2025: The Year of Non-Traditional Media
The Trends for Financial PR and Advertising
Was 2024 peak podcast? Maybe it was peak newsletter. With presidential candidates choosing podcasts over morning shows, and new substacks quickly rising in influence, media as we know it is changing. It’s always “changing,” but as someone deeply focused in ensuring my clients are in the right place at the right time, it’s quickly becoming true that it’s not traditional media. Let’s add on that trust in the media from both sides of the political spectrum is at an all-time low.
31% of U.S. adults trust mass media a great deal or fair amount, in contrast to 69% of adults 50 years ago.
Social media has been the big disrupter in news in the last 10 years. First Facebook, then Twitter (X), and now Instagram and TikTok. We’re reaching all-time highs, but let’s add the roller coaster of a TikTok ban, Meta’s changing guardrails, and the growing behemoth of the creator economy. More than ever, click-bait, virality and algorithm optimization is taking over our screen time.
At the same time, we need a break. Enter one-hour plus podcasts with prolific non-media hosts and Substacks by former journalists.
But are these channels news? Is it journalism? Does it matter anymore?
As consumers continue to muddle the roles and reliability of journalists, content creators, and influencers, the difference between news and content is blurring. Content (think podcasts, TikTok videos, Substacks) are now breaking and becoming news. So often the traditional media is covering the podcasts. Think Kamala on Call Her Daddy. Or Trump and Zuckerburg on Joe Rogan. Marketers and communicators will have their work cut out this year navigating a shifting media landscape.
As we continue on this media roller coaster, here are my top 10 trends to pay attention to in 2025.
1. Podcasts are mainstream media.
Podcasting may have started out as a platform for amateurs, but they have become a mainstay in a modern marketing strategy. The number of global podcast listeners exceeded 500 million users in 2023, and 42% of Americans over the age of 12 listen to podcasts (up from just 12% a decade prior). While podcast consumption peaks during typical commuting times, 62% of listeners listen to content from home.
This increased engagement underscores podcasting as a media channel prime for advertisers. Ad revenue from podcasts were projected to exceed $2 billion in 2024, and one study showed podcast advertising provides a 4.9x return on investment. This is attributed, in part, to direct access to niche audiences that are typically highly engaged with the content and community the podcasts create.
With podcasts replacing traditional media and news consumption, they are also becoming the new morning news show for modern consumers. To battle this, traditional media networks are competing with podcasts of their own to offer the flexibility of on-demand listening that live television or radio cannot provide. Financial services marketers in particular may benefit from diversifying their ad spend strategies for 2025 to include podcast advertising or sponsorships that appeal to specific target audiences.
2. YouTube is overtaking TV.
The number of active monthly users on YouTube nearly exceeded 2.5 million in 2024, with the platform becoming the first streaming service to exceed 10% of overall television viewership. In total, 41.4% of television consumption occurs across streaming platforms, compared to just 26.7% on traditional cable and 20.3% on broadcast television.
YouTube has also grown to replace television on actual TVs. Forty-five percent of YouTube viewers watch content from their televisions as more consumers have smart TVs or plug-in streaming devices such as Google Chromecast that make it easier to access formerly mobile-first content at home.
All of this indicates that consumer perspectives on what television actually is, and where or how they want to engage with it, have drastically changed. Marketers may benefit in 2025 by looking into options for advertising on YouTube. While traditional cost-per-view or cost-per-click models are available, collaborating with influencers and content creators in the financial services industry can also boost exposure and credibility directly with a target audience.
3. Individual-led newsletters are thriving.
Community management has moved beyond large, established brands with a distinct following. With the increased accessibility of online publishing and newsletter platforms, individual thought leaders and influencers are also able to create content, curate contact lists, and nurture their own communities around niche interests.
Platforms like Substack, which has over 17,000 writers publishing and earning money and more than 35 million active readers consuming content, simplify the process of distributing content with little technical know-how. Individual-led newsletters are unique in that they drive captive audiences largely on an opt-in, sought-after basis. This results in higher engagement and trust with readers. For example, traditional email marketing in financial services can achieve open rates of 35.90%. However, Substack newsletter open rates typically fall between 40-70%.
While financial brands can diversify their marketing strategies using newsletters in tandem with other promotional content, collaborating with self-published authors may also bring opportunities for branding and exposure.
4. Native ads are outperforming banners.
Content quality and relevance remain critical for effective advertising, and digital display ads are being affected by this trend. Consumers are increasingly skimming over banner ads that interrupt website content. Click-through rates (CTR) on display advertising pale in comparison to other marketing channels with an average of just 0.05%. Native ads have a higher average CTR of 0.2%.
This is partly due to the nature of native ads. These promotions take on the appearance of content produced by the publication and typically offer information that can be of direct interest to the website’s target audience. Not only do they drive higher CTRs compared to other display advertising methods, but they also tend to garner better on-site engagement. Because native ads take on the appearance of website content, they are often overlooked by ad blockers and easier to render on mobile devices. All of this adds up to less user interruption and less ad fatigue.
Financial services marketing teams can look to explore native advertising opportunities with industry publication websites that can offer direct access to target audiences. The key is that these ads go well beyond a single digital image; marketing will need to work to develop relevant content to appeal to readers and place their brand in a positive light.
5. Generative AI is impacting Google Search.
When it comes to search, Google remains at the top of search engine market share at 89.73% with brands like Bing and Yahoo! competing over what is left over. However, the search landscape changed quite a bit throughout 2024 with the rise in prevalence of AI. The primary use of generative AI was for answering questions, typically a search engine task.
To combat this, Google introduced its own AI Overviews to provide summaries and key links for search engine users to make it even faster and easier to find answers. The feature, which debuted in May 2024, came under scrutiny due to issues with accuracy and was rolled back to appear in just 15% of search results by June.
As Google grapples with the impact of AI platforms such as ChatGPT, the search engine is continuing to adjust its search algorithms. Some SEO aspects, such as user search intent and E-E-A-T principles, are becoming more important as Google determines how to rank search results for end users. Financial services marketers should keep SEO best practices in mind when creating content but continue watching search trends related to generative AI platforms that could change where users are going for answers.
6. Apple News will be a dominant player.
Where and how consumers are getting their news is changing as well. Only 33% of Americans often get their news from television sources, compared to 57% who use digital devices. Helping this pivot has been the development of news platforms or apps that not only centralize information but also curate stories for each reader based on personal preferences.
Apple News is just one of these platforms that continues to demonstrate that consumers want personalized, instant access to information. With over 125 million monthly active users, the news aggregator is also seeing exponential growth for its paid subscription service, Apple News+. From 2020 to 2024, paid subscriptions increased from 15% to 24%, compared to the New York Times increasing subscribers by just 2% during the same period.
For 2025, Apple News will be expanding its advertising options including inventory for premium sponsorships, display ads, video ads, and feed and story promotions. Because content is curated based on user interest, marketers can take advantage of access to a targeted audience that has already been qualified with an interest in related topics.
7. Traditional media continues to restructure.
The change in user perceptions of what is or is not news is also impacting job security for people who are dedicated to journalism. With more independent content creators and influencers taking up valuable market space, traditional media outlets are continuing to scale back employment and restructure their content teams. Added to this is the decline in popularity of print media compared to a modern digital-first mentality.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that employment for journalists is expected to decline 3% by 2033, with any available growth attributed to retirement turnover. This prediction is already evident in recent layoffs. Media company Axios laid off 10% of its staff in August 2024, and the Washington Post let roughly 100 employees go in early January 2025. Just days later, HuffPost announced the elimination of 30 editorial positions and cited challenges to the business as the cause.
As traditional media will evolve over the coming years as more brands adjust to the competition digital publications have brought to the table, marketers should balance their strategies to proportionately include print and legacy publications. Overall consumption of newspapers and print media may be at all-time lows (26% according to Pew Research), this channel can be effective with specific target audiences, with 50% of older adults consuming print newspapers.
8. LinkedIn remains dominant in B2B marketing.
Clearly more than a digital resume platform, LinkedIn has become a professional networking and marketing powerhouse. For 2024, the company’s revenue increased $1.4 billion compared to 2023. While much of this is attributed to Talent Solutions and Premium Subscriptions, the company has become a major advertising platform for B2B marketing beyond human resources concerns.
LinkedIn offers a number of advertising options for marketers from display ads to events and carousels. Revenue generated from advertising alone reached $5.93 billion by 2023. However, the social media platform also gives marketers a unique opportunity to generate their own content and take advantage of search trends and hashtags to generate leads through organic content. Seventy-seven percent of marketers credit LinkedIn with providing the best organic results across social media campaigns.
When it comes to B2B marketing strategies, LinkedIn should remain part of the equation for 2025. Surpassing 770 million users in 2024, the social media platform allows marketers to target prospects with higher likelihood of decision-making power and access to funds. The company has also enhanced its analytics tools and algorithms to better understand user behavior and improve conversions moving forward.
9. Vertical video is here to stay.
Vertical format videos have risen to prominence in stride with increases in mobile use. Best practices in video formatting for online distribution started out touting horizontal or landscape viewing because computer screens, televisions, and even movies all presented media in this way. However, increased access to mobile devices and improvements to mobile internet speeds have cultivated a mobile-first mentality when it comes to video consumption. Smartphones account for 69% of video viewing amount U.S. users, and 57% of user generated content is produced from mobile devices, predominantly in vertical format.
Format also impacts engagement, with vertical videos achieving four times more engagement than square content on Facebook and 2.5 times better on X. Additionally, only 13% of users will turn their device to watch horizontal content (out of the 94% of users who hold their phones vertically), creating missed opportunities for advertisers and content creators alike.
All of this means marketers need to embrace the shift to vertical videos to engage audiences. TikTok and Instagram have noted a 36% increase in views for vertical format content, and vertical video ads exhibit 2x higher purchase intent than horizontal content. Moving into 2025 and beyond, marketers should consider where and how they want to engage with audiences and produce content that fits the expected format.
10. The algorithms love hate.
Research is increasingly demonstrating that search algorithms on social media platforms may promote or underscore hateful or negative content. Studies by the Anti-Defamation League and Tech Transparency Project showed that algorithms detecting user search trends for divisive language or extremist topics were likely to continue providing negative content to users along similar or related subjects.
Algorithms are designed, in part, to identify reader tendencies and to take advantage of those patterns to provide more content in line with user interests. All of this is designed to increase user engagement and time on site, which can help with everything from advertising to usage statistics. However, the trend in ability for these algorithms to also curate and fuel negativity and hate is one everyone should watch out for in 2025.
Helping to shape these trends a user’s tendency to engage more with negative stories compared to positive news. This negativity bias means that users are more attracted to headlines promising negative information, and social media users are 1.91 times more likely to share links to negative news. While brands can appeal to consumers by emphasizing pain points that can be solved with unique products or conducting comparison marketing, marketers will need to be careful with how to leverage or work around this trending bias.
Creating an Effective 2025 Media Strategy for Financial Services
Remaining current on media trends is part of every marketer’s role, but with so many changes happening across marketing, 2025 may be especially challenging to navigate. At Vested, we’re constantly watching how different omnichannel marketing opportunities are shifting to help clients optimize their marketing strategies. Our team covers everything from PR to advertising to content marketing, giving clients limitless resources to pull from while remaining up to date on the latest developments in financial services marketing.
What did I miss? What did I get wrong? Chat to me about your takes at: ibby@fullyvested.com.
