2024 is rapidly shifting from ‘new year’ into a plain old ‘year’. This is when the excitement of changing a number on a calendar starts to fall away, and marketers get down to the business of making those January 1st resolutions stick. So, what does this mean for the digital marketing industry? Let’s take a look at a few of the digital marketing trends that are going to be shaping your strategies in the next 12 months.
This Is the Year of AI
It’s basically impossible to escape AI these days, and artificial intelligence is going to be present in basically all forms of digital marketing. For marketers themselves, anxiety over ‘AI stealing my job’ isn’t quite on the mark. Instead, marketers simply need to pick up the artificial intelligence tool skills they need to set themselves apart in the jobs market.
But what exactly will AI look like in 2024, and how will it impact digital marketing?
- AI marketing tools are really taking off now – 64% of marketers say they already use them, and 38% of marketers who don’t say they are going to start this year.
- Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is changing the way people search and shop with generative AI. Of course, this means SGE is changing the way SEO professionals and digital marketers operate, too.
- AI features are being built into social media channels – TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and even LinkedIn are experimenting with AI integration, which is changing the way users interact with the platforms.
- The capability of AI is growing rapidly – The thing about AI is that it can actually improve itself. It doesn’t need a coder or human innovator to handle this improvement for it. So, we can expect to see ever more capable AI tools this year.
These are just four examples of what we can expect from AI in 2024. Each is very different, but all of them are offering us the same message – marketers need to embrace AI fast, or else they’ll fall behind.
Social Media Keyword Optimisation Is Increasingly Important
Social media keyword optimisation is nothing new. Even the #hashtag craze that swept the world about a decade ago was an example of rudimentary keyword optimisation in action – you chose the hashtags that were most relevant to your post and industry, and you made it easy for users to find your content.
In 2024, though, things are accelerating. And they’re getting a lot more sophisticated. Marketers are treating their social media content with the same obsessive care and attention they’ve been applying to their organic SEO content for years already. Over the next 12 months, social media optimisation is going to become a new ‘SEO’ – or maybe ‘SMO’ – battleground.
But why? Well, because of the startling statistics published last year. After more than a decade of being told to ‘just Google it’, it seems humanity is shifting, and 40% of Gen Z users now turn to Instagram and TikTok as their main search channel, not Google. So yeah, this is important.
The Influencer Market Gets Niche
Influencer marketing gets a bit of a bad press, and the term ‘influencer’ is sometimes used as an insult or as shorthand for an industry that’s not really built on anything other than flashy visuals and hot air. But this is super unfair. The global influencer market was worth $21.1 billion in 2023, increasing 29% on 2022 – this is a big deal for marketers.
What’s even more interesting, though, is the number of influencers brands are working with. While some big brands still say they only work with mega-influencers, the market is growing more diverse. Around 60% of brands say they have at least ten influencers on their roster, while 21% work with up to 50. Meanwhile, 16% are working with up to 100 influencers, and some are working with more than 1,000.
So what’s going on here? There aren’t 1,000 Dua Lipas and Leo Messis in the world. The Kardashian/Jenner clan is pretty big, but it’s not on this scale. The answer is this: nano-influencers. These are the small-scale influencers who are highly respected in their small niches. Research suggests these influencers can be more effective than their superstar counterparts and a lot cheaper.
That Extra ‘E’ Is Becoming Crucial
We all know about E.A.T. – Google’s content framework of Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness. But back at the end of 2022, Google added another ‘E’: Experience. Under EEAT, content producers should demonstrate firsthand experience in their field, as well as the other three aspects.
While this has been in effect for more than a year, it takes a while for the impact of these changes to really make themselves known. Now, in 2024, marketers need to make sure they are really leveraging all four parts of this acronym, or else they risk falling behind in SEO.
This may even mean going back and rehashing older pieces of content to make sure they hit the standard. As always, whenever Google changes their requirements, marketers have to scramble to make sure they are toeing the line.
2024-Proof Your Digital Marketing with Impressive
Remember, this is just a snapshot of a few of the big things we can expect for this year. There’s a whole lot more you need to be aware of as we move through 2024. To future-proof your strategies, reach out to the friendly team at Impressive. Book your consultation today and get your Free Marketing Plan.
