Stay ahead with these marketing trends for 2025

The marketing world never stands still, and there are new trends that we are going to see more often for 2025 as well. Here are the key developments and how your business can benefit from them.

AI: Indispensable in marketing?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of the marketing world. From predicting customer behavior to personalized campaigns: AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper.ai make content creation and data processing a lot easier. Even chatbots are already providing 24/7 customer service, making a valuable contribution to customer satisfaction.

Visual content with GenAI

From unique visuals to personalized audio such as jingles, Generative AI (GenAI) takes marketing to a new level. GenAI helps companies generate eye-catching, creative content. This way, marketing teams can focus on strategy, while GenAI enables interactive campaigns in no time.

Voice-Activated Technology

Voice search is gaining ground, with a 40% increase in daily usage. It is now even possible to make a “phone call” with ChatGPT. Ask yourself: How would my customer verbally ask for my product? Here’s how to make sure your website shows up in voice searches.

Commercials break the fourth wall: Storytelling 2.0

Old advertising formats don’t work like they used to; consumers expect entertainment and interaction. Big brands like Amazon even post comments under trending videos to be closer to their audience.

How can your brand apply this?
Experiment with interactive ads in which the viewer can participate or react themselves. Consider funny videos or even short skits featuring your product without it feeling like advertising. This generates interest and makes your brand part of the online community.

The new influencer: User Generated Content

User Generated Content (UGC) enhance your company’s trustworthiness and social proof. Research shows that UGC is 28% more effective in customer engagement than traditional content. Although UGC is already big in countries like America, this trend will also grow incrementally in the Netherlands.‍ How do you leverage UGC? Motivate your target audience to share their experiences with your brand on social media. A simple win action or a branded hashtag can already trigger a stream of authentic content. This saves you a lot of advertising costs compared to traditional influencers, and generates more trust from new customers.

OOH Campaigns: Back to the Street

Out-of-home (OOH) ads are making a comeback by strengthening a connection with the customer more than ever. Companies are capitalizing on the target audience’s desire to step outside their digital world. A recent survey shows that 55% of millennials have a positive impression of brands using OOH ads. How to apply this? Think interactive billboards or QR codes that people can scan. It brings out your message in an innovative way and makes your brand physically visible on the streets.

Advertising in 2025: Where should you be?

The popularity of ads on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram continues to grow. Figures show that on average, TikTok ads have 11% higher engagement than ads on other platforms. For 2025, TikTok is a promising channel, especially if you want to appeal to a younger audience.

Where to invest?
If you want to use your 2025 budget smartly, consider a mix of TikTok advertising and Google Ads. TikTok is ideal for brand awareness and Google Ads remains essential for conversions.

SEO 2025: Trends not to be missed

Google continues to evolve, and search queries are changing with it. Long-tail keywords and voice search optimization are becoming more important, while AI is playing an increasing role in search engines. How do you capitalize on this? Focus on content that answers your audience’s questions directly, especially in the form of blogs, FAQs and knowledge bases. Make sure your website performs optimally on mobile, as Google prioritizes mobile-first pages in search results.

TikTok as a search engine

TikTok is increasingly being used as a search engine by Gen Z’ers. Users search for product recommendations, recipes, tutorials, reviews, tips and more. According to an internal Google survey, 40% of young people use TikTok and Instagram as a replacement for traditional search engines(!).

How to respond to this?
Make your business visible on TikTok by creating inspiring, educational or entertaining videos. Think short tutorials or trends that fit your brand. Use relevant hashtags and optimize your videos for specific search terms.

Social commerce: buying through socials

Social commerce, in which customers buy products through social media platforms, is exploding. Worldwide social commerce sales are expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025.

What to do.
Make sure your brand has a presence on social commerce platforms. For example, set up store on Instagram and TikTok, and use shoppable posts. This offers your customers a seamless shopping experience and makes the step to conversions easier.

Conclusion

Looking ahead to 2025 means innovating, experimenting and keeping up with trends in marketing such as AI, voice technology and social commerce. Get your business ready for the future with strategies that capitalize on these changes. Make sure your budget and marketing plans are up-to-date to make the most of these exciting developments.