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How to level-up your digital marketing in 2024
The digital marketing terrain is vibrant and fluctuating, where change spurs opportunity – and vice versa. In this dynamic space, maintaining a competitive edge means driving the industry, not being led by it.
2024 is poised to usher in a wave of transformation in digital marketing, introducing trends that will redefine our strategies for connecting, engaging, and influencing our audiences. From harnessing the power of social listening and optimising for voice search to leveraging user-generated content and implementing AI-driven marketing, there are so many ways brands can stand out.
Let’s delve into the most interesting digital marketing trends set to shape the landscape in 2024.
AI-powered marketing
In the history of content marketing, never before has such a disruptive force been so pervasive – until the advent of AI. For some time, marketers have been leveraging Machine Learning (ML) and AI to create highly personalised, targeted messaging to audiences by understanding their online activity. But in 2024, we will witness the rise of AI-powered content generation thanks to the powerful capabilities of GenAI. Marketing teams are able to develop high-quality content such as videos, images, text, campaign ideas – pretty much anything – in a few minutes. The lid of practical limitations has truly come off, and next year we will see the boundaries of digital marketing being pushed in creative directions like never before.
Social shopping
To remain competitive in 2024, brands must actively leverage social shopping to connect with their target audience. This involves creating seamless shopping experiences within popular social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, making it easy for customers to discover, share, and purchase products. Collaborating with influencers and engaging in user-generated content can also enhance brand visibility and trust within the social shopping environment. Brands that embrace this trend are likely to see increased engagement and higher conversion rates in the coming years.
Voice Search Optimisation (VSO)
As voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google gain increasing traction, businesses must enhance their digital marketing initiatives to include voice search optimisation (VSO). To secure visibility in voice search results, marketing teams must adapt their SEO strategies to align with natural language patterns, prioritise featured snippets, and optimise for local search. This shift in approach is pivotal in catering to the evolving search behaviours and preferences of users in the era of voice search.
User-generated content (UGG)
User-generated content (UGG) such as product review videos, blogs, and podcasts promotes and markets a business’s product without receiving any payment for doing so. This level of authentic content drives loyalty because when consumers understand the time it takes to promote something without compensation then the product must be worthwhile. It gives customers an authentic look into the business and provides a compelling way to showcase genuine interactions which fosters authenticity. In 2024, a growing number of businesses will leverage micro and nano-influencers to promote campaigns and services.
Consent-based marketing
Google announced plans to put an end to its support of third-party cookies on its Chrome browser, effectively killing data-driven targeted advertising. Originally set to take effect in 2023, Google has once again delayed the scheduled deprecation of third-party cookies to the second half of 2024.
In tomorrow’s cookieless world, marketers will have to pivot from traditional digital marketing methods to consent-based advertising where customers willingly share their data. Businesses must now focus on how to effectively acquire, gather, manage, and store ‘first-party data’ from users. Establishing strong brand-user trust is crucial for this to work, so we expect to see brands looking to leverage themes of trust in their marketing campaigns in the build-up to when the deprecation is finally released.
Immersive experiences with AR and VR
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have become the ace up every brand’s sleeve to deliver memorable interactive experiences. As a level-up from generic ads you see when scrolling, brands are leveraging this technology to create immersive brand experiences that allow customers to engage with a product like never before. This turns consumers into active participants of a product or activation which invests them deeper into the brand experience. Having already made an impact on many industries, including fashion and digital fashion, 2024 will see more industries adopting this hot digital marketing trend.
Social listening
Ever wanted to know what people really think of you? Just sit in on a conversation wearing an invisibility cloak to hear their true thoughts. For brands, this is achieved by social listening. Social listening is where you actively search through social media platforms to track references and mentions about your brand, your competitors, and associated keywords. It involves keeping updated about how your brand is perceived online, particularly how your customers view you, to gauge how well you’re doing and what you can be doing better, in real-time.
Interactive content
Interactive content marketing has recently turned from a trend to a best practice largely because it works at establishing a deep connection between brands and their audience. Interactive content usually comes in the form of online surveys, quizzes, contests, giveaways, polls, and general questions which aim to engage users directly to elicit a response or interaction with them, thus establishing a connection between brand, content, and user. Primarily aimed at engaging and entertaining audiences to boost the user experience, interactive content is also used to increase the length of time users engage on a platform which helps a brand to feature better in searches and feeds.
Stay on trend in 2024
As the technologies behind effective digital marketing initiatives continue to evolve, so do the opportunities to create unique and customised brand experiences. Marketers have a wide array of digital tools to help them level up their campaigns and delight their audiences like never before.
How many of these digital marketing trends will you incorporate into your marketing strategy in 2024?
Paula Ferrai
Working Machines
An executive’s guide to AI and Intelligent Automation. Working Machines takes a look at how the renewed vigour for the development of Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Automation technology has begun to change how businesses operate.
