The digital marketing landscape has changed a lot since the early days of the internet. Twenty years ago, a digital marketing strategy meant purchasing banner ads on some popular websites and perhaps sending out a monthly email newsletter.
In the past few years, digital marketers have broadened their approach. They still include banner ads and email campaigns in their digital marketing efforts, but today’s digital marketer goes well beyond that. They leverage artificial intelligence, influencers, and first-party data to power remarkably targeted marketing campaigns. They’re also optimizing their content for mobile devices, on which more than half of all customers now do their online shopping.
To optimize your own strategy, get a handle on the latest digital marketing trends shaking up the industry.
Top digital marketing trends for 2025
- Getting precise with artificial intelligence
- Boosting visibility and authenticity via micro-influencers
- Sending hyper-personalized messages
- Highlighting human stories
- Making quick connections with short-form video
- Tapping into TikTok’s audience
From small businesses to international corporations, companies and their marketing teams use multiple tactics to build their brand reputation, generate ecommerce store traffic, and convert prospects into paying customers. Here are several marketing industry trends worth learning about to see if they make sense for your brand:
Getting precise with artificial intelligence
AI and machine learning have swept the marketing industry. In early 2024, McKinsey reported that among business functions, marketing and sales saw the biggest increase in generative AI adoption from 2023—with adoption more than doubling. Marketers are integrating AI tools into their workflows for content creation and personalization, using them to write copy for ad campaigns, create visual content (including video content), and tailor messaging to various customer segments.
On an analytical front, AI tools make ad campaigns more efficient. They help marketers enact precise audience targeting, A/B testing, and real-time campaign optimization across multiple marketing channels.
Boosting visibility and authenticity via micro-influencers
Why is influencer marketing one of the top marketing trends of 2025? Because it works. A survey by Matter Communications revealed that “69% of respondents are likely to trust a friend, family member or influencer recommendation over information coming directly from a brand.”
You don’t need to shell out for a mega-influencer like Selena Gomez or soccer player Lionel Messi to promote your brand. In fact, Matter’s research found that celebrity influencers are falling out of favor with social media users.
Instead, authenticity is key. Micro-influencers, or even nano-influencers, may not be household names, but they can be perceived as more “real” and carry authority within their niche. Their short-form videos might reach only thousands of social media users as opposed to millions, but if those users fall within your target audience, it’s money well spent. No wonder 60% of marketers surveyed in 2024 say they’re planning to increase their influencer marketing budgets.
Sending hyper-personalized messages
In 2024, McKinsey senior partner Sajal Kohli described the current marketing world as one of “microtargeting and hyper-personalization”—meaning that customers expect personalized messages that show a granular understanding of their preferences.
In 2025, brands need to demonstrate to customers that they are leveraging their data for their benefit. Sajal explains: “Retailers and consumer products companies should not forget they’ve had this long-standing relationship with their consumers, and the consumers have told these companies a lot about themselves. The question is whether you can harness that to actually tailor your offerings and engage with these consumers in a different way.”
GenAI tools can be useful for executing a hyper-personalized messaging strategy. They allow you to draft and deliver personalized content via email marketing, SMS marketing, push notifications, dynamic websites, and ads. Over time, personalization can significantly improve customer engagement and satisfaction.
Highlighting human stories
Content marketing continues to grow as a channel—with 85% of decision-makers planning to either maintain or increase their content marketing budgets in the coming year—but what works is changing. 2024 saw a return to first-person, blogger-style content as a counterpoint to AI-driven content generation.
Brands can take part in this trend by leaning into the experience and expertise of their leaders when it makes sense to do so. Try leaning into storytelling from your founder about the inspiration or design process behind new products, or an executive’s point of view on an emergent issue in your industry.
After all, the appeal of human storytelling isn’t new. Harvard Business Review reported in 2014 that the human brain favors narratives. But in 2025, in a world where brands are scaling their marketing efforts with AI, it’s more important than ever to connect on a human level.
Making quick connections with short-form video
Internet users’ appetites for video content have inspired many companies to embrace video-based marketing strategies. Video ad spending for 2024 is estimated to total $12.66 billion in the US and $120 billion worldwide, highlighting a long trend of year-on-year growth.
Specifically, short-form video is driving the highest return on investment (ROI) of any video format. That said, video isn’t a short-term digital marketing trend; it’s projected to grow at a 10% rate between now and 2028, when its market volume may hit $145.8 billion.
Tapping into TikTok’s audience
When you think of video and social media platforms, one is surging faster than any other: TikTok. TikTok marketing can be fun and silly, but it’s also serious business. A 2024 Variety marketing report found that the average TikTok user watches nearly three hours of video content on the platform every single day. That represents a near mandate to establish your brand on TikTok if you haven’t already.
What works on TikTok? The platform’s biggest winners focus on authentic storytelling. Simple videos of founders speaking to the camera about their product or their point of view on relevant topics are known to go viral. Dieux Skincare founder Charlotte Palermino speaks to this on an episode of Shopify Masters: “One of our most viral videos right now has over 100,000 views, is just talking about packaging and non-mined aluminum and what that means and what that carbon footprint means.”
To make the most of the platform’s discovery algorithm, keyword-optimize your captions and keep your eyes peeled for trending topics and conversations.
Digital marketing trends FAQ
What is the next big thing in digital marketing?
Arguably, the next big thing in digital marketing is the integration of generative AI and automation tools to create hyper-personalized, customer-data-driven ad campaigns at scale.
Is TikTok a digital marketing trend?
Yes, TikTok represents a significant digital marketing trend due to its rapid growth, high engagement rates, and ability to reach diverse audiences. TikTok stands out for its creative, short-form content and viral challenges.
What are the top digital marketing trends?
Top digital marketing trends include AI integration, video marketing, personalized email campaigns, influencer marketing, and brand storytelling.
