The field of digital marketing is constantly evolving and changing every year. As we head into a new year, we can anticipate a set of new trends that will emerge and reshape how brands connect with their audiences. Driven by innovation, technological advancements, changes in consumer behavior and a focus on personalization and data, here are a few trends to watch out for in 2025.
Artificial intelligence
Digital marketing has already seen a transformation due to Artificial Intelligence and machine learning. These technologies will continue to evolve digital marketing by further optimizing everything from content creation to customer segmentation. When it comes to personalized marketing, AI has already created advancements with AI-drive customer service tools such as chatbots equipped with natural language processing features, that allow the AI to create personalized messaging for each individual customer who interacts with it. This technology will continue to evolve perfecting the quality of the customer service experience with every interaction between the chatbots and each individual customer.
Voice Search
With the increase popularity of smart speakers, such as Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, and Apple’s Siri, voice search technology continues to establish itself as a mainstream method for the everyday consumer to find and gather information. Edison Research shows that at least 35% of U.S. households now own a smart speaker. This importance of this voice commerce will be critical for digital marketing in the coming year. Particularly when it comes to voice search optimization. Where brands have focused on written questions that users may type in a search engine, and optimizing this search based on particular keywords that are entered. This type of optimization can be evolved to focus on what type of questions a consumer may ask through speech. For example, a user may type in a search engine “Best restaurants in Morgantown” where a voice search may differ with them asking “What are the best restaurants near me?”. Brands should focus on long-tail keywords and natural language to capture this growing audience.
The Rise of AR and VR
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) found its start primarily in gaming, with the use of VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and the Meta Quest. This technology has transformed how individuals and can interact with media is a brand new way that increases immersion on every level. But video games are not the only medium that this technology can be used for. For example major brands like IKEA and Sephora have already started to implement AR technology. IKEA’s AR app allows users to view furniture in their own space, while Sephora’s allows users to experiment with virtual makeup try-ons. More brands can utilize these features for their own products, giving consumers a brand new immersive experience to try out their products. As this technology continues to evolve, it will present a lucrative opportunity to incorporate digital marketing efforts with these technologies through early adoption that can enhance customer engagement and differentiate your brands in the competitive markets.
Video Content
Video content has already been a huge part of digital marketing strategies for a long time now. It remains a powerful and dominant force in digital marketing, with platforms like Youtube, TikTok, Instagram, providing options to focus on short-form, interactive content. Consumers have started to shift their preferences to these bite sized digestible content, and brands can use these platforms to create video content that delivers information quickly in a creative way. To increase customer engagement, brands can utilize live streaming for product launches and Q&A’s. On top of this, utilizing those platforms like TikTok and YouTube can help increase reach by creating and promoting short form content. By analyzing metrics from these videos, a brand will have the ability to refine their content strategies based on what resonates the most with each niche audience.
Personalization at Scale
Personalization in digital marketing is a must. Customers expect personalized experiences across all digital channels. In the coming year, personalization in marketing will continue to advance as greater tools offering greater customization abilities to brands allowing them to deliver hyper-personalized content and recommendations directly to the consumers. To get ahead of this curb, brands can start to invest in dynamic content platforms such as HubSpot and Marketo that already offer advanced personalization features, Brands should be looking for ways to create dynamic content adjustments that reflect user data. This ensures that each message created are relevant to each consumer. Advancements in AI drive personalization can also assist your brand in designing user journeys that meet consumers needs. By developing campaigns that consider various stages of the buyer journey, from interest to decision-making, for highly relevant interactions.
Social Commerce
The line between social media and e-commerce is starting to blur, due to popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok integrating in-app shopping features. Brands should now start to focus on utilizing these features and use their space on these social media platforms as a place to create a seamless browsing-to-purchase experience for consumers right from their social media feed.
In order for brands to stay competitive, they must keep up with the latest trends in the marketing space. Looking ahead at 2025 and beyond, technologies will continue to emerge and advance providing brands new opportunities to market themselves to the consumers. By prioritizing on personalization and adapting to the shifts in consumer preferences this will be a great start for brands to stay ahead of the curb. Technologies such as AI, voice search, AR and Video will continue to dominate the digital marketing in 2025. Brands that can blend innovation with authenticity and create meaningful, personalized experiences for their consumers while incorporating these latest trends, can create impactful campaigns that build lasting connections with their audiences.
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Meet the Author
Erik Rudolph
Marketing Assistant Student Worker
Erik is a senior advertising student with a minor in communications, he also is a part of the MSJ 4+1 program at WVU. He is currently the marketing assistant student worker for the WVU Marketing Communications Graduate Programs. Erik loves the sport of boxing and works closely with a local boxing promotion in Morgantown, Real Fight Promotions, as a color commentator and a social media manager.
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Marketing Communications Today is a collection of resources for marketing communications professionals filled with industry research, marketing trends, and career information about integrated marketing and data-driven communications. Learn industry insights through the Marketing Communications Today blog, podcast, as well as Integrate Online.
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