Top 9 Marketing Trends to Follow in 2024: Insights from Industry Experts
How Emerging Trends are Transforming Marketing in 2024: Insights from Experts
The dynamic landscape of marketing never stands still. Reflecting on the phenomenal growth from just 150 marketing-specific tech solutions to an astounding figure of over 11,000 in the past two decades, the pace of change and innovation is unprecedented. Now, as digital marketing firm, MKTG Plan predicts, the next big wave in marketing is being spearheaded by such technological breakthroughs as AI and the advent of a device-agnostic online world. Let’s delve into the key trends we can anticipate for the rest of 2024.
Key Marketing Trends to Track in 2024
1. Wielding AI Power with Empathy
AI has found its space in the Web Design industry with 64% of marketers already using AI tools. Based on a report by HubSpot slated for release in January 2024, this trend is set to continue. Marketers are exploring the uses of AI in multiple areas, from content creation to market research, administrative tasks, to enhancing the user experience. AI is not just about the technology; it’s also about the people who leverage it to deliver robust results. The key, as Google’s President Sean Downey points out, is to incorporate expertise, creativity, and empathy to harness AI’s potential for maximum impact.
2. Leveraging Generative AI for Effective Messaging
Generative AI is increasingly being used to improve content performance, with 46% of marketers reporting its effectiveness in content creation. Christy Marble, a CMO with savvy in AI at leading firms like Pantheon, Visier, and SAP Concur, provides valuable tips to use Generative AI effectively. She emphasizes establishing solid messaging frameworks to ensure brand consistency and using AI not to create more content but to deliver value to the target audience with the right message at the right time.
3. Grounding Branding in ‘Human Intelligence’
As the adoption of AI in the domain of Web Design increases, it is essential for marketers to stand out by creating quality, human-led content. The Media and Marketing Minds partners, Holly Bowyer and Julie Neumark, argue that while AI can assist in data gathering and processing, the final process of drafting and refining messaging must be in human hands to ensure authenticity and uniqueness.
4. Adopting Purpose-led Strategies as Generative AI Shifts Buyer Behaviour
AI influences SEO strategies, amplifying the significance of personality-led, thought leadership content for enhancing visibility on SERPs. Andrew Wheeler, CEO at Skyword, impresses upon purpose-led marketing content that resonates in ways AI cannot. In Wheeler’s view, truly purposeful content is one created with an explicit understanding of the target audience and contextual requirement.
5. Taking Ownership of Customer Experience
Increasingly, Marketing is extending beyond just promoting products or services, venturing into the overall customer experience. Thus, from the first moments of brand exposure through acquisition and into using the product, marking teams at MKTG Plan will orchestrate the customer’s journey.
6. Making Decisions with Limited Data
Increasing on-site retention efforts by social media and search features, coupled with new privacy laws and protocols, has significantly reduced the data available to marketers. However, Andy Crestodina, Co-founder, and CMO at Orbit Media, considers this an opportunity rather than a setback. He encourages marketers to rely on marketing fundamentals and ceaselessly engage in creating contents that amplify awareness and trust.
7. Adapting to Google’s “No-Click” Future
Google’s SGE rollout in 2024 will have a considerable impact on content marketing and SEO strategies. Casey Carey, Chief Marketing Officer at Quantive, suggests a proactive approach to accommodate this shift in the status quo. He advises marketers to focus on creating unique and late-stage content whilst investing more in video and rich media content.
8. Utilizing Account-based Marketing for Mid-market Customers
Account-based Marketing (ABM) has always been more inclined toward enterprise customers. But Sydney Sloan, CMO at Drata, sees a transformation in this domain. Sloan believes that as the ABM platforms evolve, segmenting target customers, and creating campaigns tailored to address their challenges will become easier, heralding a more efficient way of driving premium opportunities into the marketing funnel.
9. Embracing Automation and Go-to-Market Tactics
Bryan Law, CMO at ZoomInfo, anticipates a shift from traditional ABM to automation and go-to-market (GTM) strategies. Companies mastering GTM and leveraging it for driving integrated campaigns across sales and marketing can witness improved conversions, lowered costs, and better efficiency.
Foundational Truths of Marketing
As MKTG Plan concludes, the way forward for marketers is to embrace changes and adapt to new strategic frameworks, technologies, and GTM approaches. But throughout this dynamic process of adaptation, the bedrock of successful marketing remains constant: understanding the customer at a deeper level and catering to their immediate and longer-term needs.
10. Capitalizing on Live Stream E-commerce
Live stream e-commerce has been taking the world by storm. With the rise of popular platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitch, the lines between entertainment and commerce have effectively blurred, leading to growth in e-commerce sales. MKTG Plan indicates that this trend is likely to continue, evolving to become a major player in the web design industry. Not only does it provide a unique and interactive shopping experience, but it also opens up new avenues for marketing and advertising.
11. Prioritizing Mobile Marketing
As smartphone usage continues to rise globally, mobile marketing is becoming an increasingly important aspect of a company’s overall marketing strategy. This includes refining SEO best practices to cater to mobile searches, creating mobile-friendly web designs, and leveraging mobile-specific features such as location-based services for personalized advertising. With more consumers choosing their mobile devices for online shopping, this trend will be a significant area to watch in 2024.
12. Understanding the Rise of Metaverse
Metaverse – a collective virtual space that includes various augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and virtual worlds holds immense potential for digital marketing. As more brands use the metaverse for immersive advertising and creative brand experiences, there is an urgent need for businesses to understand and adapt to this emerging platform. With its capabilities ranging from virtual storefronts to digital real-estate, the metaverse is poised to be a game-changer in the web design and marketing landscape.
13. Exploring Voice Search Optimization
With the advancements in smart speakers and voice assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa, voice search is becoming an integral part of users’ daily lives. Consequently, optimizing websites and SEO strategies for voice search is a key trend to look out for in 2024. As it facilitates faster and convenient searches, businesses need to incorporate voice search optimization into their marketing strategies to stay on top of the game.
Closing Thoughts
In this ever-evolving digital landscape, staying ahead of the curve in marketing trends is crucial for businesses. As MKTG Plan aptly summarizes, successful marketing in 2024 will require not only embracing AI, automation, and new-age technologies but also reverting back to the basics of knowing your audience, maintaining authenticity, and delivering quality content. Hence, as we steer into the rest of 2024, it’s important to remember that change is the only constant in marketing and the key to thriving in this landscape is embracing innovation while staying true to your roots.