Marketing in 2025 is certainly not as simple as it once was. There are numerous directions to go in, various tools to use, and so many “things to do” that, for the small local service business, it seems like an insurmountable task. And yet, you continue to hear the same thing: if you’re not taking action now, your competitors are being you at your customers.
As frustrating and overwhelming as it may seem, local service businesses that want to market with confidence in 2025 can focus on specific methods that can help your organization stand out. Keep in mind that you don’t have to try to do it all. Instead, apply some of the most effective marketing trends with a proven ROI so you can feel good about putting your budget into this year.
Let’s break down some of the critical marketing trends in 2025 for today’s service businesses, from lawyers and plumbers to electricians and doctors, need.
Using AI in Marketing as a Small Business
Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for small business marketing when used properly. A recent HubSpot report indicated that businesses are using AI to help with brainstorming, conducting market research, and creating images. The key here is to ensure you’re using it to best suit your business objectives and goals.
For example, you can use AI to help you formulate ideas for blog posts that you can then share on social media to engage your community. Use it to help you take reports about your customers’ needs and health concerns to get a better idea of what topics may be valuable to your business.
AI is certainly one of the impactful marketing trends for 2025. As a small business, you can incorporate AI into marketing in numerous ways, but it’s not the only tool to use.
Video Marketing Is a Huge Win
What if you turned on your mobile phone, launched a video, and recorded what you did over the course of the day? That type of behind-the-scenes content is just what your audience wants to see. Creating videos allows you to go from being just a business to being an authentic, personable organization with a personality that people can get behind.
Data from G2 shows that 91% of businesses use video as a component of their marketing tool, and 99% of them say they will continue to do so. About 71% of them are creating content for social media.
Consider a few strategies:
- As an attorney, you can create a short video that provides your potential clients with information about what happens at a free consultation or what contingency basis means.
- If you provide window services, create a video that demonstrates the differences in energy efficiency between different products.
- If you’re a roof installation company, help your homeowners learn the importance of new gutters in prolonging the life of their siding.
Video is an important strategy for connecting with people in an authentic manner. It doesn’t have to be complex or a commercial type of production. Instead, choose to create short videos that are fun, upbeat, informative, or otherwise valuable.
Voice Search Optimization Is a Must
As a small business providing services to a local community, you need to be easily reachable by those who need your business. There are multiple ways to do that, but one of the most important is to use voice search.
Voice search allows you to create content on your website that allows voice assistants, like Amazon’s Alexa, to answer questions. To do this, use conversational content on your website and blogs. The benefit here is that when a voice assistant is asked to find the type of service you offer, you want to be sure they can do so seamlessly.
For example, if someone is looking for a shop to help them with an auto repair, they may ask their voice assistant, like Siri, “What car repair shops are open right now?” You want to be sure you’re including information that allows Siri to find you and provide your contact information.
Hyper-Personalized Neighborhood Content
As a local services business, you want customers primarily from your own town, city, or surrounding markets you serve. By creating content on your website, social media, and blog that specifically makes it clear that you serve that community, you’re helping the search engines find your website and your customers to contact you. Avoid any type of blanket promotion that’s for the greater community or region. Instead, get hyper-personalized.
There are numerous ways to do so, but some of the most helpful local strategies for 2025 include:
- Create local landing pages: Each town/city you serve needs a local landing page that incorporates neighborhood-specific details. Consider adding content that describes where you are or terms the locals use.
- Create GEO-targeted ads: For paid advertising, really zero in on location. That’s specifically ideal for mobile ads. Create ads that offer some insight into local events or sports teams – even local school promotions.
- Tailor content to your community’s needs: Incorporate content that’s neighborhood-specific into your marketing plan. For example, if you’re a pet training business, create content on your site that discusses the local parks where you meet up with pets. If you’re a local gym, incorporate local events important to your patrons.
Apply User-Generated Content to Your Marketing Efforts
Another marketing trend for 2025 that’s going to continue to pay off as long as you continue to use it is the use of user-generated content. It’s simply using your customers and their satisfaction with your work and service to help convince others to do the same and use your services.
The simplest way to do this is to ask your customers for a review. Send them a link to your Google Business Profile and ask them to leave a message about the service you offer. An excellent way to make sure they do so is to send a text message as soon as they leave your location. Ask them to click the link to complete a review for you.
Another way to use content generated from your clients is to simply ask them to record a video. Here are some ideas to help you.
- If you’re a body shop that does custom work, ask a recent client to showcase the work you did for them in a short video you can then use on TikTok or your other social media sites. Link it on your website as well.
- For pain management specialists, there may not be a better way to build clientele than to ask your current clients to record a short statement about what you did for them and how well it worked. People want this type of testimony from others so they know they are not making the wrong decision.
- Use before and after photos from a recent skincare client or cosmetic procedure to demonstrate the work you do.
Using these types of tools can give people a better idea of who you are and what you are doing for others. This trend continues to pay off as long as ads and reviews remain in place.
Automate As Much As You Can
Remember that there are dozens of tools and strategies you can use to market your business in 2025. Many of them work very well to increase brand awareness and drive more leads to your site. However, it’s critical that you make this consistent. Consistent content, social media posts, and other strategies help to build your success.
To achieve that, you need to automate as much as possible within your marketing plan. Automation allows you to set it up and not worry about being too busy to send emails or post social media content.
Automate any type of service you can, but specifically focus on:
- Review requests from clients who receive services from you
- Search engine optimization (SEO) so that you stay within easy reach of your customers – you need to remain competitive and easy to find in the search engines
- Online advertising so you are not spending more than you need to on paid advertising and instead targeting your very local audience
Automation simply makes it possible for you to ensure your strategies have a chance to work. You can use a variety of tools to help each one of your marketing efforts achieve this type of automation. Automation in itself is a trend that’s helping businesses remain competitive.
How Surefire Local Helps Small Local Service Businesses Get Leads
Ready to take full advantage of these marketing trends? One of the most efficient ways to fully capitalize on these marketing trends for 2025 is to use Surefire Local. Our platform gives you everything you need to set up and manage each component of your marketing plan. It enables consistency while also ensuring that you do not overlook opportunities that could help you attract your next customer or client.
You can also use Surefire Local to help you with online visibility, branding, customer base building, and revenue generation. If your business is ready to harness the power and opportunity of marketing in 2025, start with our services. Request a free demo from Surefire Local now and explore the opportunities that are available to you.