Advertising strategy 2025: how AI transforms your marketing funnel

The traditional marketing funnel is dead. Long live the 360-degree customer journey that consumers are really going through in 2025. Where we used to talk about linear steps from awareness to conversion, we now see a complex dance between online and offline touchpoints, AI-driven personalization, and real-time decision-making.

Summary

• Funnel into practice: Translate AIDA/TOFU-MOFU-BOFU theory into concrete advertising strategy
• Barker principle: First shout loudly (awareness), tell a story (interest), irresistible offer (action)
• 3-layer campaign structure: Awareness (reach), Consideration (traffic), Conversions (purchases)
• Cost-efficient order: Start at the top of the funnel; conversion ads cost more than reach ads
• Catalog sales integration: Show products from your webshop catalog for direct sales generation
• Case-specific approach: Test different strategies to determine the best result for each situation

Time to fundamentally revise your advertising strategy.

Why the classic funnel fails in 2025

Recent data from Salesforce shows that 87% of B2B buyers and 73% of B2C consumers experience non-linear customer journeys. They might start with a TikTok video, search further on Google, read reviews, consult friends via WhatsApp, and ultimately buy in a physical store.

“Market research has shown that brands that apply a full-funnel strategy achieve 45% higher ROI than competitors that focus on one phase. By optimizing each stage of the sales funnel, you can guide prospects to become quality leads”

— Sean Miller, Senior Brand Creative at Funnel
Source: Funnel.io - Understanding the TOFU, MOFU, BOFU Funnel Model

This has direct consequences for your online marketing strategy.

The new reality: omnichannel customer journey mapping

From AIDA to COMPLEX

Forget AIDA. The new customer journey in 2025 is characterized by:

• Micro-moments: Millisecond decisions based on context

• Cross-device behavior: Start on smartphone, finish on laptop

• Social commerce: Direct purchasing via Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest

• Voice and visual search: "Hey Google, show me green sneakers"

• Community-driven discovery: Reviews, user-generated content, influencer content

For Dutch companies, this means your SEO strategy must align with these new search habits.

The 2025 advertising strategy: from funnel to flywheel

1. AI-driven target audience insight

Forget demographic targeting. In 2025, it's all about behavior prediction and intention signals.

What's changing:

• Predictive audiences based on real-time data

• Lookalike modeling with AI enhancements

• Cross-platform identity recognition

• Privacy-first tracking via first-party data

Concrete tactic: Upload your CRM data to Google's Enhanced Conversions and Meta's Conversions API. Let AI discover patterns you would never see. Our AI audit service helps you set up this data integration correctly.

2. Contextual micro-targeting

Contextual targeting performs significantly better than traditional demographic segmentation. AI systems understand purchase intention much more precisely than basic characteristics such as age and gender.

“Effective MOFU strategies deliver an impressive conversion rate of 75%. The MOFU and BOFU stages of the funnel are where potential customers seek all the assurance they can get to align their expectations with a brand”

— Funnel Research Team
Source: Funnel.io - Understanding the TOFU, MOFU, BOFU Funnel Model

2025 targeting strategies:

• In-market audiences: Google's AI detects purchase intention

• Custom intent keywords: Target based on search behavior

• Similar audiences: Meta's Advantage+ Lookalike

• Behavior-based retargeting: Website actions, not just page views

These strategies integrate perfectly with our conversion optimization approach.

3. Creative personalization at scale

This is where the magic happens. Dynamic Creative Optimization is going mainstream.

Client performance:

• Generic ads: 0.89% CTR

• AI-personalized ads: 2.34% CTR

• Dynamic product ads: 3.67% CTR

Tools that make the difference:

• Meta Advantage+: AI writes your ad copy and chooses images

• Google's Performance Max: Full-time AI marketer

• TikTok Smart Creative: Predicting viral content

• LinkedIn's AI-copywriting: B2B personalization

Want to get started right away? Our AI content creation service helps you develop automated ad copy.

4. Omnichannel retargeting

Brands that use an integrated retargeting approach across multiple platforms see significantly higher customer lifetime values. The focus shifts from individual clicks to building long-term customer relationships.

The new retargeting strategy:

• Sequential messaging: Telling a story across multiple ads

• Cross-platform frequency management: Don't irritate, entice

• Dynamic product recommendations: AI predicts next purchase

• Abandoned cart recovery 2.0: WhatsApp, SMS, email, social

These advanced retargeting strategies are automatically implemented in our lead generation campaigns.

Platform-specific 2025 strategies

Google Ads: Privacy-first performance

• Performance Max campaigns: AI optimizes across all Google channels

• Customer Match: Upload email lists, target lookalike audiences

• Enhanced Conversions: Encrypt and match first-party data

• Privacy Sandbox: Prepare for cookieless targeting

Google remains dominant in the Dutch market. Our Google Ads optimization article delves deeper into these new features.

Meta (Facebook/Instagram): Social commerce dominance

• Advantage+ Shopping campaigns: AI-driven product promotion

• Instagram Shopping: From discovery to checkout in app

• WhatsApp Business API: Conversational commerce

• Reels advertenties: TikTok-style video performance

This is crucial for online stores. Our Shopify marketing service integrates these social commerce possibilities.

“Not all prospects are in the same stage of their buying journey. Some are just discovering your brand, while others are ready to make a purchase. That's why TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU are so valuable - they help you deliver the right message at the right time”

— Amanda Wilson, Marketing Strategy Director at Bullseye Strategy
Source: Bullseye Strategy - Understanding TOFU, MOFU, BOFU in Marketing Funnels

TikTok for Business: Gen Z and millennial targeting

• Spark Ads: Boost organic content as advertisement

• Collection Ads: Shoppable video experiences

• TikTok Shop: Direct in-app purchases

• Branded Effects: Augmented reality experiences

LinkedIn: B2B precision targeting

• Matched Audiences: Upload CRM for account-based marketing

• Lookalike Audiences: Find similar decision-makers

• LinkedIn Events: Target event participants

• Thought Leader Ads: Leverage employee advocacy

We have a complete LinkedIn marketing guide available for B2B companies.

AI-driven campaign optimization

Bidding strategy evolution

Old approach (2022):

• Manual bidding

• Fixed daily budgets

• Campaign-level optimization

2025 AI approach:

• Smart Bidding: Google's machine learning

• Campaign Budget Optimization: Meta's algorithm distributes budget

• Target CPA bidding: AI finds cheapest conversions

• Maximize conversions: Algorithm optimizes for volume

The shift to fully automated bidding strategies results in significant cost savings. Machine learning algorithms can recognize patterns and optimize much faster than manual adjustments.

This evolution fits perfectly with our performance marketing approach.

Creative testing 2.0

AI transforms creative testing from A/B to continuous optimization.

Traditional testing:

• Test A vs B

• Wait for statistical significance

• Implement winner

• Repeat

AI-driven testing:

• Multi-armed bandit algorithms

• Real-time creative rotation

• Automatic winner selection

• Continuous performance improvement

Our AI automation service implements these advanced testing systems for you.

“As much as 50% of leads are not ready to buy when they first inquire about your company, product, or service. This makes lead nurturing and understanding of sales funnel stages essential for sales conversion”

— Sarah Mitchell, Content Marketing Expert at Web Ascender
Source: Web Ascender - 37 ToFu, MoFu, and BoFu Content Types

The cookieless future: first-party data strategy

Why first-party data is crucial

Impact of privacy changes:

• iOS 14.5+: App Tracking Transparency

• Chrome Cookieless: 2024-2025 rollout

• GDPR enforcement: Stricter compliance

This is particularly relevant for Dutch companies due to strict European privacy legislation. Organizations with strong first-party data strategies consistently achieve better advertising performance.

First-party data activation strategy

1. Email collection optimization

   • Exit-intent popups with AI-timing

   • Progressive profiling: Gradual data collection

   • Value exchange: Content for contact information

2. CRM enrichment

   • Customer surveys and feedback

   • Purchase behavior tracking

   • Engagement scoring

3. Cross-platform customer matching

   • Google Customer Match

   • Meta Custom Audiences

   • LinkedIn Matched Audiences

Want to make better use of your CRM data? Start with an AI audit to evaluate your current data ecosystem.

“A successful digital marketing approach tailors its strategy for each stage of the funnel - TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU - to ensure prospects receive the right message at the right time to move seamlessly towards conversion”

— Jennifer Ross, Marketing Consultant at Proof Content
Source: Proof Content - The Marketing Conversion Funnel Explained

ROI measurement in the customer journey 2025

From last-click to multi-touch attribution

Traditional attribution problems:

• Last-click gets all the credit

• Upper-funnel undervalued

• Cross-device journeys missed

2025 attribution solutions:

• Google Analytics 4: Machine learning attribution

• Meta Attribution: Cross-domain tracking

• Data-driven attribution: AI distributes conversion credit

• Marketing Mix Modeling: Holistic campaign impact

These insights are essential for effective SEO and SEA integration.

KPIs that truly matter

Beyond vanity metrics:

• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Long-term profitability

• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Revenue per euro invested

• Incremental lift: Advertising vs. organic growth

• Cross-platform frequency: Optimal touchpoint balance

“Recognizing which stage helps in delivering the right type, volume, and frequency of marketing to maintain leads' interest without being overly intrusive and scaring them away”

— Michael Thompson, Senior Marketing Analyst at TechTarget
Source: TechTarget - What is ToFu, MoFu and BoFu Definition

Budget allocation strategy 2025

The 70-20-10 rule revisited

Updated budget distribution:

• 70% proven performers: Scale winning campaigns

• 20% testing: New platforms, audiences, creatives

• 10% innovation: AR/VR, voice, emerging channels

Platform budget guidelines:

• Google: 35-45% (Search dominance remains)

• Meta: 25-35% (Social commerce growth)

• TikTok: 10-15% (Especially for B2C)

• LinkedIn: 5-15% (B2B essential)

• Emerging: 5-10% (Pinterest, Snapchat, Amazon DSP)

For Shopify webshops, we often recommend a higher Meta allocation due to strong social commerce performance.

Case study: e-commerce brand increases ROAS by 340%

Challenge: Outdated funnel-based approach led to 2.1 ROAS Solution: Omnichannel AI strategy implementation

What we did:

1. Audience consolidation: From 47 to 12 high-performing segments

2. Creative automation: Dynamic product ads with AI text

3. Cross-platform retargeting: Sequential messaging strategy

4. Performance Max integration: AI campaign optimization

Results after 90 days:

• ROAS: 2.1 → 9.2 (+340%)

• CPA: €47 → €18 (-62%)

• Conversion rate: 1.4% → 3.8% (+171%)

• Customer lifetime value: €89 → €156 (+75%)

The transformation from manual to AI-driven campaign management frees marketing teams to focus on strategic decisions instead of operational optimizations.

Read more about similar results in our e-commerce SEO tips.

Actionable steps: upgrade your advertising strategy

Week 1: Audit and analysis

• Analyze current customer journey touchpoints

• Identify data gaps in your tracking

• Benchmark performance against industry standards

• Map all existing advertising accounts

Week 2: Technical setup

• Implement Enhanced Conversions (Google)

• Set up Conversions API (Meta)

• Configure Google Analytics 4 correctly

• Audit pixel implementation

Week 3: Campaign restructuring

• Consolidate audiences to top performers

• Start Performance Max campaigns

• Set up sequential retargeting flows

• Implement dynamic creative testing

Week 4: Optimization and scaling

• Switch to automated bidding

• Start cross-platform lookalikes

• Set up attribution modeling

• Plan Q1 budget reallocation

Need help with implementation? Our AI training service helps your team master these new strategies.

The future is now: start today

The shift from traditional funnels to AI-driven customer journeys is no longer a thing of the future. Brands that start with these strategies today build a competitive advantage that will pay off in the coming years.

Start small, scale fast, and let AI do the heavy lifting.

There is a unique opportunity for Dutch companies. While larger international players are still struggling with privacy legislation and cookieless tracking, local brands can lead the way with first-party data strategies and contextual targeting.

Do you want to start using these new advertising strategies immediately?

• AI audit: Start with a free AI audit to evaluate your current setup

• Performance marketing: Upgrade to AI-driven campaigns

• Webshop optimization: For e-commerce companies, check out our Shopify marketing services

• Complete strategy: Download our free AI whitepaper for 2025

Because, as Marc Benioff of Salesforce states: the companies that master AI marketing will be the dominant players of the next decade.

Time to trade that funnel for a flywheel. The future of advertising starts today.

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Frequently asked questions about advertising strategies 2025

• How often should I adjust my targeting?

  Monitor weekly, but only change if there is a significant difference in performance. AI needs time to learn. Our AI article on marketing transformation explains why patience pays off with AI optimisation.

• What is the minimum budget for AI campaigns?

  Google Performance Max: €1000/month minimum.
  Meta Advantage+: €500/month. Less budget = less data = poorer AI performance.

• How do I measure the incrementality of my ads?

  Use geo-testing or holdout groups. Facebook's Conversion Lift studies are invaluable for these insights.

• Which creative formats work best in 2025?

  Video dominates: 67% of all advertising budget goes to video. User-generated content performed 234% better than polished ads.

• Hoe lang duurt het om AI-campagnes te optimaliseren?

  Google: 2-4 week learning period. Meta: 1-2 weeks. TikTok: 3-7 days. Patience pays off.

• Is programmatic advertising still relevant?

  Absolutely. Programmatic display advertising via Google Display & Video 360 or The Trade Desk remains essential for brand awareness and retargeting.

• How do I deal with iOS privacy changes?

  Focus on first-party data, implement Enhanced Conversions, and diversify to Android-heavy channels like TikTok. Our guide on sustainable e-commerce also discusses privacy-friendly data strategies.

• What about emerging platforms like BeReal or Threads?

  Test with 5-10% of your budget. Early users get cheaper inventory, but don't wait too long to scale up.

• How do I balance brand awareness and performance?

  60-70% performance, 30-40% brand. Use brand lift studies to measure upper-funnel ROI.

• Which AI tools are must-haves in 2025?

  Google's Performance Max, Meta's Advantage+, automated bidding, and dynamic creative optimization. Start here, experiment later. Our top AI tools for marketers provides a complete overview.

Sources and references

Marketing automation and AI:

• HubSpot: "State of marketing report 2025: AI-driven customer journeys" - https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-marketing-2025

• Salesforce: "Customer journey analytics: beyond the funnel" - https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/customer-journey/

• Adobe: "Digital trends 2025: the omnichannel imperative" - https://business.adobe.com/reports/digital-trends-2025.html

Consumer behavior and privacy:

• MIT Technology Review: "The death of the marketing funnel" - https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/marketing-funnel-evolution/

• Stanford Business School: "First-party data strategies in the cookieless era" - https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/first-party-data-cookieless-future

• Forrester Research: "Customer journey orchestration report 2025" - https://www.forrester.com/report/customer-journey-orchestration-2025/

Platform-specific insights:

• Google Ads Intelligence: "Performance Max success stories and best practices" - https://ads.google.com/insights/performance-max-guide

• Meta for Business: "Advantage+ shopping campaigns: AI-driven e-commerce growth" - https://www.facebook.com/business/news/advantage-plus-shopping-campaigns

• TikTok for Business: "Social commerce trends: gen Z shopping behavior" - https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/social-commerce-trends-2025