Marketing Predictions 2025 Review: AI, Video & What's Coming in 2026

A year ago, I published 10 marketing predictions that would shape 2025. Some hit harder than I expected. A few are still cooking. And one? Well, the market had other plans.

But here's the thing: predicting trends isn't about being right on every detail. It's about reading the signals, understanding where strategy is headed, and positioning your business ahead of the curve, not chasing it.

So let's see how I did. Tomorrow, I'll share what's actually coming in 2026. But first, the scorecard.

The Scorecard: How My 2025 Predictions Held Up

AI-First Approach: Nailed It

I predicted businesses would need to embrace an AI-first approach across all marketing operations. That wasn't bold. It was inevitable.

What did surprise me? The speed. 90% of marketers now use AI in their workflow. AI isn't a tool anymore. It's infrastructure. The businesses thriving right now aren't the ones experimenting with AI. They're the ones who've built it into their systems.

Key Takeaway: AI adoption isn't about using more tools. It's about embedding AI into your marketing operating system so it compounds over time, not just speeds up one-off tasks.

Voice Marketing: I Underestimated This One

I called voice marketing a "rising trend." Turns out, I was too conservative.

41% of US adults now use voice search daily, with that number jumping to 55% for teens. Between ChatGPT Voice Mode, Gemini Live, and personal digital assistants like Siri and Alexa, 72% of people use voice search through their devices regularly.​

This isn't just convenience. It's a fundamental shift in how people search, shop, and make decisions. If your brand isn't optimised for conversational queries, you're invisible to this behaviour.​

Key Takeaway: Voice search isn't "coming." It's here. Optimise your content to answer questions the way people actually speak, not just the way they type.

Short-Form Video Dominance: Absolutely Crushed

I said short-form video would reign supreme in 2025. Let's look at the receipts:

• LinkedIn: Video watch time jumped 36% in 2024, with video posts driving 1.4x more engagement than other content.​
• YouTube Shorts: Extended to 3 minutes, cementing short-form as the gateway to long-form discovery.
• Google Search: Added a dedicated Short Video tab in search results, making TikToks, Reels, and Shorts searchable and indexable. Short-form video is now SEO infrastructure, not just social media content.​
• TikTok Shop launched in Australia in early 2025, fundamentally changing how Australians discover and purchase products without ever leaving the app.The data shows that authentic, user-generated content outperforms polished brand ads. Short-form video isn't just visibility anymore. It's a direct revenue channel.​

Key Takeaway: Short-form video is no longer optional. It's the algorithm's preference across every major platform, and it's now driving both discoverability and direct revenue.

User-Generated Content (UGC) Rise: Spot On

I predicted UGC would become critical as AI-generated content flooded the internet. The market validated this in a massive way.

The UGC market exploded from $5.36B to a projected $32.6B by 2030. TikTok UGC is 22% more effective than branded content.​

But here's the real proof: Google paid Reddit $60 million for access to its user-generated content to train AI models.​

Let that sink in. The world's biggest search engine paid Reddit $60 million because real human conversations are now more valuable than SEO-optimised blog posts.​

When you search "best marketing strategy" in 2026, you don't get a corporate blog. You get a Reddit thread summarised by AI. That's not a trend. That's the new reality.

Key Takeaway: SEO as we knew it is dead. "POV Marketing" is alive. If your brand isn't showing up in real conversations, reviews, and communities, AI agents won't recommend you.​

Micro-Influencer Magic: The Data Proves It

I said nano and micro-influencers (10K to 50K followers) would outperform big accounts. The stats came through:

• Micro-influencers delivered 46% higher engagement rates than mid-tier influencers.​
• Average engagement rate: 1.81% for micro-influencers vs. sub-1% for larger accounts.​

Authenticity beats reach. Niche beats broad. If you're still chasing follower counts instead of engagement and trust, you're playing the wrong game.

Key Takeaway: Partner with micro-influencers who have real trust and engagement in your niche. They convert better than celebrity endorsements and cost a fraction of the price.

Virtual Reality and Wearable Tech: Right Direction, Different Delivery

I predicted VR would revolutionise brand experiences. I wasn't wrong, but the market evolved differently than I expected.

Yes, gaming VR took off with kids, but not at the mainstream consumer level I anticipated. Instead, the real breakthrough was wearable AR and ambient AI exploding into everyday use:

• Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses: Real-time translation in French, Italian, Spanish, and English, completely offline. You can have a conversation in a foreign language and get live translations through your glasses without needing your phone or an internet connection.​
• AirPods Pro: Spatial audio creates a theatre-like sound experience that adjusts based on head movement. Adaptive listening automatically adjusts noise control based on your environment. Real-time conversation enhancements amplify voices in noisy settings, making it easier to hear people clearly. Apple also introduced live captions and real-time translation features.
• Apple Vision Pro: Instead of consumer entertainment, it's being adopted in professional settings for 3D design reviews, remote collaboration, virtual training simulations, and hands-free workflow management.

The tech didn't abandon gaming (kids love it), but the mass-market adoption went functional and wearable instead of immersive headsets. The vision was right. The delivery mechanism shifted.

Key Takeaway: The underlying shift (immersive, hands-free, AI-enhanced experiences) is still happening. It just evolved into wearables instead of full VR.

What I Got Wrong (And Why It Matters)

I expected VR to be more consumer-facing by now. Instead, it became enterprise and functional-first, with wearables leading mass adoption. The lesson? Trends don't always move at the speed we predict, but the trajectory matters more than the timeline.

The businesses that bet early on immersive tech weren't wrong. They were early. And being early in strategy is better than being late.

What's Next?

Tomorrow, I'll publish Part 2: My 2026 Predictions. We'll talk about AI agents, agentic marketing systems, customer journey automation, and why your entire digital footprint is now your SEO strategy.

If you want to stay ahead of what's coming, not just react to what's already here, make sure you're subscribed.

What did I get right? What surprised you? Hit reply and let me know.