Between the fear of artificial intelligence taking over the world (something that might still happen) and social media reshaping itself into a search engine, 2025 has been an interesting year for digital marketing. As the landscape continues to evolve rapidly, the year laid the foundation for 2026 to become a year of execution.
What’s become clear is that businesses can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. The strategies that were tested and debated over the past year now need to be implemented with intention, clarity, and consistency. Consumer behaviour is shifting, platforms are evolving, and brands will need to adapt quickly and execute confidently to stay visible, relevant, and competitive.
To help you adapt with confidence, we’re sharing our top lessons from 2025:
Lesson 1: AI-Powered Marketing is The New Normal
Artificial intelligence is quickly reshaping the marketing landscape. In 2025, AI has become more than just a buzzword, driving content creation, customer satisfaction, and even search. As we step into the new year, utilising AI is no longer a “nice to have option,” but a necessity. From social media campaigns to email marketing, AI is helping businesses save time and make decisions backed by data, not guesswork. This gives many brands the advantage of delivering hyper-relevant messages across channels, increasing engagement and conversions.
The surge in AI and automation is also making life a little easier, says our digital specialist Geoff.
“It’s making life so much easier by taking care of the dull, repetitive stuff and giving us sharper insights into what people actually want. The best bit is that it leaves more room for proper creative thinking, so you can focus on the fun parts while the tech quietly keeps everything running smoothly.”
Another AI trend reshaping 2025/2026? AI search will continue to change the way users find your business, especially as more customers expect faster and more personalised ways to find what they’re looking for.
Practical Tip: Businesses will need to learn how to adapt their websites and write for platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini in order to capture the attention of customers. Focus on user intent, not just keywords, and try to answer user questions upfront.
Lesson 2: Video Marketing Boosts Engagement
Recent 2025 data shows that over 90% of global internet users watch online videos weekly, and many view video daily, spending an average of around 17 hours per week consuming video content. TikTok videos and Instagram reels have quickly changed the way users consume content, especially as consumers prioritise fast-paced, attention-grabbing content.
According to our multimedia designer, Shannon:“trends come and go, but video content remains king.”
That’s because video has a unique ability to capture attention instantly.
“The creative possibilities with video are endless, which is why it continues to outperform so many other formats. What I love most is that the creation process itself is exciting. Video pushes your creativity, keeps your content fresh, and ensures your brand feels current and relevant. It’s not just effective and it’s fun to make.”
TikTok videos and Instagram reels are taking over social media feeds and consumers’ interest. This format will only continue to grow. As we step into the new year, businesses should ensure they’re visible on the platforms their customers use and provide a mix of short- and long-form video content.
Lesson 3: Authenticity is a Non-Negotiable
Between scrolling for recipes on TikTok to sharing your latest travel pics on Instagram, social media has become a central part of our daily lives. With so much happening online, consumers are drowning in content — some valuable, some just ads. Today’s consumers are quick to spot content that feels overly polished, scripted, or purely sales-driven. Instead, they’re looking for content that feels authentic and human.
In 2025, brands quickly realised the importance of connecting with their audience and creating content that truly resonates. Today, businesses need to speak honestly, remain consistent, and focus on building a community that goes beyond simply pushing sales. According to a study by Sprout Social, 77% of consumers are more likely to engage with content that feels genuine and relatable.
The takeaway? Customers don’t want to engage with logos, they want to engage with people.
Lesson 4: Omnichannel Presence Wins
In today’s digital world, customers don’t interact with a brand in just one place, they hop between social media, search engines, websites, messaging apps, in-store visits, emails, chatbots, ads, and more. However, this doesn’t mean you should show up everywhere in the hopes of catching your next customer. It’s about delivering a connected and consistent experience across every touchpoint.
Omnichannel marketing will become even more important as personalisation expectations rise. Looking ahead, users want brands to remember their preferences, understand their intent, and respond appropriately, regardless of where the interaction happens. As such, brands will need to create a unified presence that connects their channels with consistent messaging, creating better engagement signals, richer customer data, and more opportunities to nurture relationships over time.
Last Words
From AI-powered marketing and omnichannel engagement to authentic storytelling, these lessons set the stage for 2026. Which lessons have you learned from the past year, and which ones will you be taking into the new year?
If you’re looking to create a consistent digital marketing strategy that drives engagement, builds trust, and delivers results, now is the time to start planning with SOMS Digital.
