How Marketers Are Spending Their Money in 2025

In 2025, marketers are adapting their budgets to keep up with changing technologies, audience preferences, and economic factors. Based on a recent survey, here’s how marketing strategies are evolving:

1. Content Creation

Content remains a cornerstone of marketing strategies. Over 63% of marketers plan to increase their budgets for content creation. This growth is driven by the need to adapt to various formats across platforms, a renewed emphasis on human-generated content over AI, and the rise of podcasting as a high-impact channel. Meanwhile, 33% will maintain their budget by repurposing content across campaigns.

2. AI-Driven SEO

Marketers are investing heavily in optimizing for AI platforms like ChatGPT and SearchGPT. About 97% of respondents plan to increase their budgets here, aiming to capitalize on emerging channels that promise significant reach and engagement potential.

3. Email Marketing

Email continues to be a reliable channel, with 28% of marketers increasing their budgets. The growth in list sizes and changes in algorithms on other platforms are prompting this investment. Still, 59% will maintain their current budget, citing consistent performance and ROI.

4. Paid Ads

Spending on paid search and social ads varies:

  • Search Ads: 52% are boosting Google Ads budgets, while 64% are increasing Bing ad spending, drawn by lower competition and favorable ROI.
  • Social Media: X (formerly Twitter) is the standout platform, with 55% of marketers planning budget increases due to affordability and changing perceptions. For platforms like Facebook and Instagram, most marketers are maintaining their spend, opting for influencer partnerships instead.

5. Community Building

A significant 81% of marketers are investing more in building communities, highlighting the importance of human connection in a tech-driven world. In-person events and multi-channel engagement are critical focuses for 2025.

6. CRO and UX

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) and user experience (UX) budgets are increasing for 59% of marketers. Improved ROI and the SEO impact of better UX are key motivations. However, some marketers are scaling back after achieving perceived optimization saturation.

Final Thoughts

In 2025, marketing budgets are being reshaped to prioritize content diversity, AI integration, and deeper community engagement. While traditional channels like email and paid ads remain strong, newer approaches, especially in AI and community building, are driving the most excitement.