How important is content marketing? According to a 2024 survey, 45% of marketers and media leaders say they plan to increase their content budget for the next 12 months. Of course, funding alone isn’t enough to ensure the strategy works. Brands looking to ramp up their content marketing efforts should stay updated about user- and data-driven trends to maximize their ROI.
What are the top 2025 content marketing trends to watch for? To get you started, check out these top content marketing trends that will inform strategy and determine the impact of your content on consumers in 2025.
Voice search optimization
More consumers are using verbal searches than ever before. To help improve visibility in these search results, marketers need to tailor content to reflect natural language.
To do this, create content that uses long-tail keywords and conversational phrases, such as FAQs. In addition, you’ll need to ensure that your websites are mobile-friendly and that your businesses are optimized for local searches. Start claiming and optimizing your Google My Business listing, using location-specific terms in your content, and leveraging schema markup to help search engines properly understand the structure and context of your content.
Short-form video
Short-form videos—like those found on TikTok, YouTube shorts, and Instagram Reels—provide a powerful method for engaging audiences and driving results. Whether you’re capitalizing on hashtag-lead challenges, using captivating storytelling or humor, or sharing educational content, the power of these quick-watch assets is undeniable.
Need some ideas? Consider live-streaming Q&As, tutorials, product demos, animated explainers, or behind-the-scenes clips to highlight how a product is made. These videos tend to draw viewers in for their brevity and engaging content.
Interactive and gamified content
Advancements in technology have allowed marketers to engage audiences with interactive and gamified content in new and exciting ways. Beyond the old-school marketing tools that used quizzes and personality tests, brands can generate interest with novelty assets like virtual tours, interactive infographics, progress bars, and real-time point-based leaderboards.
User-generated content
The social proof of UGC is among the most valuable assets in a brand’s collection. Because real customers create UGC, it’s perceived as far more authentic and trustworthy than traditional advertising.
Additionally, UGC tends to resonate with audiences for its relatability as it showcases how customers use your products daily. Best of all, UGC is free (or low-cost) and has high viral potential, allowing brands to reach a wider audience.
Influencer marketing
With consumers citing influencer posts as a common way to learn about products, the tactic has become even more powerful than word-of-mouth marketing from friends and family. This trend reflects the trust that niche and micro-influencers have earned through authenticity and the growing distrust between some younger American consumers and older cohorts.
AI-powered personalized content creation
The advent of AI and the growth of its accessibility allows marketers to tailor content for users based on data and real-time factors, such as the user’s device, location, and behavior. This highly personalized content can help brands attract and engage consumers at every point on their buyer’s journey.
AI’s enhanced content optimization capabilities can also analyze search engine trends, determine the best times to post and evaluate effective hashtags and content formats, giving marketers a leg up on the competition. Additionally, its behind-the-scenes proficiencies include generating images and videos, text, code, scripts, and automating content creation tasks.
Micro and niche content
Deep-dive content allows marketers to position themselves as thought leaders in their industry, increasing trust and credibility. Despite its focus on a specific topic, the broad reach of niche content can help marketers appeal to market segments whose members share common needs, interests, or demographics.
Like niche content, micro-content tends to garner high engagement, but its appeal lies not in the narrowness of its subject but rather in its conciseness. This short-form content can be consumed quickly and shared across social media, from infographics and memes to Tweets and image captions.
Ethical, diverse, and sustainable content
Growing weary of traditional advertising, unethical practices, and the growing threat of climate change, younger consumers increasingly seek out brands committed to ethical, diverse, and sustainable content.
Whether using diverse influencers, touting ethical sourcing, using inclusive language, or simply touting recycled packaging, what you say—and how you say it—in your brand’s content matters.
Keep these trends in mind as you seek to scale and improve your content marketing efforts in 2025. If you need extra assistance to support your team or would prefer to outsource your content marketing entirely, consider working with a company that provides managed content production services.
