Digital Marketing Evolution

Digital marketing in the DTC space isn’t broken—it’s just overdue for evolution which I think brands are coming to start to understand. The days of relying solely on ROAS and acquisition-focused strategies are behind us. Rising CACs, platform volatility, and saturated markets have exposed the cracks in the “spend big, scale fast” playbook. Today, the brands that thrive focus on balance: leveraging paid media to amplify brand awareness while building resilient owned channels—think email, SMS, and community. Performance marketing isn’t dead, but it works best when paired with a strong foundation of organic search, direct traffic, and repeat customers. The question isn’t “how much are we spending?” It’s “how sustainable is our growth?” Contribution margin, LTV, and customer loyalty should guide your decisions—not vanity metrics. In a landscape where competition is fierce, creativity and connection win.

#AdTech News update AdTech & Programmatic – 2025 is Shaping the Future of Digital Advertising The pace of change in our industry is relentless—and exciting. Here are some key developments that are redefining how we approach media, measurement, and innovation: Meta's Bold AI Vision Mark Zuckerberg just shook the industry: Meta is building an AI-driven ad engine where advertisers only input objectives and budgets. Creative, targeting, and media buying? All handled by AI. We’re stepping into the era of “infinite creative” automation. Generative AI + Incrementality = Smart Ad Budgets Startups like Paramark are blending GenAI with campaign incrementality to drive smarter ad investments. Their tech forecasts the sales impact of ad variations—next-level insights for performance marketers. Privacy-First Targeting Third-party cookies are nearly obsolete. Contextual, geotargeting, and 1st-party data strategies are no longer “alternatives”—they’re core. Regulators are watching, and so are consumers. CTV & Programmatic Audio On the Rise As linear TV fades, CTV and OTT ad spend are booming. Add to that the rise of programmatic audio (think dynamic, host-read podcast ads), and you’ve got new playgrounds for engagement. Industry Shakeups & Consolidation Google’s antitrust saga could lead to serious restructuring. Meanwhile, smaller players are consolidating to offer full-stack solutions—streamlining for buyers, but a double-edged sword for publishers. The Evolution of Brand Building With attribution limitations and rising CPAs, brands are rethinking performance-only strategies. Real-world communities, creative storytelling, and direct customer relationships are back in vogue. We’re witnessing a fundamental evolution—from channels to ecosystems, from media buying to business outcomes. Are we ready for the AI-led future of advertising? #AdTech #ProgrammaticAdvertising #DigitalMarketing #AIinAdvertising #CTV #FirstPartyData #MarketingStrategy #AdOperations #PerformanceMarketing

I've been tracking many of the changes in the digital media landscape, and there’s no better example of the disruption and evolution of our industry than Zeta’s acquisition of LiveIntent last month. In an era where both legacy media conglomerates and emerging media startups are seeking to monetize their audiences with ads, Zeta’s acquisition of LiveIntent sends a clear message: first-party data is gold. With the shift away from third-party cookies, combining first-party data with AI tools can translate into a data-driven revenue flywheel: pinpointed audience personalization attracts major advertisers who are willing to pay higher rates to reach an audience they know is paying attention. Here are three predictions we are watching at Optimism in the months ahead: • Email will become a stronger monetization channel. The merger shows how first-party data and greater scale can unlock new opportunities to monetize in the inbox. • More and more companies will view first-party data as a corporate asset. As third-party cookies are deprecated, brands and media operators will continue to recognize that personalized and targeted first-party data sets can be a competitive advantage. • AI-driven personalization presents new opportunities for monetization in the inbox. The combination of first-party data and AI will lead to a new era of digital advertising that combines zoomed-out scale with zoomed-in personalization and audience insights.

# The Evolution of Multi-Channel Marketing: Breaking Down Silos in 2025 At Quartile, we're seeing a significant shift in how brands approach multi-channel marketing. Gone are the days of treating each platform as a separate entity. Today's winning strategy? True cross-channel integration that creates seamless customer experiences. Three key trends we're tracking: 1️⃣ **AI-Powered Channel Orchestration** is revolutionizing how marketers allocate budgets across platforms. Smart algorithms now analyze real-time performance data across Amazon, Google, Meta, and retail media networks to dynamically shift spend to the highest-performing channels within minutes, not days. 2️⃣ **Unified Attribution Modeling** has finally evolved beyond last-click. The most successful brands are implementing attribution systems that accurately value each touchpoint across the customer journey – from awareness on TikTok to consideration on Google to conversion on Amazon. 3️⃣ **First-Party Data Activation** across channels is becoming the gold standard. As third-party signals continue to deteriorate, brands leveraging their own customer data to create consistent experiences across marketplaces, retail media, search, and social are seeing 3-4x better performance. The brands winning in this landscape aren't just present on multiple channels – they're creating interconnected ecosystems where each channel amplifies the others. What multi-channel strategies are working best for your brand in 2025? Share below! #MultiChannelMarketing #EcommerceStrategy #DigitalMarketing #Quartile #RetailMedia #MarketplaceOptimization

The old marketing playbook died in 2013. I watched it happen. Ten years ago, I sat in my Dubai office, staring at stacks of printed brochures and magazine ads. My gut told me something was off. Traditional marketing felt like shouting into the void. Cold leads. Fuzzy metrics.  Questionable impact. That week, I made a bold move. I shut down all print campaigns and redirected our budget to digital demand generation. My boss thought I'd lost it. The team was skeptical. But the numbers spoke: Content marketing became our #1 lead source, driving 83% of qualified opportunities. Webinars saw 65% higher engagement than any traditional outreach. By shifting to demand generation, we: 🎯 Cut cost per lead by 40% 🎯 Doubled sales pipeline velocity 🎯 Generated 3x more qualified leads The transition was challenging. We failed often. But each setback revealed what truly drives buyer behavior. Looking at the 2024 stats, it was the right call. Account-based marketing now delivers 28% higher engagement and 25% better conversion rates. The marketing revolution isn't coming. It's here. What made you embrace digital transformation in your marketing approach? ——— Found this valuable? Share it with your network and follow me, Mohsin Ali, for more on personal growth and marketing.

Marketing has changed dramatically in the last 5 years. Here's what you need to know: 5 years ago, marketing was a volume game. (And ranking high on the first page of Google.) Today, it's about trust, authority,  And visibility across all channels (especially AI search). Customers no longer respond to quantity... They want to see proof and access valuable (and free) information. Here are more major differences 👇 (And how to make the most of them) ❌ Old Marketing → Shout louder ↳ Cold calls, mass emails, and spray-and-pray ads. ✅ New Marketing → Earn trust ↳ Proof, opinions, and consistency build credibility. ❌ Old Marketing → Gatekept by media ↳ Success meant paying for press or ads. ✅ New Marketing → Owned audience wins ↳ LinkedIn, newsletters, and podcasts give founders direct reach. ❌ Old Marketing → Transactional funnel ↳ Push prospects through rigid steps. ✅ New Marketing → Continuous journey ↳ AI search + communities keep customers engaged long-term. ❌ Old Marketing → Any attention is good ↳ Clicks and vanity metrics defined “success.” ✅ New Marketing → The right attention matters ↳ Growth comes from the right people deeply engaging. ❌ Old Marketing → Marketing was a cost ↳ Budgets wasted on reach with unclear ROI. ✅ New Marketing → Marketing is a growth engine ↳ Founder-led, measurable, and driving revenue and opportunity. ❌ Old Marketing → Google or nothing ↳ If you weren’t on page one, you didn’t exist. ✅ New Marketing → AI search is here ↳ ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity now decide visibility. ❌ Old Marketing → Backlinks and billboards ↳ Chasing numbers worked, and any placement boosted visibility. ✅ New Marketing → Relevance rules ↳ Authority comes from partnerships, internal linking, and credible citations. ❌ Old Marketing → Keywords everywhere ↳ Repeating target phrases endlessly was the play. ✅ New Marketing → Intent everywhere ↳ Content wins by answering the why behind the query. The evolution of marketing will continue to accelerate as AI develops. Brands need to double down on AI search visibility,  And adapt their content properly. That’s why we’re building Searchable, it: ✔️ Shows where your brand is visible (Google + AI search) ✔️ Optimises automatically for SEO, AEO, and GEO ✔️ Turns visibility into customers, not just clicks (Without taking up your time and energy...) Join the waitlist here 👇  https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi Where are you struggling with marketing right now?  Let me know in the comments. ♻️ Repost to keep your network informed of marketing updates. And follow Chris Donnelly for more.

The landscape of digital marketing is rapidly changing, with 2025 poised to be a significant year. Staying ahead means not just keeping up with trends but anticipating them and adapting your strategies. Over a decade of experience navigating the intricacies of this industry has taught me one thing: brands that innovate, embrace change, and keep their audience at the center of it all thrive. Trends in digital marketing for 2025 👇 👉 AI-Driven Personalization AI isn’t just a buzzword anymore—it’s the foundation of hyper-personalized experiences. From dynamic email content to tailored ad campaigns, leveraging AI tools will be the key to creating deeper customer connections. 👉 Voice Search Optimization With the continued rise of smart assistants, voice search is becoming integral to how people find information. Optimizing for natural language queries and local intent will separate the good marketers from the great ones. 👉 Interactive & Immersive Content Think AR filters, VR experiences, and shoppable live streams. Consumers crave interactivity, and brands that offer immersive experiences will build stronger engagement and loyalty. 👉 Sustainability Messaging Gen Z and Millennials demand transparency and purpose from brands. Marketing campaigns emphasizing sustainable practices and ethical choices will resonate deeply. 👉 Creator-Led Campaigns The creator economy isn’t slowing down. Brands that partner with micro and nano-influencers will see more authentic engagement and higher ROI than traditional ads. 👉 Zero-Party Data Strategies As privacy regulations tighten, collecting zero-party data directly from customers through interactive polls, surveys, and quizzes will be critical for building trust and personalizing marketing. 👉 The Rise of Niche Communities Large platforms are fragmenting into niche communities. From Reddit forums to private Discord servers, marketers must learn to engage in these micro-ecosystems authentically. 👉 Programmatic Advertising Evolution Automation in ad buying is getting smarter. With AI-enhanced programmatic platforms, advertisers can optimize campaigns in real-time, ensuring higher precision and better ROI. 👉 Social Commerce Boom Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest are intensifying their e-commerce features, leading to a blurring of the boundaries between social media and shopping. Shoppable posts and live shopping will become even more impactful. 👉 Video SEO & Searchable Video Content As search engines get better at indexing video content, optimizing video for search (keywords, transcripts, thumbnails) will become a game-changer for discoverability. 2025 is the year of smarter, more human-centric marketing. Success lies in staying agile, embracing innovation, and keeping the customer at the heart of everything you do. Which of these trends do you think will have the biggest impact? Follow #socialJJ for more marketing posts. #digitalmarketing

Most businesses are marketing like it’s 2015. The problem? It’s 2025. Marketing today moves fast, and if you’re not adapting, you’re falling behind. After working with startups, SMEs, and global brands at 2Stallions Digital Marketing Agency, here’s what I see shaping digital marketing in 2025: The Biggest Shifts Happening Right Now: 1️⃣ AI isn’t replacing marketers, but it’s replacing old strategies. If you’re not using AI-powered tools for content, automation, or ad targeting—you’re already behind. 2️⃣ SEO is no longer just about keywords. Google’s search results are changing with AI-powered summaries. Brands need to focus on authority, expertise, and real insights—not just ranking for a keyword. 3️⃣ Paid ads are getting more expensive—but more effective for those who adapt. With rising costs, brands that invest in first-party data, better audience segmentation, and creative automation will win. 4️⃣ Short-form video still dominates—but engagement matters more than views. High-retention, value-driven content will outperform flashy viral trends. 5️⃣ Brand trust = The biggest growth lever. Consumers are skeptical. They trust real people, experiences, and social proof more than traditional ads. If you’re not investing in storytelling, UGC, and authenticity—you’ll struggle. 👉 Which of these trends do you think will have the biggest impact in 2025? #DigitalMarketing #MarketingTrends #AI #SEO #Growth

The One Mistake That Kills 90% of Digital Marketers Most people who enter digital marketing quit too soon. And the reason? They expect overnight success in an industry that now thrives on data, patience, and AI-driven iteration. 📉 Reality Check: Digital marketing in 2025 isn’t what it was a year ago. With AI-dominated search, skyrocketing ad costs, and algorithm shifts favoring deep engagement, only those who understand and adapt will thrive. 💡 SEO is now AI-first. Google’s new AI Overviews & Search Generative Experience (SGE) prioritize authoritative, human-backed content. Quick hacks are dead—trust and expertise win. 💡 Paid ads are smarter but riskier. AI-driven ad systems (like Meta Advantage+) require constant creative testing and audience refinement for profitability. Set-and-forget ads no longer work. 💡 Personal branding is more valuable than ever. LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok favor consistent, authentic, and interactive content. Thought leadership beats generic promotion. 🚨 Why most marketers fail in 2025: They expect instant results but don’t read the data, optimize, or stay ahead of trends. ✅ Those who win in 2025: ✔ Leverage AI for efficiency but stay human in execution. ✔ Focus on community & trust, not just impressions. ✔ Master platform-specific strategies instead of copy-pasting content. If you're feeling stuck, remember: You’re likely one smart pivot away from success. What’s the biggest shift YOU’VE noticed in digital marketing this year? Let’s discuss. 👇 #MarketingTrends2025 #DigitalMarketingEvolution #AIinMarketing #StayAhead

Search behavior is changing—and if your strategy doesn’t evolve, your traffic, leads, and conversions your bottom line is going to eventually take a hit. Google is still at the top of the list with 83.5% of searches, but it’s not the only name in the game: - YouTube: 6.8% - ChatGPT & AI tools: 4.3% - Social platforms & forums: 3.4% AI chatbots now give instant answers, and fewer users are clicking through to websites. Meanwhile, Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping how search works, squeezing out traditional rankings. It’s not like Google is going anywhere tomorrow though—it’s still processing billions of searches every day. But if you’re not adapting, you’re falling behind. The latest Google algorithm updates are rewarding authenticity and expertise over technical tricks. 78% of businesses still see SEO as extremely valuable, and 62.9% have experienced SEO growth in the past six months. Businesses winning in SEO are prioritizing original insights, showcasing expertise, and focusing on high-quality content. SEO isn’t dead. It’s just evolving (again). Is your strategy evolving with it? #ContentStrategy #DigitalMarketing #LeadGen