Future Proof Your Marketing: 5 Trends For 2024

As we get things rolling for 2024, the marketing landscape is rapidly shifting and bringing a number of critical changes. 2024 will be a pivotal year in digital marketing, a turning point, and I predict this year's emerging trends will set the table for the rest of the decade. Many tactics that have been effective since the late 2010s will see a decline in impact, and marketers will have to adapt quickly if they want to see results?

So, let’s unpack these marketing predictions for 2024 that are set to redefine the landscape across all digital channels in the years to come.

1. Content will be more important than ever

If a business is serious about positioning itself for success through the mid-2020s and beyond, it needs to start taking its content seriously. Whether it's short-form Instagram Reels or long-form sponsored content articles, content strategy is now more critical than ever. However, there’s a major caveat to this. Lazy, generic filler content will continue to be ignored and fail to get traction.

2024 will be the year that businesses start thinking of their content as creators. The businesses that want to thrive at least. The algorithms will also be rewarding this effort. Platforms like TikTok have made it abundantly clear that they will reward effort and quality. Production quality is also not as important as it used to be, plenty of creators go viral using nothing more than their front-facing phone camera. So, spending money on highly polished videos is no longer necessary; instead, that budget would be better spent on hiring a content creator or getting user-generated content. Quality content means storytelling, narrative, solving your customer’s pain points, or providing something engaging.

?2. New meanings to old metrics

2024 will see a significant shift in how KPIs are assessed and how advertising is measured. An emerging trend is moving beyond siloed clicks and conversions to a more holistic view of "campaign effectiveness." In other words, it's time to move beyond focusing only on how many times someone's clicked an ad and consider a more macro perspective that measures how a brand resonates with its target audience.

2024 will see an increased emphasis on attribution and understanding the series of touchpoints that lead a customer to your doorstep. But this will be a new, expanded type of attribution beyond looking at the last ad clicked. Instead, savvy marketers will examine the entire journey, recognizing the wide range of channels and touchpoints that customers experience. This nuanced understanding will allow businesses to optimize campaigns for immediate conversions and long-term brand impact.

3. The return of top-of-mind awareness

As metrics are redefined, the impact and importance of top-of-mind awareness will play a huge role this year. Attention spans are shorter than ever and the ability to remain at the forefront of a consumer's consciousness is not just valuable; it's imperative for survival in the cluttered marketplace of 2024. Businesses that will thrive are the ones who understand how crucial it is to be visible and relevant amidst an endless stream of distractions.

Top-of-mind awareness will see a return in significance with increased attention on solutions like programmatic advertising, digital out-of-home, e-mail marketing, and other channels beyond the endless scroll of social media feeds. Businesses need a strategy built around the objective of a persistent yet unintrusive presence that cuts through the noise and gets their message in front of customers. ?

4. Video marketing matures

It goes without saying video is already incredibly important. Video has reached the point of maturity where it’s now a foundational component of any well-thought-out marketing strategy. In other words, it's no longer a "nice to have" but a "must have" for every company that wants to succeed. The video trend for 2024 will put more output and a huge emphasis on authenticity and creative storytelling that resonates with audiences.

Relatability and empathy will become ever-increasing selling points, and video offers an incredible medium to communicate that you understand your customers. Moreover, video can be implemented in every touchpoint along the customer journey and should be deployed as much as possible. Its going to be harder than ever to get people's attention, so genuine and relatable content that sparks conversations, evokes emotions, or provides unique perspectives and helpful tips will be rewarded.

5. AI Beyond automation: The rise of generative creativity

The attention on AI in 2024 will match 2023. However, it’ll be more nuanced and grounded. The hype for artificial intelligence in 2023 varied from optimistic to outright hysterical, and most of it was on its potential for automation. But those paying attention to the innovations and emerging uses of AI are less focused on automation and more on amplification- the amplification of human creativity and imagination

AI is still clunky and unreliable, but it's in its early days and will continue improving exponentially. For marketers who want to harness AI’s potential in 2024, it's no longer about mimicking tasks; it's about becoming a creative collaborator and using it to craft tailored marketing experiences that are not just memorable but meaningful.

This year's trend is to be an early adopter in using generative AI to create bespoke content experiences. One example would be analyzing first-party data to create more personalized marketing campaigns for different audience segments. The visual possibilities are also incredible, with advanced image generators, it will be like having your own 24/7 graphic designer. Case in point, the banner image and footer image for this article were made with AI. Also hyper-curated customer journeys will also be an area of innovation, with much more precise suggestions on relevant content or tailored offers.

There will undoubtedly be plenty more trends and emerging strategies throughout the year. This year's trends will influence marketing through the second half of the 2020s. So, most important of all, stay flexible and be willing to adapt quickly.

Wishing you a successful 2024.