As we stand on the threshold of 2024, the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing continues to present exciting challenges and opportunities for organizations and brands. And just like last year, we’re excited to jump into another round of informed predictions as to how these trends are positioned to shape the industry in the year to come.
From the integration of AI-powered content creation to the hyper-personalization of marketing efforts, let’s explore what’s on the horizon for 2024.
AI-Powered Content Creation & Integration
The landscape of digital marketing is once again poised for a major shift with the continued integration of AI. In 2023, we saw the doors swing wide open into the realm of artificial intelligence, sparking excitement (and some fear) in regards to its seemingly limitless possibilities. While the initial hype suggested a potential threat to traditional marketing roles, what has unfolded so far is more of a symbiotic relationship. Marketers have begun to harness the power of AI not just for content creation but also for boosting overall productivity.
A HubSpot survey of 1,350 marketers this past year found that 45% of marketers use generative AI for content creation, and 70% of marketers said generative AI is important to their content marketing strategy. This synergy between marketers and AI is likely to deepen in the coming year, reshaping the operations of creative agencies. The adoption of generative AI will be a transformative force that will redefine creative output, strategy formulation, and media planning in 2024.
Social Media Trends & Best Practices
AI-Lead Community Management
In the realm of social media best practices, the landscape of customer interactions is currently undergoing its own transition, courtesy of real-time engagement facilitated by AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants. Although the concept of chatbots isn’t entirely revolutionary, the ongoing technological evolution is significantly reshaping the way brands connect with their audiences. Notably, these chatbots and assistants are becoming increasingly intelligent, offering instant solutions and personalized experiences that seamlessly align with the contemporary consumer’s insistence on immediate gratification. In this unfolding era of AI, conversational marketing emerges as a pivotal game-changer.
To leverage this trend effectively, brands can integrate AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants like Drift and Intercom to provide automated member support and engagement. Additionally, utilizing platforms such as Sprout Social and Hootsuite, which leverage AI analytics to provide deep insights into engagement and sentiment, brands can enhance the overall effectiveness of AI-led community management strategies.
Proliferation of Short-Form Vertical Videos
Short-form vertical videos (i.e., TikToks, Reels and YouTube Shorts) continue to dominate the content space—and we expect that to continue into 2024. The appetite for bite-sized content, especially among younger users, will continue—but a notable shift is coming. Platforms like TikTok are already starting to incentivize longer-form, more meaningful video experiences. Brands can capitalize on this trend by prioritizing quality over quantity of content and making sure their videos provide real value to their audience—whether that’s through education, entertainment, or inspiration. Beyond mere advertisements, videos will become a dynamic means for businesses to foster a deeper connection with their audience. You can start by identifying what your audience values most and generate quality content that supports and nourishes those values.
Social Commerce Integration
Social commerce is rapidly gaining traction, signaling a significant change in how consumers engage with products and services. The fusion of e-commerce functionalities within popular social media platforms has become virtually seamless, enabling users to make purchases directly within their favorite social apps.
To capitalize on this trend, brands can position themselves at the forefront of evolving consumer shopping preferences by proactively adapting and optimizing their websites for social sharing and creating engaging shoppable content, such as product catalogs with captivating imagery, to maximize the impact of this evolving consumer behavior.
For all things social media in 2024, check out our blog post, “3 Social Media Resolutions for Brands in 2024.”
Content & Inbound Marketing
The Successful Utilization of Google Analytics 4
In July of 2023, the digital marketing landscape saw a significant shift from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). While navigating the initial complexity of GA4 posed a challenge, the platform has emerged as a transformative force in web analytics. The next step for marketers is to explore and harness GA4’s features, including differences in data models, data collection, attribution modeling, reporting, and Consent Mode. Learn more about this transition and how to leverage the new analytics model in our VONT blog post, “Navigating the Transition from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4.”
The Vital Role of Quality Content & Strategic Tracking
While last year’s marketing predictions blog emphasized the importance of content as king (which still holds true in many ways), a new narrative is emerging—one that prioritizes quality over quantity. Strategic repurposing of content is one way to harness this transition and expand your inbound marketing footprint without overwhelming audiences with a constant influx of new material. By refining existing content to align with current trends, audience preferences, and industry insights, marketers can breathe new life into proven content, enhancing its relevance and value.
It’s important to remember that the goal is not merely to produce more content but rather to elevate its quality. The use of marketing automation tools like HubSpot and SharpSpring can help facilitate this process with proactive management and tracking of the user experience. These tools ensure that every piece of content, whether new or repurposed, contributes meaningfully to the overall inbound strategy.
Unified Consumer Values
Hyper-Personalization of Content
As consumers become increasingly discerning, hyper-personalization of content emerges as a key strategy in 2024. Brands must tailor marketing messages based on individual preferences by leveraging customer data to deliver personalized experiences. Whether through digital ads, promoted social content, or email marketing, the focus is on creating tailored interactions that increase the likelihood of sparking consumer interest. Sustainability and ethical marketing are also crucial considerations, reflecting the modern consumer’s growing interest in a brand’s morals and values.
Sustainability and Ethical Marketing
Today’s consumers aren’t just interested in a product or service; they want to understand a brand’s values, especially when it comes to environmental and social responsibility. This shift, influenced in part by global challenges like climate change as well as emerging social issues, has elevated the importance of sustainability and ethical marketing. Brands now actively highlight their commitment to these principles, from adopting eco-friendly packaging to ensuring fair trade sourcing.
However, we caution brands against making value claims through advertising without truly living those claims in their day-to-day work. This can be even more detrimental than saying nothing at all, as today’s consumers are adept lie detectors and scrutinize brands for authenticity. To truly capitalize on this trend, brands must genuinely live their values, ensuring that their marketing aligns with real and meaningful actions. In 2024, marketing goes beyond transactions; it’s about aligning with consumer values and showcasing responsibility in response to the growing awareness among consumers.
Digital Marketing
The Continued Value of Influencer Marketing
We’ve heard it before, and we’ll hear it again in 2024—influencer marketing continues to be a dominant player in the social media space. After years of observation, the vast majority of marketers now recognize the impact that influencers, content creators and thought leaders can have on brand awareness and credibility. But smart marketers won’t stop there. The real value of influencer marketing is in creating lasting partnerships that are deeper than just transactional advertising.
Brands that strategically forge values-driven influencer partnerships, focusing on long-term relationships that deepen over time, have the potential to unlock lasting benefits. This approach goes beyond short-lived campaigns and single mentions, fostering a genuine connection between the influencer and the brand. When influencers authentically engage with and promote a brand consistently over months or even years, it conveys a sense of true affinity and trust, often resulting in extra content and credibility for brands.
For smaller businesses looking to capitalize on this tactic, starting with Micro Influencers—individuals with thousands to tens of thousands of followers—is a great entry point. Despite their smaller following, these influencers often wield great influence over their dedicated audience, resulting in notably high engagement rates. This makes them an excellent choice for smaller brands seeking to build awareness and establish stronger connections with their target audiences. Dive deeper into effective Influencer Marketing tactics in our blog post, “New Year’s Resolutions: How to Better Manage Your Influencers.”
The Importance of a Multi-Platform Content Strategy
Businesses must prioritize optimization across all digital platforms this new year, recognizing that content uniquely tailored to specific platforms has the best chance of capturing and maintaining user interest. Whether it’s ensuring a responsive website design or crafting a mobile-friendly email campaign, businesses that embrace a multi-platform approach will enhance user experiences and have a better chance of meeting users where they are.
In 2024, effective content strategies demand a Multi-Platform Optimization mindset. Branded content should work seamlessly across all platforms, ideally tailored to each. Whether you’re adjusting visuals for various social media platforms or fine-tuning content for specific channels, brands need to move beyond the copy-paste approach of the past. In 2024, consumers expect a higher level of attention to detail, making Multi-Platform Optimization the key to a winning content strategy.
The Bottom Line
As we navigate the evolving marketing landscape in 2024, a fusion of technology and human-centric marketing are likely to define success. Brands that leverage the power of AI, prioritize hyper-personalization, and align themselves with consumer values are poised to thrive in this dynamic digital environment.
As we step into the new year, the entire team at Ethos|VONT wishes you the very best! If you’re in search of a new partner or seeking expert insights to guide your marketing efforts in the coming year, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team today. We’re here to help you not only navigate but master the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing.
About Ethos|VONT
More than an advertising agency, Ethos is a 100% employee-owned multiplatform branding agency founded in 1999 by a small team of discerning marketing and creative minds who believed in the inherent value of truth. Today, Ethos develops and executes integrated marketing campaigns across multiple channels for clients inside and outside of Maine. The company’s guiding principle is to uncover and communicate every client’s unique promise and truth and then set a meaningful marketing course design to achieve maximum results.
Ethos excels in the fields of food and beverage, agricultural trade commodities, financial services companies, healthcare organizations and behavior change. In 2007, to position the agency to meet the emerging digital marketing trend, Ethos launched VONT, a digital performance marketing company dedicated exclusively to web, social media and online marketing channels. Together, Ethos and VONT work hand in glove to deliver integrated marketing communications across multiple channels for clients. For more information, visit www.ethos-marketing.com.
