Forget 2025 Digital Marketing Trends, Focus on These 7 Marketing Fundamentals Instead

Digital Marketing / November 21, 2024

Marketers love trends. As I’m writing this, there are already hundreds of “2025 digital marketing trends” blog posts popping up on Google. Spoiler alert: most of them talk about voice search, AI, and even the metaverse. And sure, those things are part of our world now—but let’s be real. They’re often a bit of a stretch for the average B2B or B2C brand that isn’t, say, Apple or Nike.

Plus, if the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that things can change on a dime. Remember when we all thought Google was definitely removing third-party cookies? Surprise! They decided not to. I’m betting none of those “digital marketing trends 2024” articles saw that one coming.

So, instead of telling you what might happen in 2025, I’m here to share the essentials that we know for sure will drive growth. No hype—just the core strategies that will keep your brand strong and steady in an unpredictable world.

This isn’t just another list of trendy predictions; it’s a roadmap for building a resilient, results-driven strategy that can keep your brand ahead, no matter what surprises come your way.

As an agency, we still see it all too often: brands are eager to dive into digital marketing, but their websites lack the essentials needed to support those investments. Whether it’s outdated design, poor mobile functionality, or missing tracking capabilities, these gaps can undermine even the best campaigns. A strong website is more than a digital storefront; it’s the foundation for every other marketing effort. If you’re looking to make an impact in 2025, start by ensuring your site is built to support and amplify your digital strategy.

In recent years, performance marketing has taken center stage, with a strong emphasis on the lower funnel. It worked for many, but as the landscape evolves, so do consumer expectations. Brands focusing solely on quick-win tactics are missing the bigger picture. Building brand recognition and trust is an investment that compounds over time and creates a sustainable pipeline of loyal customers.

A balanced approach that integrates brand-building activities with performance tactics will be the winning formula. It’s about playing both the short and long game.

In recent years, our ability to track users has been reduced due to new privacy regulations and changes in how platforms manage data. Regulations like GDPR, Law 25 in Québec, and Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) have given users more control over what information they share with businesses—which is great for privacy, but it limits our visibility into consumer behavior and critical insights that help us create relevant campaigns. There’s no magic solution to regain this visibility; instead, we need to adapt.

One effective way to do this is through server-side tracking. Unlike traditional tracking methods (or “client-side tracking”), which rely on browser cookies and are directly impacted by browser privacy settings, server-side tracking allows data to be collected on the server rather than the client’s device. Here’s how it works and why it’s important:

With server-side tracking, tools like Facebook’s Conversions API (CAPI) and Google Enhanced Conversions allow data to be sent directly from your server to the platform’s server. This means that the data isn’t as vulnerable to ad blockers or browser privacy updates that limit tracking, helping you gain a clearer picture of user behavior even with privacy restrictions in place. Server-side tracking enables more accurate measurement, which in turn fuels better targeting and more informed marketing decisions.

There’s an almost endless list of options for where to serve your ads. Yes, Google and Facebook—they’re great. They’re used by millions, and chances are you’ll reach part of your target audience there. If you’re working with a smaller budget, they’re an excellent place to start. But if you can stretch your budget further, it’s worth exploring beyond these platforms to increase your reach and connect with people in new, creative ways, perhaps through channels that are even more contextual and relevant to your audience.

But which ones? Great question. One we get all. the. time. 

Should you be on TikTok? Pinterest? Traditional TV? Connected TV? Audio streaming platforms like Spotify? Maybe even good old radio? There are so many choices, and the right mix depends on knowing your audience’s unique media habits and finding the channels where they’re most engaged.

At Bloom, we frequently work with Vividata, Canada’s leading source for cross-media consumer insights and audience data. Vividata provides in-depth research on Canadians’ media consumption habits, shopping preferences, and lifestyle behaviors, helping us understand where and how different audiences spend their time across various platforms.

With this data, we can identify the most effective channels to reach our clients’ target demographics, whether through social media, streaming services, podcasts, traditional TV, or digital out-of-home.

From predictive analytics to content creation and ad optimization, the power of AI is undeniable. Winning brands will leverage AI to streamline processes, personalize interactions at scale, and gain a competitive edge. But success will come to those who know when to lean on AI and when a human touch is irreplaceable.

We understand that integrating AI can feel like a loss of control or even a threat to brand identity. It’s a common concern, but the reality is that brands who embrace AI in their digital strategy—especially in paid media—will save time, leverage deeper data insights, and stay ahead in a competitive market.

The key is to find the right balance. Using AI doesn’t mean surrendering control or letting platforms do whatever they want. Instead, it’s about strategically combining AI-driven insights with human oversight to create a tailored experience that resonates with your audience.

Even though third-party cookies are still around for now, the writing is on the wall. A first-party data strategy is essential as privacy concerns and consent management tools continue to limit the data brands can gather from third parties. Forward-thinking brands already established direct relationships with their customers and collected meaningful data from them. This data will fuel everything from personalized experiences to improved advertising targeting, ensuring relevance in an era of data limitations.

For larger companies, this means investing in robust infrastructure to store and analyze vast amounts of data. Using tools like BigQuery, data warehouses, and customer data platforms (CDPs), these brands can pull insights from millions of interactions, creating a comprehensive view of customer behavior. With these tools, big brands can design highly tailored experiences across channels, segment audiences at scale, and deliver the right message at the perfect moment, capitalizing on their unique data-driven insights.

Smaller brands, on the other hand, can take a more agile approach. Even without extensive data warehouses, they can leverage simpler CRM systems and analytics tools to track meaningful interactions and preferences. By focusing on key touchpoints and segmenting audiences based on this data, smaller brands can still create impactful, personalized experiences. The goal is the same: use first-party data not just to gather insights, but to create interactions that resonate with customers, no matter the scale of your operation.

If there was any doubt about social media’s role in the buying process, 2025 will erase it. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are not just for brand discovery; they’re increasingly becoming search engines and purchasing platforms. TikTok’s launch of search ads, TikTok Shop, and in-app purchases (in partnership with Amazon) all point to a future where consumers complete the buying journey on social media.

Winning brands in 2025 will create social content that caters to different parts of the consumer journey—awareness, consideration, and conversion—embracing social media as a comprehensive channel that can influence the customer at every stage.

As we move into 2025, marketing success will come from focusing on what truly matters: strong foundations, strategic insights, and a willingness to adapt to the ever-changing landscape. Trends will come and go, but these seven essentials—building a robust website, balancing brand and performance marketing, leveraging server-side tracking, understanding media habits, integrating AI effectively, prioritizing first-party data, and maximizing social media as a purchasing powerhouse—are here to stay.

By prioritizing these fundamentals, you’ll position your brand to thrive, no matter what surprises the future holds. So, take a moment to reflect: Are you ready to embrace the essentials and set your brand up for sustained growth in 2025? The time to act is now.

Whether you need help with marketing analytics, SEO, social media, or digital advertising, Bloom is here to support you every step of the way.