Marketing Trends and Predictions for DMOs
The CrowdRiff 2025 Trends Report is here! We surveyed destination marketers across North America to learn what’s coming, going, and staying as the new year takes shape. See where destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are putting their marketing dollars, how they map out paid vs organic social strategies, what tools they use to stay on top of trends, and their balance of skepticism and optimism toward the role of AI.
01 Social Status: Paid vs Organic
02 Keeping Up With Content
03 Measures of Success
04 AI: Anxiety and Promise
05 The Art of Staying Ahead
06 2025: Getting Real
We asked destination marketers how they plan out their organic content vs paid ads. Here’s what we can look for in 2025.
Going Meta
The tug-of-war between organic and paid lives on, and DMOs are trying to strike the right balance. They report having the most success with Meta ads, and IG Reels take the lead when it comes to organic content. Threads, X, Snapchat, and Bluesky are less popular but many destination marketers are watching Bluesky closely—so you best keep an eye out!
We’ll also have to see how the US TikTok ban shakes out in January 2025—this could majorly impact DMO strategies worldwide.
93%
of respondents said Meta ads are most effective, compared to just 18% for TikTok. But you should still keep up that organic TikTok presence.
90%
are prioritizing IG Reels for their organic content—that's a big jump from just 78% in 2024.
47%
have separate strategies for paid vs organic social. But with the rise of more “authentic” style ads, this is something to keep an eye on.
CHAPTER TAKEAWAY
Instagram’s social media reign continues — align your organic and paid strategies on the platform to make your dollars work harder.
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