Introduction: The Urgency of Change

If you’re still marketing like it’s 2024, you’re already behind. AI in marketing is taking over, attention spans are shrinking, and brands that don’t evolve, they’ll get left behind. But here’s the good news.

We’ve got the exact strategies to help you keep up. We’ve spent hours digging through the most game-changing shifts happening in marketing right now.

And these aren’t just predictions, they are data-backed insights straight from HubSpot’s state of marketing report. This report surveyed over 1,200 marketers worldwide. And some of these numbers, they will blow your mind.

AI in Marketing: The Game Changer

AI is Already Transforming Marketing

We’re starting with a trend that’s already reshaping marketing as we know it. Are you still trying to manually adjust your marketing campaigns? AI in marketing is already doing it faster and smarter, and marketers who aren’t using it, they’re falling behind. AI in marketing isn’t just creating content, it’s optimizing entire marketing strategies in real time.

Why This Matters?

So why does this matter? If you’re not using AI yet, you’re making marketing harder and more expensive than it needs to be. Marketers who resist using AI in marketing risk falling behind competitors who are already automating and scaling faster. So here are three ways that you can stay ahead.

Use AI in marketing tools like ChatGPT or HubSpot Breeze to generate social media posts, email subject lines, and ad headlines. Test AI-generated content versus human-written content to see which gets more engagement, clicks, and conversions. Let AI track patterns and predict trends so you can make data-driven marketing decisions faster.

AI in marketing is just the beginning

Because even with the smartest tools, there’s one thing that AI in marketing can’t do for you. Keep people engaged. And that’s our next challenge.

Getting clicks is easy. Keeping people watching, reading, or engaging, that’s the REAL challenge. Short-form videos like TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are now the best-performing content format for businesses.

They’re driving more views and engagement than static content. Long-form video content, so webinars, podcasts, and YouTube videos see 10 times more engagement than blog posts alone. Social platforms reward engagement time.

Case Study: The Hustle

The longer people stay on your content, the more it gets pushed to new audiences. One of the best examples of this attention-first strategy is The Hustle, HubSpot’s business media brand.

Instead of just relying on blogs or newsletters, The Hustle launched a YouTube channel focused on long-form storytelling and business deep dives. And the results? 400,000-plus monthly views with higher engagement rates than traditional blog content. What made it work? Well, instead of quick tips, they tell compelling business stories that keep viewers watching.

The videos feel conversational and engaging, not like a corporate ad. They also take YouTube clips and remix them into shorts, Instagram reels, and blog posts, extending their reach across platforms.

How You Can Stay Ahead: Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts

But here’s what you can do to stay ahead. If you are not creating TikToks, reels, or YouTube shorts yet, start now. Track engagement, not just clicks.

Watch time, comments, and shares matter more than likes and link clicks. Turn a single video or a blog post into multiple social media posts instead of creating from scratch every single time. And here’s a tip.

Short-form video hooks people in, but long-form builds deeper trust. Brands using both formats see the highest conversion rates.

Building Trust: From Clicks to Connection

Now, you can hold someone’s attention for a minute, but can you earn their trust? That’s the real challenge. And if you don’t, marketing just got a lot more expensive. Here’s why.

Consumers don’t trust brands as much as they used to. And honestly, it’s not surprising. Third-party cookies are disappearing and paid ads are getting more expensive because brands can’t track customers the way that they used to.

But brands using first-party data— so emails, subscribers, and loyalty programs— are seeing higher engagement and lower ad costs. What we can learn from this information is that brands that own their audience— so email lists or community platforms— are outperforming those that rely only on paid ads. Here’s what you can do to stay ahead.

Collect emails and build your own audience. Offer a freebie, a discount, or exclusive content in exchange for email signups. Be upfront about data collection.

If people know how their data is used, they’ll trust you more. Use that first-party data for better personalization. Brands that customize emails and offers see higher conversions and repeat customers.

Creators Build Trust

If you want to see how brands are shifting to first-party data strategies. Want to know the biggest challenge in marketing today? People don’t trust brands. But you know who they do trust? Creators.

That’s why these smartest brands aren’t just running ads. They’re becoming content creators. Running ads alone isn’t enough anymore.

The most successful brands aren’t just selling. They’re creating content that builds trust and keeps customers coming back. 92% of marketers are shifting budgets from ads to brand-led content because consumers trust creators over traditional ads.

Brands that work with content creators like UGC creators and micro-influencers see three times better results than those that don’t. Why does this matter? Well, traditional paid advertising is losing effectiveness. People tune out ads, but they trust real people.

Social media platforms prioritize organic, engaging content over traditional ads. So if you’re not creating valuable, entertaining, or educational content, you’re missing out. Consumers are buying from brands they connect with.

If your content isn’t engaging or relatable, you’re losing customers to competitors who act like creators, not just companies. Here’s what you can do to stay ahead. Instead of selling, start educating, entertaining, and engaging your audience.

Work with micro-influencers. Their audience already trusts them, so this makes it easier to convert their followers into your customers. Build your brand’s personality.

People connect with real stories, not just ads. Don’t be afraid to show behind the scenes, share personal insights, or highlight customer stories.

Case Study: Jaguar’s Shift to Social-First

Even luxury car brands like Jaguar are changing their marketing game.

Instead of relying on traditional ads, Jaguar has invested into social-first storytelling using TikTok and Instagram Reels. They’ve partnered with younger influencers to appeal to Gen Z and millennials and created lifestyle content instead of product-driven marketing. The goal here? Make Jaguar feel aspirational for younger buyers.

And so far, engagement is skyrocketing. So, if a 100-year-old luxury brand is shifting from ads to content, that tells you everything you need to know about where marketing is headed.

AI in Advertising

Yes, content is what builds trust, but ads? That’s how you scale fast. And AI is changing the ad game entirely. Let’s talk about it.

What if your ads could optimize themselves? AI is already doing it, and marketers using AI-powered ad targeting are seeing lower ad costs, higher engagement, and more conversions with less effort.

Why AI Ads Matter

Why does this matter? Well, traditional manual ad testing is slow. Marketers spend weeks testing different ad variations, while AI can optimize in real-time.

That being said, ad costs are also rising, and AI helps spend your budget more efficiently. Plus, AI learns from user behavior, meaning your ads will keep improving automatically without extra work. Here’s what you can do to stay ahead.

Use AI-powered ad tools. Platforms like Meta’s Advantage Plus and Google’s Performance Max will automatically test different ad variations and optimize them for better results. Test AI-driven audiences.

Instead of guessing which audience to target, let AI create custom audiences based on real-time behavior. Compare manual versus AI testing. Run two versions of your campaign, one with manual testing and one using AI optimization.

Social Platforms Are the New Search Engines

AI in marketing is optimizing ads, but there’s another huge shift in how people discover brands online.

And if you’re not adjusting for it, you’re missing out on millions of potential customers. More people are searching on TikTok and Instagram than on Google. Google actually reported a 40% decline in product searches by Gen Z, as younger users are now shifting their searches to social platforms.

If your content isn’t optimized for social search, you’re invisible to a massive audience. So, here’s what you can do to stay ahead. Use TikTok’s search bar to find trending keywords.

Type in a keyword related to your business and see what auto fills, and then create content around it. Add searchable text to videos. TikTok and Instagram both prioritize videos that have keywords in on-screen text and in captions.

Optimize hashtags. Use platform-specific search trends instead of generic hashtags.

Conclusion: Adapt or Fall Behind

So, these are the shifts happening right now. And if you’re not evolving, you’re falling behind fast.

But here’s the real question. Will you look back a year from now and wish you had started adapting sooner? That’s exactly what Kip Bodnar, CMO of HubSpot, had to say about the future of marketing. Marketers need to think a year from now.

Will I feel like I’ve learned enough, tested enough, and evolved our strategies enough to keep up with the shifting landscape? The next decade will look a whole lot crazier than the past decade. So, if the answer is no, get into the mindset of embracing new tech and don’t be afraid to move fast or risk getting left behind.

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