2025 Digital Marketing Statistics from UK Marketing Professionals

LOCALiQ’s UK State of Digital Marketing Report surveyed more than 500 businesses across the UK, exploring trending marketing topics, challenges, budgets, and marketing goals. This year’s survey offered a treasure trove of data, featuring 500+ individual statistics. Whether you’re curious about satisfaction levels, strategic priorities, technology adoption, or budgets, you’ll find it all here.

Feel free to use and share our stats using the following attribution:
LOCALiQ UK State of Digital Marketing Report 2025

On this page:

• Marketing Satisfaction Trends
• Marketing Training Trends
• Marketing Strategy Insights
• Marketing Platform Stats
• Marketing Performance Statistics
• Paid Search Marketing Trends
• SEO Trends (+infographics)
• Website Marketing Stats
• Content Marketing Trends (+infographics)
• AI in Marketing Trends (+infographics)
• Digital Marketing Trends – Challenges
• Marketing Budget Trends
• 2025 Marketing Goals
• Future Plans in Digital Advertising

Featured Infographics:

• 2025 SEO Trends
• 2025 Content Marketing Trends
• 2025 AI in Marketing Trends

Marketing Satisfaction Trends

Are UK businesses satisfied with their marketing performance?

• 1 Star (Extremely Unsatisfied): 4% of marketing professionals rated their overall marketing performance satisfaction at this level.
• 2 Stars (Somewhat Unsatisfied): 13% of marketing professionals rated their overall marketing performance satisfaction at this level.
• 3 Stars (Somewhat Satisfied): 57% of marketing professionals rated their overall marketing performance satisfaction at this level.
• 4 Stars (Extremely Satisfied): 26% of marketing professionals rated their overall marketing performance satisfaction at this level.
• Average Satisfaction Rating: The average marketing performance satisfaction rating among respondents was 3 out of 4 stars.

Marketing satisfaction across different marketing areas

• Social Media Advertising: 69% are satisfied with their peformance, while 27% are not satisfied and 4% marked it as not applicable.
• Cross-Channel Marketing: 50% are satisfied with their peformance, while 31% are not satisfied and 19% marked it as not applicable.
• E-Commerce: 51% are satisfied with their peformance, while 24% are not satisfied and 25% marked it as not applicable.
• Marketing Measurement: 50% are satisfied with their peformance, while 35% are not satisfied and 15% marked it as not applicable.
• Customer Response Management: 56% are satisfied with their peformance, while 32% are not satisfied and 12% marked it as not applicable.
• Content Marketing: 59% are satisfied with their peformance, while 30% are not satisfied and 11% marked it as not applicable.
• Brand Building: 59% are satisfied with their peformance, while 33% are not satisfied and 8% marked it as not applicable.
• Events: 60% are satisfied with their peformance, while 26% are not satisfied and 14% marked it as not applicable.
• Public Relations: 57% are satisfied with their peformance, while 34% are not satisfied and 9% marked it as not applicable.
• Marketing Automation: 43% are satisfied with their peformance, while 39% are not satisfied and 18% marked it as not applicable.
• Digital Strategy: 56% are satisfied with their peformance, while 32% are not satisfied and 12% marked it as not applicable.
• Organic Social Media Marketing: 57% are satisfied with their peformance, while 32% are not satisfied and 11% marked it as not applicable.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): 52% are satisfied with their peformance, while 38% are not satisfied and 10% marked it as not applicable.
• Paid Search (PPC): 46% are satisfied with their peformance, while 35% are not satisfied and 19% marked it as not applicable.
• Website Marketing: 58% are satisfied with their peformance, while 31% are not satisfied and 11% marked it as not applicable.

Back to top

Marketing Training Trends

Where are businesses lacking marketing training?

• 34% feel they need more training in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
• 33% expressed a need for more training in campaign strategy.
• 31% indicated a need for more training in content marketing.
• 29% feel they need more training in data analytics.
• 27% expressed a need for more training in social media.
• 26% indicated a need for more training in data proficiency.
• 22% feel they need more training in coding and software development.
• 21% expressed a need for more training in artificial intelligence (AI).
• 18% indicated a need for more training in paid search (PPC).
• 18% feel they need more training in website design and management.
• 18% expressed a need for more training in display advertising.
• 17% indicated a need for more training in digital PR.
• 17% feel they need more training in video marketing.
• 16% expressed a need for more training in branding and design.
• 15% indicated a need for more training in listings management.
• 13% feel they need more training in print advertising.
• 3% expressed a need for more training in “other” areas.

Back to top

Marketing Strategy Insights

Which channels are most widely used in marketing strategies?

• Organic Social Media: 48% of marketing professionals include this in their marketing strategy.
• Paid Social Media Advertising: 47% of marketing professionals use this in their strategy.
• Website or App: 45% of marketing professionals have these as part of their marketing strategy.
• Email Marketing: 44% of marketing professionals use this in their strategy.
• Content Marketing: 40% of marketing professionals include this in their strategy.
• Display Ads: 38% of marketing professionals use this in their marketing strategy.
• Events & Sponsorships: 35% of marketing professionals incorporate these into their marketing efforts.
• Video Marketing: 33% of marketing professionals use this in their strategy.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): 25% of marketing professionals include this in their marketing strategy.
• Direct Mail or Print Advertising: 25% of marketing professionals use this in their strategy.
• Paid Search (PPC): 22% of marketing professionals incorporate this into their marketing strategy.
• Audio or Podcasts: 11% of marketing professionals use these in their strategy.
• TV or OTT Advertising: 8% of marketing professionals include these in their marketing strategy.
• Webinars: 6% of marketing professionals use this as a marketing channel.
• Other: 3% of marketing professionals selected this as a marketing channel in their strategy.

How crucial are these marketing channels and objectives?

• Ease of Finding & Buying Online: 71% say it is important, while 29% consider it not important.
• Adhering to Data Privacy Laws: 81% believe it is important, while 19% say it is not important.
• Compliance with Google’s Guidelines: 74% consider it important, while 26% say it is not important.
• Outperforming Competitors Online: 71% think it is important, while 29% say it is not important.
• Task Automation: 60% believe it is important, while 40% consider it not important.
• Ethical Data Collection & Targeting: 77% say it is important, while 23% believe it is not important.
• Keeping Up with Marketing Updates: 68% feel it is important, while 32% say it is not important.
• Marketing & Sales Alignment: 74% think it is important, while 26% believe it is not important.
• Social Media Marketing: 79% consider it very important, while 21% say it is not important.
• Display Advertising: 65% say it is very important, while 35% believe it is not important.
• E-Commerce: 52% consider it very important, while 48% say it is not important.
• Content Marketing: 69% view it as very important, while 31% consider it not important.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): 67% say it is very important, while 33% think it is not important.
• Paid Search (PPC): 56% find it very important, while 44% say it is not important.
• Website: 81% consider it very important, while 19% say it is not important.
• Online Directories & Listings: 59% say they are very important, while 41% believe they are not important.
• Print Advertising: 62% consider it very important, while 38% say it is not important.
• Digital PR: 71% consider it very important, while 29% say it is not important.

Which digital marketing initiatives are the top priorities for UK businesses in 2025?

• Increasing sales revenue: 54% identified this as one of their three priorities this year.
• Increasing brand awareness: 42% prioritised this as a key focus for the year.
• Increasing customer engagement: 42% stated this is among their top three priorities.
• Reaching new customer segments: 42% listed this as a main priority this year.
• Increasing leads for the sales team: 36% said this is a top priority.
• Reducing costs: 30% are focused on this as a key goal.
• Adapting to changing data and technology standards: 25% stated this is one of their top three priorities.
• Improving marketing automation: 15% identified this as a priority this year.
• Improving marketing and sales alignment: 13% said this is a key focus.

 Back to top

Marketing Platform Stats

Which marketing platforms are currently used by UK businesses?

• Meta/Facebook: 26% use organic advertising, while 36% use paid advertising, 26% use both organic and paid advertising and 12% do not use Meta/Facebook at all.
• Instagram: 36% use organic advertising, while 24% use paid advertising, 27% use both organic and paid advertising and 13% do not use Instagram.
• LinkedIn: 39% use organic advertising, while 31% use paid advertising, 14% use both organic and paid advertising and 16% do not use LinkedIn.
• Snapchat: 16% use organic advertising, while 27% use paid advertising, 14% use both organic and paid advertising and 43% do not use Snapchat.
• TikTok: 25% use organic advertising, while 25% use paid advertising, 14% use both organic and paid advertising and 36% do not use TikTok.
• X (Twitter): 32% use organic advertising, while 30% use paid advertising, 11% use both organic and paid advertising and 27% do not use X (Twitter).
• YouTube: 34% use organic advertising, while 27% use paid advertising, 16% use both organic and paid advertising and 23% do not use YouTube.
• Google: 33% use organic advertising, while 33% use paid advertising, 21% use both organic and paid advertising and 13% do not use Google.
• Bing: 25% use organic advertising, while 28% use paid advertising, 15% use both organic and paid advertising and 32% do not use Bing.
• Threads: 19% use organic advertising, while 30% use paid advertising, 11% use both organic and paid advertising and 40% do not use Threads.
• Other Platforms: 22% use organic advertising, while 32% use paid advertising, 12% use both organic and paid advertising and 34% do not use them.

 Back to top

Marketing Performance Statistics

When analysing their marketing performance, which is the favoured metric for UK businesses?

• Sales: 22% find this to be the most valuable metric when measuring the effectiveness of their marketing strategy.
• Social Media Engagement: 20% believe this to be the most valuable metric when analysing their marketing.
• Website Traffic: 18% feel this is the best metric for assessing marketing performance.
• High Conversion Rates: 15% find this to be the most valuable metric when measuring the effectiveness of their marketing strategy.
• Lead Generation: 12% believe this to be the most valuable metric when analysing their marketing.
• ROI: 7% feel this is the best metric for assessing marketing performance.
• Increased Brand Awareness: 5% find this to be the most valuable metric when measuring the effectiveness of their marketing strategy.
• Other: 1% believe this to be the most valuable metric when analysing their marketing.

 Back to top

Paid Search Marketing Trends

Which marketing platform do UK businesses invest in the most for paid ads?

• Meta/Facebook: 24% invest in Meta/Facebook the most for their paid ads.
• N/A: 15% selected “N/A” for the platform they invest in the most for their paid ads.
• Google Ads: 12% invest in Google Ads the most for their paid ads.
• X/Twitter: 10% invest in X/Twitter the most for their paid ads.
• YouTube: 10% invest in YouTube the most for their paid ads.
• TikTok: 9% invest in TikTok the most for their paid ads.
• Instagram: 8% invest in Instagram the most for their paid ads.
• LinkedIn: 4% invest in LinkedIn the most for their paid ads.
• Microsoft Ads (Bing): 1% invest in Microsoft Ads (Bing) the most for their paid ads.
• Pinterest: 1% invest in Pinterest the most for their paid ads.
• Snapchat: 1% invest in Snapchat the most for their paid ads.
• Other: 5% selected “other” for the platform they invest in the most for their paid ads.

Which marketing platform yields the highest ROAS for UK businesses?

• Meta/Facebook: 20% see the best ROAS from Meta/Facebook.
• TikTok: 17% see the best ROAS from TikTok.
• Google Ads: 12% see the best ROAS from Google Ads.
• Instagram: 12% see the best ROAS from Instagram.
• X/Twitter: 8% see the best ROAS from X/Twitter.
• YouTube: 8% see the best ROAS from YouTube.
• N/A: 7% selected “N/A” for the platform with the best ROAS.
• LinkedIn: 6% see the best ROAS from LinkedIn.
• Snapchat: 3% see the best ROAS from Snapchat.
• Microsoft Ads (Bing): 2% see the best ROAS from Microsoft Ads (Bing).
• Pinterest: 2% see the best ROAS from Pinterest.
• Other: 3% selected “other” for the platform with the best ROAS.

UK businesses’ insights on their paid search (PPC) strategy

• 46% agree that their company is using the best keywords, ad groups, and account structure to help the campaign generate the greatest possible ROI, while 24% disagree, 19% are not sure, and 11% answered N/A.
• 50% agree that their search and social ads are not being seen by enough people, while 22% disagree, 16% are not sure, and 12% answered N/A.
• 37% agree that they know when and how to adjust bids/budgets to help the campaign generate the greatest possible ROI, while 27% disagree, 22% are not sure, and 14% answered N/A.
• 39% have seen an increase in CPC in their ads in the past 12 months, while 25% disagree, 20% are not sure, and 16% answered N/A.
• 33% have seen a decrease in CTR in their ads in the past 12 months, while 32% disagree, 18% are not sure, and 17% answered N/A.
• 38% have seen an increase in the cost of their Google Ads in the past 12 months, while 24% disagree, 15% are not sure, and 22% answered N/A.
• 34% have started advertising on Microsoft Ads in the past 12 months, while 29% disagree, 10% are not sure, and 27% answered N/A.

Trust in Google Ads by UK businesses

• 29% are aware of the reports on Google inflating their ad prices and trust them the same amount as before.
• 27% are aware of the reports on Google inflating their ad prices and trust them less than they did twelve months ago.
• 23% were not aware of the reports on Google inflating their ad prices and trust them the same amount as before.
• 12% did not answer this question and selected N/A.
• 10% were not aware of the reports on Google inflating their ad prices and trust them less than they did twelve months ago.

 Back to top

SEO Trends

Feel free to use and share our stats using the following attribution:
LOCALiQ UK State of Digital Marketing Report 2025

How many UK businesses use an SEO strategy in 2025?

• 60% reported their business has an SEO strategy.
• 40% reported their business does not have an SEO strategy.

Top SEO marketing tactics used by UK businesses

• Local SEO: 56% reported that Local SEO (e.g., optimising Google Business Profile, local citations, local reviews) is a part of their SEO strategy.
• Content Marketing: 50% reported that Content Marketing (e.g., blog posts, infographics, videos, whitepapers) is a part of their SEO strategy.
• Technical SEO: 48% reported that Technical SEO (e.g., website speed, mobile-friendliness, XML sitemaps) is a part of their SEO strategy.
• Keyword Research: 46% reported that Keyword Research (e.g., identifying high-traffic keywords, long-tail keywords, keyword difficulty analysis) is a part of their SEO strategy.
• Off-Page SEO: 36% reported that Off-Page SEO (e.g., Digital PR, link-building strategies, guest blogging) is a part of their SEO strategy.
• Competitor Analysis: 22% reported that Competitor Analysis (e.g., analysing competitor’s SEO strategies) is a part of their SEO strategy.
• On-Page SEO 20% reported that On-Page SEO (e.g., meta tags, URL structure, internal linking, image optimisation) is a part of their SEO strategy.
• Other: 1% reported that Other tactics are a part of their SEO strategy.

How often do UK businesses measure their SEO strategy?

• 44% review their SEO strategy quarterly.
• 43% review their SEO strategy monthly.
• 13% review their SEO strategy annually.
• 1% review their SEO strategy at other times.

Are SEO strategies effective?

• 90% believe their SEO strategy is effective.
• 10% believe their SEO strategy is not effective.

How do UK businesses manage their SEO?

• Google Search Console: 62% use Google Search Console to help manage their SEO.
• Google Analytics: 45% use Google Analytics to help manage their SEO.
• LOCALiQ SEO Audit: 35% use LOCALiQ SEO Audit to help manage their SEO.
• Semrush: 28% use Semrush to help manage their SEO.
• Moz: 16% use Moz to help manage their SEO.
• Yoast SEO: 14% use Yoast SEO to help manage their SEO.
• Ahrefs: 10% use Ahrefs to help manage their SEO.
• Ubersuggest 5% use Ubersuggest to help manage their SEO.
• Other tools: 3% use other tools to help manage their SEO.
• In-house: 80% manage their SEO strategy in-house.
• Agency: 20% use an agency to manage their SEO strategy.

SEO metrics used by UK businesses

• 78% are confident that they are using the right keywords for their SEO strategy, while 19% disagree and 3% selected N/A.
• 65% know how to effectively track where they rank for each keyword, while 30% disagree and 5% selected N/A.
• 62% understand fundamental Google guidelines, such as E-E-A-T, while 33% disagree and 5% selected N/A.
• 60% feel their SEO strategy gives them a fair shot at competing with larger, national companies, while 34% disagree and 6% selected N/A.
• 62% keep track of Google updates and know which ones have affected them, while 32% disagree and 6% selected N/A.
• 68% consider link-building to be a core part of their SEO strategy, while 26% disagree and 6% selected N/A.

 Back to top

Website Marketing Stats

Website management approach

• Self-management: 63% manage and update their business website themselves.
• External management: 34% rely on an external webmaster or agency to manage and update their business website.
• No website: 3% do not have a website for their business.

Website traffic trends

• Increase: 53% have seen an increase in website traffic in the last twelve months.
• Decrease: 23% have seen an decrease in website traffic in the last twelve months.
• Stable: 16% have seen no change in website traffic in the last twelve months.
• Uncertain: 8% are not sure if they have seen an increase or decrease in website traffic in the last twelve months.

Google Search algorithm updates

• Increase: 35% believe Google’s Search algorithm updates have contributed to an increase in their website traffic over the past twelve months.
• Decrease: 24% feel Google’s Search algorithm updates have contributed to a decrease in their website traffic over the past twelve months.
• Not affected: 29% believe Google’s Search algorithm updates haven’t really affected them over the past twelve months.
• N/A: 12% selected N/A in regard to how Google’s search algorithm updates have affected them over the past 12 months.

Website optimisation tools used by UK businesses

• Google Analytics: 62% use Google Analytics to help manage or optimise their website.
• Google Search Console: 49% use Google Search Console to help manage or optimise their website.
• WordPress: 25% use WordPress to help manage or optimise their website.
• Shopify: 16% use Shopify to help manage or optimise their website.
• Hotjar: 13% use Hotjar to help manage or optimise their website.
• LOCALiQ Website Grader: 13% use LOCALiQ Website Grader to help manage or optimise their website.
• Wix: 9% use Wix to help manage or optimise their website.
• Microsoft Clarity: 7% use Microsoft Clarity to help manage or optimise their website.
• Other tools: 7% use “other tools” to help manage or optimise their website.

How often do businesses update their websites?

• Planning redesign: 68% plan to redesign or improve their website in the next twelve months.
• No plans: 32% do not plan to redesign or improve their website in the next twelve months.

 Back to top

Content Marketing Trends

Feel free to use and share our stats using the following attribution:
LOCALiQ UK State of Digital Marketing Report 2025

Content marketing strategy

• 72% use content marketing as part of their current strategy.
• 28% do not use content marketing as part of their current strategy.

Most used content formats by UK businesses

• Images: 50% use images as part of their content strategy.
• Short-form video: 50% use short-form video as part of their content strategy.
• Long-form video: 41% use long-form video as part of their content strategy.
• Infographics: 37% use infographics as part of their content strategy.
• Blogs: 36% use blogs as part of their content strategy.
• Case studies: 34% use case studies as part of their content strategy.
• Newsletter: 30% use newsletters as part of their content strategy.
• Podcasts: 20% use podcasts as part of their content strategy.
• Webinars: 19% use webinars as part of their content strategy.
• Other content formats: 1% use other content formats as part of their content strategy.

Which content formats generate the highest ROI?

• Short-form video: 27.5% believe short-form video currently has the highest ROI.
• Long-form video: 16.4% believe long-form video currently has the highest ROI.
• Images: 11.7% believe images currently have the highest ROI.
• Blogs: 10.5% believe blogs currently have the highest ROI.
• Infographics: 9.9% believe infographics currently have the highest ROI.
• Case studies: 9.4% believe case studies currently have the highest ROI.
• Newsletters: 5.8% believe newsletters currently have the highest ROI.
• Webinars: 5.3% believe webinars currently have the highest ROI.
• Podcasts: 3.5% believe podcasts currently have the highest ROI.
• Other formats: 0% believe other formats currently have the highest ROI.

How businesses distribute content online

• Repurpose content: 30% repurpose the same content across all channels when distributing their content online.
• Specific content: 46% create specific content for each channel when distributing their content online.
• Even mix: 24% use an even mix of both creating specific content for each channel and repurposing content across all channels when distributing their content online.

 Back to top

AI in Marketing Trends

Feel free to use and share our stats using the following attribution:
LOCALiQ UK State of Digital Marketing Report 2025

Use of AI in marketing

• Using AI: 53% are currently utilising AI in their marketing strategy.
• Not using AI: 36% are not currently utilising AI in their marketing strategy.
• Plan to use in future: 11% are not currently utilising AI, but will use AI in their marketing strategy in the future.

AI usage across various marketing categories

• Written content creation: 63% are using AI for written content creation.
• Marketing automation: 44% are using AI for marketing automation.
• Graphic design: 32% are using AI for graphic design.
• Image/video generation: 31% are using AI for image/video generation.
• Campaign optimisation: 30% are using AI for campaign optimisation.
• Customer service: 12% are using AI for customer service.
• Other aspects: 2% are using AI for other aspects of digital marketing.

Most popular AI tools for UK businesses

• Google Bard/Gemini: 58% are using Google Bard/Gemini as an AI tool.
• ChatGPT: 53% are using ChatGPT as an AI tool.
• Bing AI/Co-Pilot: 30% are using Bing AI/Co-Pilot as an AI tool.
• CapCut: 30% are using CapCut as an AI tool.
• DALL·E: 18% are using DALL·E as an AI tool.
• Midjourney: 11% are using Midjourney as an AI tool.
• Zapier: 8% are using Zapier as an AI tool.
• Other AI tools: 5% are using “other” AI tools.

Advantages of AI in business

• 56% feel that AI has helped their business by increasing the volume of marketing output.
• 50% feel that AI has helped their business by improving the quality of marketing output.
• 34% feel that AI has helped their business by reducing costs.
• 27% feel that AI has helped their business by bridging skill gaps.
• 26% feel that AI has helped their business with idea generation.
• 93% reported that AI has helped their business reach marketing goals quicker.
• 7% stated that AI has not helped their business reach marketing goals quicker.

Why do some businesses avoid AI?

• Lack of understanding: 59% who are not utilising AI stated they don’t understand the technology enough to comfortably use it.
• Perceived lack of benefit: 28% who are not utilising AI said that they don’t feel they’d benefit from using it.
• Trust issues with technology: 13% who are not utilising AI mentioned that they don’t fully trust the technology.

How many UK businesses budget for AI?

• 51% have budgeted for AI technologies in 2025.
• 49% have not budgeted for AI technologies in 2025.

Expected impact of AI on marketing team size

• No change: 44% believe that AI will not affect the size of their marketing team, and their team size will stay the same.
• Expansion of team: 37% think that AI will lead to an expansion of their marketing team as it will allow them to focus on more areas.
• Likely team size reduction: 19% anticipate that AI will likely reduce their marketing team size as it will help automate processes.

How many UK businesses trust AI?

• 71% trust AI more than they did last year.
• 29% trust AI less than they did last year.

Trust in companies behind AI technologies

• 64% trust the companies behind AI technologies.
• 36% do not trust the companies behind AI technologies.

What three words – AI in marketing

• Efficiency and Time-Saving: Marketing professionals frequently highlighted AI’s ability to save time and increase efficiency, mentioning phrases such as “Time Saving,” “Efficient,” “Faster,” “Quick,” and “Automated Processes.”.
• Personalization and Customization: Marketing professionals often pointed out AI’s potential for creating personalised experiences, content, or recommendations, with responses including “Personalized Recommendations,” “Customer Segmentation,” and “Personalized Experience.”
• Automation and Innovation: Automation was frequently mentioned as a core benefit, with phrases like “Automation,” “Automated Marketing,” and “Intelligent Automation” being commonly cited.
• Content Creation and Idea Generation: Marketing professionals often referred to AI’s role in content creation, ideation, and copywriting, with responses such as “Content Writing,” “Creative,” “Idea Generation,” and “Copy.”
• Trust and Reliability: Some respondents expressed concerns about AI’s reliability, trustworthiness, and accuracy, using terms like “Fake,” “Untrustworthy,” “Not Real,” and “Impersonal.”
• Innovation and Future Focus: AI’s role in shaping the future and enabling innovation was often highlighted, with responses such as “Innovation,” “Future,” “Smart,” and “Advanced.”
• Concerns and Risks: Several participants voiced fears about AI, including phrases like “Scary,” “Dangerous,” “Overhyped,” “Big Brother,” and “Manipulation.”
• Data-Driven Insights and Decision-Making: Marketing professionals emphasised AI’s use for data analysis, predictive analytics, and decision support, citing terms like “Data-Driven Insights,” “Predictive Analytics,” and “Data Analysis.”
• Customer Experience and Service: Some responses focused on AI’s impact on customer service and experience, with terms like “Customer Service,” “Chatbots,” and “Voice Recognition.”
• Speed and Convenience: Many responses associated AI with quick, easy, and convenient solutions, using phrases like “Fast,” “Convenient,” and “Speed.”

Google’s Search Generative Experience

• 61% believe Google’s Search Generative Experience is fair to website and content creators.
• 39% believe Google’s Search Generative Experience is unfair to website and content creators.

 Back to top

Digital Marketing Trends – Challenges

Challenges in digital marketing for 2025

• Inadequate budget: 39% identified inadequate budget as one of their biggest challenges to digital marketing success.
• Keeping up with new trends: 38% cited keeping up with new trends as a key challenge to digital marketing success.
• Understanding and defining target audience: 36% pointed to understanding and defining their target audience as a major obstacle to digital marketing success.
• Increasing competition: 36% ranked increasing competition as one of their top challenges to digital marketing success.
• Coordination across marketing channels: 35% mentioned coordination across marketing channels (email, social, display, etc.) as a challenge to digital marketing success.
• Lack of training and experience: 34% struggled with a lack of training and experience in digital marketing.
• Understanding user intent: 33% found understanding user intent for better conversions to be a challenge to digital marketing success.
• Accessing and leveraging customer data: 33% faced difficulty accessing and leveraging customer data from multiple channels and data sources.
• Lack of innovation and creativity: 31% identified a lack of innovation and creativity as a challenge to digital marketing success.
• Lack of an effective strategy: 30% felt that a lack of an effective strategy was a major challenge to digital marketing success.
• Unclear data from analytics: 30% encountered unclear data from analytics as a challenge to digital marketing success.
• Sales and marketing alignment issues: 28% faced sales and marketing alignment issues in digital marketing.
• Lacking marketing software: 28% reported lacking marketing software as a challenge to digital marketing success.
• Unable to prove ROI: 26% were unable to prove ROI as one of the obstacles to digital marketing success.
• Challenges with idea generation: 26% faced challenges with idea generation in digital marketing.
• Channel attribution struggles: 18% struggled with channel attribution in digital marketing.

Internal obstacles

• Lack of resources: 34% identified lack of resources (such as budget and the inability to expand teams through hiring) as the biggest internal challenge to their digital marketing efforts.
• Lack of time/time-management: 24% considered lack of time/time-management as the biggest internal challenge to their digital marketing efforts.
• Gaps in team knowledge/skill sets: 24% pointed to gaps in team knowledge/skill sets as the biggest internal challenge to their digital marketing efforts.
• Difficulty running campaigns in multiple channels: 14% faced difficulty running campaigns in multiple channels successfully as the biggest internal challenge to their digital marketing efforts.
• Difficulty integrating digital advertising: 4% struggled with difficulty integrating digital advertising into the overall marketing mix as the biggest internal challenge to their digital marketing efforts.

Desired tactics but limited by resources/skills

• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): 31% would like to implement SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Social Media Marketing: 28% would like to implement Social Media Marketing into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Email Marketing: 27% would like to implement Email Marketing into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Data Analysis: 23% would like to implement Data Analysis into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Content Marketing: 22% would like to implement Content Marketing into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Use of AI: 22% would like to implement AI into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Paid Search (PPC): 20% would like to implement Paid Search (PPC) into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Project Management: 19% would like to implement Project Management into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Budget Management: 18% would like to implement Budget Management into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Video Editing: 17% would like to implement Video Editing into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Marketing Automation: 16% would like to implement Marketing Automation into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• CRM Management: 15% would like to implement CRM Management into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Podcast Creation: 13% would like to implement Podcast Creation into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Website Maintenance Experience: 13% would like to implement Website Maintenance Experience into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Digital PR Experience: 12% would like to implement Digital PR Experience into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Data Analysis: 11% would like to implement Data Analysis into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Webinar Creation: 11% would like to implement Webinar Creation into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Graphic Design: 10% would like to implement Graphic Design into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.
• Online Listing Management: 5% would like to implement Online Listing Management into their strategy but lack the resources or skills required.

UK economy marketing challenges

• 70% believe the current state of the UK economy has affected how they conduct their marketing.
• 30% do not believe the current state of the UK economy has affected how they conduct their marketing.

Marketing challenges in the last twelve months

• 86% feel that marketing has become more challenging in the past twelve months, while 14% do not share this view.
• 66% feel more confident in their marketing strategy this year compared to last year, whereas 34% do not feel the same level of confidence.
• 67% believe they can track their marketing performance more efficiently than they did last year, while 34% do not see an improvement in tracking efficiency.

 Back to top

Marketing Budget Trends

Marketing budget distribution

• 19% have an annual marketing budget of £50,000 to £119,999.
• 18% have an annual marketing budget of £25,000 to £49,999.
• 17% have an annual marketing budget of £10,000 to £24,999.
• 12% have an annual marketing budget of £1,000 to £4,999.
• 10% have an annual marketing budget of less than £1,000.
• 9% have an annual marketing budget of £5,000 to £9,999.
• 8% have an annual marketing budget of £120,000 or more.
• 7% are unsure about their annual marketing budget and selected Don’t Know.

Budget cuts in the past twelve months

• 61% have had to make cuts to their budget in the past twelve months.
• 39% have not had to make cuts to their budget in the past twelve months.

Areas of budget cuts

• Paid Search (PPC): 36% have made budget cuts to Paid Search (PPC) in the past year.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): 33% have made budget cuts to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) in the past year.
• Display Advertising: 31% have made budget cuts to Display Advertising in the past year.
• Website Maintenance: 27% have made budget cuts to Website Maintenance in the past year.
• Online Directories/Listings: 27% have made budget cuts to Online Directories/Listings in the past year.
• Print Advertising: 27% have made budget cuts to Print Advertising in the past year.
• Content Marketing: 24% have made budget cuts to Content Marketing in the past year.
• Social Media Advertising: 21% have made budget cuts to Social Media Advertising in the past year.
• Email Marketing: 10% have made budget cuts to Email Marketing in the past year.
• Digital PR: 7% have made budget cuts to Digital PR in the past year.

 Back to top

2025 Marketing Goals

Planned efforts for each marketing channel

• Organic Social Media: 50% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 42% plan to maintain them, 3% plan to reduce them, and 5% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• Paid Social Media Advertising: 40% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 35% plan to maintain them, 15% plan to reduce them, and 10% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): 45% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 41% plan to maintain them, 6% plan to reduce them, and 8% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• Search Marketing (PPC): 32% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 40% plan to maintain them, 11% plan to reduce them, and 17% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• Content Marketing: 45% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 39% plan to maintain them, 9% plan to reduce them, and 7% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• Website Upgrades/Maintenance: 43% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 45% plan to maintain them, 8% plan to reduce them, and 4% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• Display Advertising: 34% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 42% plan to maintain them, 11% plan to reduce them, and 13% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• Online Directories/Listings: 32% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 44% plan to maintain them, 14% plan to reduce them, and 10% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• Print Advertising: 32% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 42% plan to maintain them, 18% plan to reduce them, and 8% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• Video Marketing: 49% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 27% plan to maintain them, 12% plan to reduce them, and 12% say it is not applicable to their strategy.
• Digital PR: 41% of marketing professionals plan to grow their efforts, 39% plan to maintain them, 6% plan to reduce them, and 14% say it is not applicable to their strategy.

Planned changes in marketing tactics

• Pre-Produced Long-Form Video: 28% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 36% are using it but plan to do less, 15% are not currently using it but would like to, and 21% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Pre-Produced Short-Form Video: 42% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 25% are using it but plan to do less, 19% are not currently using it but would like to, and 14% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Livestream Video: 28% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 24% are using it but plan to do less, 18% are not currently using it but would like to, and 30% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Influencer Marketing: 28% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 26% are using it but plan to do less, 19% are not currently using it but would like to, and 27% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Interactive Content: 32% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 25% are using it but plan to do less, 25% are not currently using it but would like to, and 18% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• User-Generated Content: 34% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 26% are using it but plan to do less, 21% are not currently using it but would like to, and 19% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Virtual Customer Communities: 27% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 27% are using it but plan to do less, 16% are not currently using it but would like to, and 30% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Pre-Produced Audio: 31% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 26% are using it but plan to do less, 17% are not currently using it but would like to, and 26% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Live Audio: 23% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 27% are using it but plan to do less, 18% are not currently using it but would like to, and 32% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Virtual Experiences: 27% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 25% are using it but plan to do less, 17% are not currently using it but would like to, and 31% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Webinars: 29% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 31% are using it but plan to do less, 12% are not currently using it but would like to, and 28% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• In-Person Events: 38% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 33% are using it but plan to do less, 19% are not currently using it but would like to, and 10% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Social Media DMs for Customer Service: 42% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 23% are using it but plan to do less, 17% are not currently using it but would like to, and 18% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• AI for Content Creation: 37% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 26% are using it but plan to do less, 20% are not currently using it but would like to, and 17% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• AI for Marketing Automation: 34% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 25% are using it but plan to do less, 23% are not currently using it but would like to, and 18% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• Multi/Omni-Channel Marketing: 34% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 28% are using it but plan to do less, 13% are not currently using it but would like to, and 25% do not plan to use it in 2025.
• AI for Customer Service (Chatbots, ChatGPT-Generated Responses): 34% are currently utilising this and plan to do more, 24% are using it but plan to do less, 13% are not currently using it but would like to, and 29% do not plan to use it in 2025.

 Back to top

Future Plans in Digital Advertising

Planned marketing spending in the next twelve months

• Meta/Facebook: 32% plan to increase spending on Meta/Facebook, while 24% plan to decrease it, 27% will maintain spending, 13% say it doesn’t apply, and 4% are unsure.
• Instagram: 30% plan to increase spending on Instagram, while 24% plan to decrease it, 24% will maintain spending, 17% say it doesn’t apply, and 5% are unsure.
• YouTube: 24% plan to increase spending on YouTube, while 22% plan to decrease it, 17% will maintain spending, 31% say it doesn’t apply, and 6% are unsure.
• X/Twitter: 23% plan to increase spending on X/Twitter, while 21% plan to decrease it, 16% will maintain spending, 34% say it doesn’t apply, and 6% are unsure.
• TikTok: 25% plan to increase spending on TikTok, while 17% plan to decrease it, 20% will maintain spending, 34% say it doesn’t apply, and 4% are unsure.
• LinkedIn: 24% plan to increase spending on LinkedIn, while 25% plan to decrease it, 21% will maintain spending, 23% say it doesn’t apply, and 7% are unsure.
• Pinterest: 23% plan to increase spending on Pinterest, while 18% plan to decrease it, 15% will maintain spending, 37% say it doesn’t apply, and 7% are unsure.
• Snapchat: 15% plan to increase spending on Snapchat, while 25% plan to decrease it, 15% will maintain spending, 39% say it doesn’t apply, and 6% are unsure.
• Google: 37% plan to increase spending on Google, while 17% plan to decrease it, 25% will maintain spending, 16% say it doesn’t apply, and 5% are unsure.
• Bing: 25% plan to increase spending on Bing, while 23% plan to decrease it, 15% will maintain spending, 30% say it doesn’t apply, and 7% are unsure.

Planned marketing actions for the upcoming twelve months

• Increased Digital Ad Spend: 53% of marketing professionals plan to spend more on digital advertising in the next twelve months than they did last year.
• Expanding In-House Teams: 43% of marketing professionals plan to expand their in-house marketing team to better manage digital marketing.
• More Creative Automation: 33% of marketing professionals plan to use more creative automation in the future.
• Investing in Digital Tools and Tech: 25% of marketing professionals plan to invest more in digital advertising tools and technology over the next year.
• Outsourcing Digital Advertising: 25% of marketing professionals plan to outsource digital advertising more in the next twelve months.
• AI in Marketing Strategy: 18% of marketing professionals plan to incorporate AI into their marketing strategy.

Learning and development by UK businesses

• Social Media for Learning: 26% prefer social media to stay updated on digital marketing trends.
• Webinars as a Learning Tool: 24% use webinars to learn about digital marketing and keep up with trends.
• Blogs for Industry Updates: 20% turn to blogs for digital marketing insights and trends.
• Online Courses for Skill Development: 16% prefer online courses to enhance their digital marketing knowledge.
• Podcasts for Marketing Insights: 10% listen to podcasts to stay informed about digital marketing trends.
• In-Person Courses for Learning: 5% attend in-person courses to keep up with digital marketing advancements.

Back to top

Are you keen to compare these stats with 2024? View last year’s stats in our blog below:
2024 UK Digital Marketing Statistics