As we step into 2025, marketing strategies continue to evolve in response to economic shifts, technological advancements, and changing consumer behavior. With inflation stabilizing and AI reshaping the digital landscape, businesses are rethinking their marketing investments. To uncover these trends, we surveyed **11,093 marketers** to understand where they are allocating their budgets, which channels are gaining traction, and what factors are driving these decisions.
Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a business owner planning your next move, these insights will help you stay ahead of the curve and make informed investment choices.
SEO
A significant 44% of marketers plan to boost their SEO budgets, citing its continued effectiveness despite AI-driven search results. Meanwhile, 39% will maintain their current spending as they find SEO strategies effective. However, 17% anticipate a reduction due to concerns over algorithm updates and AI-driven search impacts.
Organic Social Media
25% of marketers plan to increase their organic social media budget for brand awareness, while 17% will maintain it. However, 58% are scaling back due to declining organic reach.
Content Creation
Content remains a priority, with 63% increasing their budgets for diverse formats. Many believe human-generated content outperforms AI-generated material. Podcasting is gaining traction, leading to higher investments.
AI SEO
97% of marketers plan to invest in AI-driven SEO for platforms like ChatGPT and SearchGPT, recognizing them as emerging channels. Only 2% will maintain their budget, while 1% are reducing due to a lack of results.
Email Marketing
28% of marketers are increasing their email marketing budgets, 59% are maintaining, and 13% are cutting costs by switching providers or refining email lists.
CRO & UX
59% of marketers are increasing their budgets for CRO and UX to counteract rising ad expenses and improve ROI. While 21% will maintain spending, 20% feel they have already optimized conversions.
Community Building
81% of marketers are prioritizing community building to enhance customer engagement. However, 16% are cutting back due to difficulty measuring ROI.
Paid Search
52% of marketers are increasing Google Ads spending, while 64% are allocating more funds to Bing Ads. 38% are scaling back on Google Ads, and 7% on Bing Ads, due to rising costs.
Social Media Ads
Social media advertising remains dynamic. X leads the way with a 55% increase in ad spend. However, rising ad costs and preference for influencer marketing are prompting reductions across platforms.
Traditional Advertising
Many marketers are reinvesting in traditional advertising, capitalizing on reduced competition. However, some are shifting TV budgets to Connected TV (CTV) for better targeting and analytics.
Other Advertising
Spending on podcast ads, influencer marketing, and CTV is rising. Interestingly, remarketing budgets have increased by 89%, as marketers focus on re-engaging warm audiences.
Conclusion
Most marketers, whether in B2B or B2C sectors, are either maintaining or increasing their budgets in 2025. While 17% of B2C and 15% of B2B companies plan reductions, economic factors such as inflation and funding challenges remain key concerns. However, with inflation and interest rates showing signs of decline, marketers remain optimistic about future growth and returns on their investments.
