The 2024 trends: how to use marketing, PR, and social media in the year to come

How do you get media to cover your story? What social media trends should you monitor? And is your marketing effort up-to-date? These are the trends for 2024.

AI continues to expand, along with the popularity of short-form videos on social media. Trends that began last year and are still evolving. But as every year, there are also new trends to discover. 2024 is primarily characterised by authenticity and taking matters into your own hands. How?

Marketing trends

Owning data – We are entering the end of the targeted advertising era. At least, if we must believe the latest news. Third-party cookies are largely disappearing, privacy settings are being tightened, and Meta bans targeted advertising. It's yet to happen, but it's not a luxury at all to start gathering and collecting your own data through newsletters, your website, and social media accounts.

Tip: send out a newsletter with interesting stories about your business and attractive offers. Your readership is a source of data that will allow you to target at a later stage.

Owning content – Content creators and influencers have been utilised on their social channels for years. However, in 2024, the focus is shifting towards engaging creators for your own channels. The emphasis is on publishing high-quality content crafted by individuals knowledgeable in their field, with the appropriate reach to your target audience(s). We can expect an increase in these collaborative efforts.

Tip: perhaps you're already following someone who fits perfectly with your café or vodka brand. A great collaboration opportunity could be waiting for you. Drop a DM and arrange a meetup!

Public relations trends

Data as the foundation – Narratives alone aren't sufficient anymore. To secure media coverage, it's essential to present statistics and figures related to trends that capture the editors of the publications you aim for. Commissioning intriguing research that can be utilised when contacting the press is a wise strategy. Pay particular attention to subjects that have yet to garner media focus, and ensure you are readily available for comments. Stay on top of news and sources like CBS, identifying developments you can leverage if you can't do your own research.

Tip: examine topics that are closely associated with your business, such as street safety or the trending popularity of specific cuisines. The less familiar, the better.

Honesty – In an era marked by misinformation and clickbait, the media is more vigilant than ever. When reaching out to journalists, maintain honesty and transparency. Provide them with accurate information, free of errors, and ensure that you have personally verified the correctness of everything you share.

Use your own social media accounts – The focus in 2024 is on leveraging your own channels. Just as you explore social media for compelling narratives, journalists and editors do the same. This year, dedicate extra effort to articulating and showcasing what distinguishes you from your competitors. Share behind-the-scenes insights, collaborate with content creators (refer to marketing trends), and narrate captivating stories. Notably, journalists highly appreciate valuable information presented through engaging storytelling.

Tip: utilise your communication channels to narrate backstories. Tell your suppliers' stories, candidly discuss entrepreneurship, share amusing anecdotes from the kitchen, or visually demonstrate the process of crafting a vodka.

Social media trends

SEO savvy – SEO, or search engine optimization, aims to achieve the highest possible ranking in online search results. Traditionally, this has revolved around search engines like Google and your website. However, younger generations increasingly turn to new platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Social media has evolved into SEO channels, marking the latest evolution in search engine technology.

Tip: pay attention to important words and terms you want to be found with on your social media channels and incorporate them into your captions and videos.

Using creators – As mentioned in the preceding marketing trends, creators will play a pivotal role in 2024 by contributing content essential to brand campaigns. This expands your reach to the right audience and enhances their engagement.

Overrated hashtags – The algorithms on social media are getting smarter and, like us, increasingly utilise AI. Consequently, posts are better interpreted, considering elements such as tags, colours, emotions, images, and locations, diminishing the importance of hashtags. The emphasis is shifting to the content of your Instagram Reels.

2024 brings new challenges, particularly on the technical and legal fronts. With the trends and tips mentioned above, you can stay ahead for now. If you want to generate more visibility but have no time to manage data, content creators, social media, reach out to journalists, or begin with storytelling, feel free to contact us. We're here to take care of everything for you.