For many years, we have predicted the marketing trends for the year ahead of us. Many of our predictions have turned into reality, including the growing popularity of AI as an assistant for content creators and the continuous flourishing of influencer marketing.
Now, at the beginning of the new year, we made new predictions for the upcoming months. We looked into the marketing trends in 2024, and in this article, we share our insights.
Marketing Trends of 2024
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) strengthens its position
- Transformation of social media continues
- Video content dominates
- Sustainability trend is here to stay
- Personalization is a basic assumption
- Social media acts as a search engine
- First-party data is the new normal
- Voice searches begin to gather interest
From the later part of the article, you'll pick up tips on what to include in marketing in 2024.
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) strengthens its position
Last time we predicted that AI-based marketing is a significant trend now and in the future, especially in content marketing. If the past year has proven anything, it’s this statement. Since ChatGPT's debut in 2022, numerous new service providers and add-ons have emerged on the market, which marketers and communicators use in their daily routines.
New AI tools have been developed around search engine optimization, visual marketing material creation, and text generation. For example, several graphic design programs have started offering AI assistance for image editing. Our email marketing tool, LianaMailer, introduced an AI assistant this year to help with newsletter content creation.
Canva's AI can assist in both text production and the creation and editing of images.
While AI will make doing marketing tasks easier in 2024, it's essential to maintain a human-centered approach. Google, for instance, values original and high-quality content, and while it doesn't penalize text produced with AI, anyone using AI for text creation has noticed that directly copied text is identifiable as AI-generated. We advise leveraging AI with a human touch, using it as a source of ideas while maintaining editorial control for the final content.
2. Transformation of social media continues
A while back on the Meta platforms, you received a survey asking if you would pay for an ad-free version of the platform or use the ad-supported free version. From a consumer perspective, this question might seem relatively insignificant – after all, platforms like Spotify have offered an ad-free paid version for years – but on social media platforms, this is relatively new. Now, it is worth considering what this means from the perspective of organizations and advertisers.
Consumers are accustomed to using social media services for free, but now a change to that is being considered. For instance, Meta has already launched the option for Instagram content creators and influencers to create content behind a paywall for their subscribers, with pricing based on the content creator's chosen amount from Meta's pricing table.
This raises the question of how long social media giants will allow content creators to use their platforms as revenue sources for free. Up until now, various social media platforms have allowed businesses to create and generate significant revenues without imposing any monthly fees. Thus, it's worth pondering whether there will be a change in this aspect this year.
The transformation of social media as part of marketing trends in 2024 is also evident in the fate of the former Twitter, now known as X. The platform has steadily grown over the years, but now the trend is turning downward. This year, it may be relevant to consider X's role in your marketing strategy and whether it can be replaced by another platform if the decrease of X users continues.
On the other hand, Meta has responded to these considerations by launching the Threads, but it remains unclear what its position will be in the future and whether it will take market share from X.
Source: Statista
3. Video content dominates
We said it in 2023, and we'll say it again in 2024: video content matters. Different social media platforms are increasingly directing users towards video content and favoring users who produce video content in their algorithms.
Short videos and live streams have been hot topics in the last few years, and more and more organizations are incorporating them into their marketing. Especially in consumer markets, video content and influencer marketing have long been working side by side, with many companies outsourcing video productions to influencers who publish collaboration campaigns on their channels.
If video content hasn't found its way into your content calendar yet and you still need convincing, according to research, marketers worldwide think that, among all video formats, short videos have the best Return on Investment (ROI).
The release of Instagram and Facebook A/B testing for reels' cover images and descriptions by Meta also encourages the creation of video content. This indicates that the platforms are emphasizing development specifically in video features.
4. Sustainability trend is here to stay
Sustainability has been a growing trend for a long time, but in 2024, it will be emphasized even more. During this year, sustainability will be viewed increasingly as part of companies' strategies. Organizations will focus on sustainability work, taking into account their stakeholders, aiming to create competitive advantage. Data responsibility and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) will be key points in the field of sustainability.
When it comes to sustainability as part of marketing trends in 2024, it is advisable to pay particular attention to data responsibility. In 2025, the new Data Act regulation comes into effect, aiming to create a unified market that allows data to flow freely within the European Union and across sectors. The regulation will bring new obligations for companies.
We encourage doing sustainability work beforehand, as fully carrying the corporate responsibility requires seeing it as a part of the strategy and implementing it beyond legal requirements. A good example is the mandatory sustainability reporting (CSRD) for certain qualifying companies and the gradual mandatory reporting for an increasing number of different types of organizations. For instance, companies that adapted and did sustainability reporting early on can now be seen as pioneers in sustainability.
5. Personalization is a basic assumption
We have been predicting the growing importance of personalization for years and urging our readers to invest in it. This year is no exception, as consumers already expect personalized content that aligns with their interests or the stage of their buying journey in exchange for the data companies collect about them.
Investing in personalization can involve creating website or newsletter content tailored to specific segments, reflecting the previous purchases or stages of the buying journey for that segment.
If you're wondering how to personalize your website content in this year using WordPress and automation tools, watch the video below:
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6. Social media serves as a search engine
More and more consumers treat social media as a search engine and use it as a channel to search information. 76.8 % of consumers have reported using social media to find new products or brands, and 68.8 % have made purchase decisions based on something they saw on social media.
This year, it will be even more essential for your products or services to be represented on social media platforms. The way to ensure this on various platforms is to take care of search engine optimization. Social media algorithms go through hashtags and texts in videos, recognizing various keywords and displaying content based on those keywords to users who are interested in specific topics. In marketing trends in 2024, keyword research will be emphasized on different social media platforms.
7. First-party data is the new normal
The end of third-party cookies has been known for years, but the deadline for abandoning them has been postponed several times. However, now in January 2024, Google Chrome will gradually start reducing the use of third-party cookies.
First-party data – data gathered and owned by companies themselves – is the new normal. If your company is not yet prioritizing the collection of first-party data, now is the time to explore its benefits and prepare for the ongoing change.
8. Voice searches begin to gather interest
The rise of voice searches has been predicted for a long time, and we believe they will finally gain traction as part of marketing trends in 2024. Voice searches may seem like a less significant concept to many at first, but in the United States, for example, 62% of adults over 18 use so-called voice assistants.
We encourage approaching voice searches through search engine optimization. Optimize your content for voice searches using longer keywords (long-tail keywords). Long-tail keywords are, as said, longer and more specific search terms with usually less search volume. These are often question-based search terms. It's worth implementing these longer keywords in a frequently asked questions (FAQ) format, as people search for things more casually and in a question-oriented manner when using voice searches as a part of their daily lives.
Voice searches may not be considered crucial by everyone, but from a search engine optimization perspective, we encourage trying them out. Google is known for changing the emphasis of preferred content in search results, and staying on top of this can only be beneficial.
What marketing trends of 2024 should you include in your toolkit?
In the marketing trends of 2024, technology and human-centeredness go hand in hand. Although AI is present in marketing now and in the future, it will not replace marketers. In the future, personality, creativity, and differentiation from the masses will become even more critical in marketing, creating a competitive advantage.
Remember at least these in 2024:
- Use AI as a marketing assistant, not as a manager.
- Integrate sustainability themes into strategic work
- Continue search engine optimization efforts
- Add video content into your content strategy now, at the latest
- Choose authenticity over mainstream – relatability sells
- Emphasize the functionality of your content on mobile
While marketing trends come and go, in 2024, it is still wise to retain proven marketing basics and then choose new methods that support your marketing goals.
Liana's tools for implementing the marketing trends in 2024
You will find a comprehensive range of marketing tools from us: Our LianaMailer serves your email marketing needs, and LianaAutomation, our automation tool, helps you to build efficient automation chains and send the right messages at the right time.
You can soon achieve effective WordPress site personalization with LianaAutomation, and in digital marketing, Liana's digital marketing services will support you.
