The wedding day phrase “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” originated in Victorian England as a way to bestow luck on brides before they embarked upon the next stage of their lives.
While we can’t speak to anything borrowed or blue, the next year in marketers’ lives will certainly include tactics that are both old and new thanks to ongoing concerns about consumer privacy, as well as emerging features like AI-generated search summaries.
In this article, we’re highlighting the top 10 digital marketing trends small businesses need to pay attention to and potentially adopt in 2025.
Top 2025 digital marketing trends
“At the core, [these trends are] about using technology to meet timeless customer expectations: convenience, personalization, and value,” said Max Williams, CEO of chatbot platform Herobot. “For brands that embrace these shifts, the future holds incredible opportunities to connect, engage, and grow in ways we could only imagine a few years ago.”
Here’s a closer look at the 10 digital marketing trends that are driving these shifts in 2025:
- There will be a rise in AI-driven hyper-personalization
- Customers will expect conversational marketing
- Businesses will find creative ways to gather first-party data
- Marketers will lean in further to zero-party data
- Privacy concerns will lead more businesses to use blockchain
- Multimodal search will become a bigger focus for SEO
- Businesses will optimize for zero-click searches
- Predictive SEO will increase in importance
- There will be more immersive content
- More businesses will embrace gamification
1. There will be a rise in AI-driven hyper-personalization
It should come as no surprise AI will continue to dominate the digital advertising landscape in 2025. For starters, expect the trend toward AI-driven hyper-personalization to continue.
According to Max Shak, CEO of digital marketing firm Nerdigital, increasingly advanced algorithms help marketers understand consumer behavior on a more granular level, which allows brands to adapt messaging, product recommendations, and user interfaces in real time.
“This trend will allow marketers to provide an experience that truly reflects individual consumer journeys rather than broad segments,” he said.
This will happen at every stage of the sales funnel.
“AI tools now allow us to analyze customer data, preferences, and even predictive behaviors in real-time, allowing for next-level personalization that adjusts to each customer’s unique needs,” Williams added. “Think hyper-relevant product recommendations, custom content, and even dynamic pricing based on customer profiles.”
This could even include content that responds to consumers in real time.
“This evolution will shift personalization from general demographic-based targeting to true individualization, enhancing user experience and driving higher conversion rates,” said Jared Bauman, CEO of digital marketing agency 201 Creative.
The result?
“It’s almost like AI lets brands have a one-on-one with each customer, but without being creepy,” said Paul Drecksler, founder of the newsletter Shopifreaks. “The more companies get this right, the more they see that customers engage, click, and convert without feeling they’re being followed.”
And, of course, marketers will continue to use AI to analyze customer data to refine interactions and create “seamless, individual experiences that can drive loyalty and conversions more effectively than traditional tactics ever could,” Williams added.
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2. Customers will expect conversational marketing
As more brands embrace chatbots as an alternative to traditional customer service, the bots will evolve to become more sophisticated conversational agents that help customers find products and complete purchases.
These AI personalities learn from each interaction to fine-tune their responses and improve over time.
“With AI-driven natural language processing, chatbots can offer personalized recommendations and guide users through each stage of their journey,” Williams said. “By 2025, conversational marketing will feel so natural that many customers won’t even realize they’re talking to a bot.”
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That’s in part why Shak expects automation in customer service to become more empathetic in the year to come.
“Instead of the standard responses we’re used to, chatbots and email sequences will employ nuanced language and emotional recognition to better align with a customer’s needs or state of mind,” he said. “This empathetic automation can help brands maintain a human touch at scale, making automated responses feel less transactional and more relational.”
These tools will also be integrated into social media engagement and ad copy creation.
“Marketers will lean on AI not just to automate tasks, but to truly enhance human interaction, creating seamless, always-on customer experiences across platforms,” said digital marketing consultant Zabi Niazi.
3. Businesses will find creative ways to gather first-party data
While the fate of third-party cookies remains to be seen, we can expect to see continued emphasis on first-party data as consumer privacy and data ownership remain hot topics in 2025.
Brands will continue to solicit consumer data via content like quizzes, polls, and surveys. This list will only expand as businesses get creative and add loyalty programs, gated content, and value exchanges that make users more willing to share information, said James Dooley, chairman of link-building service Searcharoo.
“Besides growing a repository of first-party data, marketers also need to leverage contextual advertising to reach audiences in relevant websites without relying on cookies,” added Mario Didier, founder of the digital agency Sustainable Growth Experts. “AI and machine learning can also help marketers analyze first-party data to uncover insights on consumer behavior and preferences without compromising privacy.”
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4. Marketers will lean in further to zero-party data
Businesses should also emphasize trust by being more transparent about data usage and designing opt-in strategies that don’t compromise consumers’ sense of control.
“Instead of tracking consumers across every digital interaction, brands will lean into zero-party data—data voluntarily shared by customers through surveys, feedback, or engagement,” Shak said. “This approach will not only comply with stricter privacy regulations but also show consumers that brands respect their boundaries.”
According to Edward White, head of growth at newsletter monetization platform beehiiv, the brands that honor consumer preferences with zero-party data strategies will ultimately win customer loyalty.
“What we’ll see is brands making data sharing worth the customer’s while,” he added. “They’ll give users perks, like tailored content or exclusive access, in exchange for preferences and insights. This way, companies build better connections without overstepping privacy boundaries and consumers feel valued and respected.”
5. Privacy concerns will lead businesses to use blockchain
Privacy concerns will spur marketers to turn to the biggest buzzword of 2018—the blockchain—to build trust and encourage engagement in 2025.
Blockchain helps marketers offer greater transparency by creating a permanent record of all parties and transactions in a given ad campaign.
“We’ve seen the value of transparency firsthand by accomplishing a 278% revenue growth for a client within 12 months by focusing on clear and accountable marketing practices,” said Magee Clegg, CEO of digital marketing agency Cleartail Marketing. “Blockchain can take this further, providing verifiable data that builds consumer trust and improves ad spending efficiency.”
We may also see blockchain technology integrated into loyalty programs to make them more transparent, secure, and customizable.
“Consumers want to see exactly how much they’re saving or what rewards they’re earning in real time and blockchain allows this to be done in a verifiable way,” said Maris Laatre, CMO of dog food brand Bully Max. “It also offers flexibility as rewards could be transferable or even tradable, making loyalty points feel like assets with real value.”
In fact, Dan Bowen, founder of digital agency Bowen Media, expects to see brands issue blockchain-based loyalty assets that customers can trade or sell in 2025.
“NFTs, for example, could be issued as loyalty rewards and customers can unlock unique experiences, exclusive content, or access to special events—a whole new level of personalization,” he said.
6. Multimodal search will become a bigger focus for SEO
As the use of generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini continues to grow—not to mention the rise of AI-powered search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT search—SEO will shift to focus more on multimodal search, which includes images, audio, and video.
An example of ChatGPT’s search engine interface.
“Voice search optimization and AI-generated content discovery will redefine how marketers approach search, prioritizing context and relevance over keywords alone,” said Shanawaz Sadique, senior digital marketing manager at IBC24 News.
According to Williams, this means optimizing for natural language, including keywords that match conversational tone and leveraging high-quality, informative images that AI can identify and rank.
This will become increasingly important for brands that want to capitalize on voice and visual commerce, noted Ahmed Elmahdy, CEO of digital marketing agency Rocket Launch Media.
“In 2025, I foresee brands utilizing visual AI tools to identify products within images across various platforms, allowing users to purchase directly, increasing impulse buys, and bridging content with commerce seamlessly,” said Steve Morris, CEO of marketing agency NewMedia.com. “Embracing these technologies will be critical for brands aiming to stay relevant and accessible in an increasingly multi-modal digital world.”
7. Businesses will optimize for zero-click searches
Even traditional search engines are now following the lead of platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT search by prioritizing zero-click searches, which provide answers directly on the results page via features like Google’s AI Overviews.
“With AI-generated summaries dominating the first pages of search results, businesses that don’t adjust their content strategies risk losing valuable traffic,” said Nikola Baldikov, founder of digital agency InBound Blogging.
Instead of creating content optimized for search engine features like Featured Snippets, marketers will have to produce relevant content that is SEO-rich and brief enough to be included in AI summaries in order to gain visibility.
“This means that marketers themselves will need to delve into AI language patterns and user queries to produce context-rich, relevant content,” said Brandon Schroth, founder of link-building agency Reporter Outreach. “This way, they can ensure the content fits AI algorithms so the chances for the content to be shown at the top of the search are enhanced.”
What’s more, AI-generated summaries display the sources of the information they cite, creating an opportunity for brands to drive traffic.
“After being listed as a cited source, brands have a great opportunity to increase their visibility and attract interested users directly from these AI-powered platforms,” Baldikov said.
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8. Predictive SEO will increase in importance
We may even see the growth of what Felix Milshtein, senior SEO manager at small business management platform vcita, calls “predictive SEO” as AI tools anticipate search trends based on historical and real-time data.
“By 2025, I believe there will be more brands using AI to predict upcoming keyword trends, allowing us to publish content just as search volume rises,” he added. “This shift will enable SEO managers to stay one step ahead in competitive markets, creating content that ranks right from the start.”
Brands that are able to proactively tap into trending topics before they become saturated will have a major advantage in driving organic traffic.
9. There will be more immersive content
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will help brands incorporate more interactive elements like virtual worlds, product trials, and shoppable videos.
“AR and VR have reached a maturity point, and, by 2025, we’ll see a push towards fully immersive experiences that help tell a brand’s story in unique ways,” Shak said. “AR and VR will be key for engaging consumers at a deeper level.”
An example of an AR Facebook ad.
That’s because these tools can yield memorable experiences, which influence loyalty and retention.
“Brands with a strong visual identity, especially in retail and lifestyle industries, are likely to capitalize on this technology to create shopping experiences that bridge the gap between digital and physical,” he added.
This elevates the technology beyond merely a flashy brand stunt.
“Companies are going beyond just showing a product—they’re building little experiences where people can explore and play around, no matter where they are,” Drecksler said. “It works because people want to see what they’re getting before they commit and if a brand can offer that, it’s a big plus.”
10. More businesses will embrace gamification
As customer engagement evolves, brands will increasingly turn to gamification, which offers the potential for custom, branded experiences—and a two-way value exchange where audiences feel rewarded for their time and attention.
That’s according to Osa Odiase, product marketing manager at video game company Square Enix, who added, “When users feel they’re actively participating and earning rewards, their engagement levels increase.”
Emerging technology like AI and AR can make these experiences even better in 2025.
“Brands will use these tools to create immersive experiences that reward users not just with points, but with personalized interactions, exclusive content, and unique brand moments,” Odiase said. “By 2025, brands that adopt and refine their gamified strategies will be positioned for deeper engagement, better ROI, and enhanced loyalty.”
Get ahead of the 2025 digital marketing trends
2025 will be an interesting year for small business marketing. With larger brands pouring money into AI, SMBs have a unique opportunity to connect with prospective customers in a more organic and personalized way. By embracing AI and automation tools, small businesses can streamline processes without sacrificing what makes them truly unique.
For help staying ahead of the trends, find out how our solutions can help.
