5 Content Predictions for 2025

Content is changing. And arguably, for the better.

For the last 15 years, content has been used primarily as a marketing tool. SEO was the strategy companies relied on for growth, resulting in the production of content for information, educational, and transactional purposes.

But we're at a paradigm shift thanks to an oversaturation of SEO content and the rise of AI.

Search engines are prioritizing original content again. Content that demonstrates POV, deep expertise, and storytelling is what stands out from the noise.

Content's influence isn't going anywhere anytime soon. It's becoming more influential and playing a more prominent role for brands as an anchor for their branding and marketing strategies. 

Without further ado, here's what I predict will happen with content in 2025. 

There will be a resurgence of long-form content 

Long-form content is back, baby (let's be honest, it never left for me). This year, more creative service providers are investing in it: Substacks, blogs, YouTube, and podcasts. 

It's becoming more crucial to own your audience, and long-form content provides an escape from dealing with constantly changing platforms and suss decisions made by the patriarchs of these platforms.

Long-form content has a much longer shelf life than social media. It also makes search optimization easier, whether for a search engine, a content platform, or AI. Lastly, it gives leaders a way to expand on and articulate their thoughts to lead conversations in their industry or niche. 

Brands will invest in more founder-led content

Brand social media accounts don't have as much clout as they used to. Instead, it's become more about the founder. Consumers want to connect with the people behind the brand. 

Instead of emphasizing content from the brand account, the emphasis will be more on founder-led content, allowing consumers to put a face to the name and make the founder synonymous with the brand. 

Founders will use the brand's channels as an amplification platform while also building their own audiences and personal brands through newsletters, blogs, etc. 

Taste and curation will become more important for standing out

Between AI and SEO, we're in a sea of sameness regarding content—same topics, same structure, same aesthetic, same writing style. 

Content creators will become tastemakers, demonstrating uniqueness through curated content to stand out. Curated content reflects personality and interests, two key ingredients for authentic brand building. 

It will no longer be about having a conventionally aesthetic feed but about showing that you have a distinct POV, perspective, and style and embodying it.

Content optimization will reach beyond Google

SEO isn't the only way to optimize content. We'll begin to see different techniques for optimizing content, from optimizing for platforms like Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok to optimizing for AI. 

Content optimization will be about creating connection points and moments to help people find exactly what they want. 

This means creating more specific content that covers niche use cases. From a brand-building perspective, this positions brand leaders as the only people who can solve their audience's specific challenges. 

Content will have a bigger seat at the table for branding & marketing efforts

Brands are no longer only looking at content as an educational resource. Companies will increasingly use content to build an emotional connection with their audiences. 

That said, brands will lean toward a media-first brand and marketing strategy, putting content at the center of their promotion efforts to resonate with their audiences.  

Content gives brands a digital-first impression of their audience and builds a parasocial relationship with them so they can become fans and then customers.

Content needs to shift from mediocre to meaningful to cut through the noise. These shifts present an opportunity for creative service providers to demonstrate expertise, stand out, and lead conversations in their industries. Content is no longer just a marketing tool but a tool for connection, taste, and worldbuilding.