2025 Trend Predictions In The Marketing World

I’ve done the research so you don’t have to! This is where the world of marketing is headed in 2025 (according to the experts).

End-Stage Social Media

Or as Taylor Swift would title this “Our Great Exhaustion Era.” Polls have been taken, surveys have been done, and audiences are tired of being sold to every time they open up Instagram or TikTok. This is why the girlies have their comfort creators. Personal stories, authenticity, DITLs sell us a nostalgia of being on the internet in the good ole’ 2000’s, not fighting for our lives at every swipe.

It is best to keep this in mind as you plan out your content. My marketing muse, Jenna Kutcher, always says: “Serve, serve, serve, sell.” And selling may not be on social media. Research shows better ROI if selling happens in your email list, in person, or in a place where followers are ready to become paying customers.

Experts don’t think social media is going away per se, and neither do I, but there will be a shift in how we plan our content strategy for different platforms and how our audience interacts with us.

The Lurker Generation

The algorithm on Meta is constantly changing and in the past, has prioritized “feed real estate,” to accounts who have the most engagement on their posts and stories. Likes, comments, shares, and saves go a long way. But is this the only metric that should matter?

Although numbers matter quite a lot and do show the quantitative data-the qualitative data is where it’s at. Qualitative data- such as how many impressions or people viewed your post or story- is your outreach. This may be attracting new followers. In many conversations I have been in while in social settings, friends admit that they really don’t engage with any posts on social media, even if they like what they see. They just scroll because it’s easier.

This can feel extremely discouraging to a small business owner. I know first-hand as a small business owner myself. No matter how many call-to-actions (CATs) I have or how I word them, I get little to no comments on my posts.

This does not deter me from experimenting with new copy or continue to try to engage my audience in a new way. Once in a while I will get a DM from my post or IG story that feels like I’m on the moon! A DM is so much more important to me than a comment because that is where I am building connection and turning an audience into a community.

You never know who has been lurking on your social media posts, blog posts, videos, etc. and likes your content. With each post, they are getting closer to purchasing your offer. Keep your head to the ground and keep showing up sis.

New Phone, Who Dis?

Remember when that phrase was a thing? LOL Why. However, in the marketing world, brands are seriously considering revamping their look, messaging, offerings, or all of the above to catch their target audience.

Hootsuite reports 43% of brands are giving their look a glow up in 2025. This may seem like a lot of admin, but hear me out:

It’s easy to run the narrative that your small business had a difficult 2024 due to low customer interaction. Not as many people are coming into the store (if you have a brick & mortar), or if they’re coming in, not purchasing anything. Many big brands (sorry Target, I’m looking at you), are jumping on the trends started by small brands and able to sell them for much cheaper. It is tough to compete with the ease, speed, and convenience of the Amazons of the world.

I hear you and I am on your side. I like to think of myself as a conscience consumer-I want to support my community, shop local, tell all my friends about it, and personally would love to see the Jeff Bezos of the world get the karma they deserve. Not all people shop with this intention but I bet that your target audience falls in this camp. And even as a conscience consumer, I still fall privy to getting that trendy teeshirt for $10 at Target or online vs. $40 at a local boutique. I’m sorry-that’s a hard pill to swallow, but the reality for me too is, money is tight all around and I really just can’t afford to shop at all of the small stores I love so much.

the bottom line

You cannot rely on your customers to be the sole reason to keep your business afloat. You need to get more people in the door AND with the customers you do have, work smarter at keeping them coming back, making YOU top of mind when they want to spend their dollar vs. a larger competitor. What makes you top of mind?

Get uncomfy and ask yourself the difficult questions. Your business will thank you for it. If you need help getting started, I have a free questionnaire on my freebies page just for you.

Working Smarter, Not Harder

So you’ve asked yourself the tough questions, did a little reflecting, hopefully some market research with your audience (this isn’t fancy-just talk to them. Ask them what they like/don’t like, etc.) Now what?

Get them off of your social accounts and into a place where you can nurture them. Make them feel like the VIPs they are. This leads to returning customers, more purchases, and bettering your LTV (long value purchase). This is the total worth of a customer to a business over the entire period of their relationship and is a lighter lift than obtaining new leads constantly. In corporate lingo, think of the benefit of a company nurturing their existing employees to prevent turn-around vs. constantly needing to invest dollars in new hiring processes, new training, orientations, etc.

Some tools to help you work smarter, not harder:

AI- think of her like your work bestie instead of your personal assistant. When used tactfully, AI can be a time & effort savor.

Substack subscriptions- this is where all of us former word-nerds and girlies that doodled on their notebooks go to play. I predict a huge rise in Substack hype in 2025 and some may say it has already arrived.

Long-form content- short-form media isn’t going away anytime soon but it is getting tossed around a lot. Long-form media (youtube videos, blogging, email newsletters, etc) have stayed consistent & coming out on top for decades. Choose content that works & short-form as your side dish.

Video- many traditional photo or word platforms are adopting video content because it works. Prioritize storytelling vs. selling and don’t overthink it. Have fun with it!

Interactive media- struggling to get customers into your store? Give them a virtual tour! I don’t know about you, but I am more inclined to visit a store that visually appeals to me and intrigues me online first. Have them be part of a try-on, organizing the storefront window, or getting them involved in your stories or email in order to get them in person next.

The Perfect Place To Nurture Your Audience

Email! Did you know that you can have a thriving email list without even a website? It’s easy and though it may be a slow go in the beginning, the ROI for email sales is 4:1. For every $1 you spend on an email campaign, you will receive $4 in return. Plus, you are hitting your target audience right in their inbox. With automation and segmentation out in the world, you can reach your audience exactly when they need you too.

Next Steps

I’m your science-based hype girlie who does the marketing research for you so you don’t have to! My main goal is to provide you with knowledge and tools to succeed and grow your small business in 2025, but if you are feeling overwhelmed with the data and don’t have the energy to implement new strategies, reach out!

I keep solutions simple & realistic. I encourage you to book a FREE 30-min consultation with me so we can identify your specific pain points and know where to start.