How to Build Your Marketing Plan for 2025

As we gear up for 2025, marketers and business owners face an unpredictable and rapidly evolving landscape. From legal challenges at Google to the rise of AI and shifting social media dynamics, the rules of engagement are changing.

That’s why we recently held a new webinar entitled How to Build Your Marketing Plan for 2025.

We’re here to explore what lies ahead, the challenges we’re up against, and the strategies you can use to keep your business thriving.

The ‘How to Build Your Marketing Plan for 2025’ Webinar

Challenges in the Marketing Landscape

Here are the biggest challenges we see for the year ahead:

1. Google’s Evolving Role in Search and Ads

Let’s be honest: Google’s a mess right now, and the last 12 months haven’t exactly been kind. Google has taken hits on all sides, but especially from website owners frustrated by the latest rounds of algorithm updates and by lawmakers concerned about consumer privacy and antitrust issues.

That said, some of the most pressing problems heading into 2025 include:

Antitrust Lawsuits: Legal actions threaten to dismantle Google’s monopoly, disrupting tools and processes businesses rely on. Is Google going to disappear overnight if lawmakers rule against the company? Probably not. But if its search and advertising tools are broken apart, it could make marketing much more challenging.
AI Overviews: Featured Snippets and organic traffic are declining due to AI-driven summaries and crowded search results, and that’s bad news for businesses. On a lighter note, the credits section of AI Overviews means companies have extra real estate to compete for on the SERP.
New Ad Players: TikTok and Amazon now control 51% of the ad market, pushing Google out of its dominant position. As the market continues to evolve, businesses should move quickly to ensure they’re getting as much value as possible from their ad spend.

2. Social Media Volatility

Social media has always been frustrating for business owners, but it’s only gotten more complicated over time. Some of our biggest concerns for the new year:

TikTok’s Uncertain Future: Speculation about a potential TikTok ban reminds us how fragile platform-based strategies can be. And while it’s unlikely the platform will be banned in January, its disappearance could be detrimental to businesses that have relied on it.
Data Privacy Challenges: New consumer protections limit tracking capabilities, making it harder to refine ad strategies and implement retargeting. Worse: Some of the native reporting within ad platforms isn’t totally accurate, meaning some companies are spending a portion of their ad budget completely blind!

3. AI Explosion

We have plenty of mixed feelings about AI over here at Poetica Marketing (check out our blog about the pros and cons of ChatGPT to learn more), but we ultimately believe it’s a net positive—when it’s used correctly.

Unfortunately, we’re seeing tons of companies abuse it. In fact, the accessibility of AI tools has led to a surge in low-quality, mass-produced content, creating unwanted noise and confusion among consumers.

That’s bad for individual companies, and it could even be detrimental to entire industries.

The Path Forward: Key Strategies for 2025

Amidst the chaos, simplicity and fundamentals will win the day. Here’s how to ensure your success in the new year:

1. Refocus on the Basics

Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, I find it’s helpful to get back to the basics. Remember: Effective marketing boils down to three essential questions:

Who is your target audience? Be specific: age, location, profession, and pain points.
What is your message? Tailor it to address their unique challenges and highlight your value proposition.
How will you reach them? Diversify strategies and avoid over-reliance on any single platform.

If you can dig deep into those questions, you can develop unique ad campaigns that resonate with your target audience.

And speaking of audience…

2. Own Your Audience

Remember how we said TikTok might disappear? It’s a good reminder not to put all of your marketing eggs into a single basket. Platforms come and go, but your direct communication channels are forever.

Steps to focus on:

Collect email addresses, mailing addresses, and phone numbers to build a resilient audience.
Engage them consistently with valuable, personalized messages.

Once you own your audience, nobody can take it from you!

3. Content Strategy for an AI World

Resist the alluring call of the AI siren! While AI can be a helpful tool, focus on creating truly valuable content. Our recommendations:

Quality Over Quantity: Don’t churn out content. Instead, invest in high-quality, original blogs, infographics, and videos.
Repurpose Content: Turn blogs into social media posts, emails, or even webinars to maximize reach.
Leverage Unique Insights: Share your personal expertise and use case studies to stand out.

4. Leverage SEO

With Google’s fate uncertain, there are plenty of changes that could take place. Steps you can take now:

Optimize for emerging search platforms like Bing and DuckDuckGo, which may grow as Google’s dominance is challenged.
Explore content-friendly communities like Reddit and Quora to engage directly with niche audiences. These communities (especially Reddit) are continuously appearing more and more in search results, and leveraging them strategically could help expand your online footprint.

5. Balance AI and Personal Touch

We’ve already mentioned AI a ton in this article, so here are two more final recommendations:

Use AI for research and ideation but maintain a strong human element in your content.
Build trust through face-to-face connections, webinars, and events that showcase your expertise.

6. Elevate Your Personal Brand

Personal brands have always mattered, but I’m especially bullish on the value of building a personal brand in 2025. Consumers are faced with more content than ever before, and what they’re missing in so many communications is that invaluable human element.

A couple of thoughts:

Small business owners and solopreneurs should prioritize their personal presence on platforms like LinkedIn.
Develop consistent designs and messaging across all channels to enhance recognition and trust.

The Big Takeaways

2025 will be a year of adaptability and resilience. The marketers who thrive will be the ones who focus on owning their audiences, embracing high-quality content, and maintaining a personal touch in an increasingly automated world.

By keeping it simple—knowing your audience, your message, and how to reach them—you can cut through the noise and turn challenges into opportunities.