Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends 2024

Staying abreast of digital marketing trends has never been more essential, particularly with job markets being tight and marketing budgets shrinking. Following current trends can help create an effective 2024 marketing plan.

Personalization has long been a cornerstone of digital marketing, yet consumers have grown increasingly disenchanted with seeing their first names repeated across ads and communications channels.

1. Artificial Intelligence

2024 will see marketers who utilize AI content creating more targeted and tailored campaigns that meet consumer demands. AI can analyze customer data and give an edge over rival marketers.

Brands often rely on generative AI to produce engaging ad videos that resonate with their target audiences. For instance, VOLOOM (a retailer of hair volumizing irons) collaborated with influencers to produce memorable campaigns using this form of AI that deliver what’s known as the “thumb stop effect.”

Artificial Intelligence can assist businesses in increasing engagement through retargeting, targeting, and competitor analysis. Marketers should remember that AI serves as a powerful partner rather than replacing human potential.

2. Augmented and Virtual Reality

Phygital, the convergence of physical products with digital content, will continue to have an impactful presence in marketing by 2024. Now toys, Kinder Surprise figurines, souvenirs and many other physical objects can be enhanced with virtual images or videos for greater impact.

Virtual Reality (VR) technology continues to transform the marketing industry. VR systems enable brands to create immersive marketing experiences that engage customers while increasing conversion rates and sales conversions.

AR has many practical uses, from furniture companies allowing consumers to see how furniture will look in their home to neurosurgeons using AR scans of the brain during surgery to broadcasters during football games drawing lines on the field to analyze plays. AR can even be used as part of product packaging or point-of-sale materials – for instance TikTok filters use it so users can walk through European art museums or stand before an enormous Shrek!

3. Voice Search

Voice search has quickly become a convenient method of online information gathering, with users speaking their questions into microphones to access relevant results. This trend has significantly altered SEO practices as marketers must ensure their content is optimized to work well for voice searches.

BrightLocal recently conducted a study which revealed that 46% of people use voice search devices daily to locate local businesses. If you want to remain competitive in this space, optimizing your website and content for voice search optimization has become essential.

As voice recognition technology improves, more people will rely on this hands-free search to find answers they require. Therefore, creating content specifically targeted towards voice searches that addresses frequently asked questions will increase search visibility and user engagement.

4. Authenticity

Digital marketers recognize authenticity as a cornerstone of brand identity online. Consumers seek companies they can rely on and connect with – those perceived as authentic are typically more trusted, honest and likely to make smarter decisions than those who are perceived otherwise.

To build authenticity, marketers need to be honest and open with their audiences. They should share the values and beliefs that define their company – this may prove challenging but essential for long-term success.

Authenticity has become an increasingly important business principle in general. It encourages open dialogue between dissimilar viewpoints without fear of groupthink and thus producing more thoughtful group efforts, something this trend will likely continue into 2024 and beyond. Erich Fromm defines authenticity as behavior which corresponds with one’s individual drives and origins.

5. Self-service ad platforms

Self-serve advertising is an emerging digital marketing trend that will make marketers’ lives simpler in 2024. This form of digital advertising gives brands direct control of their digital ad campaigns without needing to go through an ad sales rep, helping lower costs while speeding up campaign execution timeframes.

One such self-service ad platform is Spotify, which provides various targeting options to assist businesses in reaching the ideal customers for their products or services. This could mean targeting them based on purchase history; targeting similar items purchased by customers with similar interests as your own could help get ads noticed by the right audience members.

Programmatic advertising provides brands with another option for buying digital ad inventory directly from publishers’ sites in real-time, giving advertisers unprecedented transparency and control compared with traditional approaches like The Trade Desk, Adform or MediaMath platforms that allowed marketers to take this route in the past.

6. Social commerce

Social commerce will remain a prominent marketing trend in 2024. Social media platforms are increasingly including eCommerce functionality into their apps, making it simpler for consumers to purchase directly through these channels.

Instagram’s shopping feature lets brands tag images with product tags, while Snapchat provides users with an interactive AR experience. Influencer marketing is another effective strategy for reaching consumers via social channels by sharing user-generated content (UGC) that’s often perceived more trusted than ads or celebrity endorsements.

Brands can use live videos with Shop Now features to engage viewers and streamline the purchasing process for them. TikTok and other short-form video platforms offer ideal platforms for this form of social commerce, enabling customers to quickly go from discovery to purchase without leaving the app.

7. Video advertising

Video marketing remains one of the most effective strategies available to businesses today, and video continues to gain prominence as an effective promotional strategy. Videos enable customers to see and hear what your brand offers while also giving your target customers an intimate glimpse of your products or services.

This year’s trend in video marketing that continues into 2024 is authenticity. Being genuine allows your target market to engage more fully with your brand through such strategies as showing behind-the-scenes footage or user-generated content.

Mobile platforms have spurred an upsurge in vertical video. Apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels that prioritize 9:16 formats have enabled marketers to utilize videos on these platforms while expanding their reach.

8. Chatbots

Chatbots are an innovative digital marketing trend that allows brands to provide proactive and individualized customer service. These artificial intelligence-powered assistants can quickly respond to inquiries, offer real-time support services and assist in the purchasing process.

AI-powered chatbots use machine learning techniques to better comprehend intent and answer queries with data-driven accuracy. Furthermore, these automated systems can nurture leads based on their level of interest until they’re sales-ready.

Other types of chatbots include personal assistants like Siri and Alexa, which provide answers for many different requests. Transactional chatbots can also be found online and self-service portals as part of routine tasks, IT tickets raised or employee documents submitted. They’re often employed for administrative or customer support.

9. Mobile marketing

Mobile marketing uses apps, social media posts, SMS texting and other techniques to engage consumers on smartphones around the globe. It has global reach and allows brands to interact with customers 24/7 as most people keep their phones close by at all times.

Create interactive content that encourages user engagement to keep audiences captivated for longer and achieve higher user engagement than static material. This type of material has proven itself effective.

Mobile technology enables location-based marketing tactics like geofencing. This technique uses GPS signals to deliver relevant ads or content directly to consumers at just the right time and place, such as food-related coupons when near a restaurant or clothing discounts when passing stores. Geofencing provides a great opportunity to engage your target audience while encouraging instantaneous purchases.

10. Data privacy

Companies recognize the value in collecting as much data as possible; however, individuals have a right to privacy and should expect transparency regarding how their personal data is utilized.

Marketing automation, personalized content creation and scientific insights rely on having access to quality and volume of data available. To maintain customer trust and protect brand reputations, marketers must be familiar with and abide by data protection laws.

2024 will see digital marketing evolve towards first-party data, transparency, heightened consumer privacy concerns and compliance with data laws. If these trends intrigue you, reach out to Sachs Marketing Group experts now so they can assist in integrating them into your plan – schedule your strategy review and consultation now!…