Marketing Trends Update – 7 to watch
Marketing is closely tied to consumer behavior. No matter what area you specialize in, the effectiveness of your campaigns is susceptible to cultural ebbs and flows. In this article , you will discover the marketing trends that continue to grow in 2025 with insights on AI integration, short-form video popularity, User Generated Content (UGC ) strategies, and the importance of authentic branding.
7 Top Marketing Trends
Changes in marketing span social media marketing, digital marketing, brand marketing, and more. As you read through these trends, remember your unique consumer base because not all will necessarily translate across all audiences.
Here are 7 trends worth keeping in mind as you develop your marketing plans:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is boosting effectiveness and efficiency.
AI advancements have made a significant impact on marketing. According to HubSpot’s State of Marketing Report 2024, 64 percent of marketers already use AI and automation. Moreover, 80 percent of advanced creative roles will be tasked with using GenAI to enhance their marketing efforts by 2026.
Short-form video content is driving social strategy.
As marketers increasingly target digital-first generations, they’re meeting them where they are: scrolling short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. According to HubSpot, short-form video is the content type with the highest return on investment (ROI).
User-generated content (UGC) is increasing brand awareness.
User-generated content (UGC) is any content that users post about your product on their social media profiles. The content may be similar to the content you’d see influencers or affiliate partners posting. Still, unlike those posts, businesses don’t work directly with the users to sponsor or produce the content. It’s more like word-of-mouth marketing, where users create content and share it with their audiences, and then businesses can leverage that content through tactics like social sharing or giveaways.
Community efforts and genuine branding encourage consumer trust.
According to Coursera, authenticity is the third-highest value US consumers identify with, and nurturing a genuine brand voice will become increasingly crucial as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent in online spaces.
Case studies continue to drive brand recognition and sales lead generation.
More traditional content marketing, like case studies, is typically used to increase brand recognition and drive lead generation, particularly for B2B marketing. In 2024, case studies will continue to show up in marketing strategies. HubSpot found that 26 percent of marketing teams already use case studies in their content marketing strategy, and 87 percent of marketers plan to increase or maintain their investment in case studies
Search engine changes are shifting search engine optimization (SEO) strategies.
With AI-powered enhancements to popular search engines, Gartner predicts that brands will see a 50 percent decrease in organic search traffic to their websites by 2028 [2]. Despite the shifting landscape, HubSpot reports that 92 percent of marketers plan to increase or maintain their investment in SEO in 2024 [5].
AI-powered chatbots are expanding conversational capabilities.
Chatbots and virtual assistants are providing consumers with high-quality answers to common or easily answered questions. With advancements in AI and natural language processing (NLP) technologies, it’s becoming easier for marketers to program and use these tools to increase efficiency without disrupting customer satisfaction
Quality editorial content persists.
Marketers will continue to invest in editorial content, like blog posts and podcasts, to generate engagement, support conversions, and promote thought leadership. According to HubSpot, 82 percent of marketers surveyed plan to increase or maintain their investment in podcasts and audio content, and 92 percent plan to increase or maintain their investment in blogging in 2024
