The prophecies of marketing in 2025

The landscape of marketing moves and morphs every year, and 2025 is no different.

Just like every year that passed before it, 2024 was an interesting year for marketing and AI.

Of course, AI continues to dominate marketing discussions and shape strategies across industries. Essentially, we can't talk about marketing without talking about AI.

Here's what we learned about marketing in 2024:

• AI-generated content dominates the marketing sphere
• AI is at it's cleverest yet (thanks to machine learning)
• Customers are less trusting of brands due to the over-exposure of disingenuous and fake content
• Voice search has increased 
• Social searching has increased
• Screen times are at an all-time high, leading to conversations about productivity
• Increase in fake news/scamming/impersonators and bots

So what does this all mean for brands?

We're starting to see the knock-on effects of AI

The AI dust has settled now, and we all know what AI is capable of.

While AI is doing some amazing things for the world, we're also seeing a rise in customer scepticism. Fake news, scammers, and interpreters operate in the same circles that we shop around in. People simply don't believe in content as much as they used to.

Not only that, but we're learning how to spot AI-generated content because it's everywhere. These tools aren't exclusive to only marketers. Over 50% of consumers claim they can tell the difference between human content and AI-generated content. And even when it is human-generated content, audiences are still reading with a sceptical eye.

Everyone knows just how clever it is - which means it's easy to consume content whilst thinking 'Did a human really write this?'

42% of people claimed that they are less likely to trust brands and 69% distrust brand advertising less than they used to.

Brands that heavily rely on customer retention or subscriptions could feel this the most.

'The Messy Middle'

Customers are taking longer to make a purchase now. The space between the initial touch point and purchase is wider and more unpredictable.

Google calls this 'The Messy Middle.' It's the vague middle ground where customers are shopping around, looking at competitors, unsure of whether they should even purchase at all.

It's caused by decision paralysis: An overload of content, options and choices, with each brand all telling us they're the best one. This messy intertwining of touch points can be confusing for customers, with so many choices available.

Inevitably, this sparks a craving for genuine content and solid relationships.

The good news? 2025 is about authenticity

And of course, bland content adds to this. But it's not all doom and gloom. Content is cheap to make, but a genuine connection is priceless.

So 2025 is about repurposing what we use AI for and focussing on providing great customer experiences.

And it's not just about creating authentic, personalised content. It's about making the customer experience better and as enriching as possible. Top-tier service and aligned marketing/sales can really help push this.  

To gain trust, showing your customer that you're being genuine is going to be 10 times more effective than dull content.

And in terms of AI, this means using it to...

• Streamline processes
• Make the content more personalised
• Transcribe, dictate and edit content
• Manage workflows 
• Help with idea generation
• Using automation to prioritise authenticity over quantity of content

Doing this allows marketers to practise the human side of marketing - because customers need a connection to make a purchase.

And in terms of social posting, it's expected that we'll revert to more traditional or 'retro' ways of using it.

This could look like...

• Posting only when there's something meaningful to say
• Prioritising quality of content over quantity 
• Being more personable 
• Being more authentic, open and honest

Conversions could take longer

And of course, if a customer has gone quiet, that doesn't mean they'll never convert. Customers are just taking longer to shop now. That doesn't mean the inbound strategy isn't working. It might just be a matter of time. Ironically, giving your customers some breathing space before they buy could be the key to conversions.

In the interim, offer free tutorials or non-committal consultancy.

These are still wins, even if you haven't made a conversion. These 'micro-conversions' are the building blocks of a great customer relationship. Sales and loyalty might be the end goal - but getting there still takes time and nurturing.

Optimising for social search

Search is still really important. But search in 2025 is all about social searching.

The way customers are searching is changing. We're using the easiest ways to search possible.

Customers are using voice search more. We don't want to be looking at our screens as much. Voice search gives us a quick fix, and this is more accessible now that dictation software is more refined.

We're also using social searching more. A recent study found that 75% of UK social users will use their socials to search around a brand before buying into it.

People are turning to TikTok and Instagram to get short-form, video-based answers to their questions. We're being shown answers rather than digging out word-based information ourselves. These searches are allowing brands to appear in social SERP results just as they would in Google.

A bad search experience is not good for the product, so it might be a good idea to cover all touch points of social searching to help your customers find your product easily.

Will TikTok die?

Another blanket of realisation has slowly unravelled post-2024. The world has certainly become more aware of the negative effects of increased screen time. This has led to an optimisation of productivity apps and a wider global conversation about the dangers of prolonged screen time, or 'doom scrolling'.

This, coupled with the potential banning of TikTok in the US could manifest some interesting things for our social media usage in 2025.

If short-form video searching is dominating, then what could ever replace it? Does this mean we're due for a social media revolution? Will TikTok finally have its day, and will a new platform take its place?

Regardless of the social media sphere this year, 2025 pushes for authentic marketing and unique conversations that blend personalisation, sales and marketing. The crux? AI might be changing, but human behaviour is not.

How will your brand adapt to these shifts in 2025?