Paying attention to the emerging trends will give you the best chance of success in the upcoming year, and these are the leading trends that will provide the biggest impact. If you’re unsure where to start, here are seven ideas that can inspire your strategy for a thriving year. 

Short-form video continues to excel

Short-form video content, like those found on platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and TikTok, has become incredibly popular and that popularity won’t be going anywhere in 2025. Consumers seem to favour bite-sized content that gives them entertainment or information quickly and in an engaging format.

For businesses, it offers an opportunity to boost conversions, grow audience numbers and convey messages in a digestible format that viewers will remember. Whether video is already part of your marketing strategy or it’s a new area you’re looking to explore, it’s important to prioritise short, snappy videos that are designed to garner immediate attention.

Embrace AI and automation

Artificial Intelligence has been a game-changer for businesses in a host of industries, and it will grow even further in the future. In fact, globally, the AI market is set to grow by an annual rate of 28.76% by 2030. In addition to boosting creativity, AI can automate a lot of the repetitive tasks that take up our time to improve efficiency.

AI can be used to analyse customer data, improve customer service processes and even enable highly targeted marketing campaigns that are personalised to your audience. When used strategically, AI has the power to streamline your processes and create tailored content so you can target your marketing efforts.

Search is changing

Voice search use has grown significantly, but it hasn’t translated into mainstream search habits yet. Despite the rising popularity of voice-activated devices like smart speakers and smartphones equipped with virtual assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, voice search hasn’t fundamentally reshaped how people search online—until now.

Voice search is on the rise and it’s changing how users phrase different queries. Instead of short, keyword-based searches, we may see more conversational language appearing and long-form queries. Traditional search habits remain deeply ingrained, with AI-driven tools supplementing rather than replacing these practices.

But moving forward, the challenge will lie in narrowing the gap between innovation and user adoption, ensuring these advancements become an integral part of the search experience. In terms of digital marketing, it may mean adapting SEO strategies to capture both types of search to account for these nuances.

Build your presence on social media

Social media offers more opportunities than ever before for businesses to grow their brand and reach your target audience. With new platforms and features to tap into all the time, it’s the ideal way to reach younger audiences. Being an early adopter of emerging platforms can give you a significant edge in your industry, and it can help you to build a strong presence before the market becomes saturated. But it’s also an opportunity to diversify your content and reach audiences in new and innovative ways.

For example, Twitch has experienced a significant shift in recent years, becoming a place where content creators prioritise personal and unique content. From niche topics and community-building events to interactive streams, there are countless ways that businesses can use this to their advantage.

Paid media for small businesses

Google Ads has adapted its machine-learning capabilities to make sure that paid media is more effective than ever, reaching the right people when it matters most. These highly targeted ads can help your business to broaden their reach and can be the perfect complement to organic approaches. Paid media provides instant impact, but it can also amplify long-term growth for your brand.

In the next few months, we’re likely to see more companies incorporating influencers into their paid media strategy. These collaborations, on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, can widen your reach and help you to establish trust with your audience.

Personalise your mobile marketing

In 2025, personalised mobile marketing is expected to be a major trend. With more people than ever using mobile devices, delivering personalised content to consumers is critical for business success. This depends on a strong understanding of your customers, from location and in-app behaviours to their preferences, which can be used as the foundation for effective customer segmentation.

There are various tactics to explore here, from shoppable and promoted pins on Pinterest to location-based marketing and in-app marketing that will be made easier with new ecosystems powered by AI and 5G. It’s a trend that will revolutionise how businesses market and engage with customers, online and in-person.

Interactive marketing to capture attention

One of the biggest trends that businesses should adopt in their 2025 marketing strategy is interactive marketing. Games, polls, quizzes and other ways to gamify content is the perfect way to capture attention and keep users engaged.

Gamification and interactive marketing can be used to promote your brand, products or services, but they can also be used to reward loyal customers, such as offering discounts or perks for customers that engage with these challenges. Maybe you create a quiz you can post to social media, develop fun challenges that keep users coming back to your website regularly, or even integrate augmented reality.

Staying competitive in 2025 requires embracing change and aligning your strategy with emerging trends like short-form video, AI-driven automation, conversational search, and personalised mobile marketing. The key to digital marketing success lies in experimentation, adaptability, and a deep understanding of your audience’s needs and behaviours. 

Whether it’s creating interactive content, adopting new social platforms, or fine-tuning your SEO strategy for evolving search habits, the upcoming year promises to be a year of transformation and growth for those ready to innovate. Maddyness UK shares advice, resources and information to help boost business success and extend your online reach in the New Year and beyond.