Sorry, Netflix, but YouTube is and remains the most popular streaming platform. According to the latest Nielsen Streaming Report YouTube manages to serve more than 10% of the total video reach in the USA for the first time. Younger users up to Gen Alpha also state that they consume videos on YouTube more often than on other social media platforms. YouTube is also the number 1 platform for podcasts.
🚀 Especially in the B2B sector, videos manage to present complicated topics in a clear and easy-to-understand way. It is astonishing that longer video content tends to be consumed on YouTube - despite accusations that we are all dominated by short videos. And of course, 86% of B2B decision-makers prefer video content to find out about products and services.
Wow, Google Search only has a market share of around 18% in the overall search market! At least if you include all platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. Although Google Search is ahead with around 8.5 trillion daily search queries, Instagram with 6.5 and YouTube with 3.3 show that the search market is continuing to diversify. In particular, more and more people are using AI platforms to research and process information. Up to 30% of respondents to a study by NP Digital stated that they first start their research on AI platforms such as ChatGPT or Perplexity. Here, too, it seems that it is becoming more important for companies to prepare their own content in the best possible way in order to increase and maintain visibility.
🚀 Time to adjust your search marketing strategy and integrate all important platforms into your activities in 2025.
When it comes to content creation, most companies still focus on creating short video snippets or text/image-based posts for one or two social media platforms. Fine. But if you look at and measure the return on investment of individual content formats, livestreaming, webinars, white papers, e-mails or podcasts generally have a better return potential. This is hardly surprising, given that expertise, solution benefits and comprehensibility can be conveyed better and more credibly via more detailed content formats, which have a more long-term effect and are usable, than via entertaining content snacks.
🚀 Invest around 70-80% of your content expenditure in formats with a long-term impact and only around 30-20% in formats and strategies with a short-term impact. Think carefully about what is new and relevant for your users and potential customers and produce content that counts.
Influencer marketing will continue to be a trend in B2B marketing in 2025. However, the pressure on budgets and the question of ROI will become higher and louder. It is interesting to note that studies show that campaigns with extremely successful influencers in particular have an increasingly low or even negative ROI. Influencer campaigns with less than 100k followers or even influencers with around 1,000 followers consistently showed a positive ROI. In addition, they generally have a more trusting and credible relationship with their communities. Even smaller niche platforms such as Discord often have this advantage, helping companies and brands to establish authentic communication.
🚀 In 2025, focus on mid- to small-size influencers or look for niche platforms that are an ideal fit for your services and products.
The days of “one-size-fits-all” strategies are definitely over. Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics offer us the opportunity to create personalized experiences in real time. This includes product or service recommendations as well as dynamic prices. AI allows us to automatically create content and send messages that really match the current behavior and interests of our users.
If you haven't already done so, start integrating personalization strategies into your marketing, your website and, above all, your email marketing this year and gain experience in order to respond better and in more detail to the needs within the customer journey. Data and analysis tools as well as AI in content creation will help you to personalize quickly and effectively.
Hybrid events combine the best of both worlds: the personal interaction of physical events and the reach of digital formats. They are relevant in B2B marketing for 2025 as they offer a flexible and cost-efficient way to address different target groups. Participants can choose whether they want to attend on-site or virtually, which significantly lowers the barrier to participation. In addition, digital elements such as live polls, Q&A sessions and networking tools enable greater audience engagement. With growing digitalization and the need for sustainable solutions, hybrid events are becoming the standard for B2B companies that want to increase both the reach and quality of their customer interactions.
🚀 Develop hybrid event strategies that maximize both physical and digital touchpoints to build a sustainable relationship with your target audience.
Data protection laws such as the GDPR and the abolition of third-party cookies present marketers with new challenges. In 2025, the use of first-party data will be indispensable for personalized marketing. This means that own offers (owned media and data from the website, email subscriber, app user, etc.) will become more important again. Since data protection regulations are becoming increasingly strict and third-party cookies are on the decline, you should give preference to this data (first-party data). First-party data offers a compliant and reliable way to deliver personalized experiences while building direct, trusting relationships with your customers. Be transparent and respectful in how you interact with and approach your potential customers.
Invest time and, if necessary, money in a usable data strategy to learn from the data and even generate personalized services and marketing. Customer data platforms (CDPs) aggregate data from various sources such as website interactions, email marketing or CRM systems and create a standardized customer profile. This allows you to address customers in a targeted and personalized way. Companies need to find new ways to collect user data, e.g. through loyalty programs, interactive content or exclusive offers in exchange for information.
Micro-campaigns offer an excellent opportunity to work more precisely and increase ROI, especially for specific topics and very clearly defined target groups or accounts. Develop standards and learn from the data you generate in the process.
🚀 For optimal ABM marketing, you can use AI tools such as Clay to expand your account lists and create campaigns that can be optimized for specific criteria such as financing, technology enhancements, etc.
Scott Galloway, NYU marketing professor and influencer, stated in his latest newsletter: “Podcasting is one of the few ad-supported media that can keep pace with the rapid growth of platforms like Meta, TikTok, Alphabet and Reddit. Of the estimated 3.2 million podcasts, around 600,000 regularly publish new content - but only a few of these are also commercially successful. The ten largest podcasts in the USA and presumably also in Germany attract a full 35% of listeners. To put this into perspective, Kamala Harris would have had to appear on CNN, Fox and MSNBC for three hours every night for two weeks in prime time to reach an audience as large as Donald Trump's guest appearance on Joe Rogan.
Although podcasts have a significant share of people's attention, their advertising revenue is lagging behind. But this imbalance will even out in the coming years. At the same time, listenership will continue to grow and the average revenue per user (ARPU) could increase significantly. More and more advertisers are recognizing the potential of reaching a young and affluent target group through podcasts.
🚀 Research relevant podcasts or audio environments where you can place yourself or your brand. Find out more about audio advertising here.
With all the trends and opportunities, it can be difficult for B2B marketing managers to keep an eye on the overarching strategy. One thing is clear: the relationship you want potential customers to build with a brand is just as important as measurable performance metrics. Yet 81% of executives admit that maintaining a consistent brand identity is a real challenge - especially at a time when personalization is becoming increasingly important.
In 2025, many marketing managers will continue to face the difficult task of balancing long-term brand investment with the short-term pressure to generate demand quickly. But companies that really want to be successful will have to think beyond pure product or sales-oriented growth. The focus is on customer orientation: it is about offering customers flexibility - whether they act independently or receive direct support when needed. Putting customers' needs above your own internal processes creates a consistent and valuable brand experience.
Authenticity will be the decisive success factor in 2025. 88% of people say that authenticity is an important reason for them to support a brand. At the same time, 81% need to trust a brand before they even consider making a purchase. But beware: authenticity must not be a marketing facade. If the actual customer experience does not match the promises, trust suffers - and that can have fatal consequences.
🚀 The key to 2025 lies in striking the right balance: demand generation and account-based marketing (ABM) must go hand in hand. Data and analysis tools help us to respond individually to accounts. But without a strong, trustworthy and authentic brand perception, building long-term customer relationships remains an unattainable goal.
The marketing world of 2025 offers enormous opportunities for companies that are prepared to adapt and strategically implement digital trends. For decision-makers, this means making targeted use of innovative technologies such as AI, immersive content and hybrid strategies to secure competitive advantages. At the same time, the balance between technology and humanity remains the key to success.
Which trends do you find particularly interesting? Send us an email or connect with us on LinkedIn. 🤝
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