AI, Voice Search & the Future of Digital Marketing

In the very first full-length episode of Cinch Academy, Mandy, Shyan and graphic designer Kiana discuss the biggest digital marketing trends shaping 2025.

The conversation explores the rise of AI tools, voice search, wearable technology, short-form video content and changing consumer behaviour. The team also discusses how SEO is evolving alongside AI-driven search experiences and why authenticity remains one of the most important elements in modern marketing.

Main Takeaways:

• AI is transforming marketing workflows but still requires human oversight

• AI-generated writing and visuals often lack authenticity and originality

• Voice search is changing how consumers search for businesses online

• Long-tail keywords and conversational phrases are increasingly important for SEO

• Younger generations rely heavily on voice-assisted search

• Video content continues to dominate across platforms like TikTok and YouTube

• Wearable and augmented reality technologies are influencing consumer experiences

• Businesses must adapt to changing search behaviours and consumer expectations

• Authenticity remains one of the strongest drivers of audience engagement

• Not every business needs to be on every platform

The Abridged Transcription (Listen for full content!)

Shyan: Welcome to our very first full-length Cinch Academy podcast. Today, we’re talking about marketing trends for 2025, AI, voice search and how consumers are finding businesses online. Joining me today are Mandy, our esteemed writer, and Kiana, our graphic designer.

Mandy: One of the biggest questions we hear constantly is: Will AI replace us? As someone who has worked in writing for almost 20 years, I can honestly say AI has changed my workflow dramatically.

But AI-generated writing still lacks originality, personality and polish. It still requires editing, direction and human judgement.

Shyan: Exactly. AI always needs a user. Someone still has to prompt it, review it and implement it properly. At least right now, it’s not replacing marketers — it’s changing how marketers work.

Mandy: Kiana, from a design perspective, what’s your experience with AI-generated images and video?

Kiana: I’ve experimented with AI-generated visuals quite a bit. They can be useful, but they often feel generic and inconsistent. As a designer, you still need to create something unique to the client’s branding and personality, and AI struggles with that.

Mandy: That’s exactly how I feel about AI writing, too. After a while, everything starts sounding the same.

Kiana: I also think AI can sometimes stop people from developing their own creative skills because it becomes easy to rely on it instead of thinking independently.

Shyan: Another huge trend we’ve been watching is voice search. More consumers are using Siri, Alexa and smart speakers instead of typing traditional searches. That changes how businesses need to think about SEO.

Mandy: Instead of typing “coffee shop Calgary,” people now ask full conversational questions like:“Where’s the best coffee shop near me?”

Shyan: Exactly. Those longer conversational searches create what we call long-tail keywords. Businesses now need website content and SEO strategies that reflect how real people naturally speak.

Kiana: Interestingly, I still tend to use maps more than voice search personally.

If I’m in a new area, I’ll usually search through Apple Maps or Google Maps instead of talking to my phone.

Mandy: Which still reinforces the importance of local SEO and “near me” search optimization.

Shyan: We also talked about wearable technology and how consumers interact with digital devices differently now. I originally resisted wearable tech completely, but once I started using a smartwatch, I realized how much useful information it actually provides.

Mandy: I think VR and wearable technology have been “almost arriving” for decades. But now brands are finally finding practical ways to integrate them into shopping experiences.

Shyan: Exactly. Brands like Ikea and Sephora now use augmented reality to let customers preview products in their homes or test makeup virtually before buying. That’s becoming a major part of the modern customer journey.

Shyan: One thing that absolutely isn’t changing is the importance of video content. Short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts continue dominating consumer attention. YouTube especially remains incredibly powerful because it combines both video discovery and search engine functionality.

Mandy: Attention spans vary wildly now, though. Some people will scroll away after two seconds, while others will watch long-form content for half an hour if it truly interests them.

Shyan: One of the biggest opportunities with AI is personalization. Businesses can now create more customized customer journeys and better anticipate consumer needs using AI-assisted tools and data analysis.

Mandy: But businesses still need authenticity. You can’t just chase every trend blindly.

Kiana: Exactly. Authenticity only works when it aligns naturally with the brand and audience. Not every trend is appropriate for every business.

Shyan: Digital marketing changes incredibly fast. The businesses that succeed are the ones willing to adapt while still maintaining a strong brand identity.

Mandy: And not every platform is right for every business, either. Sometimes the smartest strategy is knowing where your audience actually exists instead of trying to be everywhere.

Shyan: AI, voice search and digital personalization are only becoming more important. Learning how to work alongside these tools is going to be a huge advantage moving forward.

Mandy: Next time, we should probably talk about prompting and how to actually communicate effectively with AI tools.

Kiana: I’d love that conversation.

Shyan: Thanks for joining us for the very first Cinch Academy podcast episode.

We’ll see you next time!

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