16 Marketers Predict 2025 Marketing Trends

With 2025 on the horizon, many companies are evaluating their marketing strategies and thinking about what might drive the most traction in the coming year. Sixteen professional marketers shared their predictions with us, as indicated below.

Top Marketing Predictions

“With the recent announcement of the TikTok ban in January 2025, I think that more social media platforms will prioritize and reward short form video content. Additionally, as TikTok is often treated like a search engine, I suspect that these other platforms will treat their algorithms and feeds like that as well, to help their users more easily find the tutorials, “how tos,” and information they’re looking for.” – Ashley (Mason) DiBiase, Founder of Dash of Social

“With all the upheaval in social media networks, LinkedIn will gain more ground as the leading business focused network. The one-two punch of generative AI and search engines not forwarding organic traffic will make all content creation and SEO efforts a true power curve – the very best 4 or 5 will get 95% of the traffic, everyone else will be stuck with a crumb or two.” – John Wall, Producer of Marketing Over Coffee

“My marketing prediction for 2025 is the rise of brand authenticity and imperfection-forward-type marketing in both organic and paid channels. I’ve noticed a big trend in the type of content that consumers want to engage with that skews more towards ‘authentic’ and ‘raw’ messaging and creatives vs. what has been used traditionally in influencer marketing/performance marketing etc. that is kind of more ‘polished but UGC’ type content. I personally think this is due to a shift in politics and how consumers view brands that demand their attention 24/7. For example, the brand Bobbie does marketing really well because they’ve managed to capture a unique brand voice of speaking on their mistakes in the past, talking directly to the audience and coming off as raw. The consumer knows more than ‘look at us, we’re amazing’ and I can start to see that trend shift with smaller startups as well! Hyper-positive messaging will be replaced by centered messaging as that’s what consumers crave as a deviation from what we’re seeing on our screens.” – Manali Hanamsagar, Founder/Consultant at Matai LLC

“For sure, AI. It’s touching everything we do. I’m so immersed in it that I’ve realized I’ve developed an AI-speak detector – and I believe a lot of savvy buyers are going to have it pretty soon too. However, though AI is a great tool, it’s no replacement for human ingenuity, which is what composes the art behind the art + science of marketing. Consumers are more educated and are more inundated than ever before. As the barrier to entry across every market decreases year over year, competition for awareness and conversion has dramatically increased. I focus on product differentiation, clarity of communications and offering an interesting point of view. Making the message unforgettable is the only way to ensure your brand rises above the AI noise.” – Marlena Sarunac, Co-Founder and CMO of The Company Advice

“The SEO landscape is completely transforming due to AI. There is a large need to focus on high quality, long-form content (2000 words+). Long-tail keywords that carry no competition are the only ones worth targeting. Citing primary sources and expert opinions are more important than ever. Interactive tools like calculators and quizzes will be necessary to make the content sticky. Studies and conducting research studies are also key.” – Kiran Kumar, CEO & Founder of Timeless Biotech

“The shift from social media-first strategies to community-driven marketing will accelerate. Brands will prioritise building authentic, purpose-driven communities as trust in traditional social media platforms continues to decline. Consumers are demanding spaces where they feel heard, valued, and safe—communities offer this in ways social media simply cannot.” – Serena Gasparini, Community Expert / Founder of Sense and Forum

“Stories. Real, human stories. In this new phase of the digital age, with remote workforces and an overwhelming amount of tools, successful content will be story-driven. People are yearning for connection. Companies that can empathize with their target audience and use the power of storytelling to add value, resonate, and connect will be the shining stars that will rise above the rest in 2025.” – Laura Goldstone, Founder of Storyhaven

“Social networks where people can have conversations more naturally like X (Twitter), Threads, and Bluesky will continue to grow and attract other types of creators like lifestyle, health, entertainment, and more. I believe video will also continue to dominate the web and more and more businesses will have to adapt their marketing and advertising to video first platforms and formats. We will see a lot more AI generated content, but a lot more authentic content too!” Mike Moloney, Founder and CEO of FilterGrade

“I think people will obviously start to invest more into AI marketing, especially AI SEO. The world of SEO is changing so rapidly in the world of AI and it’s exciting, so it’s likely more people are going to lean into that. I also think some recent legal changes for Google will result in Google losing a bit of the market share for search traffic, leading to more ad spending on other search engines like Bing. And finally, I think we’ll see more social media platforms popping up, especially if/when TikTok gets banned in the US.” – Jessica Ponyrko, Founder of Anchor Watch Marketing

“Brands will focus on authenticity, social responsibility, and inclusivity. Consumers want to align with companies that reflect their values. Organizations that create meaningful communities around shared goals will build lasting loyalty.” – Davida Elizabeth Arnold, Founder of We The Aunties

“Brand Collaborations. 2024 saw some truly captivating and buzz-inducing campaigns such as Skims x Charli XCX, Heinz x Absolut and, who’d have thought it, Michael Cera x CeraVe. Forward-thinking brands, and household names among them, are breaking away from traditional strategies and collaborating in unexpected ways to create unique and culturally relevant experiences. These alliances present a great opportunity for reach, especially with viral-worthy content, but they’re also about delivering something fresh and memorable for their customers. For some brands, these collaborations are also an opportunity to explore comedy in a way that hasn’t been possible for them before. Another of my marketing predictions for 2025.” – Liv Backhouse, Freelance Growth Consultant

“In our current era of misinformation, transparency will take center stage in marketing in 2025. Many of us live in echo chambers, consuming information that reinforces our existing beliefs while rarely engaging with opposing views. To stay relevant and continue growing, brands must work to burst these bubbles by adopting a more open and authentic approach, building trust and credibility along the way.” – Christine Xenakis, Communications Consultant at CX Communications

“I think we’ll see a return of creative storytelling, boosted by but not authored by AI. Humans with superior writing and creative skills will figure out that they’re a rare breed and will become more valuable; those among this group who have a deep understanding of Generative AI will supercharge their output and find ever more innovative ways to craft mind-blowing narratives and translate them into campaigns.” – Dan Nestle, Chief Curiosity Officer at Inquisitive Communications

“Personalization will get a supercharge from AI like we have not seen before. Going beyond basic personalization, AI will empower marketers to develop hyper-personalized micro-campaigns that feel bespoke. I think we will begin to see big brands double-down on investing in their developers or collaborate with existing players to build AI models that support hyper-personalization at scale. Marketers who lean on AI adeptly will learn from these small, highly-personalized efforts to identify where to dive deeper among industries, geographies, customers, etc. and refine their brand to adapt to the specific needs of each micro-audience. This has never been possible at scale like we will see in 2025.” – Autumne Peth, Head of Marketing at Sailes

“2024 saw marketing teams dipping their toes into Generative AI for basic content creation, probably with varying results. In 2025, we’ll see marketers gaining a clearer view of the value of GenAI – moving beyond writing assistant to a coach helping strategize and streamline processes. While the abundance of AI tools has caused analysis paralysis, successful teams will adopt a test-and-learn approach – mastering one use case before expanding to others. The focus will shift from ‘What can AI write?’ to ‘How can AI help us streamline and operationalize content production?’” – Rose Bundock, Founder & CEO of Femsights

“Throughout 2025, I predict that marketing will evolve from relying heavily on static imagery and begin to shift emphasis over to video, as short form video content has quickly become a primary medium for engaging customers. Not only does the standard algorithm show interest in video content, but it also drives high interaction rates. I also anticipate that ‘imperfect’ marketing will begin to gain popularity, as it showcases the real team behind the brand. I predict that these both will perform well, as there is a wide range of space for development. In addition, I believe we will see more AI, as it is constantly changing and evolving. Although AI cannot stand as a tool for human substitution and original thought, it can be used in strategic ways to enhance efficiency, customer experience, and personalized content.” – Julia Becker-Collins, Chief Operating Officer of Vision Advertising

Conclusion

Although there are many suggestions to consider here, it’s important to remember that what works well for one brand may not work well for another. Test, evaluate, and try again!

Are you looking for additional marketing support? Contact our agency to learn how we can support your strategic planning efforts and help you hit the ground running next year.