2025 Marketing Trends for Local Businesses
Trends we’re watching this year that your small business can incorporate.
Hello 2025! Trends will come and go, but marketing isn’t going anywhere so what we’re talking about can be incorporated in your long-term plans. Let’s talk marketing trends for 2025 that we’re watching (and most we’re even participating in). While these are just predictions (not facts), we’ve learned a lot this year and have read countless industry reports about marketing evaluating 2024 and where we’re headed in 2025.
Automated systems (and marketing funnels)
People are getting tired of doing everything, all the time. We’re getting smart as business owners and marketers and we’re automating as much as we can. Email welcome sequences, evergreen sales funnels, onboarding processes, and so much more. People want to take back their time and that’s where this comes in. People are using software systems like Honeybook, Dubsado, and FloDesk to make that happen.
P.S. If you click those links and try them out, we might make a little money — thanks!
Threads entering the conversation.
A lot of people blew off threads when it first launched, but it is growing and can offer a space similar to X and Instagram with the ability to bring your Instagram community over to join the conversation. Threads has over 320 million monthly active users [in January 2025 via Meta]. The main reason to join? It allows you to have real-time conversations with your audience while leveraging your existing Instagram following. You can follow us here!
Video will keep growing.
Every report I read, every stat about what’s to come for 2025 includes video. Video isn’t going anywhere, it’s only getting more diverse. Whether you’re using it on social media for YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok or hosting video workshops, courses, and lives — video is a way to engage with your audience and keep their attention. People like watching videos and we don’t see that going anywhere.
People are diversifying their marketing and platforms (or should be).
With the TikTok scare, we’re seeing people diversifying their marketing or at the least, social media platforms. While we don’t think you should spread yourself too thin, you should be spending time on marketing that you own (a website or email list, for instance — which we also offer as services and you can check out here and here).
Politics will be a part of the bigger story, on most platforms.
A big thing about 2025, politics. Just because you’re on social media doesn’t mean you can escape the real issues going on. While I won’t get into the specifics, you can expect people using social media to get their politics, values, and opinions out into the world and to stand up for the policies they believe in. Social media owners are at the table with the current president meaning politics and social media will be intertwined.
Visuals will be bigger than ever, but people are still looking for the right words.
Visual design like graphic design and photography will continue to grow. People want authentic and aesthetically pleasing visuals that also speak to them. “A photo says a thousand words” still holds true in the marketing world today, but with the amount of copy you’re putting out there you want to make sure the words and the visual works together and speak to your audience. This will be especially important on social media as it becomes a crowded space and businesses need to stand out more.
In need of social media that works for your business — learn more about our services here.
Getting off devices and doing more IRL
It’s been a long few years since COVID started and ended and continued and here we are. Anyway, people are tired of everything being digital ALL the time. They are craving experiences, getting out in the world, and meeting new people. Get off your phone and computer, attend events, meet new people, and maybe even host your own IRL socials.
Experience Marketing
This is where brands use interactive, creative, or unexpected elements to create a memorable experience that lasts with the customer and keeps your brand on their mind. Shopping events, pop-ups, branding they can “take with them”, VIP experiences, or even community engagement initiatives. Once again, we’re using that in real life experience.
High reliance on branding with an authentic approach
People need to remember your brand for you to stay front of mind. One way to do that? Branding. Create a branded experience and make sure all your marketing stays on brand (visuals and how you talk), this way your branding (and brand voice) will be recognizable without a logo or name. With all that being said, make sure you still feel authentic. You want to sound and feel like you whenever it comes to your business — don’t just say you’re flexible, laid-back company but then be very professional and to the T.
Understand your SEO
SEO isn’t going anywhere and your competitors are probably already using it (which means more people that could be finding them online, are finding them instead). Keywords can be used on your website, in your blog, on your social media profiles, in your social media posts, on podcast descriptions, and so much more. We want your content and business to be easily found when the search is relevant.
Hyper-local strategies
Getting local is cooler than ever! Having hyper local strategies this year will be even more important. Reaching targeted local audiences using geo-targeted ads, local SEO optimization, community engagement, creating local content campaigns, while also participating in local partnerships with influencers and businesses and attending, hosting, and sponsoring local events to maximize the reach within your community,
AI-powered content
I’d be remiss not to mention AI. It will continue to grow, there’s no question about that, but with that being said, it’s not all that. Use it mindfully. Use it to be smarter, write outlines, brainstorm ideas, but don’t let it write for you, do your work, and don’t overuse it as it still takes up energy and resources for every search.
In conclusion, 2025 is going to be a big year for branding, SEO, and experiences. Social media isn’t going anywhere, but how it will be used and what platforms will make it through this year — who knows?
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