Creating content in 2025 isn’t just about being present online – it’s about being relevant, strategic, and deeply attuned to your audience’s needs. With content saturation at an all-time high, small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and marketing managers face a daunting challenge: how to stand out, deliver value, and drive tangible business results.
Before: For many SMEs, digital content has long been approached as a checklist. You create a few blogs, post to social media when you can, send the occasional email newsletter, and hope something sticks. It feels like running a race where the finish line keeps moving.
After: The game has changed. Businesses are shifting from guesswork to clarity, from one-size-fits-all to personalised, from effort-heavy to data-led. With the right strategy, supported by tech and insight, your content can do the heavy lifting – driving leads, building trust, and increasing revenue.
What to do right now: That’s where Insight 2025: The State of Digital comes in. It’s more than a report – it’s a reflection of what top-performing brands are doing right now to win. This article unpacks those strategies, blending data with real-world examples to give you a roadmap that’s both practical and powerful. Whether you’re working with a small team or leading a multi-channel operation, these insights are designed to help you not only keep up but excel in a digital world that never stands still.
Lead with Data-Driven Decisions
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. And too many businesses rely on gut instinct over evidence. Insight 2025 shows that companies prioritising data outperform their competitors in key engagement metrics.
- Start small: connect your CRM with Google Analytics and begin tracking which content performs best.
- Make metrics meaningful: train your team to understand what’s working and why. Set up regular review sessions.
- One case study in our report highlights a mid-sized retailer that refined their email subject lines using heatmaps and CRM segmentation – achieving a 35% lift in open rates.
Integrate MarTech for Seamless Execution
It’s not about having more tools – it’s about ensuring they work together. When systems talk to each other, your team can focus on strategy, not spreadsheet-wrangling.
- Use integrations to reduce friction: link your CRM, CMS, email marketing, and ad platforms.
- For example, we profile a logistics company in the report that integrated HubSpot with Google Ads, which cut their lead-to-sale time in half by improving lead visibility.
- Invest once, benefit daily: dashboards give teams the clarity they need to execute with confidence.
Diversify Content Formats Strategically
Every audience consumes content differently. Some prefer reading, others watching. A smart content strategy caters to these varied preferences – and aligns format to funnel stage.
- Short-form videos create quick emotional connections. In our report, we showcase a law firm that increased LinkedIn engagement 4x with weekly 60-second explainers.
- Webinars build depth and authority. Live Q&As show transparency and responsiveness.
- Long-form blog content drives SEO and internal links. Our EEAT article still drives traffic months after publishing.
Tailor Content to Platform and Audience
Content without context is noise. Your audience – and their expectations – change depending on the platform. Meet them where they are, with what they need.
- LinkedIn: Ideal for B2B thought leadership and professional engagement.
- Instagram & YouTube: Visual platforms that favour tutorials, behind-the-scenes clips, and product demos.
- Build a content map that aligns platform, audience mindset, and funnel stage.
Focus on Retention, Not Just Acquisition
New customers are great. Returning ones are better. Retention content deepens trust, builds loyalty, and increases lifetime value – which is why it’s a focus for the best digital content strategies.
- Share behind-the-scenes updates, loyalty perks, customer spotlights.
- Use email journeys and CRM data to nurture your community.
- One SaaS case study in our report reveals how segmenting onboarding emails by activity reduced churn by 18%.
Optimise for “Generative Search” and AI
Search isn’t just about keywords anymore. AI-driven summaries and featured snippets are taking centre stage. If your content is clear, structured and credible, it’s more likely to be surfaced.
- Use FAQ blocks, schema markup and bullet points.
- Emphasise E-E-A-T: Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trust.
- Our internal analysis found that structured blogs were 2.4x more likely to be surfaced by AI.
Invest in AI Partnerships, Not Replacements
AI is a powerful assistant, not a creative director. Let it support you, not replace you.
- Use tools to automate outlines, transcribe webinars, repurpose content.
- Keep strategic oversight human: your tone, values, and nuances matter.
- One B2B tech brand in our case studies saves over 20 hours a month by using AI for first drafts and follow-up emails—all reviewed and polished by their content lead.
Prioritise Mobile-First and Short-Form Video
Your audience is on their phones. Your content should be too.
- Test your pages, emails and videos on mobile first.
- Use Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and TikTok to deliver key messages quickly.
- A fashion retailer in our report added shoppable tags to their Instagram Reels and saw a 48% boost in conversions.
Embrace Purpose-Driven Storytelling
Your customers want to know what you stand for. Brands with clear values and authentic voices are outperforming those without.
- Share stories of impact: sustainability, community work, company culture.
- Link your values to customer outcomes.
- One featured NGO in Insight 2025 used staff video diaries to humanise their story, tripling donor engagement in six months.
Immediate Actions for H2 2025
Feeling overwhelmed? Start here:
- Connect your CRM and analytics tools.
- Trial AI for content drafts or transcription.
- Commit to one short-form video per week.
- Structure your content for generative search.
- Launch a quiz or lead magnet for first-party data.
Personalise emails using CRM segmentation.
- Share a brand story that reflects your purpose.
- Check every asset on mobile before publishing.
Get (and Stay) Future – Smart
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But there is a smarter way forward. These strategies are already working for businesses like yours. They help your team focus, your content perform, and your brand grow.
