2024 Marketing Trends: Are You Missing Any?

Is it time you switched up your online marketing plan? There are plenty of developing trends worth focusing on. And changes in user habits and on some leading digital marketing platforms might mean you need to take a fresh look at your marketing.

For example, AI is hot, with 42 percent of respondents to one survey saying they expect to use AI bots rather than search, and Deloitte expects social commerce to grow to two trillion by 2025.

Naturally, digital marketers must adapt to these current digital marketing trends while adjusting to other demands, like preparing for a cookieless future and addressing users’ privacy concerns.

In this piece, I examine some of the top 2024 marketing trends and offer tips on how to adapt.

Key Takeaways

• Changes in user habits, such as shoppers consuming media in different ways,s are shaping marketing trends in 2024.
• More consumers are turning to bots for answers but there’s questions on the accuracy of some of these AI-generated answers.
• The recent leak of Google Search documents reinforces the importance of SEO best practices, like link building and the importance of site authority.
• Tried and tested methods like email marketing remain relevant, as most consumers say it’s their preferred format and it offers marketers a high ROI.
• Testing new advertising avenues, like connected TV, is a good way to reach new audiences on different media formats.

Marketing Trend #1: SEO Best Practices Will Be Reinforced By The Google Leaks

In May, Rand Fishkin, SEO guru and SparkToro founder, received an email from a source claiming they’d gotten their hands on Google’s Search Division API documentation via GitHub. Later, Fishkin shared an overview on his blogGoogle has since confirmed these are legitimate documents.

The leak pretty much confirms what SEOs already suspected about Google’s algorithm, even though Google may have said otherwise. 

The Google documents leak shows:

• Link building is a big deal.
• Site authority is crucial.
• Navboost (Google’s way of tracking user engagement to rank content) is an essential ranking factor.
• Chrome data plays a part in the search experience.
• Quality content counts.
• User experience matters.

Google says not to draw any hasty conclusions from the leak, so the best advice? Stick to standard SEO best practices and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), which I often talk about on this blog.

And for Rand Fishkin’s take? Regardless of the leak, he feels building a recognizable brand outside of Google is the key to ramping up organic search rankings and traffic.

Marketing Trend #2: AI Overviews Will Upend What We Know About User Habits

AI Overviews (AIO) is Google’s experimental feature. It’s live in the States and being tested in the UK, with more countries coming soon. AIO gives searchers a snapshot of a topic and links so they can dip deeper into it if they want.

Like any AI tool, it has flaws, such as inaccuracies, and AIO has the potential to significantly reduce organic traffic.

Then, there’s the effect on keywords.

According to research from seoClarity, AIOs tend to pop up for specific searches, like informational and long-tail transactional keywords and some Your Money or Your Life queries. 

When it comes to head terms (popular, high-demand search terms), not so much.

he same study showed that local maps and triple packs don’t appear in AIO either.

What’s the game plan here? Since Google controls these results, you can’t do much regarding SEO strategies.

However, you can focus on creating top-notch content and remembering E-E-A-T guidelines (yes, those again). 

If you’re curious about how AIO impacts your visibility, seoClarity has tools to measure your trended click-through rates and monitor SERPs. You can also use the Rank Intelligence tool to pinpoint keywords that trigger AI overviews.

Marketing Trend #3: If Your Paid Media Plan Hasn’t Branched Out Yet, It Should

It’s not all about PPC ads anymore. Some exciting new opportunities exist in paid media, including Brave, Connected TV, and Digital Out of House Ads.

For instance, the Brave web browser has a unique way of reaching audiences, like new tab takeovers and extra privacy features like ad and tracker blocking. It’s an effective way to connect with audiences that use ad blockers or prefer non-mainstream search engines.

The first-party ads appear in formats like push notifications and news feeds and deliver personalized ads to users in the Brave browser..

Then there’s Connected TV advertising (video advertising on Smart TVs, etc., with an internet connection). CTV ads appear on platforms like Roku, gaming consoles, and Amazon Fire devices. CTV is on course to reach $42.4 billion by 2027 and is currently outpacing mobile and desktop viewing.

And let’s not forget digital out of home advertising. 

You’ll know all about this. It’s the type of marketing you’ll see when you’re out and about, like on billboards, signage, and digital screens in public spaces. 

Marketing Trend #4: Reliable Marketing Practices Like Email Will Still Stay Strong

 Email marketing’s return on investment (ROI) varies depending on your niche.

However, it offers significant rewards for email marketers who get it right, such as better brand recognition and relationship building. 

Plus, it’s got a bunch of perks. For example, it’s cost-effective and automated, and you can segment to target different audiences. Consumers love email, too! According to research, 60 percent say email is their preferred marketing method.

And the cherry on the top? Email marketing lets you measure your metrics, see what’s working, and use this info to develop more content that’s perfect for your audience.

Email marketing is also your ticket for collecting first-party data, as you can use the data you collect to market to your subscribers.

And when you pair email marketing with your blog, you’ve got a more complete digital marketing strategy. You can share valuable content in your blog, add round-ups to your emails, or use teaser content to get click-throughs. 

If you want to take it to the next level, use your blog to address subscribers’ pain points or interests and showcase your products/services as the ideal solution.

Marketing Trend #5: AI Innovations Will Power Scaling – With Caution

Generative AI has revolutionized bulk content creation, and it’s more than just one of those current digital marketing trends that will eventually fade away. But building an entire blog around AI isn’t a good idea.

In case you missed it, Google’s March 2024 update put the brakes on many purely AI-driven sites and wiped out many others simultaneously as they lost search engine visibility. Some also had manual actions added to Google Search Console.

However, AI does have its place. 

For example, marketers can use AI for analyzing consumer data for better personalization, using chatbots to interact with customers, and research.

Finally, use a people-first approach to your content creation and keep Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines in mind (I know I’ve mentioned this twice before, but it’s worth a reminder). With these two things in mind, you can’t go too far wrong.

Marketing Trend #6: We Still Need To Prep For A World Without Cookies

Google has abandoned its plans to deprecate third-party cookies, but that doesn’t mean you should stop looking for cookieless advertising solutions.

Why? Personalizing and targeting ads with first-party data will drive better results. If you want to stay ahead of the game, start prepping now. That means:

• Mix things up and start diversifying data sources. Surveys, sign-up forms, subscriptions, and website interactions all fall under first-party data, which isn’t changing.
• Consider contextual advertising: This lets you target ads according to webpage content instead of user behavior.
• Check out new identifiers like Unified ID 2.0 to make advertising more relevant and give users greater control.
• Review your privacy policies and user consent, and ensure you are crystal clear about how you collect and use data.
• Leverage first-party data relationships by creating personalized marketing campaigns from existing data, like purchase history, for example.
• Consider using Google’s Privacy Sandbox.
• Track and analyze your data with a tool that uses first-party data, like Google Analytics 4.

Marketing Trend #7: Social SEO Will Become An Even Bigger Premium

Social media used to be all about connecting with friends and family. But now, it’s one of the first places consumers go to find new brands and products and even discover influencers.  

In fact, using social media as a search engine is one of the top marketing trends right now.

That’s not just my take, either. Data from TINT’s State of Social and User-Generated Content report shows that 37.9 percent of consumers use social media as a search engine.

On sites like TikTok and Instagram, users can enter a search term just like they would on Google to find what they want.

Social media users also follow influencers and brands to discover new products. And that’s your golden opportunity.

To make a splash on social:

• Use hashtags and keywords.
• Include high-quality images and format them for the platform you’re using.
• Add links to your website, blogs, and products. You can write and link to product and buying guides, too.
• Engage. Ask and answer questions to show you’re not just another faceless business.

You can also consider running paid advertising campaigns for an even bigger reach.

FAQs

What are the best marketing strategies in 2024?

The top strategies for digital marketing trends in 2024 are automation, depersonalization, and alternative communication channels. How we use the Internet is changing, and so is how we market.

How will digital marketing change in 2024?

There are no longer any silver bullets. In today’s world, organizations must monitor new trends and implement changes to respond to them. For instance, they must find new ways to collect data as we head toward a cookieless future. Quality still matters, but how to go about building that quality content and promote it is what’s evolving.

What is the most effective form of marketing in 2024?

Content remains one of the most effective forms of marketing. Creating high-quality content that informs and educates is crucial. Consider adding automation to help you do more in less time.

What emerging marketing trends should I be paying attention to?

AI and machine learning are significantly impacting marketing. Google’s move away from third-party cookies is also impacting paid ads.

How can I stay updated on the latest 2024 marketing trends?

High-profile blogs with expert analysis and advice are a good start, like the Neil Patel blog.

You can also sign up for Google Alerts, monitor social media for emerging trends, and read news sites for their marketing sections.

Search Google News, too.

2024 Marketing Trends Conclusion

The current digital marketing trends detailed in this article are hot for this year, but they’re also likely to remain relevant in the foreseeable future.

Things like cookieless marketing and AI are worth paying attention to now so you’re ready for the future.

Then, there are the marketers’ firm favorites like email and paid marketing, which will continue to evolve and become more sophisticated.
Here’s the beautiful part, though. Now, you know which trends to look out for, like cookieless marketing, and AI, you can start to act.