The Top 6 Marketing Challenges Expected Globally in 2025, And How to Overcome Them [Data + Expert Tips]

2024 was a 12 months to recollect.

For one, there have been huge strides in AI that resulted in huge shifts throughout the advertising business. (Many entrepreneurs compare AI innovations to the industrial revolution. No huge deal or something.)

Apart from AI, Google’s EEAT search ranking factors shook up content material methods, redefining on-line visibility.

Even shopper shopping for behaviors developed considerably, with consumers changing into extra attentive to model values and more and more favoring campaigns that align with their private beliefs.

As we stand on the point of 2025, it‘s essential for entrepreneurs to pause and replicate on the 12 months’s largest challenges and put together for the longer term.

Beneath, let’s evaluation the present international advertising points impacting the business, based on knowledge from HubSpot’s 2025 Advertising Report and insights from advertising consultants.

Or soar to whichever high problem you are most inquisitive about:

High Challenges Entrepreneurs’ Confronted in 2024 — Plus, Professional Insights on Methods to Navigate These Challenges in 2025

Rawdon Glover, Jaguar’s managing director, shared his ideas on the brand new model transformation behind its TYPE 00, stating, “We’ve solid a fearlessly artistic new character for Jaguar that’s true to the DNA of the model however future-facing, related, and one that actually stands out.”

Whereas it is too quickly to name, this model is considered one of numerous which might be taking up the problem of adapting to altering audiences and bravely concentrating on those that are newly launched to the model or are extra right into a recent (and even daring) future.

What You Can Do

Clean up your group‘s market analysis and knowledge analytics to grasp an increasing viewers’s preferences, behaviors, and desires.

Whereas there is not any one-size-fits-all resolution for each persona chances are you’ll be making an attempt to succeed in, familiarize yourselves with the most recent business developments and content material preferences that clients are gravitating in the direction of in 2025.

Customers need manufacturers to be socially accountable — in truth, 45% of people think that brands need to do more to advocate for social justice points.

The brands that take a stance on social issues that matter to their viewers can have a neater time connecting with their prospects and clients. Folks wish to purchase from manufacturers that care about issues that matter to them.

Think about Warby Parker. I have been buying sun shades from Warby Parker for years. I gained’t go anyplace else. Why? Due to their Purchase a Pair, Give a Pair program, which donates one pair of glasses per pair purchased and, thus far, has distributed over 10 million glasses.

Why It is a Problem

Roughly one-third (28%) of entrepreneurs say their largest problem is a lack of understanding on the social causes their audience cares about (e.g. environmentalism, racial justice).

Merely put, it may be tough to discern which social causes matter most to your audience. This info is a bit more nuanced than age, gender, or location.

Moreover, you need the trigger to align together with your model values. Your viewers would possibly care deeply about local weather change, however that trigger may not have a pure connection together with your model character.

To authentically join together with your viewers round social points, it is important that they make sense for your corporation, as nicely.

What You Can Do

Like most advertising actions, the important thing to success right here lies in market analysis.

You may wish to conduct thorough analysis to raised perceive your clients on a deeper stage – together with what they worth most.

Surveys will be sturdy alternatives to discover these extra nuanced conversations together with your purchaser persona and perceive what issues to them. Nonetheless, individuals aren’t all the time going to really feel comfy sharing the social points they care most about, since they’re typically very private.

In these circumstances, leveraging social listening instruments to glean insights into the social points your viewers discusses essentially the most on social media might be a robust first step.

HubSpot’s Supervisor of Neighborhood Technique & Operations Jenny Sowyrda instructed me, “My primary tip for understanding what your neighborhood values is to hear to your neighborhood. Your neighborhood is telling you what they care about by way of each interplay — from clicking hyperlinks in an e-mail to re-sharing a social submit.”

Sowyrda provides, “Moreover, it is best to actively hear by connecting together with your neighborhood members straight. Begin a listing of members, each the loudest and the quietest people within the room, and construct belief with them by way of particular person conversations targeted on studying what they care about.

By combining your understanding of your neighborhood members together with your distinctive experience, you possibly can present worth and cater to their wants.”

When you‘ve decided what your neighborhood values, you’ll wish to determine which social points overlap together with your model. Authenticity right here is vital, and so is motion.

As an example, maybe you take into account partnering with a non-profit that additionally helps that social subject to indicate you are prepared to stroll the stroll. Once more, guaranteeing the social subject is sensible on your model to help is crucial, as nicely.

Patagonia is an efficient instance right here. Their model emphasizes the significance of environmental sustainability, and it really works as a result of a) the social subject is an efficient match for Patagonia‘s audience (energetic, outdoors-y individuals), whereas additionally aligning nicely with their model values; and b) they’ve invested in environmental and social responsibility programs to exhibit a real, real need to create change.

Strong sales and marketing alignment is crucial for any profitable group. And but, it is undeniably difficult to facilitate sturdy communication to assist these two groups work higher collectively.

Which is why a whopping one-third (35%) of entrepreneurs say a scarcity of efficient communication between gross sales and advertising is their high problem.

Why It is a Problem

Many gross sales and advertising groups work in silos at bigger organizations. Bridging the hole between the 2 groups — significantly when these groups have totally different priorities and are unclear of their shared targets — will be tough, particularly when neither group feels motivated to take action.

Moreover, the 2 groups would possibly implement separate knowledge and analytics processes, making it exhausting to share knowledge persistently and retrieve insights that assist each gross sales and advertising decide what’s working and what isn’t.

However alignment is crucial to your corporation’ success in 2025. Organizations with tightly aligned gross sales and advertising groups see 27% faster profit growth, and 36% higher customer retention.

What You Can Do

To discover how one can foster stronger gross sales and advertising alignment, I spoke with Monica Elgemark, Chief Advertising Officer at Oneflow.

She instructed me, “To handle this problem, it is crucial to outline clear targets and targets that each gross sales and advertising groups can rally behind.

Clear targets and targets that differentiate between consciousness and income needs to be thought-about to ensure that each gross sales and advertising to grasp the values totally different campaigns carry. It’s a mutual dependency between these areas that wants respect.”

Past figuring out shared targets, Elgemark emphasizes the significance of clear communication between groups. Common conferences and collaboration instruments are useful, however they’re simply that – instruments. To really facilitate alignment, your group must implement and constantly nourish a collaborative tradition.

Knowledge performs a key position, as nicely. As Elgemark places it, “Sharing knowledge and analytics represents a necessary side of this alignment course of. Implementing a sturdy buyer relationship administration (CRM) system, accessible to each groups, permits for the trade of invaluable buyer knowledge.

This knowledge not solely informs advertising methods but additionally empowers gross sales groups to raised comprehend and interact with leads.”

Lastly, Elgemark encourages entrepreneurs to hunt out suggestions from the gross sales group. Ask your gross sales group in regards to the high quality and readiness of your leads, which can in the end enable you hone in on the advertising actions that drive essentially the most income for the enterprise.

HubSpot’s Senior Recruiter Kaleigh Hoffman instructed me a robust partnership between the hiring managers and expertise acquisition group is crucial for attracting high expertise iA 2024.

She says, “A recruiter’s finest e-mail or InMail message isn’t as flattering as direct outreach from a hiring supervisor, so in case you are prepared to put in writing a personalised observe — it actually goes a good distance. Throughout a time when AI is making it simpler and quicker to put in writing something, personalised outreach could make the distinction in somebody responding or not.

If you’re writing to a ‘rockstar’ candidate, needless to say they wish to know why you might be reaching out to them, so you should definitely embody why you have an interest of their profile, particularly.”

Hoffman provides that particular job profiles with clearly outlined attributes will assist set your job descriptions other than others available in the market, which could skew extra basic.

It is essential to do not forget that recruiting is just like promoting. So, as Hoffman places it, “If you’re talking with a robust candidate, particularly asking them what they’re enthusiastic about or on the lookout for of their subsequent position may help you shut them in later conversations.

Reminding candidates of their motivators in closing conversations — whether or not it’s advantages, flexibility, or one thing else — can actually assist seal the deal.”

Hoffman provides that its essential to not get too discouraged if a candidate decides to not pursue a task. As a substitute, take a look at rejection as a chance to ask that candidate if they’ve anybody else of their community they assume might be match for the position.

As Hoffman places it, “Recruiting is a long-term initiative. Nurturing the relationships you develop by checking in occasionally is a good way to construct a pipeline of super-talented candidates for 2024 and past.”

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Why It is a Problem

Creating lead-generating content has all the time been a problem for entrepreneurs, however there are some explicit the explanation why it is particularly tough now.

In 2023, Google launched its new EEAT search high quality evaluator tips. Why is that this important? As a result of they added an “E” for expertise — which implies now, guaranteeing your content material is written by somebody with credible, first-hand expertise on the subject is important for rising your web site’s worth.

AI additionally significantly reworked how individuals devour content material. Now, individuals do not should Google “How can I’m going viral on TikTok?” — then can ask an AI chatbot. Which suggests many entrepreneurs probably noticed main decreases in site visitors on a few of their extra generalized subjects in 2023.

AI and EEAT have greatly shifted how we, at HubSpot, create lead-generating content. We have been working to make sure the subjects we cowl are written by authors with first-hand expertise.

We have leaned into personality-driven content material, since character is one factor AI doesn’t have.

And we have begun re-focusing our overarching technique on extra area of interest subjects that pertain on to our services and products, relatively than protecting too many broad subjects — since a model that’s an knowledgeable on “the whole lot” is probably going really an knowledgeable on, nicely … nothing.

What You Can Do

To be taught how one can create sturdy lead-generating content material in 2024, I spoke to Zack Khan, the Co-Founding father of Feathery and former advertising chief at Hightouch.

He instructed me, “The problem and alternative in 2024 is writing high quality content material with insights from subject material consultants. There may be a lot low high quality content material on the market, elevated by AI writing instruments. The novel concepts and voice (‘scorching takes’) that generate leads require a deep connection to the reader’s drawback that the content material is hoping to unravel.”

Throughout Khan’s eary days at Hightouch, he solved for this problem by hiring “knowledge evangelists”. These had been individuals in Slack communities who had been already sharing their opinions on the most recent knowledge developments. Khan acknowledged the significance in arming himself with writers’ who might share private insights, relatively than merely summarizing the information.

He says, “The toughest half was hiring the suitable group of subject material consultants, and getting them excited to put in writing content material full-time. I anticipate this to be simply as exhausting to seek out later. However audiences are ravenous for distinctive, opinionated content material sooner or later and the work to recruit a group of subject material consultants does repay”.

Monica Elgemark believes one other key technique to producing leads in 2025 includes leveraging AI. As she places it, “A artistic and holistic method is important for producing site visitors and leads.

AI-powered personalization delves deeper than surface-level advertising. Utilizing AI algorithms, entrepreneurs can predict and cater to particular person prospect pursuits, and create personalised content material that resonates profoundly with the audience.”

Elgemark additionally encourages entrepreneurs to contemplate how they could incorporate extra interactive content material — like quizzes, assessments, or webinars — into their current methods to retain site visitors and supply extra worth.

Elgemark guarantees: “By delving into these methods, entrepreneurs can confidently navigate the dynamic panorama, stay on the forefront of developments, interact successfully, and in the end thrive within the ever-evolving realm of B2B advertising.”

Amrita Mathur, VP of Advertising at ClickUp, symphasizes with this problem and acknowledges the significance of audience-building in 2025 and past.

Her resolution to social media is easy, and but oftentimes underutilized: Leverage the ability of your workers as influencers.

She instructed me, “Whereas up to now, I’ve largely seen manufacturers working with influencers and creators to additional their message and trigger, I can see firm workers turning into these influencers.”

She continues, “Manufacturers want to acknowledge that there is no such thing as a tried-and-tested playbook that works each single time. For my part there may be one single reality: the reply lies in having a perspective, and realizing how one can illustrate that POV in a putting and memorable method.

Whenever you mix this and couple it with techniques for each first time and repeat engagement, you get magic. That repeat engagement is what is going to flip into shopping for habits down the street (assuming product-market match).”

As she factors out, the phrase ‘influencer’ could make some entrepreneurs consider their inner workers don’t make the lower. However influencers will be huge or small, area of interest or broad, and so they can be channel-specific (like Instagram alone) or not.

Mathur provides, “If you have not already, begin occupied with which workers to leverage, curate their distinctive voice, and get on with the constructing of your modern-day media technique.”

Logan Lyles, Evangelism & Content material Advertising Supervisor at Teamwork.com, agrees with Mathur that incorporating ‘evangelists’ — together with executives, workers, clients, influencers, and companions — into your advertising actions permits you to encompass current audiences with content material from individuals they already belief.

He instructed me, “Our technique has concerned co-creating content material with influential names in the neighborhood of our ICP (businesses & skilled service companies), as we faucet them to visitor on our podcast and converse on our Agency Life webinar collection.

We have even partnered with totally different evangelists to each create and distribute our pillar content material items by way of social media.”

Here is a fast instance of that strategy in action on LinkedIn, the place Pete Caputa supplied a response to knowledge factors from Teamwork.com’s State of Agency Operations Report after which posted the video Teamwork.com and Pete created collectively on his private LinkedIn profile.

Lyles instructed me Pete’s private submit generated almost 200 mixed engagements & feedback — nicely past the engagement metrics Teamwork.com sometimes sees on a median Firm Web page submit.

After exploring all these challenges, I do not need you to get discouraged as we enter the brand new 12 months.