Rise of Digital Marketing in India: Consumer Behaviour Trends in 2025

The digital marketing landscape in India has undergone the most evolution in recent years. Riding on the back of the Digital India initiative, supported by the mushrooming of several consumer-first and D2C brands, the digital marketing landscape today is truly fertile and poised for major transformations. To the same end, here’s taking a deep dive into various trends that emerged in 2024 and taking a closer look at how the sector is going to evolve further in 2025:

1.  AI-Led Automation Defining the Future

It’s difficult to talk about digital marketing trends without mentioning AI. From enabling personalised communication to automating several tasks on autopilot, AI is revolutionising all aspects of digital marketing. From brands leveraging AI voicebots to offer round-the-clock assistance to predictive analysis and data-driven decision-making, AI is a digital marketer’s best friend during this transformative period.

2.  Video Marketing to Dominate the Landscape

This is an era of videos. In fact, while initially, product videos or expert talks were enough, now we see the videos getting more niche, informative and engaging. Podcasting is the next big thing if it isn’t already in your niche. And given the rise of niche and micro-influencers, it’s possible today to create niche video content and make it go viral. For maximum benefits, brands should leverage short or snackable videos for Reels & YouTube Shorts while also exploring live streaming, typically for any new launch or to directly engage with the audiences.

3.  The Rise of the Vernacular

Given India’s rich linguistic diversity and the internet penetrating across India’s hinterlands, the rise of vernacular content is hardly a surprise. The same is evolving consumption patterns, growing the demand for content in regional languages, with over 75% of users preferring content in their native languages. Brands today are pushed to create localised marketing strategies and establish deeper connections with their audience.

4.  Voice Search & Local SEO take precedence

Today, we are surrounded by voice-enabled devices and smart assistants. Furthermore, the next rung of internet users are vernacular native speakers, who find it easier to search via voice commands instead of typing out their queries. This makes it imperative for brands to optimise content for conversational keywords and natural speech patterns. It is also important to look into local SEO strategies to optimise content for voice-based searches, as users typically look for something in the vicinity when using voice-based commands.

5.  The Evolution of Influencer Marketing

There has been a significant shift in influencer marketing. While earlier brands used to look for influencers with the maximum number of followers within their budget and requirements, this has changed now. Today, the focus is more on nano and micro-influencers. What these influencers may lack in the number of followers, they more than make up for with high engagement with their follower base. A lot of brands today are entering into long-term content partnerships with micro and nano-influencers. As their audience sees them posting about your brand for longer, in multiple posts, it gains more trust and brand loyalty amongst your followers.

And that’s not all! While these are the top 5 trends that digital marketers and entrepreneurs must keep in mind, the landscape is continuously evolving. The rise of hyper-personalisation, integration of social commerce, promoting eco-conscious consumerism with a focus on sustainability and purpose-driven marketing are all the trends reshaping the industry. The landscape is only set to evolve further, with an interplay of innovation in technology and evolving consumer preferences. From AI to video to the vernacular – brands embracing these changes are poised to not just stay relevant but create a big splash in 2025! 

-- Written By Kuunal Pruuthi, Founder of ChatProz & Growth Consultant

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