Marketing Trends for 2025
January 3, 2025
Marketing Trends for 2025: Capture Their Attention
8 seconds. That’s all you have to grab your audience’s attention before they scroll, click, or move on. Recent research on marketing trends for 2025 reveals marketers only seconds to make an impact – the average human attention span in today’s information-saturated world. This poses both a challenge and an opportunity. The question is, how do you make every single one of those seconds count?
Let's break it down:
1. Lead with Visuals
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a stunning visual maximizes your precious time. As humans, our brains respond almost immediately to visuals. The rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts highlights this truth: visuals grab attention BEFORE words can.
How to Make It Work:
- Use bold, high-quality visuals that stand out. Think vibrant colors, dramatic contrasts, and sharp details.
- Think of ways you can incorporate more video into your marketing and social media. A quick-moving, captivating video can stop the scroll in its tracks.
- Infuse every visual with emotion. Whether it’s awe, humor, or curiosity, an emotional reaction hooks your viewer immediately.
Make it simple and clear. Your visual should communicate your core message at a glance – no clutter, no confusion.
2. Keep Messaging Short and Sweet
When you have only 8 seconds, there’s no space for fluff. Long-winded introductions and overly complex explanations lose your audience instantly. Instead, aim to distill your message into a single, unforgettable idea.
How to Make It Work:
- Focus on your main takeaway. Lead with the one thing you want your audience to remember.
- Write in headlines. Think of your messaging as a billboard. Use short, impactful phrases or taglines that can be absorbed instantly.
- Use active, direct language. Avoid jargon or overly polished paraphrasing. Keep it snappy and approachable.
Here’s an example: Instead of saying, “Our product improves efficiency by streamlining workflow processes,” try “Work smarter, not harder.”
3. Harness the Power of Storytelling
Stories bridge the gap between brands and audiences. Even in 8 seconds, a well-crafted narrative can captivate and hold attention. Just make it quick, relatable, and emotional.
How to Make It Work:
- Open with a hook: a surprising fact, a provocative question, or an intriguing scenario.
- Keep your story bite-sized. It could be a micro-moment, like a before-and-after transformation, or a single visual that tells a complete tale.
- Use characters your audience can see themselves in. Show how your product or service solves a problem, fulfills a dream, or sparks joy.
Stories stick because they resonate. When people connect emotionally, they’re far more likely to engage.
Engage in Social Responsibility
Your business can make a meaningful impact by addressing local needs. Whether you decide to offer educational workshops or contribute to local causes near to your heart, your efforts show a commitment to shared prosperity and leave a lasting positive impression. George Bailey refused to let one greedy, power-hungry man take over the town. He knew it would ruin his friends financially. He possessed the tools and the knowledge to plant himself between the antagonist, Mr. Potter, and the town simply because it was the right thing to do.
Take a Human-Centered Approach
Make the effort to understand others. What problems keep them up at night? Get down in the trenches. Take the time to listen, empathize with your fellow humans, and advocate for their needs. Authenticity resonates with audiences because, in today’s market, it’s rare. In the movie, George lent money to people, not just because he owned The Bailey Building and Loan, but because he wanted to help his neighbors bounce back from tough situations. Sometimes, that money came from his own pocket.
Leave a Positive Legacy
Cultivate a reputation for kindness and community investment. “Show up” for your customers. Take pride in making your corner of the world a better place. This attitude inspires reciprocal loyalty. Your clients will show up with the same support for you during your rough patches or economic downturns. In the climactic final scene, when facing legal charges, bankruptcy, and worse, George’s community comes together to support him when he needs it most.
How to Give Back: Creative Ideas for Small Businesses
Giving back doesn’t have to mean cutting a big check. Most of the townspeople in Bedford Falls have meager offerings. But that didn’t stop the spirit of giving. Here are some creative ways your business can make a difference in the community.
1. Volunteer as a team.
Gather your employees for a day of volunteering. Whether helping at a local shelter, planting trees in a community park, or organizing a beach cleanup, your team will get a chance to bond outside the office while giving back. This strengthens team morale and builds a sense of shared accomplishment. Here, in Utah, you could spend some meaningful time volunteering with Tobie Spears, Executive Director at BeHumanitarian or Rob Adams, Executive Director at Thanksgiving Heroes. Both are personal connections and friends of JamboJon.
2. Host a donation drive.
Make it easy for others to give back by organizing a food drive, toy drive, or school supplies collection at your business location. Invite customers, employees, and even neighboring businesses to contribute. It’s a straightforward way to give back that also raises your visibility in the community. Reach out to Cameron Chatwin, another JamboJon friend, at the Make-a-Wish foundation as a great starting point.
3. Share your expertise.
As a business owner, you have knowledge and skills that can benefit others. Offer free workshops, mentor local entrepreneurs, or provide pro bono services to nonprofit organizations. Surely, someone has a need that you can fill. Whether it’s Career Day at a child’s school or a workshop for new artists, the owners of JamboJon always have a workshop or class in the works. If you want to participate, look for the upcoming events in our newsletter or on our website!
4. Support Local Events.
Get involved with community events as a sponsor or partner. Not only does this help you give back, but it also puts your name in front of potential customers. Whether you’re sponsoring a local sports team, a charity 5k, or an arts festival, these events allow you to connect with residents in a meaningful way.
5. Create a matching donation program.
Encourage your employees to give back by offering a donation match program. If an employee donates to a local charity, your business matches their donation up to a certain amount. This approach allows employees to support causes close to their hearts, with the added benefit of their company’s backing. I was volunteering downtown when a CEO capped off their company’s holiday party with a short walk to the “Light the World” holiday vending machines. Using the company credit card, every person on the team got to personalize their charitable donation.
6. Share your space.
If you have a physical space that isn’t always in use, consider offering it to community groups or nonprofits for meetings, classes, or events. This simple gesture could help a local organization immensely and make your business a community hub.
7. Highlight local causes on your website or social media.
Use your online presence to amplify the voices of local nonprofits. Share their stories, promote their events, or feature them in your newsletters. This digital “word of mouth” can introduce these causes to a new audience and can be a powerful tool for change.
8. Commit to Sustainability.
Improving the community isn’t just about people; it’s about protecting the environment too. Start recycling programs, reduce waste in your office, or support eco-friendly initiatives. These small steps send a message to customers that you’re invested in the community’s long-term health.
These small acts of giving back can create long-lasting benefits for everyone involved. Jimmy Stewart once commented on It’s a Wonderful Life. He said, “Out of all the 80 films I’ve made, it’s my favorite.”* He could relate to the ordinary man who lived each ordinary day with a selfless concern for others.
*Reference: (Guideposts Classics: James Stewart on ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ December 1987.)
The Payoff: Benefits of Giving Back to the Community
Take a page out of George Bailey’s book this season. Create a “wonderful life” pattern by considering how your business might give back in a way that feels meaningful and manageable. The payoff, much like George’s, will come when your business finds itself with a dedicated customer base that values your contribution to the community and chooses to support you in return.
Are you ready to make a difference?
Our team at JamboJon will be here to cheer you on and guide you every step of the way. Here’s to a season filled with purpose, joy, and giving back!
