The environment of digital marketing is one thing you can always bank on: it’s dynamic and ever-changing.
The incredible growth in artificial intelligence (AI) that we have witnessed in 2023 is one such instance. In 2024, this phenomenon will still affect all facets of marketing.
This article explores the digital marketing trends that we should be aware of in 2024, according to the global gurus at the Digital Marketing Institute.
- We discuss the emergence of Instagram threads, the need to consider LinkedIn carefully, and the increasing role artificial intelligence will play in social media platforms.
- The application of AI in marketing looks at the marketer’s involvement in strategy development, the technology’s capacity for self-learning, the requirement for new skills, and the significance of co-creation.
- Google Ads advises us to view AI as a helper in PPC and to resist pressure from Google
representatives to switch campaigns.
- You’ll learn about the growing significance of data privacy and sustainability in digital marketing strategy.
- 2024 will be an employers’ market for jobs in digital marketing; while AI won’t replace you, someone with AI abilities will.
1. Trends in Social Media
Social media is going to have yet another exciting year! Social media companies will still be fighting for users’ attention in 2024, so they’ll need to reevaluate how success is determined.
There might also be a change in power if new sites like Instagram Threads and Bluesky gain traction because of the ongoing controversy with X (previously Twitter), while other networks might find new sources of organic traffic.
The new engagement rate is the retention rate.
Marketers have observed a drop in the engagement rate for organic social media activity in recent years. People may begin to prioritize retention over interaction in 2024, even though there are numerous explanations for this, including device, time of day, and material quality.
Additionally, people have more options than ever before because attention is the most valuable resource in the world, according to Battersby.
To combat this, brands have started creating incredible social media campaigns that seek to inform, entertain, and teach audiences. The key is to boost engagement through play and creativity.
LinkedIn’s natural reach is predominant.
LinkedIn recently reached a billion users globally. That has come a long way from the days when all it was used for was uploading resumes and doing job searches!
Battersby anticipates a sharp increase in organic engagement on LinkedIn in 2024, which is currently uncommon on social media platforms.
“People are updating their LinkedIn profiles with advice and support, mental health issues, leadership, general life skills, and advice, not just about work-related topics.”
Social media sites are incorporating AI.
It should come as no surprise that social media marketers are utilizing AI to increase output. Marketing professionals can get assistance with campaign concept generation, social media post ideas, copy creation, and text-to-image generation by using AI solutions such as ChatGPT and Midjourney.
Social media companies are incorporating AI into their networks concurrently. As an illustration:
- You can customize your stream by utilizing TikTok’s AI.
- Instagram is experimenting with AI-generated stickers.
- LinkedIn offers premium customers AI-powered services, including alerts for “Top Choice Jobs” and assistance with creating a compelling profile.
- YouTube is experimenting with Dream Track for Shorts and AI music algorithms.
2. Trends in AI for Digital Marketing
Without question, AI has become the main topic of news articles and has many marketers perplexed. We project that AI capabilities will continue to increase exponentially in 2024, necessitating enterprises to use the technology and keep up with the quickly changing market.
“Just six companies account for 25% of the US stock market and 49% of the value of the NASDAQ, and they are all AI companies,” claims Brian Corish, the founder of DMI Global Champion and the AI-focused consultancy Elemental Intelligence.
AI strategy should be led by marketing.
It’s unclear how AI should be used most effectively. Being the department closest to the customer, marketing may be proactive and use AI to enhance its strategy. They can find possibilities for AI to improve what a firm already has by using the knowledge they’ve collected across the client journey.
Marketers need to choose an AI project based on whether they want to accelerate production, alter the business model, or streamline operations.
Optimize: Increase the effectiveness of your internal procedures (writing marketing briefs, for example, with ChatGPT).
Accelerate: How might artificial intelligence (AI) improve your current goods and services? Examine the measurements at your disposal and determine whether AI would boost consumer value to the point where the product’s price would need to go up.
Transform: Is it possible to employ AI to develop a brand-new good, service, or business plan? This is a fantastic chance to visit different departments within the company and discuss the issues that employees are facing and how AI might be able to help.
AI is rapidly improving on its own.
Although AI has been around for a while, it is special because it is the first technology that can advance on its own.
“Every prior technology required an individual to create or implement code, or enhance the product to boost its functionality,” claims Corish. “Now, these AI models can grow and learn on their own, which is the difference.”
To collaborate and cultivate fresh talent, marketers must
Without question, artificial intelligence (AI) outperforms technical expertise and is available to anyone. What, though, is it lacking?
According to Corish, “AI is the worst it will ever be right now.” “Since AI is terrible at reasoning and soft skills, we as marketers need to focus more on these areas in our work.”
It’s crucial to consider how we move within an organization to complete tasks. In the ensuing two to three years, it will matter. We must also consider how we co-create using AI.
“Your work will not be taken over by AI. However, an AI expert will. So co-creation is the idea.
3. Trends in SEO
Search engine optimization is changing, and it seems like it will continue to become more technologically and user-driven. When AI and machine learning enable search engines to present results based on user intent, those improvements may be significant by 2024.
What SEO developments may we expect in 2024, then?
The Search Generative Engine (SGE) on Google will develop
Google’s SGE is transforming the search experience using generative AI. The goal is to provide users with more comprehensive and relevant information depending on their questions. Furthermore, SGE provides relevant links and has a conversational mode that allows users to ask more questions and converse with Google.
Provide material that people will want to discuss and share.
While creating high-quality content has always been important, in 2024 you will need to do more to appear in search results. “The ability to produce content that surpasses that of AI-generated content will determine your level of success,” states Lam.
There have been concerns that backlinks are disappearing in recent months. Indeed, it has been revealed through staff interviews at Google that backlinks do not rank among the top three factors. However, according to Lam, backlinks will still be an indicator of popularity for Google, particularly going forward when it plans to cross-reference its AI images with other online sources.
Make content with a high EEAT rating.
The Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines of Google include the EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) framework, which is not a ranking factor in and of itself.
This is important because, unlike humans, AI is unable to produce real-world experience. This strengthens the case for hiring professionals to produce or edit content and offers human content marketers an advantage.
Prioritize UX and conversion rate.
Google constantly makes modifications that impact your ability to click directly and capture individuals in the search engine results page (SERP). Regretfully, you have no control over that. However, the user experience (UX) is within your control.
4. Trends in PPC
In the face of fierce competition for customers, paid advertising gives businesses a way to send relevant content directly to their core audience. Marketers find the pay-per-click (PPC) strategy particularly tempting because it gives them budgetary control over their expenditures.
AI functions as an “assistant” for ads.
By 2024, Google intends to incorporate additional generative AI methods into Google Ads. Although this may be beneficial, we must also exercise caution because Google Ads is ultimately a profit-making venture. The risk is that AI will apply design engineering to introduce biases into ad layouts and algorithms, among other things.
Your ability to influence Google AdWords’ performance and visibility will be limited by this AI use. Because it is unable to use language or context in the same manner that a human can, it will also overoptimize.
Refrain from immediate pressure
Don’t believe everything Google says! Regardless of how long you have worked in search marketing or PPC when it comes to Google Ad campaigns, be sure to utilize your own (data-backed) judgment.
Google representatives have been contacting accounts and suggesting modifications to ad campaigns for the past few years. Nonetheless, they adhere to a script that gets more and more violent. This may lead you to believe that you’re not employing the proper tools or strategy, but Melinn advises against making snap decisions.
5. Trends in Digital Marketing Strategies
A well-coordinated AI strategy will be essential by 2024, since only 15% of firms, according to Mesh-AI research, have one that is well-defined and understood. What other priorities exist, though?
Data privacy is still a contentious issue.
Brands suffer from data breaches and misuse on more than just a financial level. Customers who experience data breaches become less trusting and reluctant to divulge personal information, which affects consumer engagement and data collection.
At Kanpur’s top digital marketing agency, we know how crucial it is to stay ahead of current trends to satisfy our clients. Our team of professionals is dedicated to putting new ideas into practice that provoke expansion and optimize return on investment. Get in touch with us right now to learn how we can help your Kanpur company expand in 2024 and beyond.
6. Trends in Careers in Digital Marketing
There is still a dearth of qualified digital marketers, even though many companies are embracing digital technologies and undergoing digital transformation.
This was made evident by the CMOs we spoke with for our research this year, as many of them expressed difficulty in finding the necessary knowledge to drive change and expansion, particularly in industries where increasing visibility or improving the customer experience was the primary objective.
There will be an employers’ market.
Many workers have had a challenging year, especially those employed by organizations like Meta, Amazon, and Google. The tech sector lost 50% more employment in 2023 than it did in 2022, and this trend is continuing, as the massive streaming service Spotify and toy manufacturer Hasbro announced significant layoffs in December 2023.
Expertise matters.
The question of whether to specialize in digital marketing or remain a generalist has long been up for debate. For job advancement, is it preferable to be an all-arounder or to specialize in a certain field? 2024 might see a specialization triumph.
Along with developing a specialty, you can concentrate on three main areas:
Recognize the market distribution routes: This involves developing a plan that dictates the channels you utilize to send a product to your intended audience (e.g., Amazon). Gaining experience in economies and regions larger than your own will enable you to acquire useful competencies.
Recognize the effectiveness of marketing: Digital marketing may be quantified to the last penny, but today the focus is on combining all of the channels to determine efficacy.
AI is changing the hiring process.
These days, a lot of job seekers use generative AI technologies when applying. As a result, there is increased competition and more people applying for employment openings. It could be harder to land your dream job if you take into account that 2024 will be an employers’ market.
In conclusion, 2024 Trends for Digital Marketing
Artificial intelligence is transforming not only departments and industries but also consumer behavior and purchasing habits.
One thing that our experts have taught us is that marketers need to embrace AI if they want to succeed in their positions. AI will affect your role in the future, even if it doesn’t affect it now. So start learning about the technology and start using some of the platforms.
Consider the trends that are important to you and concentrate on what you may benefit from in 2024.
