Digital marketing is rapidly changing, as happened in the year 2023. At this point, perhaps the most astonishing change is that of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI shifted the paradigm for consumer engagement between brands and consumers. According to Rand Fishkin, a leading marketing analyst, this is only one segment among many. The other pieces of the puzzle include consumer behavior, the state of the economy around the world, and changing trends in social media and search engine optimization (SEO), which are also important aspects why marketing has to evolve.
There are some trends that would guide you beyond 2024 to ensure you stay ahead of the competition. Whether you have been around in the marketing world or are just trying to break into digital marketing, knowing about those trends will help shape your planning, strategizing, and preparing your brand for success.
- The Growing Influence of AI in Marketing
AI has already revolutionized most aspects of digital marketing, and 2024 will continue to expand that capacity. From ChatGPT and Midjourney in content creation to AI insights or AI-marketing in producing marketing results, marketers today can use these technologies to further improve productivity, personalization, and streamlining strategies. However, AI is more than just removing the repetitive tasks-it creates the capability for new strategies and opportunities-disruptive indeed.
Brian Corish, the founder of AI-focused consultancy Elemental Intelligence, believes that the future of AI will ensure its important role in marketing. As organizations move towards the adoption of AI, marketing teams may have to show leadership in defining the AI strategy. After all, marketers attach themselves directly to the customer, and they know where to spot opportunities to improve the journey for the customer through their artificial intelligence. However, this will not be enough; it also requires an intelligent adoption, and integration of the tools into the existing workflows.
As artificial intelligence continues to entwine with emerging technologies for the entire marketing process, it will also extend into social media spaces. By creating personalized feeds and allowing for AI-generated stickers and perfect profile-writing assistance, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube already have it feature-wise. Marketers should stay on top of these developments and make themselves ready to co-create with AI: a blend of human best capability with the efficiency of AI.
Pro Tip: While AI may very well generate content and insights, that human strategy cannot be overstated. AI tools should supplement the human element, not displace it, from your outreach efforts. - Social Media: The Shift to Retention and New Platforms
Social media was, is, and will continue to be integral to digital marketing. It is this very landscape which evolves with time. Marketers will invest less and less effort on engagement rates and more on the retention aspect in the upcoming 2024. Dwinding attention spans make retention all the more worthy. Social platforms, like TikTok, are even trying longer videos (up to 15 minutes) to give brands new ways to keep users hooked.
The emergence of newer platforms saving the retention of users is something that marketers will not be able to ignore. Launched in 2023, Meta’s Threads gained millions of monthly users and quickly started to give competition to Twitter, now X. If your brand has enjoyed success on Twitter in the past, it could be time to make a transition toward Threads and give its unique offerings a shot. The focus of Threads is in-platform conversations, so direct linking should not be done; instead, encourage discussions and community building.
Pro Tip: Start questions and discussions on Threads. It’s not just about posting but sparking discussion on the platform.
LinkedIn is now experiencing an organic reach surge as well. From a little more than 1 billion users, LinkedIn is now seen as a platform for business networking and is fast growing. In 2024, you should be thinking about how to forge genuine connections and engage meaningfully with your audience. If you haven’t already, put your LinkedIn profile in “Creator Mode” to unlock more tools and enhance reach. - SEO in the Age of AI and User Experience
SEO has continuously evolved with the progression of Google, which has recently been working on its Search Generative Experience (SGE), now renamed AI Overviews (AIO). Google is in turn altering the search experience to provide conversational search results via AIO. Companies must remain aware of this perturbation as it could have an effect, positively or negatively, on click-through rates. Any company that wants to stake its claim in the new territory defined by AI will need to concentrate on producing exceptional and highly shareable content.
With the endorsement of “Experience,” it becomes even more inferior to digitized content generated by an AI tool compared to human-produced content. The “E-E-A-T” framework: Display Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness will be running into one of the most important components of SEO by 2024 because it injection new life into human-created content, and AI-generated content can speedily be produced but cannot reflect real-life experiences. Thus, this would be the advantage of human marketers.
As with everything else in life, businesses will need to ensure that their websites are well-rounded in terms of fast loading and smooth navigation. User Experience (UX) is made a priority even with Google’s advancements, and a responsive site increases the speed at which conversions are achieved.
Insider Tip: Take note of AI snapshots in Google search results and diligently keep track of the performance of your content. Spend capital improving the user experience in your site visits to up conversion rates. - PPC campaigns and an increasingly flexible and effective use of AI construction
Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns continue to be the lifeblood of many digital marketers. Yet as AI comes to pervade advertising platforms such as Google Ads, advertisers have to take a once-in century-positive leap in thinking about what it means to develop, run, optimize, and measure an ad campaign. Because Google increasingly uses AI to optimize ad campaigns, less control is available over ad placements and layouts, becoming even more important. In 2024, think of AI as a helper; use it to strengthen your power, but don’t depend too much on it.
Insider Tip: Don’t make a snap decision immediately based on a Google suggestion for how to change your PPC campaign. Always check the data first and trust your own analysis. - New Interest in Data Privacy and Conservation
Digital marketing strategy for 2024 will increasingly incorporate issues in data privacy and sustainability. Consumers nowadays are keenly interested in how their data is being utilized, and customers will have stronger loyalties for brands that can uphold transparency. With more focus on sustainability, companies that have shown their commitment toward doing good through their business and environmental issues would likely be considered superior options among many.
Conclusion: Be Ahead of the Trend
With AI, the effects of all other changes in social media, SEO innovations, and even PPC strategy shifts, 2024 is going to be a powerful year in digital marketing. Therefore, it is time for your plans on how to keep updated on these trends and methods of keeping pace with new tools and platforms. The transition thus does not take much time before resulting in the success needed. Adapt to changes, test new lines of thinking, and especially focus on creating real relationships with your customers. This will ensure that your digital marketing strategies keep up with future advancements.
