• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, January 3, 2025

By the looks of it, 2025 will be the year of AI in B2B marketing.  

It starts with AIO. That stands for AI Optimization, says Hannah Stringer, marketing director of Moneypenny, in an article on the B2B Marketing site.

“Optimizing content for AI-driven search snippets is now essential,” Stringer writes.. “Ensuring your content aligns with how Google AI curates and presents information will enhance discoverability.”

Then there is content creation. “By the end of 2025, the way content teams operate will be transformed by AI and if yours isn’t, I’d ask why not. The integration of generative AI tools will shift roles, streamline content production, and redefine team structures.

Of course, those are not the only trends you can expect this year. For another, it appears self-reported attribution is making a comeback. 

Have you forgotten so soon what that is? Self-reported attribution is the simple device of “asking where did you hear about us,” Stringer adds. In addition to finding out that key detail, “it can also uncover what that all important trigger to act was.” 

You can also expect to see a decline in blog and organic traffic. “The launch of Google’s AI overviews in 2024 has impacted web traffic considerably,” Stringer writes. 

Speaking of Google, you might also see spikes in Google ad costs as “AI snippets prioritize non-commercial terms.”

Finally, Stringer suggests that human-centric marketing is critical in the AI era.

"As AI takes over routine tasks, the human element in marketing becomes more critical," she states. "Building genuine relationships and showcasing empathy will create lasting customer loyalty."