The Top Marketing Trends of 2024
Learn about marketing in 2024 with predictions on AI integration, the rise of short-form video, user-generated content initiatives, and the significance of genuine branding.
Regardless of your area of expertise, your marketing campaigns' success is vulnerable to cultural shifts due to the inextricable bond between marketing and consumer behaviour.
In addition to the tried and proven methods, including some trendier aspects in your marketing strategy can help optimise it for the modern consumer.
Whether you're interested in social media, digital, brand, or any other type of marketing, this article will expose you to the leading trends for 2024.
Not all of these trends will apply to your target demographic, so it's essential to remember them as you review them.
If you want to know your target audience and how to approach them, the University of Pennsylvania suggests taking Introduction to Marketing, a crash course in marketing.
Essential Marketing Trends To Watch In 2024
We reviewed many marketing reports and studies from many fields to identify the most significant trends in marketing.
When formulating your marketing strategies, be mindful of the following trends:
- Artificial intelligence (AI) is enhancing the efficacy and efficiency of operations.
- Short video content, such as on TikTok, drives social media tactics.
- User-generated content (UGC) improves brand recognition.
- Building trust with consumers is a goal of community outreach and authentic branding.
- There is still editorial content of a high standard.
- Case studies still drive brand recognition and sales lead generation.
- Optimisation tactics for search engines are evolving in response to new search engine features.
- Chatbots powered by AI expand conversational possibilities.
To better understand these trends, let's examine the supporting data for each one separately.
Effectiveness and efficiency are both enhanced by AI.
Marketing is only one of several sectors and roles that will feel the effects of AI developments.
Research from HubSpot's State of Marketing Report 2024 shows that 64% of marketers currently utilise AI and automation, with 38% of those not using AI in 2023 intending to do so in 2024.
Consulting business Gartner also projects that by 2026, 80% of marketing's advanced creative operations will be responsible for enhancing marketing campaigns using GenAI.
Content creation and marketing analytics are two familiar places where AI appears in marketing processes.
Using Genai For Video Creation
Several marketers utilise generative AI (GenAI) at different points in content development to save about three hours of labour per piece of content. 84% say AI makes content creation more efficient, 82% say they produce “significantly more” content, and 56% say their content performs better.
You can use GenAI technologies like ChatGPT or Google Gemini to generate content ideas, create outlines and briefings, compose rough drafts, or even write complete articles.
Analytics in marketing with the help of AI
While data-driven marketing is nothing new, artificial intelligence alters marketers' data sources.
The State of AI at Work, a report by the Work Innovation Lab in 2023, found that 62% of workers are interested in adopting AI for data analytics, and 30% are now utilising it.
AI-powered analytics can help you learn more about your target audience, spot patterns, forecast their actions, and optimise your marketing efforts faster and more accurately than without AI.
The Social Media Plan Is Based On Short Videos
Advertisers are increasingly focusing on reaching the tech-savvy youth by going where they already spend most of their time: watching short videos on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
According to HubSpot, short videos will witness the most significant growth and have the highest return on investment (ROI) by 2024. 53% of marketers will invest more in TikTok, YouTube shorts, and Instagram reels.
Consumer-Generated Content (UGC) Builds Familiarity With A Brand.
Any material people create and share online concerning your product is considered user-generated content (UGC).
Companies are not collaborating with users to fund or create the material, yet the content style is comparable to that of influencers or affiliate partners.
It's more of a user-generated content model where individuals publish and distribute their content.
While affiliate marketing and traditional influencer marketing are still essential parts of any successful marketing strategy, user-generated content (UGC) quickly replaces them as the go-to method for marketers looking to raise brand exposure without breaking the bank.
Gartner reports that over 80% of consumers think user-generated content enhances product discovery, brand trust, and the overall experience.
Building trust with consumers is a goal of community outreach and authentic branding.
Gartner ranks authenticity as the third-most important value for US consumers. With the rise of AI-generated content in online spaces, it will be crucial for brands to cultivate an authentic voice.
Focusing on emotional connections through community development is the answer for modern marketers.
Marketing platform TINT conducted a study in 2024 that indicated that 70% of marketers think creating a community is essential for client loyalty. Eighty-two per cent of customers say they're more likely to buy new products from a company with an active social media community.
Editorials Of The Highest Calibre Will Continue Unabated
Blog posts, podcasts, and other forms of editorial content will remain a staple of marketers' content strategies for driving engagement, boosting conversions, and establishing credibility as an industry leader.
In 2024, 82% of marketers who participated in the HubSpot poll intend to enhance or keep spending on audio content like podcasts, and 92% intend to do the same with blogging.
Case Studies Boost Both Brand Recognition And Sales Metrics.
Particularly in business-to-business (B2B) marketing, more conventional forms of content marketing, such as case studies, are often employed to raise brand recognition and propel lead creation.
Case studies will still be part of marketing plans in 2024. According to HubSpot research, 26% of marketing teams already use case studies as part of their content marketing strategy, and 87% want to either grow or keep their investment in case studies.
As Search Engines Evolve, Seo Tactics Must Also Adapt
According to Gartner, brands should expect a 50% decrease in organic search traffic to their websites by 2028 due to AI-driven improvements to leading search engines.
Even if things are shifting, according to HubSpot, 92% of marketers still intend to invest more in SEO by 2024.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) teams are not only building historical methods. Still, they are also branching out into video, image, and audio search material to guarantee a good user experience and take advantage of all of Google and Bing's new features.
AI-Powered Chatbots Expand Conversational Possibilities
Customers can get high-quality responses to simple or frequently asked queries via chatbots and virtual assistants.
The development of AI and NLP has made it easier for marketers to create and use these tools in a way that maximises efficiency without compromising client happiness.
Investing more in chatbots is something 58% of marketers intend to do by 2024, says HubSpot.
The User Experience Is Enhanced By personalisation
HubSpot reports that 96% of marketers see an increase in revenue and 96% in repeat business due to personalised experiences made possible by AI.
Personalised product suggestions powered by machine learning or immersive experiences like augmented reality (AR) capabilities that let users see actual products in their surroundings enable businesses to understand consumer tastes, make informed purchases based on data, and boost customer happiness.
Still, this is ground-breaking stuff for online advertising. Although 73% of marketers think personalisation is crucial, HubSpot reports that only 35% of those marketers believe their business offers a personalised customer experience.
New targeting tactics are emerging due to data gathering and privacy policy changes.
Online marketers are aware of the growing demand for customisation and the shifting landscape of data collection and privacy regulations, which will impact their ability to understand their target demographics.
With tech giants like Google and Apple working to eliminate third-party cookies, businesses are looking into first-party data collection strategies.
