audiences.

For large global enterprises, having a local on-the-ground marketing team in their primary market locations is often the answer.

However, smaller businesses can market globally, too. The key to success is embracing diversity from the inside. Companies that strive for a diverse workforce and corporate culture will find that marketing innovation flourishes naturally.

21. World Class Customer Experience

Every year is the year of the customer. Marketing trends in 2025 will show a massive shift in beliefs about what marketing actually is.

It’s no longer about convincing people to buy from or work with your company. Instead, the priority has moved towards providing fantastic customer experiences that will keep people returning for more.

When you focus on building a positive business culture and providing excellent service, the marketing takes care of itself.

Not only are customers impatient, but they also want those fish tacos delivered on a silver platter.

Okay, not literally. However, customers expect a seamless experience from the first spark of interest to customer service after the sale. From personalized messaging that helps them solve problems to make a buying decision to a customer-focused culture throughout their customer journey, an experience that delivers quality across all channels is more likely to earn their business.

Speak to Your Customers

In addition to personalized marketing messages, find ways to listen and respond to their questions. Coordinate your digital marketing team with your sales and customer service teams to deliver quality throughout their experience.

The growth of online content has given consumers more power and is one of the top marketing trends in 2025. They are no longer a passive party when it comes to learning about products. They’re not waiting for you to tell you how great your products are. Instead, they’re going out and doing their own research.

What exactly makes a great CX? Efficiency, convenience, knowledgeable and friendly service, and easy payment options are what people value most in their customer experience.

However, aspects more traditionally considered as marketing’s domain are important, too:

• Up-to-date technology
• Personalization
• An easy mobile experience
• Brand image
• Design

Building the kinds of relationships with customers that drive loyalty is worth every penny you spend.

Can you imagine how your profits would soar if you went the extra mile to deliver the kinds of experiences that build loyalty and qualified referrals as well? When you coordinate your digital marketing strategy with all your teams to provide those kinds of experiences, you’ll grow your bottom line well beyond even your highest expectations.

In other words, you must consider CX in every aspect of your marketing strategy. From there, you can provide a great experience to keep your customers and attract new ones.

As you go through this list, you’ll see that all these marketing trends in 2025 are really just a single factor in the overall customer experience.

22. Integrated Online-Offline Customer Experience

Physical stores with little online presence have been struggling more in recent years. For many businesses, the pandemic proved the final nail in the coffin.

Conversely, many online retailers and digital brands have thrived. Massive numbers of consumers have shifted to moving more and more of their purchases and everyday activities online.

However, physical stores are not doomed to become a relic of the past. Consumers still prefer physical stores. However, brands must adjust their marketing strategy to utilize this increased digitalization and take advantage of these marketing trends in 2025.

In the future, stores will be more than just a place to do your shopping. They will be a place where brands can engage with their customers and improve their experience.

In addition, VR and AR technologies will bring more of the shopping experience to the home, improving the online shopping experience.

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Ikea already has an augmented reality app that allows customers to see their home with furniture before buying it. Several fashion brands have launched apps enabling shoppers to try on clothing before they buy, too.

More and more brands are jumping onto this trend. For example, Nike has launched a number of “retail experiences” in recent years, including terminals with product information and online ordering functionality, integration with customer smartphones, social media walls, and interactive augmented reality installations.

23. Responsible Consumerism

Today’s consumers are more aware of the effect of their buying habits on the environment and society. As a result, people care more about the products they choose to buy and the brands they associate with.

Many brands have already been moving toward more sustainable practices to reduce their environmental impact. However, social responsibility is becoming just as important as being “green.”

People are no longer just expecting the brands they support to avoid harmful practices. Corporations are now expected to fight injustice and support the causes they believe in.

In the near future, brands will be expected to be ethical in all of their business practices and use their resources to be a force for good in the world. Those that don’t will be left behind as customers choose brands that align with their own values.

Brand responsibility goes beyond marketing. However, marketing the things that a company is doing to make a positive difference in the world may end up being more effective than advertising its products. This responsibility is one of the marketing trends in 2025 that isn’t going anywhere.

24. Hyper-Local Marketing

Along with the growth of IoT devices and increased expectations for personalized customer experience comes increased use of geolocation data in marketing.

Local marketing is certainly not a new concept. Even the largest global brands recognize the value of customizing their marketing messages on a regional level. Search engines like Google have become very good at serving up businesses in the local area, whether you’re looking for a coffee or a new pair of shoes.

Now that everyone has a smartphone, you can target potential customers with marketing messages as soon as they’re within a certain distance from a store.

Brands can use geofencing to deliver personalized messages to a very small set of individuals who are more likely to buy. This strategy reduces marketing spend. You won’t waste your budget on prospects less likely to result in a sale.

Combining geolocation and IoT technology makes some very sophisticated and personalized marketing possible and is a marketing trend in 2025 to watch. For example, a customer could get a reminder that they’re running low on eggs while passing close to the grocery store.

25. Customer Retention, Loyalty and Advocacy

A huge part of providing a great customer experience is making sure that CX is ongoing and focused on keeping your existing customers rather than just attracting new ones.

Recurring customers are more valuable than new customers. Loyal customers also help to increase the reputation and awareness of your brand as they’ll talk about your company and products with their friends and family. Happy customers make great (and free!) brand ambassadors and influencers.

Many of the above-mentioned trends and technologies can help increase customer retention rates. Personalization, for example, is certainly expected from your existing customers, if not your new ones, and it gets easier to personalize communications the more interactions someone has with your brand.

26. Relationship Marketing

Consumers tend to migrate toward businesses that see them as people, not just customers. Many consumers are willing to pay slightly higher prices in exchange for evidence that a brand takes their concerns seriously and promptly addresses them.

Companies can increase their positive interactions with customers by creating content that doesn’t sound cookie-cutter. Everyone can address frequently addressed customer questions, but will that make your company a trusted industry leader?

Instead, one of the top marketing trends in 2025 is creating content that will set you apart from the competition.

Customer satisfaction will steadily increase as a key indicator of the health of any business, regardless of industry. Your company may have the best prices and widest selection, but that’s not a guarantee consumers will choose your business.

Consumers will shop elsewhere if your store is not welcoming or your content isn’t helpful and unique. The same metric applies to your website and social media presence. People want to feel valued and heard regardless of if they buy something or not.

27. Ongoing Audience Fragmentation

Customization of the sales approach is the name of the game here. Business owners who increasingly customize their products and services to the needs of their customers will gain more loyalty points and sales. A middle-aged customer should have a different online experience with your business than a teenager.

While that may sound obvious, many online retailers still present a “one size fits all” online experience. Unfortunately, website cookies are declining, with limiting policies already in place all across Europe.

By leaning into contextual targeting as a cookieless advertising and tracking solution, retailers can take advantage of these marketing trends in 2025 and continue to capture and retain customer-specific information without crossing any moral or legal boundaries.

28. The Rising Privacy Curve

As mentioned above, cookies are yesterday’s news. The issue of increased customer privacy will gain steam among consumers. They have already begun rebelling against “the Big Brother factor” in digital marketing.

Navigating the line between “we know who you are” and “we know way too much about you” can be tricky. This trend is especially true when trying to tailor the customer experience based on age, gender, geographic location, etc.

Business owners who strike the proper balance will only collect the information they can act upon. After that, they’ll take necessary precautions to protect that information from an embarrassing data breach.

29. Staying Relevant: But Constantly Ask, To Whom?

Staying relevant is not just about tailoring your campaign to a specific audience. While it certainly includes making your appeal to the right person, it also involves timing your appeal correctly and delivering it when the customer is in the best position to respond positively.

Relevance can be summed up succinctly with the phrase, “right time, right place, right message, right approach.”

Businesses can increase their ongoing relevance to customers by keeping track of purchases and leveraging that information to craft a timely message.

For example, many vendors now send emails that follow up on the value of a previous purchase, i.e., “How’s the new TV working out for you? Is there anything we can do to enhance your viewing experience?”

Although messages like this have no sales pitch or other call to action, they demonstrate a commitment to the individual. This commitment makes the business more relevant to the consumer’s daily life.

30. Effortless Messaging

Back when website designers were falling all over themselves to design cool, edgy, and visually stunning sites, Steve Krug wrote a great book with a killer title: Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.

The simplicity and clarity of the title mirror the content of Krug’s philosophy. If your website, app, social media presence, or anything about your business causes your audience to think too long about the intent of your message, give yourself a zero.

31. Making Sustainability a No-Brainer

A growing percentage of clientele prefer to shop with companies that demonstrate care and concern for our planet. Pursue ways your business can make your products and services more environmentally friendly.

However, be wise about how you promote your initiatives, as some consumers may see your effort as disingenuous. (If you blow a trumpet every time you do something good for Mother Nature, you’re more likely to arouse suspicions than build increasing customer loyalty.)

Many companies, perhaps eager to make sales at the expense of long-lasting credibility, have made the mistake of saying that they care about the environment but then engaging in business practices that seem to indicate otherwise.

Rest assured that someone seeking to discredit you will investigate your claims. The best way to “go green” is to look for opportunities to revise existing business practices rather than invent new ones.

Encourage your employees to recycle their beverage containers in a central location, just for starters.

32. Micro-Influencers vs. Macro-Influencers

In the world of influencer marketing, there’s a growing shift toward micro-influencers, and it’s a trend you need to watch in 2025. While macro-influencers (those with hundreds of thousands to millions of followers) have long dominated the space, businesses are increasingly turning to micro-influencers—individuals with smaller, more niche audiences, typically between 1,000 and 100,000 followers.

Why? Because engagement beats reach.

Micro-influencers tend to have more personal connections with their followers. Their audiences trust their opinions and recommendations, which leads to higher engagement rates.

Video Source

Unlike macro-influencers, who can feel distant or overly promotional, micro-influencers often come across as relatable and authentic, making them more effective for building brand trust and driving conversions.

For instance, a fitness enthusiast with 10,000 followers might inspire more action in their tight-knit community than a celebrity with a million followers. This influence makes micro-influencers a cost-effective way for brands to reach specific audiences without breaking the bank.

How to Find Micro-Influencers

• Social Media Platforms: Search for hashtags and keywords related to your niche.
• Influencer Marketing Tools: Platforms like AspireIQ, Upfluence, and Heepsy help identify and connect with influencers.
• Existing Customers: Look for loyal customers who already love your brand and have a social following.

How to Work with Them

1. Be Clear About Expectations: Share detailed campaign goals and deliverables.
2. Focus on Authenticity: Give them creative freedom to maintain their voice and connection with their audience.
3. Build Relationships: Engage with them over time to create lasting partnerships rather than one-off deals.

Micro-influencers can tap into smaller but highly engaged communities, driving meaningful results for your marketing campaigns in 2025.

Follow the Latest Marketing Trends in 2025

As we step into 2025, the marketing industry could evolve at an unprecedented pace. The trends in this article reflect the shifts shaping consumer behaviors, technological advancements, and strategic innovations. From leveraging micro-influencers and AI-driven personalization to embracing sustainability and immersive experiences, these trends offer a roadmap for marketers aiming to stay competitive.

Now is the time to evaluate your current strategies, experiment with new approaches, and integrate these trends into your marketing efforts. Marketing Insider Group can also put you in the right direction with our CRM and Marketing Management Services. Contact us for more information or book a free consultation with our team.