The world of digital marketing is rapidly expanding and developing in new ways as each year goes by. As 2024 approaches, we’ve noticed the influx of new and developing digital marketing strategies that are transforming the landscape of search.
Digital marketing consists of many moving parts, all of which contribute to the overall success of increasing visibility for a business or individual and hopefully encouraging more traffic to whichever platform you’re focusing on.
So what can we expect to change when it comes to digital marketing in this new year? We’ll take a look at new online marketing methods related to content, SEO, and PPC trends. With predictions and opinions from experts within digital marketing, we’ll share all there is to know to develop your marketing strategy in 2024.
What are the top digital marketing trends of 2024?
As a marketing agency, our job is to stay on top of the latest marketing trends and inspire our clients to consider new, innovative strategies that can boost their online presence. Although marketing tactics can vary from industry to industry, these overarching trends are seen throughout the world of search. We’ve interviewed several marketers in a wide spectrum of verticals who were willing to share their thoughts and predictions for the top digital marketing trends of the new year.
There are plenty of exciting things in the digital realm, from enhanced technologies such as virtual reality and voice-activated searches to creating content across a vast form of social platforms. Remember that the trends below are just a drop in the ocean of the potential out there and what is to come.
1. Diversifying content and operating across multiple channels
As new social media platforms seem to be popping up left, right and center, there is a significant need to diversify content creation and the number of channels an organization operates across. Diversifying content across new channels is often an effective method to increase brand awareness and reach more of a target audience.
As a result, we are encouraging content strategies for our clients to diversify content across new channels as an effective method to increase brand awareness and reach more of their target audience.
CJ Xia, VP of Marketing & Sales at BosterBio, agrees, “Industries should not depend on a single platform [to] create high-quality content relevant to their audience’.
For many industries, their audience may not be confined to just one platform but include several. It’s necessary for those keen to reach their target demographic to do their research. Discover where your audience is and tackle those social media channels directly to improve visibility and increase interest with those you’re trying to interact with.
Xia also mentioned the importance of short videos trending more in 2024. Platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are perfect for creating more video content. With a cookieless future on the horizon and iOS 14’s new option to require all apps to ask permission to track personal information, previously consistent advertising platforms such as Facebook are falling out of favor.
Diversifying content marketing methods in the content produced will also help engage with all audience types. You may have an audience you haven’t reached yet that could be receptive to influencer marketing, virtual events, or another digital marketing trend you have not yet explored. Offering a variety of unique content over several platforms will keep your audience engaged and connected.
2. Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality will grow in popularity
Technology has truly changed how many of us interact and function both online and offline. As digital marketers, we’ve noticed one trend becoming more popular – the use of AI-powered technology such as machine learning and virtual reality. These two types of technology are already being used in various industries, and we encourage clients to jump on the train.
AI-powered tools are something that many businesses are choosing to invest in as part of their digital marketing strategy to help quicken work processes and offer a personalized experience to customers.
Leslie Gilmour, Marketer of ServisBot, who has been working in SEO for fifteen years, has predicted that ‘AI-powered tools will become more mainstream in SEO.‘
Gilmour also mentions that due to spammers abusing AI-powered SEO tools, search engines are more likely to focus their attention on managing AI-driven posts and pages. This form of marketing, known as conversational marketing, is being rolled out across many industries.
Artificial intelligence can be found through a chatbot or virtual assistants that can help improve a customer’s user experience. It also provides customer support 24/7, instead of being restricted to the opening hours of the business itself.
Virtual reality is another development that is likely going to change how audiences interact with digital marketing. Customers can experience interactive content, products, and services up close through augmented reality and virtual reality, all of which can be utilized to create new and unique content experiences for users.
3. Automation will be utilized to improve efficiency and to save resources
Automation has played a significant part for many industries looking to save on their resources and improve the efficiency of the company or its employees. Our agency is well aware of the impact and power of automation, and we encourage business owners and site managers to take advantage of marketing automation tools out there.
Stephen Curry, CEO of tech company CocoSign, has seen this trend as well. He says, ‘clients should expect more marketing automation’ and that engaging across different channels also means business owners will need to increase their marketing budget.
There are plenty of automation tools that can be used across many different marketing channels. Whether it’s email marketing, video marketing, social media marketing, or another platform, automation tools can save a lot of time and money.
For example, Mailchimp is one of many email marketing platforms that can help schedule and automate email marketing campaigns of all shapes and sizes. It can ensure every subscriber gets a tailored experience through email marketing, rather than generic and unrelated content.
With automation tools such as Mailchimp, your marketing can become more efficient and should be utilized for an effective workflow.
4. SEO will focus on enhancing search features and solving complex queries
With search engines becoming even more intuitive in their delivery, SEO will focus on enhancing search features to answer complex queries and help users find more content.
Google itself is adding more features and functionalities to the mix, including things such as Google’s shopping graph, which is one e-commerce trend helping businesses improve visibility for key products. We highly recommend our clients to include this strategy in their marketing toolbox since this trend is likely to stay around.
Google has long been transforming the way search results appear to users. Emma Williams, Digital Marketing Manager at Edge of the Web also said, ‘businesses should look to target featured snippets, People Also Ask and instant answer.‘
There are also a lot of accessible opportunities for local businesses, such as the local map pack, which continues to be a major asset to target in 2024. Google Business Profile is also a must-use when it comes to putting a company stamp on the internet.
Another way businesses can boost their online presence is to target complex queries. Knowledge bases have become a popular way for websites to store information solely for user access and engagement. Gerrid Smith, the Chief Marketing Officer at Joy Organics believes that increased focus on complex query responses will be an SEO trend in 2024:
‘One of our 2024 SEO predictions is a greater emphasis on complex query response.. Google’s mission has always been to provide users with the information they seek. As a result, businesses concentrate their efforts on developing pages that provide solutions to users’ problems.‘
No matter what the new year brings, we encourage business owners to consider how Google is improving user experience and to follow their lead by keeping their websites updated and optimized for the user.
5. Content Quality is still critical for organic search and digital advertising
The saying continues to be true: “Content is King. ” This trend has never faltered and remains foundational in developing a better online presence. Without creating quality content, your site will likely see little to no activity and traffic. With organic search, content keeps the user engaged on your site and can potentially lead to conversions, return visits, and brand loyalty. With digital advertising such as PPC, it’s important that your investment isn’t wasted due to substandard content.
Craig Tuttle, the Senior SEO Analyst at Globerunner, mentions, ‘the need for good content and [naturally attractive links is] better than most outreach or outdated tactics.‘
Using a combination of organic search and paid advertising will boost your traffic, but only if your content is high quality. You could budget thousands in paid ads, but the engagement won’t be there if the content on your landing page is subpar.
A great content strategy will not only give you a substantial return on investment but will also support long-term growth on your site. Invest in a talented team to help you achieve these goals and watch your performance soar.
6. Focus on the customer experience and online reviews
Customers want a great experience with your company, regardless of the product or service you sell.
In 2024, competition will continue to get fierce as markets grow saturated, which means you’ll need to do everything you can to stand our from the crowd. With that in mind, we encourage clients to hone in on delivering a positive and strong customer experience.
Summer Romasco, a brand strategist and marketing director at Ad Hoc Labs and Burner App, believes there is a need for storytelling in digital marketing.
‘Stories create a deeper connection with your customers and encourage extended engagement with your audience.‘
Emotional attachment is an impetus for users to connect with the content they consume, so it’s necessary to create an experience that resonates with your audience. If you’re successful, they’ll return to your site or platform again and again.
Online reviews can be telling of your performance when it comes to customer service, both past and present. When it comes to publishing reviews, they can be great for brand reputation but they can also be detrimental. They can be damaging if persistent problems aren’t addressed, which will impact your bottom line.
Chris Zacer, a content marketing strategist at Intergrowth also advocates for keeping content up to date and fresh.
‘Add some new tips to your article. Update your stats. Run another keyword analysis and see if any new semantic terms can be added to your articles.‘
Keeping content up to date will be crucial when competing for traffic in 2024. Look for opportunities to update currently performing content with new statistics and information or reexamine a previous trend to see if there has been any meaningful change.
7. PR will become more integrated into other online marketing channels
In 2024 online PR will continue to grow and work more closely with other direct marketing channels, such as advertising, social media, and SEO, to drive traffic and leads.
Gerald Lombardo, Co-Founder at The Word Counter, predicts that PR professionals who excel in storytelling will be highly sought after in 2024.
‘PR has always been known for storytelling, but it’s becoming increasingly important that PR pros use their skills when telling stories about their client’s products and services. PR professionals who can spin a great story about their clients will be extremely valuable to companies in the future.‘
Storytelling through PR will be a major opportunity in 2024 as this is an effective way to build an emotional attachment between customers and brands. Digital marketers have a lot of room to be creative with storytelling as a marketing device, and these stories can be about the products themselves or the clients who use them.
Final Thoughts
As we kick off the rest of the year, business owners should know there are wonderful digital marketing trends to take advantage of as the future of search changes. As always, focus on creating quality content to deliver a satisfying customer experience that is positive. Make use of enhanced technologies such as automation, and create room for personal and conversational story-telling to improve the company’s online presence.
