Dr Dave Chaffey’s practical review of the marketing trends that will matter for B2C and B2B marketers in 2025
I’ve been writing reviews of the latest digital marketing innovations for well over 10 years now; spurred on since they seem to be helpful based on the comments on LinkedIn and when I present them. I hope that's because I try to keep them practical. They’re also a way to keep readers of my books in the loop during the gap between new editions. This last year we’ve published the Eighth edition of Digital Business and E-commerce Management and next year the ninth edition of Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice.
I guess, I must enjoy the challenge too, since for many years, there weren’t significant new trends, more of an evolution, but that changed last year with the growing usage of Generative AI which was the most exciting innovation of recent years. As we move fast towards 2025, there are lots of new challenges for digital marketing that marketers will need to grapple with in the year ahead. More challenges than opportunities I would say.
As always, I’ll keep the predictions grounded in what’s happening now with the early adopters and research on adoption and trends including our report on the Future of Digital Marketing in 2025.
To produce this report, we’re pleased to have partnered again with Technology for Marketing and eCommerce Expo. Dr. Dave Chaffey will be presenting the results from this report at Technology for Marketing and eCommerce Expo on 18 - 19 September 2024 at ExCeL London and his recommendations at the event. Register now to attend Dave's session.
We’ll review how AI is REALLY being used in marketing, digital maturity, Martech and the growth of the Zero Click Marketing concept. We'll start with the bigger strategic issue around how we manage digital marketing and then dig into which channel tactics are most effective towards the end.
Trend 1. Lack of a dedicated digital strategy
This is a long-standing trend, over the fifteen+ years we have been advising on and researching adoption of digital marketing planning, we have found the percentage of businesses without a planned approach has remained similar, suggesting there are significant barriers to integrating planning in organizations.
We still see nearly half (42%) of businesses don’t have a digital marketing strategy, but they are doing digital marketing.
It’s good to see that more than half of businesses do have a strategic approach. The ultimate aim should be to use an integrated strategy, but it can be useful initially to have a dedicated digital strategy in larger organizations, or to plan for and make the case for investment in digital marketing before it becomes integrated.
To help with this challenge, around 2010 we defined the RACE Growth System for improving marketing effectiveness - learn more in this article on the RACE Digital Marketing Framework or download our free planning template.
Action: How well-defined is our digital strategy and does it enable us to compete in the increasingly competitive digital channels. If the answer is No, then kick off a digital marketing audit which brings us on to...
Trend 2. Digital Maturity increases (slowly)
The previous chart is a symptom of a bigger malaise, which is a surprising lack of digital marketing maturity in many businesses. All this activity and investment is aimed at improving digital marketing capabilities, so in the research we asked where people were now with using digital marketing and where they would be in the future.
Results for businesses in our survey show that, across all pillars, around half of businesses are rated at lower levels of 1 to 2 (average 2.4) out of a maximum of 5 showing clear room for improvement. For context, for small and medium businesses with limited resources, we recommend that level 3 is a suitable aspiration to compete. For businesses who have a high digital contribution where online leads and sales are vital to their success, we recommend that levels 4 and 5 are necessary if the case for investment is made.
Next, to gauge how businesses are looking to improve their capabilities in the future, we asked respondents to repeat the analysis for 2025. The stark contrast between the two charts suggests that many of the businesses at levels 1 and 2 are conscious that they need to improve their capabilities and are planning to invest to achieve a higher-level in 2025.
We expect the progression to be slower. Of course, it’s human nature to aspire to improve, but it’s likely that there will be barriers that prevent this degree of improvement for many businesses. No surprise, that lack of resource is the top barrier to improving, showing that 2025 should be about Smarter Marketing - another digital marketing management trend.
Action: Score your maturity across these pillars of marketing using our 10+ free visual digital benchmarking templates like those above. Prioritize your activities for the year ahead on the 3 with the greatest potential.
Trend 3. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Smarter Marketing
One aspect of Smarter Marketing is to stop reinventing the wheel if you can avoid it. We're an advocate of using SOPs to support improvement and efficiency and our RACE framework defines the SOPs that matter for digital marketing and uses templates that businesses can apply to their organization.
We didn't ask about SOPs in the main survey, but our LinkedIn poll suggests many are using them, but equally many aren't. I found out about them several years ago where they were being used in the United States applied to E-commerce. This is a great fit since there are many repeatable processes in an online retail store. I think they are less well known in the UK and Europe, but interest is increasing based on the popularity of the post below I wrote about them.
Action: Consider to what extent use SOPs to avoid 're-inventing the wheel' and to make day-to-day activities across organic and paid digital channels more effective.
To help businesses improve their maturity, Smart Insights RACE premium downloadable Docs and Sheets templates support 70 Standard Operating Procedures for Digital Marketing - read this briefing blog explaining how SOPs should cover both strategic to tactical channel activities to drive improvement.
Trend 4. Smarter Marketing fuelled by Gen AI
We have seen how resourcing is the biggest limitation in increasing digital maturity, so this is a driver of this trend which we can simplify to ‘doing more with less’. This is forced upon many by the competitive environment which means that less budget and people resources are available for marketing. This also links to the previous trend since Gen AI is a great fit for defining your SOPs and partially automating them.
Likely this trend has been accelerated by Generative AI since it provides a free tool that pressured marketers will often want to lean on proactively while their managers may be leaning on them to use it to increase their priorities. We have many guides on Smarter Marketing with AI on the site and a free cheatsheet available to Free members on using ChatGPT for marketing.
In our survey, we asked to see whether Generative AI was living up to the hype. I’m not sure whether it’s surprising or not, given that around half of the businesses we surveyed weren’t using GenAI at all. Are they to be congratulated for realising that the quality of their marcomms were fall or chastised for being behind the curve. I veer more to the latter unless they have tried it, but decided that it’s not ready for them yet.
The research suggests to me that those who are using it should be chastised for how they are using it, either without training or an AI governance policy. Don’t they remember the GIGO acronym from tech pre-history?! We certainly believe controls are essential to maintain quality as we show in our AI for marketing governance policy template and article which wasn’t written by AI (apart from collaborating on the structure, an example of Smarter Marketing).
Action: Review whether you have a governance apporoach for Generative AI that defines which tools you use for which activities by which people and put in place checks to make sure AI isn't compromising your content quality.
Trend 5. The AI-assisted Marketer
This follows on, hot on the heels, from the previous Trend. In our report, we compare the popularity of the wide range of applications of AI in marketing, since AI can support the ‘AI-assisted marketer’ in so many ways beyond Generative AI for copywriting. For example, to support with planning and reporting. We were surprised by we ran on LinkedIn that showed that many were using it to support this process ans also to support analysis and reporting.
The most common applications of AI were, nevertheless, using it to support copywriting for email marketing, organic search and social media. Over one half of respondents were using it for these purposes.
Action: This also requires an AI Governance Policy or Playbook that is agreed for your business, even if you are a 'team of one'. Playbooks are also particularly important for agencies since their should be transparency between agency about what tools are used for and the quality control checks that in place.
Trend 6. Martech Composability
What’s that then you’ll be asking. I picked up the term from Martech guru Scott Brinker who said: “What an amazing time to be working in marketing and martech! Our entire industry is blossoming like the wildflower “super bloom” happening in California this spring, fed by the rain, rivers, and sunshine of generative AI, universal cloud data warehouses, and software composability”. Well, I’m not sure it’s that good, but what is composability. It’s essentially what we used to call interoperability in IT. It’s defined as:
“A software architecture pattern that allows organizations to build software systems from small, independent components that can be combined. This approach is different from traditional, monolithic solutions, which are often inflexible and have predefined capabilities”.
The importance of this is illustrated by two figures from Scott’s own research that shows the limitations of the monolithic cloud solution often bolted together from different tech acquisitions.
Although there is a trend away from CRM platforms to data-centred platforms such as CDPs and Datawarehouses…
This alongside a trend that suggests that Martech’s bubble may have burst or rather there is more focus on Return on Martech. In the 2024 Gartner CMO Spend Survey it was found that in the larger businesses survey only 23.8% of marketer’s budgets have been allocated to marketing technology — the lowest recorded martech budget proportion since 2018. I disagree with the ‘only’ - it’s still a huge proportion particularly if you’re having to pay more than once for the same functionality.
Action: Review your Martech stack to see how it can be made leaner and better integrated. Refer to our digital marketing tools wheel to review which tools should be part of your stack across the RACE framework.
Trend 7. Zero click Marketing
If you have heard of this concept, it’s likely been via Rand Fishkin, ex of Moz and now of Sparktoro. Zero Clicks originally referred to the falling proportion of people clicking through from Google. Here are the latest figures from SparkToro which show us that for the keywords tracked, fewer than 60% of searches leads to a click on Google.
Previously this was because of the SERPs features such as the Related Questions rich snippets which according to Mozcast now feature in 90% of keyword searches they track. If people see the answer to their question on the SERP, then they won’t click through resulting in falling traffic to destination sites. As our next trend shows, AIOs have reduced this further.
More recently, the Zero click concept has been extended to other platforms such as social networks whose goal has always been to keep people on the platform. Rand has gone as far as to say:
"The Way We’ve Done Digital Marketing for 20 Years is Ending"
He is urging people to invest more in awareness-building, brand-building and PR and using content marketing as the main goal of content marketing (rather than SEO). It suits him to say this since SparkToro is an insights tool that can support you in these activities. I disagree that digital marketing is changing fundamentally, since using exceptional content marketing to support PR and SEO has always been an effective tactic. But, certainly there is a trend.
Amanda Natividad has taken this one step further by exploring the concept of Zero Click Marketing as an activity. I think this is taking it too far, but it’s useful to prompt people on where they should focus their activities to get success:
It’s only a brief post, but here’s a summary of the recommendations:
“Create marketing campaigns that people will actually care about — you know, optimize for those impressions so that people will actually see and be moved by your marketing”.
“Guide your decisions by the science of understanding people and the platforms on which they spend time. It’s uncovering audience behaviors, preferences, demographics, sources of influence, behavior, etc. and then investing wisely in the right places with the right content, using lift-based measurement to judge impact and choose where to double-down and where to pull back”.
“Accrue algorithmic capital by creating high engagement zero-click posts and and then use paid media e.g. retargeting to sending clicks back to your site”.
Action: Review the types of content and content distribution techniques you utilise, for example using our content marketing matrix. How does the quality of your content stack up against competitors. Ask is your content quality sufficient to inspire, differentiate your brand and encourage action?
Trend 8. Integrating AI into the SERPs and AI use reducing search use
AI generated results have featured in Bing for what seems like years now, but it’s only in mid 2024 that Google rolled out AIOs, which is SEO speak for Google’s AI overviews you see at the top of the SERPs. These seem likely to increase Zero Clicks, but it seems that many people do want further details, so it’s good that Google has recently ensured that recently, the recommended site for AIOs, not feature sites already in the top 5 (they were generally poor quality).
At the same time, we can imagine that the volume of searches will reduce if people are turning to AIs to answer their questions, particularly like Perplexity where that is providing a similar user experience to a search engine.
At the top-level, use of AIs doesn’t seem to be having a major impact, at least in terms of volumes of users:
However, in certain niches such as programming, business and marketing the impact is likely to be much more significant.
Plus, with the July 2024 announcement that OpenAI will launch SearchGPT there will be an accelerating trend to replacement of traditional search queries by AI search queries.
Action: Specialist tools for reviewing the impact of AIOs in detail aren't available yet and Google is unlikely to add them to Google Search Console according to their comments, but you benchmark your standing against competitors for all the different SERPs features and use your existing reporting like GSC, Ahrefs, Moz, Semrush or Sistrix to check its effectiveness.
Trend 9. The ever-receding cookieless future
This is another long-standing one, that I think is difficult to get excited about unless you work in attribution or adtech. You will know that for many years, we have been promised a cookieless future. You maybe also spotted that Google announced in July 2024 that it will retain Third-Party Cookies in Chrome after years of planning alternatives….
This is contrary to plans dating back to 2019 when it launched the Privacy Sandbox heralding endless speculation and review of alternatives for the ‘Cookieless Future’. Instead, Chrome will offer users new options to manage their cookie preferences, while maintaining the Privacy Sandbox as a core part of its strategy.
This move is BIG news, since extending the use of third-party cookies will provide continued access to valuable data for targeted advertising. It’s good news, since techniques such as retargeting and conversion attribution are likely to be more accurate than the alternatives that were going to replace them. There will also be less immediate onus on businesses to understand and make changes, it’s a ‘stay of execution’. However, the trend remains and savvy businesses will use the time wisely to understand and select alternatives.
Action: Review your use of third-party cookies for compliance with privacy requirements
Trend 10. Digital Marketing Optimization still too hard for many
To assess the extent to which insight is used to test, learn, and improve the effectiveness of digital media, experiences, content and messaging, we asked marketers to categorize their approach to testing for each. There is a similar level of testing across all four of these pillars, but few have a continuous, structured program which is line with what we saw about maturity earlier.
The standout finding from this chart is that a continuous, structured programme of testing is relatively uncommon, despite the often-touted benefits of digital media being ‘the most measurable’. Kudos to the fewer than 20% of companies that already have a continuous programme in place, and to those that at least test occasionally (around half of businesses)!
Action: Review how you can introduce a more structured approach to optimization, for example, using the RACE 90-day planning approach that Smart Insights recommend.
So, we're at 10, time for a bonus trend!
Bonus! Trend 11. Strategic Content Marketing
I remember when content marketing first became a concept we could anchor our digital marketing around and it has been fascinating to see how the adoption of content marketing play out. I think it’s a similar situation to digital marketing in that a dedicated strategy seems warranted given it’s important, but many don’t have it. It’s similar to the question we mentioned at the start of this review. Considering B2B where content marketing arguably has most focus, the latest research from the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) suggests that a dedicated strategy is rare, rather content marketing has become part of business-as-usual and seventy percent say their organizations integrate content strategy into the overall marketing sales/communication/strategy with around seventeen percent say using a stand-alone strategy for content marketing with only 9% say they don’t have a content strategy.
From a practical point-of-view, what types of content marketing are proving popular? The CMI research is useful for benchmarking. TBH, this leaderboard looks similar to what it would have 10 years ago, but Video content is significantly higher than in previous years, it has been gradually growing.
Action: Ask, do we need a better aligned, integrated content-marketing strategy? See our content marketing learning path course and templates for guidance an approach to systematically improve your content marketing effectiveness and ROI.
Summary. So which channels really matter?
You can see that in this review that many of the newer trends are around AI and Martech line. But let's go back to the top-level and think about marketing channels. Have the disruptive forces of AI and Zero Click Marketing really change the channels we know and love. Yes, it may be getting tougher to get traction in organic channels, but sorting the top-rated channels by those with Highest ROI shows that the top 4 are all organic. So many of our tried and tested content-based marketing techniques are still being made to work by many, at least those completing our survey.
https://tinyurl.com/hcd5sb8h
Digital Marketing Trends for 2025: Key Insights & Overview
Vrinsoft Technology Pvt. Ltd.
As we approach 2025, digital marketing is on the verge of a significant transformation. Whether you are an early adopter or a cautious observer, the upcoming trends could redefine how you connect with your audience.
For example, were you aware that 81% of companies are expected to increase their AI-driven marketing efforts by 2025? Additionally, with video content projected to represent 82% of all internet traffic, the shift is undeniable.
In this post, we will look at the top digital marketing trends for 2025, offering valuable insights and actionable strategies. By the end of this insightful post, you will have the knowledge to navigate through the changing digital marketing industry and position your business for success by hiring digital marketing experts in India.
So, let's explore the exciting digital marketing trends that are set to make a splash in 2025!
Digital Marketing- Exciting Facts and Statistics
According to Cognitive Market Research: -
- The global Digital Marketing Analytic market size will be USD 4518.2 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.90% from 2024 to 2031.
Regional Insights
- In 2024, North America had the largest market share, accounting for over 40% of the global revenue. The region is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.6% from 2024 to 2031.
- Europe represented more than 30% of the global market size.
- Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue. It is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4% from 2024 to 2031.
- The Middle East and Africa had a market share of approximately 2% of the global revenue in 2024. The market is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1% from 2024 to 2031.
- In 2024, social media marketing had the highest revenue share in the Digital Marketing Analytics market.
Why SMEs and Enterprises Should Invest in Digital Marketing 2025?
The following are the main advantages why startups, small businesses and enterprises, all should invest and adopt the latest digital marketing trends: -
- Better Brand Awareness
One of the key benefits of digital marketing is improved brand awareness, especially for newly established businesses.
Social media marketing allows businesses to promote their products on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn and collaborate with other brands to boost awareness.
Additionally, SEO helps businesses rank higher on search engines, increasing brand visibility.
- Increase Customer Engagement
Customer intimacy, as mentioned in a McKinsey report, is essential for business growth. Furthermore, 71% of consumers expect personalized content from brands.
Therefore, digital marketing allows businesses to increase customer engagement through personalized ads and data analytics.
- Greater Market Share
Digital marketing improves brand awareness and customer engagement, leading to improved trust and customer loyalty. Consequently, this can result in higher customer retention rates, positively impacting the business’s market share.
- Higher ROI
According to Google insights, for every ($1) spent on Google ads, companies generate ($8) through Google search ads. Similarly, ($1) invested in email marketing yields businesses no less than ($36).
The State of Marketing Report 2023 by HubSpot reveals that blogs, influencer marketing, and social media shopping are the top ways businesses can generate ROI through digital marketing.
- Improved Sales
The primary objective of digital marketing is to increase business sales and foster growth. Research indicates that 38% of social media users make purchases online.
However, some individuals hesitate to shop online due to a lack of trust, inadequate product descriptions, and poor brand reputation. Digital marketing often helps businesses overcome these challenges and boost their sales.
Top 7 Digital Marketing Trends for 2025
Digital marketing continues to transform, driven by the latest technologies and shifting consumer behavior. In 2025, staying ahead requires businesses to implement emerging trends and adjust their strategies accordingly.
Have a look at the top digital marketing trends for 2025
- AI Enabled Marketing
- Voice Search Optimization
- Shoppable Social media Posts
- Short Form Video Content
- Ethical Marketing
- Customization and Hyper Targeting
- Privacy First Marketing
Let's understand in detail about these best 7 digital marketing trends for 2025 and beyond: -
1. AI Enabled Marketing
AI-powered marketing is no longer a futuristic concept; it is becoming a core component of digital marketing. AI helps analyze vast amounts of consumer data to predict trends, improve customer service with chatbots, and automate content creation.
For businesses, AI-powered marketing translates into greater efficiency and personalization, leading to better ROI.
2. Voice Search Optimization
Voice search optimization is essential as voice-activated devices like Amazon Echo, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri grow in popularity. Marketers need to focus on natural language and question-based keywords, as voice queries tend to be longer and more conversational.
Optimizing for local SEO is also vital as many voice searches are for location-specific services. Businesses that adapt their SEO strategies to accommodate voice search will see improved visibility and increased website traffic.
3. Shoppable Social Media Posts
Social commerce is on the rise, and by 2025, there will be a stronger integration of e-commerce into social media platforms.
Shoppable posts on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook allow users to purchase products directly from their feeds without leaving the app. For brands, this means a shorter buying journey and higher conversion rates.
4. Short Form Video Content
Short-form video content continues to dominate, especially with the explosive growth of platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. These quick, engaging videos allow brands to connect with audiences in a highly interactive way.
5. Ethical Marketing
Consumers in 2025 are more socially and environmentally conscious than ever before. Brands that can demonstrate sustainable practices and ethical values will have a significant advantage.
Marketing campaigns that highlight these efforts not only attract conscientious consumers but also build trust and long-term loyalty.
6. Customization ad Hyper Targeting
Personalized marketing is essential in the crowded digital marketplace. Consumers expect content that speaks directly to their needs and preferences, and hyper-targeting allows businesses to deliver just that.
In 2025, advanced data analytics, machine learning, and customer behavior tracking will allow marketers to create highly personalized experiences at every touchpoint.
7. Privacy First Marketing
Data privacy has become a major concern for customers, and regulations like the GDPR and CCPA are forcing businesses to rethink how they collect, store, and use data.
In 2025, brands must prioritize transparency in data usage and implement privacy-first marketing strategies. Relying on first-party data (collected directly from users) and respecting user consent will be essential for building trust.
To Sum Up- Digital Marketing Trends for 2025
The future of digital marketing is exciting, and full of opportunities. To succeed in 2025 and beyond, businesses must implement new technologies, understand the changing needs of their customers, and remain committed to ethical practices. Checkout this digital transformation guide, if you want to create meaningful connections with your audiences and drive long-term success.
In this quickly changing digital marketplace, the brands that thrive will be those that will innovate, connect deeply with their consumers, and deliver value that resonates on a personal level.
As we move forward, the focus will be on promoting genuine connections and providing experiences that go beyond mere transactions to build lasting relationships.
So, why wait? Hire digital marketing experts in India and take your business to new heights.
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