The big question on all marketers' minds is: “Which trends are the real deal, and do they fit into our goals and strategies?”
The world of marketing is always on the move, with technology and consumer preferences constantly changing. That's why marketers spend a ton of time diving into market research, crunching data, and chatting with industry pros. Staying ahead of the curve is key for brands to stay sharp in today's fast-paced market. Here, we're dishing out the lowdown on some hot trends shaping up in 2024.
Digital Marketing Trends 2024
2023 brought about some significant changes in the marketing world, from shifts in consumer behavior to the rise of generative AI and social commerce. As we step into 2024, marketers are gearing up for a mix of challenges and opportunities.
Successful marketers must align their strategies with emerging trends while not getting sucked into "spray and pray" marketing (casting a wide net and trying various tactics without a cohesive strategy, hoping that something will stick).
Here's a peek at some of the marketing trends we believe will take center stage in 2024.
Thanks to ChatGPT, 2023 saw a massive incline in the use of generative AI in nearly every industry. Going into 2024, marketers will get even more aggressive with generative AI, using the technology for every area of marketing. According to DemandSage, around 37% of businesses in the marketing and advertising industry use generative AI for their business processes.
Image Source: https://www.statista.com/
Amidst a highly competitive marketing landscape, it is essential to deliver personalized experiences to consumers. AI can be of great help in analyzing large amounts of customer data and providing tailored experiences in real-time, elevating the quality of their interaction with the brand. Marketers will also use AI for optimizing marketing campaigns, social media integration, predictive analysis, and engaging with customers via AI-powered chatbots and messaging apps.
By harnessing the power of generative AI, marketers can brainstorm ideas, enhance productivity, creativity, and deliver innovative experiences to their audiences.
While businesses embrace the efficiency of generative AI, it's crucial to tread carefully, especially concerning data privacy. Safeguarding customer data in compliance with regulations is imperative to prevent breaches.
Generative AI has the power to supercharge marketing efforts, enabling brands to achieve more in less time. Understanding its capabilities and limitations is key to leveraging this technology effectively, propelling business growth to new heights.
2. Branding the Right Way - Branding Trends 2024
A distinct identity that makes your brand stand out from the competitors is crucial for success. Instead of relying solely on your product and service offering, brands need to focus on creating a holistic brand identity that consumers can relate to on a personal and emotional level.
Here are some branding trends for 2024 and ways to leverage them for success.
It's All About Brand Experience. In 2024, it is about delivering a brand experience that consumers can relate with, connect with, and in the end, feel like doing business with. This requires taking a multifaceted approach. From personalizing the customer experience to offering the right product or service, and exceptional post-sale customer service, at every touchpoint with the consumers, they should feel connected to the brand. The brand's message, tone, and visual identity should be consistent across all platforms and touchpoints with the consumers for a perfect brand experience. More than the products, consumers should trust your brand that it will deliver. According to Small Biz Genius, consistent brand presentation across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. Personalization is extremely important in this context. Analyzing customer data for personalization and using integrated messaging platforms for delivering synchronized messages across all platforms is crucial in this context.
Genuine Brand Representation. When brands are too performative, consumers notice. Always be transparent with your brand values and mission and consumers will be able to resonate with your brand, trust you, and be encouraged to do business with you. As per a report by Salesforce, “Every three in four consumers are likely to go with a transparent brand, especially post COVID-19 pandemic.”
Image: https://www.oberlo.com/
Focus on Storytelling. Storytelling helps establish an emotional connection with the consumers in addition to creating a unique brand identity. Audiences can resonate with the hardships, failures, and successes and are highly likely to maintain a connection with the brand.
3. Content Marketing Trends 2024.
As we dive into 2024, brands need to keep up by embracing the latest content marketing trends and creating content that really speaks to their audience. These trends don't just make your strategies more effective, they also help you forge deeper connections with consumers, driving business growth in the process.
Visual content is still relevant. Videos are undoubtedly the fastest-growing marketing channel. Short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram and long-form videos on YouTube will stay relevant in 2024. Live-stream videos with Q&A sessions, product launches and demonstrations, influencer live streams, or behind-the-scenes videos are great at building brand awareness and establishing trust. According to Social Pilot, around 84% of video consumers claim they decided to buy a product or service after watching a brand‘s video. In 2024, brands should invest in high-quality and meaningful visual content to capture their consumers’ attention and provide them with personalized and interactive experiences.
Blogs are still great for ranking but podcasts will be a major focus. While blogs will be relevant for ranking in the SERPs, companies will also focus on podcasting. Podcasts are one of the effective marketing channels that help consumers grasp content more quickly and easily. Through podcasts, brands can share news, insights, brand stories, and thought leadership content to generate brand awareness and engage with the target audience effectively.
User-generated content elicits trust. User-generated content is the social proof that influences a buyer's journey. In 2024, user-generated content will be extremely relevant as it will drive authenticity to the brand along with building trust and improving SEO. By collaborating with influencers, Instagram takeover, creating engaging social media posts, creating online communities, and involvement in forums and discussion groups, brands can induce and capitalize on user-generated content. A perfect example of user-generated content is the iPhone campaign started by Apple that asks users to use the hashtag #ShotOniPhone when taking pictures with an Apple phone. This hashtag has 29M posts on Instagram right now. Below is the picture taken by a Photographer using the hashtag.
Voice Search Optimization. Smart speakers and voice assistants have given way to voice search. Consumers are increasingly using voice search. As per Tech Jury, 40% of all internet searches in the US are voice-based. There is a need for marketers to analyze how consumers use voice search and optimize their content. From speakers to smartphones or any other device, content should be optimized for all kinds of devices and with all the keywords consumers are voice searching with. Nearly 20% of all voice searches generally use a set of 25 keywords like “how,” “what,” “easy,” and “best.”
4. Social Media Trends 2024
Social media platforms continue to evolve each year, with innovations like TikTok's integrated search tool and Instagram's Threads feature. These advancements are all about putting users first, offering more interactive and engaging experiences. As we look ahead to 2024, marketers need to decide if they should adapt their strategies to capitalize on these trends.
Optimize for Social Search. According to TechCrunch, around 40% of Gen-Z uses TikTok and Instagram for search, instead of Google, leaving the marketers with no choice, but to optimize social media profiles and content for social search. Optimizing with keywords, captions, and descriptive data are all vital for the discovery of a social media post.
Make Use of Threads. Meta launched Instagram Threads in 2023 which allows sharing text updates with the audience and inviting public conversations. While Threads is still a growing platform, it will continue to evolve. Brands need to decide if this is a worthwhile endeavor based on their goals and strategy.
LinkedIn is Growing. As B2B marketers know (like us), LinkedIn is not just about looking for talent or finding jobs in 2024, but is emerging as a platform to share real-life experiences, advice, opinions, and views on a wide range of topics. Brands should prioritize regular posting on the platform and engage with their target audience on a personal and company level. Jon-Stephen Stansel, Social Media Strategist at Social Insider, says “LinkedIn will continue to grow and attract more daily active users. The brands that will win will be the ones that encourage their employees and leadership to build strong voices on the platform.”
Some trends to stay effective in your LinkedIn marketing are
Include storytelling in your posts.
Share niche-specific videos.
Leverage micro-influencers to reach your audience.
Based on interests, roles, or pain points, work on personalized content sharing.
The Rise of Social Commerce. Social commerce will continue to be on trend for 2024 as social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook allow users to buy products, from discovery to payment, all in the app. As per Statista, global social commerce revenue by 2030 will be at 913 Billion USD. To make your social commerce strategies effective, focus on user-generated content, niche-specific influencer marketing, social media posts with clickable photos or videos along with calls-to-action in addition to optimizing your profile and content for social search.
5. Email Marketing Trends 2024
Despite being one of the oldest strategies, email marketing remains effective and important for brands in 2024. AI-personalization along with interactive and visually rich content are sure to change the email marketing approach making it more effective and engaging for consumers.
Use of AI for Personalization. According to Instapage, “52% of consumers say they’ll go somewhere else to find what they’re looking for if an email is not personalized.” This is one of the major reasons why brands should invest in personalization in email marketing. Focus on creating tailored and dynamic emails based on consumer preferences, behavior, and interaction with the brand. Use generative AI to create personalized content based on customer data and behavioral patterns.
Focus on Data Protection. In 2024, customer data privacy and protection should be one of the top priorities for brands. As newer privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA are levied, it becomes extremely crucial to work in compliance with them when handling customer data. Ask your subscribers to change their email preferences and deploy robust safety measures to protect subscribers' data. This helps build trust with the subscribers while increasing future opportunities with them.
Make it Interactive. In 2024, effective email marketing is about interactive content. Include elements like quizzes, polls, videos, and surveys, but keep it all personalized. Interactive emails are great at boosting engagement and conversions, while helping deliver a better user experience.
Make it Mobile First. In marketing, they say, “Be where your audience is.” For email marketing campaigns, the audience is on a smartphone as almost everyone now opens their emails on a mobile device, making it relevant to optimize emails for mobile. In as little as 23-25 characters, make sure the subject is impressive for the subscribers to further read the content. Focus on writing crisp and clear yet compelling content. The images, videos, or CTAs should be placed strategically such that they can be viewed clearly.
Conclusion
2024 and the years ahead are booming with technological advancement and fluctuation in consumer behavior. By staying on top of these digital marketing trends and incorporating innovative strategies, you can position your brand for growth and success in this extremely competitive marketing realm.
Need help deciding if these new trends will help grow your business? Reach out to us or schedule a discovery call.