Business

Top 20 Custom Software Development Companies in 2025

The need for software development is becoming more and more common for so many companies, no matter what field they are a part of, and ready-made, basic software so often does not provide the best solutions for these businesses.

Custom software that is specifically tailored to suit your businesses needs is in growing demand, with the market valued at over 29 billion in 2023. This is simply because with software that provides you with individualized online experiences, solutions that account for growth potential, and streamlined system integration, there are greater benefits for your business.

Here you will find not only the top custom software development companies, but all of the information you need on software development agencies, including how to choose the right one for your business.

Provided Services

Depending on the specific company you choose to work with, the services provided will be different. The typical expectation for a good agency is that they will help you to realise your ideas by creating products that run without additional upkeep after launch. Essentially the firms are responsible for the whole lifecycle of the software.Here is a further look into some key services:

Discovery Services

The conceptualisation of a project can be difficult, so agencies providing services to help you through the discovery phase are there to use techniques like data analysis of the market, competitors and online potential customers or leads to determine what it is specifically that you actually need.

From this analysis they can also best inform you about which features will be most beneficial for you.

Development

Actually developing the product depending on the best software development solutions for the specific kind of business, whether it’s an older business with more processes or a startup, is a key service that you will need. Another component of development is building the application for different platforms like mobile, web and desktop, that are adapted to fit individual workflow requirements.

Integration

Ensuring that your new custom software works alongside the software you already have is critical to optimize workflow and prevent certain data from becoming lost or inaccessible. Integration with common tools like analytic platforms, ERPs and CRMs can be achieved through many different kinds of connectors, which keeps your software running seamlessly together after you have added something new.

Engagement

UX/UI design services are all about optimizing a product by making it engaging, easy to learn and convenient, allowing you to cut down on the time it takes to train people in using the software, and prevents resistance to it. Prototype building and adjusting the visuals and wireframe are part of this process.

Quality

Quality services ensure that the product is secure and that it is performing well. Load testing, manual and automatics testing, and security testing is conducted to make sure there are no bugs, and the software will run properly when it is actually being used.

Maintenance

Making sure that your product is functioning properly after it has launched is important, and support is provided by software product modernization companies that help you not only to fix problems with the software, but keep it up to date. This happens through updates and the enhancement and expansion of features like integrations and scaling infrastructure.

Operation & Development and the Cloud

To stop your business growth from being limited by software infrastructure, agencies are able to improve processing speed and elasticity by setting up CI/CD pipelines, containerized environments and cloud infrastructure so that it’s not isolated to one server.

Types of Software Development Agencies

Boutique Firms

The first type of software development agency is a boutique firm, which is typically a small agency. They typically work with start-up companies who are looking for a service that is customized to their business, and focuses on large scale, creative solutions.

They have an expertise in very specific customizations and niche or design-heavy work, meaning they are often specialized in engagement services like UX/UI and branding, and they work with specific technology, like AI, and create minimum valuable products.

Working with a smaller firm means having the advantage of extreme personalization and opportunities for collaboration. There are also drawbacks though, like a potential lack of knowledge about technology and scalability.

Technical Partners

The next type of agency, technical partners, are able to take over the entire software development process from start to finish dealing with everything from early data analysis, market research and strategizing to the actual design and building process all the way up to the launch of the product, and beyond when it comes to keeping it up to date.

If your business does not have internal resources to deal with technology or project management, or you want an experienced partner to help with turnaround time and scalability, then having a technical partner is probably the right call.

The benefits of working with a technical partner are that you have guidance from professionals, making the whole process easier, especially since they have all of the services that you will need, and the knowledge on scalability when conducting future planning. The costs however, and the lack of control, might be drawbacks for you when considering this.

Staffing Agency

The third type of agency is a staffing agency, which specializes strictly in providing trained staff who then work to develop, design and test software under the authority of the client themself.

If your business already has internal resources to dedicate to a software development project then this is a good option, because the business does not have to relinquish any control. The flexibility and lower costs can be a benefit as well.

The drawbacks to this however can be that these agencies do not provide strategy services or project and design management, meaning the quality and the timeframe of the project is dependent on your businesses leadership.

Choosing the Right Type

Deciding which type of agency is right for you depends mainly on how much of the project you are capable of taking on internally and what it is that you want to achieve with the custom software.

There are four essential questions to ask when choosing which is right for you:

1. Is development all that you need?

If you are looking for more than development and instead want an agency equipped to provide services like analysis, testing, and UI/UX design, boutique firms might be the way to go because they can provide such a customized service. Staffing firms would not in this case meet all of your needs.

2. Do you think you will develop an in-house team in the future?

If this is the case, then you are probably using a custom software development agency to build a foundation for your product, so you will want to work with either a boutique or managed agency so your team can stay involved and make the transfer of information easier.

3. Are you looking for guidance?

When it comes to product strategy you might not be sure what to prioritize in order to optimize your product. A technical partner would be the best choice here because they have the experience and personnel to help you formulate strategic plans and utilize the market data that they collect for you.

4. Will you have the capacity to manage all the needed resources?

If you have a management team that you feel can handle incoming staff that would be provided by a staffing agency, then this is the way to go. If not, it would be best to choose a boutique agency or a technical partner who can manage their work internally.

What to Look for in a Custom Software Development Company

After you have decided which type of agency best suits your business’s needs, it is time to pick a specific company to develop your custom software. When you are doing this, there are some key components that you should check to see if that company is right for you.

  1. Feedback - reading the testimonials of previous clients can help you assess the quality of the agency

  2. Experience - if the agency has experience with software development in your specific industry, they can provide valuable insights into your project

  3. Support - using an agency that is willing to provide upgrades and maintenance past the launch date means your product will last longer

  4. Communication - knowing essential information about the agency like where they are located, how they will contact you and how quickly they will respond is important. Working with a responsive agency with similar hours as your business can be very beneficial

  5. Expertise - this is as simple as determining if the agency has experience with platform, languages and frameworks that you want to use

  6. Development Methodology - many companies will follow methodologies like Scrum, DevOps or Agile for the best results. Asking about the tools they use to manage their projects and how adaptable they are helps to get a better idea of the agency

  7. Case Studies and Portfolio - looking at examples of past work can give you an idea of the standards and quality of an agency and how much value they create with their software

Top 20 Custom Software Development Companies

1. ISU Corp

ISU Corp takes the top spot for their ability to build reliable, high quality custom software with strong AI capabilities. They work closely with clients as a technology partner, helping shape the product from the early planning stages through development and ongoing support. Their experience with organizations like General Electric, Manulife, and the University of Waterloo demonstrates their ability to deliver secure and scalable solutions across financial services, industrial operations, and technology sectors.

With over 19 years of experience, they offer full end-to-end development along with legacy upgrades, cloud solutions, digital transformation, and AI integration. ISU Corp is a strong choice for mid-size and enterprise companies, as well as funded startups, that want reliable delivery, clear communication, and long term support.

Based in: Canada & U.S.A

2. Instinctools

Known for taking on complex projects, Instinctools prioritises communication with the client and the discovery phase to make sure your product is meeting your business needs.

With a specialisation in enterprise applications, custom software and cloud solutions, they have done projects for businesses in education, finance, healthcare and automotive industries, and are able to provide management and technical services.

Based in: Germany

3. Naked Development

Taking the client through the entire development process from start to finish and prioritizing design and marketability as well as technology in order to boost engagement is what sets Naked Gun apart from other agencies.

Specialising in mobile app and software solutions they provide design, UX/UI, development and after-launch services, making this a good firm for businesses in the social platforms, e-commerce and consumer apps industries, especially because of their focus on marketability.

Based in: California

4. Unified Infotech

Engagement is a huge priority of Unified Infotech, and because of this, they are able to use their expertise to inform the design and usability of your software in order to improve adoption rates, especially for customers.

Specialising in mobile app development and web solutions, their product strategy and UX/UI services make this a great company for businesses in e-commerce, healthcare, fintech or media. They create reliable products where the technological decisions are impacted by strategy.

Based in: New York

5. IIH Global

IIH Global creates apps, software and websites for businesses in e-commerce, IT and gambling, and they take care of the whole development process, providing testing services and support along with development services.

Headquarters: England

6. BoTrees Technology

BoTrees Technology prioritizes collaboration with the client, meaning that they are well equipped to guide you through the creation process of your mobile, web or AI based application, even if you are a startup.

With a foundational knowledge of machine learning frameworks, and common ones like Python, they have technical skill and a capacity to help with scalability for businesses in fintech, retail, logistics and healthcare.

Based in: U.S.A, India

7. Simform

Simform deems itself a digital project engineering company and they thrive by appealing to businesses in the logistics, retail and healthcare fields because of their ability to produce a product where the code, structure and technological decisions are informed by strategy.

No matter the size of your project, its global delivery model ensures that big programs are achievable, accounting for scalability.Simform is a good option for well established companies and startups, and they provide software development along with DevOps and AI specific services and cloud migration.

Headquarters: U.S.A

8. Dashbouquet

Well-versed in various frameworks, Dashbouquet provides software testing and UX/UI design services as well as web and mobile app development. They are a good fit for smaller businesses in e-commerce, HR, finance and healthcare.

Headquarters: Estonia

9. Closeloop Technologies

Working well with established businesses and startups alike, Closeloop Technologies has a focus on software and custom app development, all while building lasting relationships with their clients by staying on top of maintenance and updates to keep your product up to date.

Common services they provide deal with web platforms, usability, cloud integrations, mobile apps, scalability and industry tools.

Based in: California

10. Anadea

Anadea is well known for their ability to evolve along with your ideas and needs as they change throughout the creation of your software, and they pride themselves on the long-term relationships they build with clients as they provide a high quality service at a lower cost.

They specialize in mobile apps, e-learning platforms and custom business applications which appeal to businesses in education, healthcare, finance and real estate, and they also work with a variety of frameworks (Python, Java, etc).

Based in: Europe

11. Rocket Code

Rocket Code integrates AI into the software that they develop, making this a great company for you if efficiency is a core goal within your software. They specialize in web and mobile app development, online marketing strategies and the development of AI platforms.

Headquarters: Mexico

12. Computools

Specialising in healthcare software, loT, enterprise solutions and fintech, Computools is set apart by their prioritisation of data analysis and product strategy, and their ability to use the information they learn from those sources to guide the creation of the project, all while remaining as cost-effective as possible.

Based: Worldwide

13. ScienceSoft

ScienceSoft focuses on software integration and web and mobile app development. They provide IT consulting, data analytics, AI, cloud solutions, cybersecurity and custom software development services.

Headquarters: Texas

14. BairesDev

BairesDev prides themselves on the technical expertise of their staff and the speed and adaptability of their service. They specialize in custom software, web and mobile app development; AI; DevOps; and cloud computing.

Headquarters: San Francisco

15. Intellectsoft

As a company with seniority in the custom software development field, Intellectsoft is able to provide services throughout the whole process, from prototypes to after the launch, utilizing their knowledge in loT and blockchain, all to create a platform that is engaging, scalable, and different from your competitors.

They have worked with businesses in hospitality, fintech, construction and healthcare in both a consulting capacity and in mobile application development.

Headquarters: Palo Alto

16. Mercury Development

Mercury Development is one of the most senior companies on this list, and they specialize in web and cross-platform applications, and IOS and Android mobile app development. Due to their extensive experience, they are equipped to provide reliable, high-quality services to a wide variety of industries.

Based in: U.S.A

17. Leanware

Leanware is a great option for any smaller business looking for a company that can evolve along with your business needs, and with a lot of experience in different frameworks like React and Python, product engineering and cloud solutions.

The main advantages of working with them is that they are constantly taking machine learning into account throughout development, and they outsource software development to somewhere close to your location, making communication easier.

Based in: U.S.A

18. SDLC Corp

SDLC Corp has gained a positive reputation among startup companies for prioritizing emerging technologies, specifically providing services dealing with blockchain integrations and cross-platform app development and AI. Due to their modern approach, they are popular with businesses in e-commerce, real estate and healthcare.

Based in: India

19. Vega IT

Vega IT focuses on creating scalable products that offer effective solutions. They provide software planning, design, development and testing services that allow for the formation of software that enhances the workflow and processes of businesses in many industries.

Headquarters: Serbia

20. Queppelin

Queppelin is well known for their focus on developing web and mobile applications, XR solutions, AR/VR and metaverse platforms all impacted by a future-facing outlook. With a specialisation in new and immersive technology this is an agency equipped to deal with cutting-edge software concepts.

Based in: India

For B2B Leaders Looking to Scale

If you're a B2B leader or tech company investing in custom software, there's a good chance you're also thinking about brand authority, trust, and demand generation. One of the strongest ways to support a software product launch or elevate your company’s market positioning is through a branded B2B podcast.

At Jony Studios, we help B2B companies turn their expertise into an ongoing podcast and a content engine that drives blogs, social clips, and thought leadership without adding extra work to your team.

If you're looking to strengthen your digital presence alongside your software growth, this can be a powerful next step.

Conclusion

Custom software development is only going to continue to grow in popularity for businesses in every industry, so knowing how to pick the best company for your needs has never been more important.

After reading this list you now know a variety of companies who can meet your expectations and personalize software to help you optimize processes and workflow!

Did you find this list helpful? If you did, let me know!

Written by Eva Geimer

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Jony Studios is a content marketing agency specializing in B2B podcasting and audiobook services. They have worked with many clients, from startups to larger organizations such as Penguin Random House, Amazon, University of Waterloo, Freakonomics Radio, and many others.

 
 

65+ AI Marketing Statistics You Need to Know for 2025

It’s no secret that when it comes to modern marketing initiatives artificial intelligence has become a very common tool to use, no matter what your primary marketing goals may be.

Marketing trends are constantly changing, but one reliable way to reach decision makers and build trust at scale is through a B2B podcast. Partnering with a B2B Podcast Agency allows your team to create a show that not only elevates your brand’s voice but also generates marketing assets that power your entire content strategy, without adding work for your team.

Understanding AI, and further, knowing how it can be used to optimize your marketing strategy and content are two major interest points for marketing teams everywhere, and this level of AI comprehension starts with knowing the facts.

Here are 65+ AI marketing statistics and information to keep you up to date on the latest data in 2025:

What is AI Being Used for in Marketing?

AI is already being used by 50% of business respondents, and 29% who are not currently using AI are planning on utilising AI in the future, displaying how there has been a significant shift towards the use of this technology in a variety of fields. (WebFX)

From a sample including both marketers and market researchers, Surveymonkey determined that…

  • 51% use AI as a means of optimisation for content, marketing campaigns and SEO

  • 50% use AI for content creation

  • 45% use AI to come up with ideas for new content

  • 43% use AI software to automate routine processes and tasks that the marketing team previously had to perform manually

  • 43% use AI to assist with social media and their social media strategy

  • 41% use AI for data analysis

Overall, 73% credit AI as being an important part of tailoring customer experiences (Surveymonkey):

  • To generate content quicker, 93% of marketers use artificial intelligence

  • To speed up their decision making processes, 90% of marketers use AI

  • To reveal key findings in sets of marketing information or data, 81% employ the help of AI

The market of AI marketing is anticipated to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 36.6%, meaning it is expected to reach a $107.5 billion value in 2028 (Statista). This shows how quickly marketing teams are realising the benefits of implementing AI tools within their strategies.

AI Marketing Adoption, Implementation and Growth

Adoption

Currently there is still a relatively split opinion on whether or not to implement AI tools for company marketing in 2025:

  • 56% of marketers say that they are utilising AI within their companies, while 44% of companies have decided that they are not currently interested in using AI because they have chosen to wait until there are more established solutions before adopting it (Surveymonkey)

  • However, the use of AI tools by businesses is expected to increase, with 92% saying that they plan on investing in them within the next three years (McKinsey & Company)

  • AI is being adopted by 3 times more employees than leaders, for at least ⅓ of their workload (McKinsey & Company)

Implementation

88% of digital marketers utilise AI to aid in completing daily tasks (Surveymonkey)

91.5% of businesses that are considered world-leaders have invested in artificial intelligence. This includes businesses like Google, General Motors and Pfizer (ThriveMyWay)

AI has been fully implemented by 32% of marketing organisations, and is currently being experimented with by 43% of marketing organisations (Salesforce)

11.5% of businesses have not used artificial intelligence yet (WebFX)

9.5% of companies that were surveyed say that they currently do not plan on utilising AI (WebFX)

Growth

  • The value of AI in the marketing industry in 2025 is currently $47.32 billion, which is a significant increase from the$12.05 billion in 2020 (Statista)

  • The value of the global generative AI market in 2025 is currently $62.75 billion, and is anticipated to be valued at $356.05 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 41.52% (Statista)

Why Some Marketers Still Avoid AI

  • 70% of marketers say that at this time, there is no training on generative AI provided to them within the workplace (Salesforce)

  • 54% of marketers say that generative AI training is essential in order for them to successfully implement the use of AI into their current marketing role (Salesforce)

  • 43% of marketers who are attempting to adopt AI say that they do not know how to use AI to its fullest potential (Salesforce)

  • Safety is a main concern surrounding generative AI with 39% of marketers saying that they do not know how to safely use it (Salesforce)

Marketers’ and Business’ Perceptions of AI

Marketing leaders are 2 times more likely than their mainstream peers to acknowledge that their organisation is utilising automation and machine learning technology (Google)

People born between 1981-1996 are 1.5 times more likely to affirm that they are more familiar with the use of generative AI tools than their peers who are of different generations (McKinsey & Company)

Attitudes and feelings surrounding the use of AI in marketing vary. SurveyMonkey’s study shows that…

  • 69% of marketers feel excitement about AI technology and the impact it has on their jobs

  • 17% feel excitement and worry surrounding how it will impact their jobs

  • 60% feel optimistic about the direction in which the industry is going

  • 1% feel pessimistic about the direction in which the industry is going

Out of 2 500 CEOs, 35% believe that retraining and increasing the skill levels of employees will be necessary, and brought on by an increased presence of AI (IBM)

Around 90% of Fortune 1000 companies are investing more than ever before in artificial intelligence because of the predicted future value in AI (Wavestone)

Advantages and Benefits of AI Marketing

There are three main advantages of utilising artificial intelligence in your marketing: access to information, speed and automation. AI is able to comb through the internet, pull out information and generate content at a rate that you could never match yourself. With these advantages comes massive marketing benefits:

  • 83% of marketers say that implementing AI has freed up more time in the workday that can be designated to strategic or creative tasks that which require their specialised skill set (Statista)

  • 75% of American marketers say that AI helps their organisations to cut down on costs (Statista)

  • 74% of American marketers say that using AI allows them to surpass the target of their marketing campaigns and get more enjoyment out of their jobs (Statista)

  • AI has been deemed as a tool that increases brand awareness and sales within an organisation by 81% of digital marketers (Statista)

  • 69% of marketers say that the impact of AI on their jobs excites them because AI widens the scope on what can be accomplished as a marketer (Surveymonkey)

  • 16% of Millennials and GenZs in the US find social media photos that are generated by AI and posted by brands and advertisers to be very enticing (Statista)

  • 12% of people in the US between the ages of 18-34 find AI images to be more appealing when they are shared by social media influencers (Statista)

AI Marketing Challenges and Disadvantages

With advantages however, comes disadvantages. The three major disadvantages of using AI are the lack of originality, content bias according to AEO, and a lack of privacy. Along with this there are some further challenges to be faced when using AI in marketing:

  • 48% of marketers believe that the increased presence of AI in marketing means that they will have to alter their marketing strategies to anticipate other businesses utilising AI (Surveymonkey)

  • Out of all of the businesses that have invested in generative AI, only 1% have recovered their full investment (McKinsey & Company)

  • 50% of marketers believe that the expectations about the level and amount of content that they can produce will increase, because especially when it comes to B2B marketing, clients will anticipate that the agency is using AI for marketing (Surveymonkey)

  • 35% of organisations feel hesitant to use AI because they are concerned about the costs (WebFX)

  • 31% of marketers feel uncomfortable using AI because they are concerned about the quality and accuracy of the content it produces (Surveymonkey)

  • 49.5% of companies using AI have concerns about either data privacy and ethics (WebFX)

  • 49% of marketing teams anticipate having to change the tools and software that they use (Surveymonkey)

  • 43% of businesses feel discouraged by the biases and inaccuracies present in content produced by generative AI (WebFX)

  • 30% of professionals in marketing and advertisement in Europe, South America, and North America believe that brand safety is at risk because of AI, and it also poses greater risk for misinformation as well (Statista)

The Future of AI in Marketing

  • It is a top goal of 48% of marketers to adopt AI into their marketing strategy (Surveymonkey)

  • 75% of the staff operations of businesses that use AI will be pivoted from production tasks to more skill based tasks (Gartner)

  • 70% of marketers believe that AI is going to take on a larger role within their company and their work (Surveymonkey)

  • 30% of marketing messages from large organisations going to potential leads will be AI generated (Gartner)

  • McKinsey & Company estimates that 30% of work hours might by AI automated by 2030

  • By 2030, an additional 12 million job transitions are expected, with lower wage workers affected 14 times more than those in high paying positions (McKinsey & Company)

Consumers’ Perceptions of AI Use in Marketing

18% of people say that they feel confident in their ability to identify a chatbot interaction (Surveymonkey)

In the customer service industry, 90% of people prefer to speak to a real person instead of a chatbot (Surveymonkey)

AIPRM found that 56% of people believed the customer service industry to be where AI was used most prominently in business

Surveymonkey found that in the GenZ population…

  • 66% saw the appeal in AI that would help them to navigate a website or find a product

  • 63% liked how AI could create discounts and deals that were personal to them

  • 56% enjoy product recommendations that are personalised to them

  • A better customer service experience was what 43% of businesses found to be the top benefit of using AI responsibly (PwC)

The Best Ways to Use AI in Marketing

1. Content Creation

Generative AI can be a huge asset when it comes to creating content because it is able to produce visual and written content based on your prompts that you can then use your specialised skill to edit, creating a high quality marketing asset.

2. Optimisation

AI can help you to optimize your content for anything from hitting the right keywords to altering your marketing content in order to appeal to different demographics

3. Idea Generation

Sometimes coming up with ideas specific to your brand or marketing campaign can be difficult, so, by using your companies current content and data, AI can be used as a tool to help with the brainstorming process.

4. Tailoring to your Consumers

By tracking the behaviours of your customers, AI can personalise their online experience and keep them engaged with your content. Another way to use AI to interact with potential leads is by setting up a chatbot on your website so that your customers are always able to directly engage with your business and brand.

5. Social Media

Using AI in your social media marketing strategy means that you can keep up with the most relevant customer trends and opinions, allowing you to tailor your content to suit your target audience.

6. Automation

Using AI to automate some of the repetitive, monotonous processes or tasks that your marketing team has to engage with regularly means that you can create more time for meaningful work that only humans can do.

7. Market and Data Analysis

Collecting and analysing data is an important part of marketing, because without it, you would be in the dark about what it is that your target audience finds valuable, and about which marketing techniques are working, and on what scale.

By using AI to analyse data you can drastically speed up the process, and see trends and patterns in real time.

Conclusion

While some businesses opt to continue using traditional marketing practices and refuse to integrate AI into their processes, there is still no denying that artificial intelligence has made an incredibly large impact in the marketing field.

With the increase of artificial intelligence use in marketing, leveraging AI has become a way to stay ahead of the competition, making AI integration feel essential, and with these statistics, you now have a foundational knowledge on how to use AI to your advantage.

So, let me know, which of these statistics did you find the most valuable?

Written by Eva Geimer

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Jony Studios is a content marketing agency specializing in B2B podcasting and audiobook services. They have worked with many clients, from startups to larger organizations such as Penguin Random House, Amazon, University of Waterloo, Freakonomics Radio, and many others.

 
 

Digital Marketing Trends and Statistics for 2025

As the world continues to change and the most popular social and communication platforms change along with it, it’s easy to fall behind on the latest marketing trends.

One of the biggest causes of the increase in new marketing strategies and techniques is AI. The use of AI as a marketing tool and the implementation of artificial intelligence across so many platforms means that it is typically unavoidable for marketers, but this is something that you can use to your advantage once you understand how consumers respond to AI and the best ways to utilize it.

There are so many different aspects of digital marketing that keeping up can seem impossible, but using this as a guide will ensure you have the latest information that keeps your marketing strategy relevant.

Here are the latest trends and statistics for the different areas of digital marketing:

Social Media Trends & Statistics

Social media is one of, if not the most, relevant marketing platforms out there.

In fact, people spend around 14% of their lives on social media (Datareportal), so clearly this is a place where you cannot afford to be lacking when it comes to marketing. For consumers aged 18-44, social media stands out as the most preferred platform for discovering new products.

Tapping into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to social media promotion can be what sets your brand apart from others.

More importantly though, social media marketing can help you to reach the broadest possible audience because there are so many different demographics that have become accessible to you, even those you might not have previously considered.

Here’s what you should keep in mind when it comes to social media marketing.

1. Platform Popularity

Knowing which social media platforms are most popular for which demographics, and which are most popular overall can help you to dial in your marketing strategy.

X was previously one of the biggest social media platforms for consumers and marketers alike, but in 2025 there has been a shift away from the platform, with 67% of marketers choosing to focus on alternatives and 71% saying that, starting in 2023, they were spending less time on the platform.

Now, the battle for platform popularity growth is between Threads and Bluesky as marketers abandon X, primarily due to a lack of audience engagement.

Bluesky is an easy-to-use platform created by X’s former founder, and despite not being one of the most widely used platforms, it is growing in popularity because of its appeal to those looking for niche content.

Threads is a bigger platform based on people’s desire to break away from the saturation of video content and engage with lighter written content. The appeal of Threads is that the content feels organic, and businesses can use this platform to their advantage by marketing through authentic, organic interaction with your audience by posting short content that people will want to have an online discussion about.

2. Customer Collaboration

Collaborating with influencers has become something of a common practice for big brands to try to reach their customers using social media figures with the same target audience. While this strategy is still proving effective, many brands are trying to find new ways to draw the attention of their audience and one of the most valuable new strategies is collaborating with real customers.

By interacting directly with real consumers and allowing them to use their own creativity to promote your brand, you are building trust in your business by taking a community based approach, while also creating marketing assets that can be used as advertising on a variety of social media platforms.

63% of marketers have found that relatable content is extremely effective for their brand.

3. ECG is on the Rise

Employee-generated content is one of the best ways to build authority with your audience because you are fostering a human connection between your brand and the real people who are behind it, and the real people who would benefit from your product or service.

LinkedIn is one of the most underutilised social media platforms by marketers, simply because they don’t know the best ways to use it to appeal to their audience. Employee advocacy through ECG is the marketing strategy you should be implementing here, as people are looking for transparency, with 94% of consumers saying they are more likely to be loyal to a brand if they are authentic with their customers (Forbes).

With over a billion members, LinkedIn has been rated as the most effective lead-generation platform by 40% of B2B marketers, and ECG is the strategy to make sure your content is getting noticed there.

AI and AI Marketing Trends & Statistics

Artificial intelligence is a marketing tool that you simply cannot, and should not, avoid.

Whether your marketing strategy is focused more on social media, SEO or basic content marketing, AI has become an integral part of so many different online tools and platforms that it is critical you understand how to use AI to your advantage.

AI is being utilized by over 56% of marketers this year, which is drastically more than in 2024 when only 37% were using it, showing that there has been a big shift in one year alone and the rate of marketers capitalizing on this tool is only continuing to grow (Marketing Week).

Knowing which AI tools are best for your marketing strategy, and how to use AI in a way that still ensures your content is ethical and authentic can be hard to grasp when you are bombarded with list after list on AI innovations, so here are the latest trends put simply:

1. AI Agents

AI agents are a must-use tool when it comes to digital marketing.

Being able to cut down on the amount of manual work your marketing team has to do, especially when it comes to things like market data collection and analysis and the tedious technical aspects of content creation, can save you valuable time that your team can instead be dedicating to creative pursuits that require their specialized skill set.

AI Agents are software that go beyond the typical AI chatbot capabilities and instead are able to perform tasks and run systems within your business, all on the foundation of your company's data, so it is tailored specifically to your needs. While this is still a relatively new thing for marketing teams to implement, 19.65% of marketers were planning to automate using AI agents in 2025.

2. AI Fatigue

Perfectly adapting to all of the new marketing techniques brought on by AI is not something that happens overnight. However, with the common push by executives to implement these strategies right away, marketing teams can become overwhelmed by the sheer amount and complexity of AI tools, leading them to be less productive instead of more and initially throwing off the lead-generation process.

When the implementation of AI marketing techniques is rushed like this, it can cause apprehension and an overall ill-feeling in employees surrounding the use of AI. This is called AI fatigue.

Combatting AI fatigue is important, and it is ultimately something that comes with time once your team has adjusted to AI by finding which tools work for them and which do not.

3. AI Improves Advertiser Oversight

In the past, honing in your ad campaigns so that you are not only reaching your target audience, but are impacting them and increasing brand awareness was a long process including many different steps to ensure optimization.

In 2025, ad campaign optimization is a process that has largely been taken over by AI, which allows you to have even better control over who your ad is reaching, and how effective it is on your audience because artificial intelligence has access to data about the success and techniques of your ad campaigns and the campaigns of your competitors.

This can help you not only to streamline your campaign, but also to shift which platforms you are focusing on when distributing marketing content, which can allow you to cut costs once AI analyses where you are getting the most engagement.

4. AI and E-commerce

There are many ways that retailers can use AI to streamline and improve their customers’ experience when shopping online. Online shopping has become more and more popular as time goes on, and ensuring that your website and products are easily accessible online can make all the difference.

96% of potential customers say that they conduct their own research before consulting a sales representative, which means that the way your brand is presented online is very important in regards to lead generation.Some AI E-commerce techniques include:

  • In-site chatbots and search bar

  • Personalized recommendations and ads

  • AI generated product descriptions

  • Customer feedback data analysis

  • Price alterations based on customer and competition data

  • Consumer grouping so different targeted marketing campaigns are served to different demographics

Content Marketing Trends & Statistics

Creating quality content is the aim of every marketing team because in making content that your target audience finds memorable or valuable you are engaging positively with potential leads.

One of the most impactful ways B2B companies are building trust and thought leadership today is through branded podcasts. If you’re looking for a way to connect with decision-makers, attract qualified leads, and strengthen your brand’s voice without adding more work for your marketing team, partnering with a B2B podcast agency can make all the difference.

A dedicated agency handles the entire process, from concept and strategy to recording, editing, and distribution. You also gain a steady stream of repurposed content like SEO optimized blog posts and short-form videos to fuel your marketing channels and keep your audience engaged.

Here are some of the top content marketing trends to consider:

1. Value Older Material

While this might seem counterintuitive because older content tends to perform worse because it is losing relevance, adjusting your past content to better suit a newer platform and getting that content up to date will increase audience engagement.

2. Tailoring Content for Younger Generations

The incoming consumers of Generation Alpha should be on the mind of all marketers because targeting this generation means shifting your marketing strategy to account for an increased social awareness. Right now only 19% of marketers are targeting Boomers, while 36% target Gen Z, showing how marketing is shifting more towards the younger demographic.

3. Combination Content

Content that is created using both human expertise and AI tools has proven to perform extremely well. This is because entirely AI written content prompts worse search engine ranking and makes your audience have less trust in your business. Using AI as a way to optimize human-made content boosts the quality, and your brand’s authority along with it.

Digital Marketing Skills Trends & Statistics

To really hone your craft as a marketer there are some essential skills that you need to master, but unlike in other careers, the skills you need are constantly changing as marketing techniques change with the times.

One of the most critical skills right now is understanding and utilizing AI. Around 47% of marketers say that they know how to add AI into their marketing strategies, while 54% of marketing executives and CMOs said that one of the most important skills in which they find their teams lacking is developing strategies to effectively use AI for their digital and search marketing.

However, there are so many other skills too that work in accordance with the current trends we see right now in digital marketing.

1. AI Skills

Researching different AI tools and having a basic knowledge of how to best implement them into your market strategy is key to setting your marketing team up for success.

Making sure that every team member has at least some understanding instead of having just one designated team member for AI is going to boost team efficiency, allowing you to optimize your marketing content.

In the digital marketing field, 43% of AI use is for content creation, 34% is for research and 26% is for brainstorming, meaning that AI can help you improve various aspects of your marketing strategy, so it’s important to stay up to date.

2. Going Beyond Typical ‘Marketing Skillsets’

While understanding things like SEO and data analysis is important for any marketer, it is important that you are well rounded in your skill set and place value in soft skills and financial knowledge.

Soft skills are built on foundational, practical knowledge that allows you to adapt to changing marketing and business climates. I’ve spoken a lot about the use of AI when it comes to digital marketing, but these soft skills like problem solving and collaboration are going to be what sets you apart from software and makes your human contribution indispensable to the growth of your business.

Marketing is at its core all about business growth and lead generation, so having a foundational knowledge of finance is a skill that many businesses are prioritizing within their marketing teams.

Financial knowledge can help you to differentiate between high and low quality leads, which is critical since lead generation is ranked as the 3rd most important metric to indicate whether a content marketing strategy is effective.

Understanding profit generation strategies means that you can better understand how to optimize your marketing plans, and the best ways to prompt sustainable growth.

Search Marketing Trends & Statistics

Having the proper skills is only one part of optimizing your digital marketing strategy; the other is understanding how search marketing is changing.

Traditional SEO should no longer be your sole priority as a business because with the rise of A and social media, people are much less reliant on traditional search engines, and instead are defaulting to a more personalized kind of search. It is predicted that traditional search traffic will go down by 25% in 2026.

Understanding AEO and search marketing trends has never been more important to the sustainability of your business.

It is clear that social and voice search is growing in popularity. Currently Gen Z is using platforms like TikTok to do the majority of their searching. Adjusting your marketing strategy to include TikTok as a primary platform is a great way to reach younger demographics.

Many companies have started doing this already, with TikTok projected to generate $33.1 billion in ad revenue this year. Devices like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home are also taking over from search platforms.

Conclusion

Right now, there are more ways than ever for you to reach your audience and promote your brand, but with all of these different channels it can be hard to know what is going to be most effective and which opportunities you should be capitalizing on.

For many businesses, knowing which digital channels and strategies to prioritize has become more important than ever in 2025, since a lot of companies have reduced their marketing budgets for this year; this means understanding trends is crucial.

So, let me know, will you use any of these trends to alter your marketing strategy?

Written by Eva Geimer

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Jony Studios is a content marketing agency specializing in B2B podcasting and audiobook services. They have worked with many clients, from startups to larger organizations such as Penguin Random House, Amazon, University of Waterloo, Freakonomics Radio, and many others.