As we approach 2025, the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace. It’s a world full of shiny new tools, AI-driven tactics, and the latest buzzwords—but succeeding in this ever-changing environment requires more than just chasing trends. True success comes from having a clear, adaptable strategy that aligns with your goals.
That’s why we’ve tapped into the expertise of our Elite Marketing Program coaches. These are not just industry experts; they’re leaders who have guided countless businesses to real, measurable results. Their insights offer not just predictions but actionable strategies for navigating the challenges and opportunities of 2025.
This isn’t about jumping on the next bandwagon. It’s about focusing on what truly matters—building a solid marketing foundation, embracing personalization, and leveraging AI and automation in a way that deepens your connection with your audience.
These answers capture the heart of what the Elite Program is all about—helping businesses cut through the noise with clear strategies, proven systems, and the latest insights to drive sustainable growth.
Read on to discover how our Elite coaches are helping businesses prepare for 2025—and how you can too.
1. What’s the Most Important Trend You Believe Will Define Digital Marketing in 2025, and How Can Businesses Start Preparing Now?
Lauren Petrullo
Content will curate your audience. This answer is going to be drastically different depending on the size of the business, but in general, you need to have better content and lead with personalization whenever possible. The more I sound like one of the many you’re talking to, the more I’m gonna ignore you as one of the many I don’t care about. With AI and emerging tech, it’s easier than ever to provide personalization in your marketing.
Monique Morrison
I think with the onset of AI and how quickly it’s transforming and its capabilities, we will see that as the biggest trend. It allows smaller companies to implement predictive and personalized customer journeys, especially in the retail and eCommerce space, and I believe that will be an important trend to jump on in 2025.
Amara Omoregie
I think there’s a difference between what’s trending and what needs to trend. What will trend in 2025 will be the shiny object that is AI and all of the cool things that you can do with it… that’s a given. We’ll see more tools rise, and old ones fall. During all of this ebb and flow as marketing technology continues to hockey stick, the ability to connect with humans on a deeper level will be what people will resonate with. What needs to trend is knowing our customers better and using technology to build deeper relationships with customers.
Dave Albano
Without a doubt, it’s AI. This should come as no surprise. You’ve been living under a rock if you haven’t realized the importance of this, but it’s shocking how many small businesses are ignoring it when it’s going to radically change the face of how we do business.
How to start preparing? If you haven’t already:
Dedicate at LEAST 1 hour a week to explore ChatGPT (upgrade to the paid version for $20/month to unlock its “current” potential—it’s only going to get better from here).
Subscribe to a reputable source for regular AI news and updates (e.g., Matt Wolfe’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@mreflow).
Scott Cunningham
Coaching businesses: Throughout 2024, we saw a big shift from high-ticket, one-call-close coaching offers back to low-ticket front-end programs that allow coaches to first build trust with their audience before committing to high-ticket programs. The buzzword of the year was that we are in a “trust recession,” and we need to allow people to experience our value before committing big. I predict that businesses who made this pivot will thrive in 2025, and those who didn’t will struggle to compete.
eCommerce ads: AI is becoming more of a factor in building meta audiences, and I predict that people won’t be frantically testing new audiences so often. From what I’ve seen, and from what I’ve been told by high-level Meta reps, letting ads run gives AI more time/insights to adapt, instead of constantly changing things and causing it to re-learn.
Renée Badakian
AI-powered personalization is going to fundamentally change digital marketing and transform the customer journey experience.
The big opportunity lies in building AI-powered dynamic, hyper-personalized systems that:
Adapt messaging based on actual performance.
Learn from real-time customer behavior.
Optimize for individual preferences at scale.
How can businesses start preparing now?
Conduct an audit of your first-party data—understand what customer signals you’re capturing and where the gaps are. Focus on collecting quality behavioral signals and ensure your data is organized and accessible.
Perform an audit of your tech stack—most current marketing tools don’t talk to each other well enough to support real AI personalization. Now’s the time to fix those gaps and build connections between your platforms to prevent future headaches as AI capabilities expand.
The companies that win won’t be the ones with the biggest AI budgets—they’ll be the ones who build smart, scalable systems while staying focused on actual customer value.
2. If You Had to Pick One Growth Strategy to Double Down on in 2025, What Would It Be and Why?
Lauren Petrullo
Long-form video content. People will consume before they convert. With long-form content, they’re getting to know you before they even talk to you, putting you in a place where calls are with pre-sold prospects. Also, as AI evolves, video still has a year or so before it’s as competitive as blogs. Content written with AI has exploded over the last 3 years, making it more competitive than before as the barrier to entry and opportunity to compete is at its lowest. With long-form videos, you can then bring in the multi-lingual aspect and compete in a blue ocean while your competitors are struggling in crowded waters.
Monique Morrison
We’re doubling down on our loyalty systems and predictive AI strategies for our retail and eCommerce clients. For service-based businesses, back-end AI systems that automate clerical work and time-consuming tasks are essential, especially for those tasks that are not done efficiently but are necessary for the sales process. We’re implementing systems from Buy Back Your Time that allow our clients to focus on revenue-generating tasks rather than being bogged down by low-value but necessary operations.
Amara Omoregie
Organic. Period.
On a few different levels:
SEO → GEO: Creating content strategies to not only appear in organic search but to have responses shared from your brand and cited in generative/AI search experiences (e.g., Search GPT, Perplexity).
Social SEO: Positioning your social content for discoverability on the platforms and in organic search when possible, while building backlinks and shares to boost your brand.
Forums and Communities: Reddit and Quora are dominating search. People want help, and like-minded people want to discover new things. These areas are ripe for innovation.
I’d triple down in these areas. If you do, you’ll build a moat around your business.
Dave Albano
RPA—it’s going to transform businesses. When you can build automated “bots” that have agency to replace humans and hours and hours… even DAYS of research, repetitive tasks, content production & distribution, voice call handling—you name it—your competitors will leave you in the dust if you don’t jump on board.
Scott Cunningham
Live events: These have been our highest ROI activity for filling sales calendars and bringing in deals.
Low-ticket community: We are doubling down on our low-ticket community and using webinars to fill it. Following our insights into how to navigate the trust economy, we’ve also learned that webinars are a great way to fill low-ticket communities because people first get to spend time with you on the webinar before committing to your low-ticket community.
The Trust Tri-Fecta: Webinar or event → Low-ticket community → High-ticket community.
Renée Badakian
Double down on building automated marketing and sales systems. Map and automate your customer journey, from first touch to repeat buyer. This creates predictable revenue that scales without draining your team’s bandwidth.
In 2025, your most valuable asset won’t be your content or products—it will be your automated acquisition system that converts while you sleep.
3. How Do You See Customer Behavior Evolving in 2025, and What Steps Should Businesses Take Now to Meet Those Changing Expectations?
Lauren Petrullo
Customers want to know more than ever and get frustrated if you miss out on sharing critical answers they need. You NEED better conversation starters and an outlet for the person to ask their questions rather than assuming you’ve provided the answers they need. If you’re letting customers struggle to find answers, you’ll lose them as customers.
Set up phone numbers and chatbots to answer questions WHEN they have them. STOP ASSUMING. People crave connection, and with “Prime’s same-day delivery” mentality, every minute a customer waits for a critical answer drastically affects your conversion rate.
Monique Morrison
AI really took off in 2024, and many have adopted chatbots and other AI communication tools. In 2025, I believe customers will become more aware of AI interactions and gravitate toward companies that can provide truly human or human-like experiences.
This will be a critical time for companies to balance the power of AI with the expectation for authentic human interactions.
Amara Omoregie
Customers are sick of funnels. They hate being forced to get on a rollercoaster and not being able to get off until the ride is done.
Meaning, they want to learn about what is out there without having to talk to a sales rep, download an ebook, or watch an hour-long webinar. They want to be empowered to make their own decisions. Whoever gives their customer the most agency to make decisions will win.
Dave Albano
BECAUSE of the rise of AI, trust is going to be at an all-time LOW and inauthenticity will be at an all-time HIGH. Businesses will need to go ALL-IN in cultivating authentic, transparent relationships with their prospects and customers and provide even more value by giving more in delivery than they receive in return financially.
Scott Cunningham
I believe that 2024 was the year of the trust recession, and I expect this behavior to continue in 2025. I think we need to show more empathy in our marketing towards our customers and their lack of trust, rather than ignore it.
I also think we need to work harder, and listen better, to earn that trust.
Renée Badakian
The market is shifting from “wait and see” to “show me now”—businesses need to adapt their delivery speed and accessibility accordingly.
Fast Wins Beat Big Promises: 2025’s customers are done with “it takes time” excuses. They’ll pick the company that delivers a 20% improvement now over promises of 100% in six months. If you’re a marketing agency, start by fixing one leaky funnel stage this week. Small, concrete victories build more trust than grand transformations.
Break Your Solution Into “Now, Next, Later”: Give them something they can implement today (template), something for this week (quick process fix), and then your bigger transformation. When they see results from the quick wins, they’ll trust you with the longer journey.
4: What are the most effective ways to build trust with cold audiences in a crowded digital landscape?
Lauren Petrullo
The best way to build trust with cold audiences is through authenticity and upfront value. SHOW me. PROVE your deserved attention. Gen Alpha grew up on YouTube subscriptions, and they’ll be incredibly powerful purchasers in the coming years, with many already self-made millionaires. Gen Z grew up with influencers and #ad controversies—no one’s getting fooled. If you’re providing value in a gated capacity or pretending it’s valuable but really just advertising, they’ll know. So lead with authenticity. No one is perfect, especially not your customers. Be raw, vulnerable, and valuable. Don’t just talk about it; show how you walk it, and you’ll gain attention. By providing actionable ideas, you’ll command loyalty.
Monique Morrison
Getting out and being in front of cold audiences is crucial. Showing you’re a real person and listening to followers creates immediate trust with new audiences encountering your brand.
One tactic that has worked well is running contests for email subscribers, with bonus entries for commenting on an Instagram reel with a question. We then reply to those questions with another reel, which has boosted organic reach, engagement, and comments outside of contestants. When people see that you’re listening and responding, they’re more likely to engage. This has been a winning tactic this year.
Amara Omoregie
Shift their state of awareness almost immediately. And I don’t mean bragging about your company/brand. I mean, if they are unaware, make them problem-aware. Problem to solution. Solution to product. Product to brand/most.
Why?
If you can solve an unsolvable problem.
If you can treat a group of customers better.
If you can end people’s suffering.
If you can make people aware of solutions that didn’t exist.
If you can change the status quo.
You’ll get the right kind of attention, from the right people, at the right time, and they’ll trust you.
Dave Albano
Strip away big “productionalized” content pieces, especially in video, and shoot your reels, stories, video ads, etc., in your day-to-day element (e.g., walking down your neighborhood street) on your phone. While technology has evolved, what has NOT is PEOPLE… we still connect best through face-to-face eye contact, and the best way to do that in digital is through close-up videos in selfie view.
Scott Cunningham
We’ve been running ads to a webinar, where we offer a free $1500 gift to those who attend. Then at the end of the webinar, we give everyone a $1500 ticket to a three-day live virtual bootcamp, where all they need to get the ticket is join our $39/month community. This has been working very well for us.
Renée Badakian
Demonstrate proof. Feature concrete results, verifiable case studies, and authentic customer stories—let real outcomes speak for themselves.
5: Many business owners feel their growth plateaus because they’re constantly in ‘reactive’ mode. How can they step back and create a scalable system that can handle growth without constant intervention?
Lauren Petrullo
Most of the time, business owners need to fire themselves from the operation side. HIRE someone who has done it not once, but at least twice before.
Often, it’s ego stopping you from reaching your potential. You assume because you got your business to where it is today that you’re the solution to get it to where it’s going tomorrow. That’s absurd.
If you’re afraid to invest in quality talent, then you don’t truly believe in your growth. Most people aren’t great at being entrepreneurs and business owners—it’s like 1% of the 1% that are successful.
There are MANY who could be intrapreneurs or strong supporting roles to get you out of reactive mode and back into your zone of genius.
Monique Morrison
In addition to what’s taught in ELITE and Scalable, most business owners would benefit from a strong executive admin to manage their time.
Also, AI and automation can handle many tasks that often distract from revenue-generating work.
The reactive mode often comes from not having time for high-value tasks due to a lack of systems to handle lower-value ones. This imbalance leads to a pattern of either a great marketing month or a great fulfillment month but rarely a balanced approach to both.
Amara Omoregie
Business owners have to quit chasing shiny objects and building bird nests. Picking up whatever little objects they can find and piecing it together isn’t scalable.
Hopping on every trend. Eating up every technology. Solve for the customer. That’s all they have to do.
Go where they are. Set up a lemonade stand, put up a sign. Bring their products. Open for business. Keep it simple. Test. Test pricing, locations, recipes. Get feedback. Look at the data to see which areas and times are most profitable. Iterate and improve.
I’m using the example of a lemonade stand because, in the digital world, it’s become so easy to shoot from the hip without a plan. Making it even easier to get distracted and veer off course because there is less effort involved to get started.
Take that advantage and keep it that way with proper planning, testing, and continuous improvement. Otherwise, that advantage becomes a burden when your systems are tangled up, unclear, all over the place, etc.
Your customers feel it, and your sales will suffer because of it. You can’t scale, and profits will suffer. Having a plan to test against builds stronger, more resilient companies.
Companies can’t be afraid to guess when they predict the future. Use that data to improve.
Dave Albano
Well Duh… that cues up ELITE and the Growth OS nicely now doesn’t it ;).
I’ll bite. Join a program with trusted advisors and experts that have already done what you’re trying to do, and implement the proven frameworks & systems they provide to scale predictably.
Scott Cunningham
You need a KPI tracking tool for every stage of the customer journey, and you need to actually use it.
Our team has been using DM’s Growth Scorecard for years, and it is our holy bible of accountability. It can be overwhelming/intimidating thinking we need to be insanely proactive at all times.
Our scorecard allows us to move small things forward bit by bit that creates a big impact. (AND, there was a period where we stopped using it, and things fell off. So I think we need to prioritize the basics).
Renée Badakian
Document & Systematize Core Operations: Map and create clear workflows for the critical 20% of tasks driving 80% of results.
Automate → Delegate → Eliminate: Start by automating repetitive tasks, then delegate remaining processes to capable team members, and ruthlessly eliminate activities that don’t drive growth.
6: How can businesses leverage AI and automation to scale their efforts while maintaining a personal connection with customers?
Lauren Petrullo
My favorite way of leveraging AI right now is through personalized AI chatbots, where the chatbots even call prospects.
Start personal conversations with leads to discover their true questions rather than guessing what they’re looking for.
With AI and personalized connections, you position yourself to care about your customers as if they’re in a 1:1 conversation with you—at scale.
Monique Morrison
It’s essential to train any AI interacting with customers to be conversational and engaging, making it as human as possible.
There are many back-end tasks AI can manage that usually consume time. When those are automated, it frees up space for more one-on-one conversations and personal connections.
We’ve used AI to analyze customer actions and purchases, allowing us to use predictive marketing. For example, integrating our Shopify database with Airtable lets the AI analyze the data, which we then use to guide our communications with customers.
Amara Omoregie
Automate what works. Set that baseline, and make sure that AI can produce the same quality or better when it comes to its outputs.
Never settle with AI. It has the capabilities to take the best of what we do and make it even better if we provide enough context.
Dave Albano
Do the “Handoff”… Use AI & Automation to INITIATE conversations in “triage” sessions to find out what they really need, then pass prospects/leads/customers off to a real person via calendar scheduling, direct phone transfers, etc.
Scott Cunningham
Never ask AI to do all the heavy lifting.
Feed it your own frameworks, processes, and case studies so it’s not telling stories that anyone can tell. It needs to tell stories unique to you.
Also challenge AI responses, or give it options to vote on, and get it to explain why it chose what it chose.
Renée Badakian
Automate the Routine, Personalize the Meaningful: Use AI for repetitive tasks (scheduling, basic support, data entry) but keep high-value touchpoints human (strategy calls, problem resolution, relationship building). This lets your team focus on conversations that matter.
Create Smart, Adaptive Workflows: Build systems that recognize customer patterns and trigger appropriate human intervention. For example: Have AI handle initial support inquiries, but flag emotional or complex issues that require human attention.
7: What’s the best approach for creating content that resonates with audiences in 2025? How should brands be adapting their content strategies now?
Lauren Petrullo
When creating content in 2025, start by crawling into your ad comments, emails, and customer service FAQs.
Begin by creating content to answer questions they’re already asking.
Yes, you can focus on SEO, but if you want to resonate, don’t focus solely on the algorithm—focus on quality.
Answer your current customers’ questions. They’ll share your content.
Decentralization of SEO is coming, and the focus needs to be on directly answering, quickly, and with quality to win the content game in 2025.
Monique Morrison
See my answer to question four.
In addition to creating short-form content based on audience questions, we also turn those questions into longer-form content and email content.
Open rates have been strong for emails where the subject line hints at solving a customer’s problem directly.
Amara Omoregie
Helpful.
Creating content to rank is so 2010.
Create content that people will come back to over and over for reference.
Writers need to learn how to write again.
Do actual research—not just SEO research, but topical research. We need topical authority and information.
SMEs need their brains picked clean of the good stuff.
Google is getting sick of crawling hundreds of variations of the same exact content, so pretty soon, pages are going to get deindexed for not being helpful.
The more web pages there are on the internet, the more it affects our carbon footprint, so it’s up to us as marketers to stop the proliferation of low-value content.
Dave Albano
Trends and market tastes will always evolve.
It’s your job as the content creator to have your finger on the pulse of what’s trending, what people are asking, on what they’re searching, on what their wants/needs/fears/aspirations are.
Turn to AI for research (ChatGPT can search the web now) and the age-old favorite: AnswerThePublic.
Then where possible (platform-dependent) serve up your content dynamically to target your various avatars and audiences by segment.
Scott Cunningham
In our eCommerce world, I’ve been teaching brands to write long-form origin story ads that have been working better than anything else lately.
Show that you are the biggest nerd in your category, and people will look at you as the expert you are.
Renée Badakian
Share Real Stories.
“I was drowning in client emails last year” creates more intrigue and connection than “Here’s how to manage your inbox.”
When you share your honest struggles and unexpected wins, people see themselves in your story instead of seeing another expert talking down to them.
8: What are the most effective ways to increase customer retention and loyalty in 2025, especially as competition intensifies?
Lauren Petrullo
Personalized interactions while leveraging AI.
You need more touchpoints and effective communication based on where they are in their buyer’s journey with you, addressing their needs—not where you are in relation to them paying you.
Monique Morrison
I have a lot to say about this topic, and it’s what I’m speaking on at T&C.
One big shift in 2024 has been automatically enrolling customers in loyalty programs instead of making it an optional step.
We’re also enhancing our indoctrination series to offer additional bonuses and free gifts with each new purchase.
The welcome email typically has the highest open rates, as customers are most excited then, so we leverage this moment.
Part of our approach includes a survey to identify the customer’s pain points, which AI analyzes for product fit and to create customized email content that addresses their biggest concerns.
We use two separate processes for leads and customers.
Amara Omoregie
Over-serve your customers.
Over-educate them.
Have them be a part of your journey.
Give them access to new products without having to pay (e.g., samples, GWPs).
Recognize your VIPs with great perks that have mutual benefit.
Right your wrongs, especially in public.
Be honest.
Share your roadmap for improvement.
Celebrate the wins of your customers.
Empathize—like Chewy when subscriptions end when a pet crosses the rainbow bridge. They send flowers and a card, and they donate the last bag of food to the local shelter.
Dave Albano
Same as #3.
Further, if you look at THE best companies in the world with the best retention (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Spotify, Apple Music, HBO Max, Disney+, etc.), they target their pricing by being 1% of the average Social Security check in the U.S., which is $1787 as of Oct 2024 (Source).
1% of that is $17.87, or that $15-$20 range such that ANYONE can afford them.
Scott Cunningham
Keep adding more value when customers are up for renewal.
We do it in our coaching program, offering renewal bonuses.
Just this year we offered our mastermind members new quarterly review meetings to keep them on track with big goals.
This is something we constantly brainstorm as a team to ensure we keep leveling up the customers’ experiences.
The same goes for eCommerce.
Renée Badakian
Make Customer Problems Your North Star.
Every dollar you’ll make in 2025 is hiding in a customer problem you haven’t fully solved yet.
The best product roadmap is your customer’s list of frustrations.
When you become obsessed with their challenges, customer retention & loyalty is a byproduct.
Design Your Offer Ladder Around “New Levels, New Devils.”
Success creates new challenges.
Your offer stack should solve each new problem that emerges from conquering the last.
When you guide customers through their entire journey, solving each evolution of their problems, they never need to look elsewhere.
The key to retention is being their trusted solution provider at every level.
9: With so many marketing tools and tactics out there, how do you prioritize which strategies to implement? How can business owners avoid ‘shiny object syndrome’ and focus on what truly moves the needle?
Lauren Petrullo
I prioritize what can work with my existing systems and tools first.
Learning a new product or tool is exhausting.
I need it to yield atypical returns with minimal additional effort.
To avoid shiny objects, ask yourself: if you adopt this new tool or tactic, are you okay with zero returns for the next 6 months?
If yes, because the return in 6 months is worth the investment, go for it!
Otherwise, focus on optimizing existing resources and avoid adopting new ones.
Monique Morrison
The growth lever canvas is key here.
Having someone empowered to say “no” when new, shiny tools and programs could derail progress is also essential.
We use the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) method, which, combined with the growth lever canvas, keeps us focused on what truly matters.
Amara Omoregie
If it doesn’t align with a growth initiative already in play or improve the customer experience, put it on the back burner for another time.
When a business has its customer acquisition engine dialed in and is hitting targets consistently, then experiment.
Not when the stakes are high and there isn’t much room for error.
Commit to being methodical and disciplined until you have the runway to be experimental with shiny objects.
Most shiny objects are just that—and not worth anything.
Digital snake oil and hype.
Dave Albano
You must have the correct STRATEGY first, and plug in the tactics INTO the strategy, not the other way around.
See #5
Scott Cunningham
Never scrap something completely if it’s working.
I think it’s ok to allocate 5-10% of your resources/focus testing new experiments to see if you could do better.
But keep most of your focus on the things that are producing.
For example, before pivoting ad budget from our VSL funnel to our low-ticket community funnel, we allocated a small fraction of our total spend to see if we could fill the community, and also to see if we could ascend the community to our core offer.
It turns out we could, so we allocated more spend to the low-ticket community funnel.
The takeaway is, don’t tackle too many ideas at once where you are spread thin on focus.
Choose one thing to test against your main thing.
Get proof of concept.
Then pivot some focus to the new thing that’s working.
Renée Badakian
Build a Customer Journey Scorecard.
Use a simple traffic light system (red/yellow/green) to visualize each stage of your journey.
If lead generation is red but your sales conversion rate is green, you don’t need another sales tool—you need better lead generation.
Focus resources where the actual bottlenecks are.
Double Down on What’s Already Working.
Before chasing new tactics, look at your current wins.
If LinkedIn is driving real sales conversations, invest more there before testing TikTok.
Scale what works before exploring what’s new.
The key is letting your scorecard guide your priorities—turn reds to yellows, yellows to greens, one stage at a time.
Closing Thoughts: Strategy Over Tactics for 2025
If there’s one lesson to take away from our Elite coaches, it’s this: strategy always trumps tactics. While shiny new tools and tactics can grab attention, they won’t deliver sustainable growth without a solid foundation. The businesses that succeed in 2025 will be the ones that focus on their customers, leverage personalization and AI strategically, and implement systems that scale.
The insights from our Elite coaches aren’t just theories—they’re real-world strategies proven to drive results. And that’s what sets the Elite Marketing Program apart. We’re here to guide you, to help you focus on what matters, and to build a marketing engine that drives growth predictably.
Don’t just adapt to 2025. Lead the way.
Join the Elite Marketing Program today and start building your strategy for sustainable growth.
Click here to learn more and apply.
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