From 2025 into 2026: A marketing perspective

By Emma Peterson. 

Build a strong market presence in the new year by understanding the importance of a digital presence and navigating the rise of AI. 

As another year comes to a close, now is the perfect time to reflect on 2025 and the trends that have shaped the outdoors industry. It’s also a great time to use that information to forecast into 2026 and plan ahead. To get an idea of marketing trends heading into the new year, Karol Weyman sat down with Rob Murray of Intrigue Media for a new episode of From the Ground Up™. 

The trends of 2025 

The biggest change of 2025 that impacted the industry as a whole was the rise of AI. Rob shared how the adaptation of this unique technology played a major role in changing the world of marketing and lead generation. He shared, “We're starting to see ChatGPT as a lead source for the first time in history. To be clear, it's still less than 1 % of leads come from ChatGPT directly. But it's definitely something we can't be ignoring.”  

Another shift that Rob has seen this year is the rise of contractors using pricing calculators. He explained, “Pricing transparency is so important. Here at Intrigue, we've built out pricing calculators for people's websites, and every single time we do it, the quality of leads that come through those forms is really, really high. Buyers and potential clients really want to know what they are getting into, monetarily.”  

But just because some things are changing doesn't mean everything is. Digital advertising remains one of the best touchpoints for boosting business. More specifically, location specific advertising (LSAs) is an extremely powerful tool. Rob shared, “LSAs are a huge opportunity...The spirit of them is to help somebody when they're in need of something right away. They're really good for like plumbers, electricians and HVAC companies.” Google ads are an example of very powerful LSAs.  

Looking into 2026 

Based on these trends, Rob had a few main marketing recommendations for contractors to focus on in the new year. First and foremost – invest in your digital presence. All of the 2025 trends that Rob touched on are digital forms of lead generation that will involve bringing potential clients to your website. It’s crucial to make sure your website reflects your business in a strong light that will get you leads. How do you do this? Rob recommends testimonials, explaining, “You want visitors to the site to see themselves reflected. By that, I mean you want to show them how you solved problems for others so they know you can solve theirs.” 

Getting those testimonials can be as simple as a short call after you complete a project. Rob explained, “Testimonials and reviews are typically overcomplicated. It can be as simple as giving your clients a call at the end of the project. Ask them what it was like working with your team, why they hired you, etc. All you really need is a 45-60 second response of how you improved their lives. Do this for every job and by the end of the year, you’ll have like 50 of them that can be clipped together and put on a landing page for new visitors to see.” 

As you review and refresh your website and digital platforms, Rob recommended examining the language and phrasing used on your site. Specifically, make sure your messaging is connected to your audience’s needs and interests. Rob used sustainability as an example, sharing, “Most of our clients that have sustainable practices, don't talk about it too much. At the same time, we’ve seen the search demand for sustainability increasing year over year. In the last 12 months, it's had an average of 25 % increase.” By addressing this type of disconnect between the content of your site and what consumers are looking for, you can strengthen your identity and boost your business.  

The last recommendation that Rob shared was about navigating the rise of AI. More specifically, he emphasized that you must find balance between the human and digital, sharing, “The core of your business is helping humans. You always have to remember there's a human on the other side. But that all being said, AI is a tool that can be used to help connect with those humans.”  

How can you use artificial intelligence to connect with other people? You play to the strengths of AI. Rob elaborated on what this looks like, explaining, “Essentially things like ChatGPT and Gemini are lazy and will pull the most easily accessible information to answer people’s queries. What you can do as a business is format your content as summaries that are easy for these AI engines to grab.”  Not only will this get you more visibility as AIs quote you, but it also puts you in a position of authority, expertise and trust. Rob explained, “When the world's talking about you in a positive light, it essentially tells the internet and everything that crawls it, like AI, that you're a source to be trusted. That trust is really important for building a strong customer base and business.”  

Listen to the whole podcast or Watch the recording to learn more about boosting your marketing efforts in the new year.