The world of digital marketing got disrupted like never before last year when AI truly made its presence felt in a big way. You’ll probably read a hundred think pieces this month on a fundamental shift AI has had, and is continuing to have on, the industry but, to be honest, I’ve written too much about AI this week already and I want to take a few moments to focus on some of the other trends shaking up the space this year.
So, based on recent insights from various sources, here are my top five digital marketing trends for 2024 that don’t specifically revolve around AI. Yes, I’m aware that AI will play a part in almost all these trends, such is its ubiquity, but let’s try to go the next 500 words without mentioning it more than twice, shall we?
1. The Importance of Branding
The effectiveness of branding over product quality has become increasingly evident in recent years, with the recent spectacular failure of the WHSmith rebranding underlining that fact quite aptly. With technology allowing businesses to easily replicate competitors' offerings, a strong brand can be a significant differentiator and that means we should hope to see more unique branding strategies in the coming 12 months.
Illustrator - Linda Baritski aka SEASONOFVICTORY
The great thing about the way the digital world functions these days, of course, is that you’ve got a wealth of channels available to help you spread your brand. From social media, podcasts, and blogs to more traditional channels, don’t be shy to use as many as possible to enhance your brand visibility and engagement.
2. The Emergence of New Technologies
While it’s certainly taken some time, the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in marketing is finally expected to take off this year, particularly with the launch of Apple’s new piece of kit, the Vision Pro. These technologies will offer new ways for brands to engage with their audiences, like virtual product tours and interactive shopping experiences. Their integration into digital marketing strategies will redefine brand-audience interactions in the digital landscape.
3. The Shift in SEO Practices
While it might seem oddly antiquated on paper, SEO still governs a surprising amount of how the internet functions, and it’s expected to become a lot more user-centric and technology-driven in the coming months. Google's Search Generative Engine (SGE) is set to transform the search experience, emphasising the need for high-quality, human-generated content over AI-produced material. Indeed, rather than AI-written content being a trend this year, I personally foresee (and hope for) a pushback against it.
The addition of an 'Experience' component to Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) framework highlights the value of real-world expertise in content creation. This seems to underline the fact that Google are going to be taking “real content” seriously, even though they have yet to comment directly on how they will cope with the torrent of AI content. OK, and that’s your two mentions.
4. The Rise of First-Party Data Utilisation
With the demise of cookie-based tracking, businesses will increasingly rely on first-party data for audience targeting. The shift away from third-party cookies will necessitate new strategies for data collection and usage, emphasizing transparency and customer consent. This trend will undoubtedly be further driven by the introduction of privacy-centric regulations globally.
5. The Dominance of Short Videos and User-Generated Content
The continued popularity of short videos on platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok underscores the impact of this format in digital marketing, particularly amongst younger users. With attention spans getting shorter by the day, shorter videos and quantity over quality is probably going to be the underlying theme of 2024, at least as far as video content is concerned.
Wilson Dew
User-generated content (UGC) is also gaining prominence as, at least on the surface, it seems to represent authenticity for many brands. Businesses that effectively use this content can enhance engagement and build stronger connections with their audience without lifting a finger, so everybody wins! It’s all about laying the foundations for these interactions and creating platforms that allow for, encourage and reward UGC.
What Does it All Mean?
These trends seem to indicate a digital marketing landscape that’s more dynamic, personalised, and dependent on technological advancement. Emphasising the human touch in content creation and adopting emerging technologies will be crucial for those looking to stay ahead in the digital marketing game. You must, of course, learn to live with the machine but don’t let it become your crutch.
