Digital marketing trends for 2025 and how to leverage them

In this article, we dive into the most significant digital marketing trends of 2025 and how you can use them for your business.

Before diving into the latest trends, it's essential to recognize the broader shifts shaping digital marketing strategies in 2025.

This year, authenticity and engagement-driven content are at the forefront, with consumers gravitating toward individual voices over corporate brands and preferring interactive, shoppable experiences.

At the same time, advancements in search technology and AI-driven optimisation are transforming how brands approach visibility, making "Search Everywhere Optimization" a critical focus.

As content consumption habits evolve, marketers must also navigate the impact of Connected TV advertising, the dominance of second-screen engagement, and the growing role of humor in brand messaging.

With these foundational shifts in mind, we’ll first explore general trends, followed by channel updates, technical advancements, and key content trends that will continue shaping the digital marketing landscape in 2025.

General trends in digital marketing in 2025

As consumer behavior evolves, digital marketing strategies must adapt to meet changing expectations.

In 2025, three key trends are shaping how brands engage with their audiences: the shift toward personal connections over corporate branding, the rise of shoppable video ads, and the growing effectiveness of Connected TV advertising.

Consumers prefer to follow people, not brands

Audiences are increasingly drawn to personal voices rather than corporate identities. 

Consumers want to connect with real people, whether influencers, brand ambassadors, or company representatives, rather than faceless brands.

As a result, businesses are shifting their marketing strategies to focus on authentic storytelling, behind-the-scenes content, and more personal engagement. This approach increases audience engagement and builds stronger brand perception by fostering trust and relatability.

Shoppable video ads are driving sales

Shoppable video ads, which allow users to purchase products directly within video content, are becoming a key component of digital marketing in 2025.

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest have widely adopted this format, enabling brands to integrate product discovery and shopping.

By making ads more interactive, shoppable videos enhance user engagement and simplify the purchasing process, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates.

Connected TV viewers are paying more attention to ads

With more households switching to Connected TV (CTV), research shows that viewers are paying more attention to ads than before, particularly when watching high-quality content. 

Studies indicate that shorter ad breaks hold attention better than longer ones, making ad placement on CTV a valuable opportunity for brands.

Compared to traditional TV advertising, CTV offers higher engagement rates and better ad recall, making it an effective platform for building brand awareness.

Trends in channel strategies for 2025

As platforms continue to evolve, digital marketing strategies must embrace new features to stay competitive.

In 2025, several significant updates to popular channels are enabling creators and brands to test content more effectively and strengthen their relationships with their audiences. 

Test content with non-followers using trial reels

Image Source: Instagram

Instagram’s Trial Reels feature allows creators to experiment with new content by sharing reels with non-followers before deciding to release them to their existing audience.

This tool offers a low-risk way for creators to test out different genres, storytelling formats, and topics without the concern of how their current followers might react.

If a trial reel performs well, creators can choose to share it with their followers or have it automatically shared based on performance metrics within the first 72 hours.

This feature helps refine creative strategies by providing insights into how content resonates with a broader audience. It also reduces the risk of posting content that may not perform well and boosts engagement by allowing creators to discover what works best.

Get closer to your community with replies, prompts, and insights

Instagram has introduced a suite of new tools designed to enhance creator-audience engagement:

• Replies: Followers can now respond directly to messages in broadcast channels, sparking conversations with the help of moderation tools.
• Prompts: Creators can initiate discussions such as Q&As, allowing followers to respond with text or photos for 24 hours.
• Insights: New metrics, including interactions, story shares, and poll votes, allow creators to evaluate performance and adjust their content strategy accordingly.

These updates foster deeper connections with audiences by encouraging more interactive communication, leading to higher engagement and a stronger sense of community. They also enable creators to refine their content strategies based on direct feedback and performance data.

Key technical trends for 2025

As digital marketing continues to evolve, technical advancements are playing a crucial role in enhancing efficiency, visibility, and performance.

In 2025, two key developments, Search Atlas and Search Everywhere Optimization, are reshaping how businesses approach SEO and digital visibility.

Search Atlas: the #1 SEO software platform

Search Atlas is an all-in-one SEO platform designed to streamline organic marketing efforts,  with advanced tools for content creation, site audits, competitor analysis, and more.

Key features include:

• AI-Powered OTTO SEO: Automates routine SEO tasks, saving valuable time.
• SEO Content Assistant: Simplifies content creation, ensuring optimized content for search engines.
• Keyword Research Tool: Identifies high-value keywords to target.
• Comprehensive Site Audits: Provides in-depth analysis of website health and optimization opportunities.
• Competitor Analysis: Offers insights into competitors’ SEO strategies for better positioning.

These tools enable businesses and agencies to be more efficient with their SEO efforts, ultimately improving organic search rankings, driving more traffic, and increasing sales.

Search everywhere optimization: the future of digital visibility

As user behavior shifts, “Search Everywhere Optimization” is becoming a crucial strategy for digital marketers.

No longer can brands rely solely on traditional search engines like Google; they need to optimize their presence across every platform where users search, from social media networks to AI-driven tools and e-commerce sites.

This omni channel approach requires thinking beyond just search engines. To capture consumer attention, brands must be present at every touchpoint, whether it’s social media platforms, AI assistants, voice search, or online marketplaces.

By optimizing for a broad range of search environments, brands can increase their visibility and reach across various digital touch points.

Content marketing trends in 2025

In 2025, three important content trends are shaping how brands connect with their audiences: humor in ads, brands taking responsibility for social issues, and the use of a second screen strategy.

Is funny the new smart? The rise of humor in ads

Humor has become a powerful tool for brands to stand out.

Consumers today appreciate ads that are approachable, relatable, and demonstrate a sense of fun. A well-timed joke or visual can make an ad more memorable and increase its chances of being shared, resulting in broader reach.

To make humor effective, it’s important to understand your target audience’s preferences and deliver the joke with perfect timing.

Humor helps build stronger connections with your audience and makes ads more memorable, leading to higher ad shareability and greater engagement.

Brands taking responsibility for a better society

Consumers now expect brands to align with their values and take active steps to contribute to a better society.

This goes beyond just selling products or services; brands are increasingly engaging with social issues and supporting causes that matter to their audience. By doing so, brands foster trust and create deeper connections with their customers, showing that they genuinely care about the issues that affect their communities.

Brands that engage authentically in social causes strengthen loyalty and create a sense of community, which goes beyond traditional advertising and builds lasting relationships.

There is always a “second screen”

The second-screen strategy capitalizes on the increasing use of multiple devices during content consumption, with TV serving as the “first screen” and mobile devices as the “second screen.” 

This approach creates a more engaging experience by using synchronized content (like QR codes or hashtags) and interactive elements (such as polls or quizzes) to connect with audiences across devices.

By integrating social media and personalized content into the campaign, brands can improve targeting and personalization, while also increasing brand recall.

Seeing the same message on TV and interacting with it on a mobile device increases the likelihood that the message will stick in the viewer’s mind, enhancing overall brand awareness.

2024 trends that continue to shape Digital Marketing in 2025

While new innovations continue to shape digital marketing in 2025, many of the trends that gained momentum in 2024 remain just as impactful today.

In 2024, two major trends took centre stage: the evolving use of data for targeting and personalisation, and the rise of hyper-personalised advertising.

First-party and zero-party data: the new norm

In the wake of privacy regulations and the gradual phasing out of third-party cookies, marketers are increasingly turning towards first-party and zero-party data. 

First-party data and zero-party data are becoming the gold standards in data-driven marketing.

What is first-party data? First-party data is collected with consent directly from interactions with prospects or customers on your own channels, like your website or mobile apps. Examples of first-party data include web activity, demographic data, purchase history, email, sales interactions, call centre calls, customer feedback and behavioural data.

What is zero-party data? Zero-party data, also called zero data, refers to customer information that is intentionally and proactively shared with brands, usually through surveys, forms or preference centres. Examples of zero-party data include preferences and interests, purchase intentions, feedback and opinions, personal information, and participation in events.

This shift represents a significant change in how marketers approach data collection and use. Businesses are now focusing on building trust with customers, encouraging them to share their information directly. 

This trend underlines the importance of transparency and value exchange - customers are more likely to share their data if they believe it will enhance their experience with a brand.

Hyper-personalisation in advertising: a consumer expectation

Gone are the days when generic ads were sufficient. According to Deloitte Digital, consumers are expecting hyper-personalised marketing. This expectation has given rise to hyper-personalisation in marketing and advertising. 

By leveraging advanced analytics, AI, and the rich data gathered from first-party and zero-party sources, marketers can create highly individualised marketing messages.

Hyper-personalisation goes beyond basic demographics or behavioural data. It involves understanding the customer's preferences, interests, and even current emotional state to deliver content that is not just appealing but also timely and contextually relevant. 

This level of personalisation drives higher engagement, boosts customer loyalty, and enhances overall marketing effectiveness.

Adapting to the evolving platforms of 2025

Digital marketing continues to evolve, and the trends that shaped 2024 are still going strong in 2025.

With platforms introducing new features and refining their algorithms, brands must stay agile to maintain meaningful engagement with their audiences. From enhanced social media tools to hyper-targeted advertising, these innovations are reshaping digital marketing strategies.

The power of platforms like Locala to target locations: 

Hyper-targeted marketing was a key trend in 2024 and is even more refined in 2025. Platforms like Locala continue to help businesses harness localisation targeting to deliver personalised, location-specific ads.

By integrating geolocation data from various sources, businesses can create highly detailed audience segments and ensure their marketing efforts are reaching the right people at the right time. With omnichannel capabilities, Locala enables seamless targeting across multiple digital advertising channels, making it a must-have tool for brands with physical locations or those aiming to capture specific local markets.

Nano-influencers vs. macro-influencers: authenticity and engagement

The influencer marketing landscape saw a significant shift in 2024 with a growing focus on nano-influencers, and this trend remains highly relevant in 2025.

Image Source: LinkedIn Pulse

In addition to the size of their audience, nano- and macro-influencers differ in several other ways:

• Authenticity: Nano-influencers are often seen as more authentic than macro-influencers because they are typically more relatable and have a closer connection with their followers.
• Engagement: Nano-influencers have higher engagement rates because their followers are more likely to be interested in their content and interact with it.
• Cost-effectiveness: Nano-influencers are more cost-effective because they will share posts for a lower budget or even for free.  

Brands are increasingly leveraging these influencers for their ability to foster genuine connections and trust with their followers.

Weather Ads: The weather activation platform

Weather-based advertising emerged as a major trend in 2024, with platforms like WeatherAds allowing brands to trigger ads based on real-time weather conditions. This approach remains highly relevant in 2025, offering brands a unique way to engage with consumers in a timely and contextual manner.

. 

Image Source: WeatherAds

Weather ads can be deployed across various digital channels, including websites, mobile apps, and social media. 

Advertisers leverage weather data services to identify specific weather conditions, such as rain, sunshine, and temperature fluctuations, and then create customised ad campaigns tailored to those conditions.

This approach allows for highly contextual and timely marketing, tapping into the consumers' current environment and needs.

The continuous rise of Connected TV

Connected TV (CTV) advertising saw significant growth in 2024, with more consumers shifting towards streaming services for their entertainment needs.

This trend remains strong in 2025, as CTV continues to offer brands new ways to reach their audiences through a more engaging and interactive format.

Image Source: Magnite

Referring to video advertisements delivered to viewers via internet-connected devices, this shift opens up new avenues for advertisers to reach audiences through a more engaging and interactive format. 

Benefits of CTV advertising include:

• CTV brings precision with Audience-Based Targeting
• CTV is a cookie-less environment
• CTV is also 100% in-view placement by nature as it’s full-screen.
• CTV campaigns, by nature of the environment, will deliver 100% in-view and between 90-100% completion rates.
• Projections on targeting are available based on actual data, not CIM or statistical estimates.

It allows ads to go from mobile to desktop, to TV in a technically omnipresent advertising environment. These retargeting opportunities take it to another level. 

CTV ads, due to their high-quality and immersive experience, offer a unique opportunity for brands to connect with viewers in a more impactful way.

Technical advancements that shaped digital marketing in 2024

In 2024, several technical advancements had a significant impact on digital marketing strategies. These trends continue to shape the landscape in 2025, offering valuable insights for marketers as they adjust to evolving consumer behaviors and expectations.

Adapting to how consumers search with voice search SEO optimisation 

One of the major technical trends in 2024 was the rise of voice search. As voice assistants become more widely used for internet searches, optimizing for voice search SEO remains essential in 2025.

Image Source: Semrush

This involves understanding the nuances of how voice searches differ from traditional text searches. Voice searches tend to be more conversational, longer, and often phrased as questions.

Adapting to this trend means focusing on natural language processing, targeting long-tail keywords, and providing concise, direct answers to potential queries. 

It's about ensuring your content is easily discoverable and understandable by voice search algorithms, which increasingly influence traffic and engagement.

Optimising for voice search not only enhances visibility in voice search results but also contributes to the overall SEO of your website, potentially improving its search engine rankings. 

Attention metrics emerge as a new way to measure ad impact

In 2024, attention metrics emerged as a key advancement in digital marketing, and their relevance persists into 2025. Traditional metrics like clicks and impressions no longer provide a comprehensive picture of ad effectiveness. 

Attention metrics provide deeper insights into how users interact with ads, measuring factors like:

• View rate: occurrence rate of the ads seen by a user
• Eyes-on dwell time: Average seconds the users looked at the ad
• APM: Average seconds of attention per 1000 impressions (new CPM)

These metrics enable brands to evaluate the actual impact of their ads, optimizing campaigns for real consumer attention rather than just surface-level interactions.

In 2025, focusing on attention metrics helps brands refine their strategies, assess the effectiveness of ATL (Above The Line) campaigns, and optimize creative in A/B testing for awareness campaigns.

Capturing attention quickly with shorter video ads

In 2025, the trend of shorter video ads is more pronounced than ever. As attention spans continue to shrink, many viewers still abandon videos within the first few seconds, brands are doubling down on ultra-short video ads. These ads, lasting under 10 seconds, have proven to be an effective way to capture attention quickly, particularly on mobile devices.

The demand for 6-second ads on platforms like YouTube continues to drive this shift, and marketers are finding creative ways to pack a punch in just a few seconds to avoid the “skip” button and ensure maximum engagement.

For marketers in 2025, this means that rethinking video content strategies to prioritize brevity, impact, and value is still crucial for keeping audiences engaged and communicating key messages quickly before viewers move on.

Leveraging user-generated content for authenticity and trust in ad campaigns

n 2025, User-Generated Content (UGC) remains a cornerstone of successful advertising strategies. UGC—such as photos, videos, social media posts, reviews, and blog entries created by customers—continues to be a powerful marketing tool that resonates with today's audiences.

UGC is viewed as more authentic and trustworthy compared to traditional brand-created content, which is especially important as consumers grow increasingly savvy and discerning. As consumers continue to prioritize genuine experiences, UGC is more relevant than ever in building brand credibility.

Research shows that user-generated photos are five times more likely to convert potential customers than brand-created content. Additionally, 70% of people still rely on UGC ratings before making a purchase, reinforcing its ongoing importance in driving sales and shaping brand perception.

Incorporating UGC into ad campaigns not only boosts trust but also strengthens the community and connection between brands and their audiences. It invites customer participation, transforming satisfied customers into authentic brand advocates.

For brands in 2025, this means actively encouraging and curating customer content, while strategically weaving it into campaigns. By continuing to prioritize UGC, brands can maintain relevance and deepen engagement in a crowded market.

How Huble can help you leverage these digital marketing trends

As digital marketing continues to evolve, brands that focus on authentic connections, interactive shopping experiences, and well-placed advertising will be better positioned to engage their audiences.

The shift toward personalized, interactive, and highly targeted marketing will play a crucial role in driving success in 2025.

At Huble, we specialise in marketing consultancy services that are tailored to help businesses like yours leverage these trends to set themselves apart from competitors. 

Our team of experts is well-versed in the latest digital marketing strategies and technologies, and we're committed to helping you craft campaigns that not only reflect the current trends but also align perfectly with your brand's unique values and objectives.

Don't let the complexities of digital marketing in 2025 hold you back. Speak with our team at Huble to learn more about how we can help you harness these trends to your advantage.