The digital marketing landscape is evolving at a breakneck pace, driven by technological advancements and shifting consumer behaviors.
As we gaze into 2024, several trends stand out, promising to reshape how businesses connect with their audience.
Let’s dive into these game-changing trends:
- The Big Picture: Marketing and Brand Strategy Trends
- Navigating Digital Marketing Strategy Trends
- UGC and the Rise of Micro-Influencers
- The Rise of Social Listening in Digital Marketing
- Protecting Your Data Safe and Clear
1. The Big Picture: Marketing and Brand Strategy Trends
First things first, digital marketing isn’t just a fancy term. It’s a part of a grand plan every brand or business has. And it’s super important to make sure that what’s spent on digital marketing aligns with the company’s big goals.
Did you know?
Before the pandemic, companies spent about 11% of their total revenue on marketing. This went down during tough times, but it’s slowly picking up from 6.4% to 9.1% currently.[source]
But here’s a shocker: Almost 49% of the businesses haven’t even had a proper game plan for their digital marketing for over 15 years, yet they’re still playing the game![source] It’s like playing soccer without a strategy. You can kick the ball around, but scoring? That’s a different game.
If you’re thinking of dipping your toes into the world of digital marketing, always remember: strategy is key!
2. Navigating Digital Marketing Strategy Trends
Digital marketing, given its vastness, deserves its unique game plan. This plan outlines aims, techniques, and investments in communications, staff, and tech tools.
The goal? To level up digital marketing skills.
Did you know there’s a cool way to measure a company’s digital marketing maturity?
It’s called the digital maturity benchmark. Companies can score between one (beginner) and five (pro). [source]
In recent studies, most businesses scored between levels 1 and 2, hinting that there’s lots of room to grow. For the smaller players, aiming for level 3 is a good goal. But for the big shots, who rely heavily on digital prowess, levels 4 and 5 are where the action’s at.
Peek into the future, and many companies currently at levels 1 and 2 have big dreams. They’re gearing up to climb higher on the digital maturity ladder by 2024.
Quick Tip: All businesses should regularly check their digital marketing maturity and set goals to boost their skills. For a handy guide, free members can check the digital marketing maturity benchmarking templates.
3. UGC and the Rise of Micro-Influencers
Ever heard of UGC? It stands for User-Generated Content.
Imagine your friend raving about their new sneakers on Instagram. That’s UGC!
Real customers sharing real stories. For brands, it’s like peeking into a treasure chest of honest feedback and raw experiences.
Then there’s the rising star: Micro-Influencers.
Gone are the days when brands chased celebrities with millions of followers. Now, they’re vibing with folks who might have 1,000… 10,000… or even just 500 followers.
Why? Authenticity. These influencers, with their tight-knit communities, are like the cool neighbors you trust for recommendations.
So, if you’re a marketer, here’s the deal:
- UGC is Gold: Embrace it! It’s authentic, relatable, and boosts your brand’s story.
- Picking Micro-Influencers: Do your homework. Look for genuine engagement and real followers. But remember, it’s not about getting all their followers, it’s about quality connections.
The digital world’s changing, folks. It’s getting real, and it’s getting personal.
4. The Rise of Social Listening in Digital Marketing
Historically, when brands wanted to know how well their campaigns did, they looked at numbers and charts, known as analytics.
But as brands grow and change, they’ve noticed that these “test scores” alone aren’t enough.
Why? What’s Missing?
Imagine you’re part of a big group chat. It’s not just about the main messages but also the side comments, emojis, and memes shared.
Social listening is like paying attention to that entire chat. It’s about knowing when someone mentions your name, understanding their feelings, and even catching on to the latest slang or trends.
So, why Should You Care?
By 2024, expert marketers predict that being alert and ‘listening’ on social media will be super important.
Just like how you’d feel good if a friend remembers your favorite ice cream flavor, customers feel valued when brands respond to their comments or feedback.
With social listening, brands can get an idea of what people really think. They can use this info to make their customer service better, launch cooler campaigns, or even design products people really want.
Plus, it helps them stay updated with what’s popular or trending.
Now, how do they ‘Listen’ better?
There are special tools that help brands ‘listen’ on social media. If you’re curious, we’ve got a list of the best tools to help brands ace their listening game.
5. Protecting Your Data Safe and Clear
By 2024, 75% of all people in the world will have rules in place to keep their personal information safe online. Think of it like a digital shield guarding our online secrets. [source]
Gartner, a big research company, noticed a few important things about how businesses and organizations will handle this:
- Growing Privacy Rules: More countries are making rules about data privacy. So, companies need to make sure they’re following these rules, no matter where they are in the world.
- Where Your Data Stays: In this big online world, some places want to keep data within their own borders. This is like keeping your toys only in your room and not sharing them.
- Safe Data Techniques: Companies will use special techniques to keep data safe, especially when it’s being used or shared. This means even if they’re checking out the data, it’s still locked up tight!
- Smart AI: AI, like robots that think, can sometimes make mistakes with our data. So, companies need to be extra careful and smart about how they use AI.
- Easy-to-Use Privacy Tools: Imagine a one-stop shop where you can see and control all your online settings. By 2023, many companies will have something like this.
- Balancing Work and Play in a Digital World: Since many of us work and play online, it’s important that companies think about our happiness and safety. They should use our data to help make things smoother but in a friendly way.
In short, our online world is changing. But with the right steps, our data can be safe and sound!
Digital marketing is zooming ahead like a racecar with new tools and platforms. To stay in the lead, businesses must strategize and adapt to the ever-evolving online landscape. Staying updated and embracing future trends is the key to navigating this dynamic digital world.
