With rapid changes in technology, 2025 is set to bring big shifts across all digital platforms. From AI-driven search to new data privacy standards, staying ahead of these changes is key for brands looking to build lasting connections with customers. So whether you’re working on your 2024 holiday marketing strategy, or already planning for 2025, the reality is it’s not too soon to incorporate these suggestions.
Let’s explore the most critical digital trends that will shape the year ahead and how your business can adapt to these shifts.
AI-Driven Search Becomes The New Standard
Google plans to fully transition to AI-powered search by early 2025. While this shift has already prompted some users to change their search habits (the top choice seems to be moving to DuckDuckGo), the reality is inevitable: AI Search will not be optional.
This change will make conversational and context-driven searches more prevalent than ever before. The bottom line is that if you want your digital presence to stay relevant in Google’s eyes, you’ll need to consider how to meet this demand.
But Google isn’t the only major player to do this, which is why it’s no longer optional. Bing and Edge have already stepped into making their search capabilities AI-based. So, in a manner of speaking, this is an “across the board” fact.
Regardless, Google is your primary decider when it comes to how and where your web pages are shown in search results. So working within their standards will affect your presence on other search engines.
Adopt The “Privacy-First” Advertising Consideration
As third-party cookies are phased out, brands will increasingly need to rely on zero-party data (information voluntarily provided by users) and first-party data (data collected directly by your site and stored in your CRM) to fuel marketing efforts. This transition requires a more transparent and consent-driven approach to user data collection.
Instead of relying on third-party tracking, companies will need to proactively engage users and encourage them to share information willingly. While many websites now offer options like “accept all” for cookies, new privacy regulations mandate that users can choose what they share.
Privacy-friendly tools like Hotjar offer insights into user behaviour through heatmaps and interaction tracking; helping businesses understand where user engagement drops off. However, these tools focus on anonymized data, meaning they don’t directly identify users.
A combined strategy of analyzing user behaviour, and directly engaging with users for feedback, will enable businesses to navigate the privacy-first landscape. This approach allows for refined audience targeting without violating user privacy.
Board The Social Commerce Train
Did you know that there are businesses that thrive by selling their products on social media?
Social media platforms are continuously enhancing their shopping features – allowing users to make purchases directly through posts, stories, and live-streamed content. This makes social commerce a critical consideration in 2025 for businesses that have products to sell and aren’t already utilizing this avenue.
Pairing this channel with descriptive and keyword-rich Alt Text on product images on your website can open a door to more visibility.
To enhance social commerce efforts, encourage your audience to share their own posts of your products. Foster cross-posting and [if doable] influencer marketing to increase your reach and garner more interest. You can reward your customers for actively participating and have occasional promotional giveaways to boost sales.
Personalize Content Wherever Possible
More and more these days, consumers look for a personal connection to a brand before making a buying decision. By leaning into what you already know about your audience, you should personalize their interactions with your content to fit their needs and preferences.
This can be as simple as focusing on the most common pain points, as adventurous as creating a new offer based on feedback/demand, or as complex as coding landing pages to welcome users that are known to you.
Email marketing platforms provide an easy-to-use example of the “complex” form of personalization; commonly known as merge tags. Brands can use provided information about users (the most routinely used is the incorporation of users’ first names) to personalize the content in email campaigns.
While it will take some extra know-how and work, similar measures can be done with website content. Regardless, personalizing content – as much as possible and appropriate – can make a difference between a website that gets traffic and no leads, and a website that gets traffic and a lot of warm leads.
Create More Interactive & Visual Content
Following the rise of Reels in Instagram, the emergence of TikTok, and the surge of daily YouTube views after the introduction of Shorts, we’ve moved into a social era that prefers video content. Whether it’s for laughs, advice, or pretty much anything at all, it’s become obvious that people prefer to see people in all their authenticity.
This is to say that videos don’t need to be perfect. In fact, people tend to skip videos that feel unnatural due to being “forced” or wherein it’s obvious someone is reading their script on screen.
Try this experiment: Create a graphic post announcing a new product/service/offering. Ask people to provide a DM or comment if they’re excited to learn more. Note the number of interactions and the engagement on this post a couple of days afterward. Then, get on camera and do an exciting video reveal of this same product/service/offering; with the same interaction ask. After a week, compare the results of the two posts.
Video content is great, but it’s not the only way to go. Utilize polls/surveys, and do posts that have a CTA that is purely engagement-based. Foster your community this way to increase trust and interest.
Start 2025 Off By Implementing These Digital Trends
As digital trends evolve every day, businesses must stay flexible and open to innovation.
By embracing AI-driven search, privacy-first marketing, and engaging social commerce experiences, you can position your brand for success in 2025 and beyond.
If you need assistance, we can help you build a strategy that aligns with these shifts. Northnet Media is here to provide guidance in all of these areas. So whether you need to implement AI on your website, optimize your SEO, or are looking for personalized marketing strategies that resonate with your audience, book a free consultation call to get started.