Top Digital Marketing Trends (2024) — 13 Predictions & Tips

As we waved goodbye to 2023 and stepped into 2024, we found ourselves reflecting on the past year's marketing predictions from different brands and websites.

We were looking at how these forecasts held up, and we wanted to use that to judge which sources are most reliable. Interestingly, many of these marketing trend predictions were just rehashed for 2024.

So, we at CallPage decided to pen down our original predictions for 2024. Let’s see how these stand when we revisit them in 2025!

Continuing Marketing Trends in 2024

Many of our predictions for 2024 are based on the trends and developments that we observed in 2023. For instance, automated lead generation software will remain a popular tool, but with some new features and updates. Let’s explore the specific marketing predictions for 2024.

1. Rise of AI-Generated Content

There's no doubt that 2023 was a landmark year for AI in the business world. And it will most likely continue reshaping marketing strategies. Let's dive into some numbers to get the full picture.

As of the latest data, ChatGPT boasts a whopping 180.5 million users. In October 2023 alone, the site saw an astonishing 1.7 billion visits. OpenAI's head honcho, Sam Altman, revealed that ChatGPT reels in about 100 million users weekly (source: Exploding Topics).

Here's a stat that'll knock your socks off: a quarter of companies have saved between $50,000 to $70,000 thanks to ChatGPT. That's some serious cost-cutting! For more on this, check out Notta.

What's on the horizon for 2024?

As we look ahead to 2024, the trajectory for AI integration in business seems set to continue its upward climb. What does this mean for us? Expect to see more AI-generated content shaping our marketing strategies and execution.

But here's the catch: with this surge comes a flood of low-quality, repetitive content. We're also anticipating a shift in SEO dynamics and a growing demand for genuine, human-created content and interactions.

Our recommendations for 2024

Our advice? Embrace AI in your marketing strategy for 2024 – the savings and productivity boosts are too good to ignore. But, and it's a big but, do it wisely. Like we did in this article (the main image is AI-generated).

Use AI to take the load off routine tasks, but don't forget to give AI-generated content a thorough once-over before it goes live. The key is to balance the efficiency of AI with the irreplaceable touch of human creativity. Keep your content unique and high-quality, using AI as a helpful sidekick, not the whole show.

READ ALSO: Top 5 Most Useful Tools to Grow Your Business

2. The Need for Authenticity & Quality

With so much AI content and automation out there, there's a bunch of low-quality, same-old content floating around. People are getting better at spotting stuff made by AI and they're not into it.

This means there's a big need for content made by real people, content that's been carefully thought out and is truly original. We're talking about making content that's clearly real and doesn't look like it's been churned out by some AI tool.

What's on the horizon for 2024?

In 2024, there will be a huge demand for authentic, high-quality content. People are seeking genuine stories and brands that truly deliver on their promises. Authenticity is essential for gaining your audience's trust and loyalty.

Our recommendations for 2024

To keep up in 2024, make sure your content hits home with your audience. Get to know what they care about, what they value, and what catches their interest. Share true stories about your brand, your team, and your customers. Don't just push a product; offer an experience that matches what your audience is all about.

Put in the time to create well-thought-out content. Always remember, it's better to have great quality than lots of average stuff.

READ ALSO: Why H2H Marketing Is the New Black in the Business World

3. Short-Form Content Dominates

Did you know our average attention span has shrunk to just 8.25 seconds? That's down a whopping 25% from 12 seconds back in 2000 (source).

With our attention spans getting shorter, bite-sized content like Reels, Stories, and Tweets is capturing more eyes than ever. These formats are not just a passing trend. They're the new norm.

What's on the horizon for 2024?

The year 2024 is poised to ramp up the focus on short-form content even more. For brands and marketers, this means getting creative and concise is key. You've got just a few seconds to make an impact, so every word and image needs to count. We're talking vibrant visuals, catchy hooks, and messages that hit home fast.

Also, keep an eye out for fresh social media platforms that might pop up to cater to this growing trend.

Our recommendations for 2024

Double down on short-form content for quick, engaging connections with your audience. But don't ditch long-form content altogether – it's still great for in-depth storytelling. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Twitter should be your playground, where you can experiment with a mix of fun, memorable content styles.

If you're finding it hard to make your content shorter, AI can help you trim it down. Just make sure you're still the one in charge of what you write. Also, think about turning your longer content into a bunch of shorter videos or posts. This way, you can get more out of what you've already made.

READ ALSO: Marketing for Insurance Companies — 17 Tips for Instant Results

4. The Impact of Cancel Culture

Whatever you think about it, the fact is cancel culture has been making waves for a while now, and it's not going anywhere in 2024. It's a phenomenon where individuals or companies face widespread public backlash and potential boycotts due to controversial actions or statements.

What's on the horizon for 2024?

In 2024, expect cancel culture to become an even more prominent factor in marketing strategies. Brands will need to be extremely mindful of the messages they're sending out and the actions they take. A single misstep can result in a PR nightmare. This heightened scrutiny means companies must be authentic, transparent, and quick to respond to any controversies.

Our recommendations for 2024

To navigate the choppy waters of cancel culture, marketing teams need to adopt a proactive approach. This includes regularly reviewing marketing materials and strategies to ensure they align with current societal values and norms. Also, develop a solid crisis management plan that includes clear communication strategies for addressing potential issues.

Remember, authenticity is key. Being genuine and accountable in your communications can go a long way in mitigating the risks associated with cancel culture. Engage with your audience regularly and listen to their feedback to stay aligned with their values.

READ ALSO: Unlock Your Coaching Business's Potential: Proven Marketing Strategies to Gain More Clients

5. The Evolution of SEO

SEO isn't just about keywords and backlinks anymore. It's becoming more about user experience, page speed, and mobile optimization. Also, with AI and machine learning becoming more sophisticated, search engines are getting better at understanding user intent.

What's on the horizon for 2024?

In 2024, expect SEO to focus more on semantic search and user intent. This means that simply stuffing keywords won't cut it. Instead, content needs to be more relevant, useful, and aligned with what your audience is actually looking for.

Voice and visual searches are on the rise, too. This calls for a shift in strategy to include more natural language and image optimization.

In 2024, backlinks in SEO are crucial but with a focus on quality and relevance over quantity. High-quality links from authoritative sources significantly boost search rankings, adapting to Google's more sophisticated algorithms that favor relevance and user experience. Both follow and nofollow links contribute to a website's SEO, reflecting the importance of a diverse backlink profile.

Our recommendations for 2024

Focus on creating quality content that answers real questions and offers value. Optimize for voice and visual search by incorporating conversational language and high-quality images. Don't forget technical SEO – ensure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate.

Also, keep an eye on AI and machine learning developments. They're set to play a big role in SEO strategies moving forward. Additionally, investing in SEO courses can provide invaluable insights into optimizing content for these emerging technologies.

6. Voice Search Gains Ground

In recent years, there's been a significant shift in how people search online, with voice search gaining popularity. We've got some data from the UK, where the adoption of smart speakers in households has steadily increased (source: Kantar).

Let's look at the statistics:

• In 2021, 42% of UK households had smart speakers.
• This number grew to 47% in 2022.
• By 2023, the adoption rate further increased to 52%.
   

What's on the horizon for 2024?

In 2024, optimizing for voice search will be more important than ever. This involves focusing on natural language, question-based queries, and local SEO, as most voice searches are local.

Voice search might become more mainstream, changing how keywords are targeted and content is structured.

Our recommendations for 2024

Optimize your content for conversational keywords and phrases. Focus on local SEO, as many voice searches are for local information. Ensure your website loads quickly and is mobile-friendly, as most voice searches are done on mobile devices.

7. Video Content: The Undisputed King

Did you know that in 2023, the average person clocked in 17 hours a week watching online videos (source: HubSpot)? Video content is a major part of our daily lives, and its influence is undeniable!

Social platforms like TikTok and YouTube are at the forefront, making video the dominant format. For brands, the focus should be on creating engaging and shareable videos.

What's on the horizon for 2024?

Expect video to maintain its throne. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube are at the forefront, driving this video revolution. So, for brands looking to catch the wave, it's all about crafting videos that are not just engaging but also share-worthy.

The rise of TikTok has popularized short, impactful videos. A majority of marketers (83%, as reported by HubSpot) now believe that the most effective videos are and will be those under 60 seconds.

Our recommendations for 2024

Focus on crafting videos that stand out, are funny, and feel real. People are drawn to videos that mirror their own experiences or make them laugh. The goal is to create content that's not only trendy but also strikes a chord with your audience, making it feel genuine and relevant.

Remember to keep your videos concise. The length can vary by platform — YouTube often favors longer videos, but for Shorts, Reels, or TikToks, aim for brevity. Short and sweet is the way to go for these platforms.

Also, keep an eye out for new platforms and tech in the digital world. They can open up exciting new ways to market your content. Plus, getting your audience to create videos about your brand or product is a great move. It boosts interaction and gives you authentic content to share.

8. Mobile-First Approach

Here are three statistics from 2023 you should know (source: Compile):

• More than half of all website visits (54.4%) happen on mobile phones (not including tablets).
• Mobile searches get almost double (85.8% more) the attention compared to desktop searches.
• If a business's mobile website is hard to use, 57% of people won't suggest it to others.
   

Also, Google now mainly uses mobile versions of websites to decide how they appear in search results, as mentioned on the Google Webmasters Blog.

What's on the horizon for 2024?

With mobile internet usage continuing to climb steadily in the past few years, there's no indication this trend is going to change. Expect search engines to prioritize mobile-friendly sites even more in 2024. Sites not optimized for mobile will likely see a significant drop in rankings.

Our recommendations for 2024

Make sure your website is fully optimized for mobile. This includes responsive design, fast loading times, and easy navigation. Regularly test your website on various mobile devices to ensure a smooth user experience.

9. Personalization Peaks

AI is changing the game by making it easier to analyze and understand large chunks of customer data. This means we can now tailor content, offers, website experiences, and even products to fit each customer's likes and dislikes.

Personalization in customer interactions is more than just calling someone by their name in an email. Now, it's about making everything feel like it's specially made for each person. And it works — 80% of shoppers are more likely to buy from brands that personalize their experience (source: Epsilon).

What's on the horizon for 2024?

The future of personalization is all about predicting what customers want before they even know it. By using predictive analytics, companies can guess future needs and preferences.

Our recommendations for 2024

Focus on tools and tech that help you understand and predict what your customers like. Use this info to create experiences that feel personal. But remember, it's important to keep it subtle. You want to make customers feel special, not spied on.

Marketing Trends (2024) That Are More Speculative

10. YouTube Ads Losing Their Charm?

Have you ever found yourself deeply absorbed in a YouTube video, only to be abruptly interrupted by an ad that completely throws you off? You're not alone. It seems like more and more people are expressing frustration with YouTube's ad interruptions, particularly when they clash with the content being consumed.

Searches for "block YouTube ads" have been on the rise, hitting nearly 150,000 monthly searches on Google, as per Semrush's data. This indicates a growing desire among users to avoid these ads.

As YouTube Premium gains traction, offering an ad-free experience, regular YouTube viewers are becoming increasingly irritated with ads that disrupt their viewing experience. This shift in user sentiment is something brands need to watch closely.

What's on the horizon for 2024?

In 2024, we anticipate this issue to intensify, leading to a potential decline in the effectiveness of YouTube ads. Brands relying heavily on YouTube for their advertising campaigns might need to reassess their strategies and consider the impact of ad fatigue on their target audience.

Our recommendations for 2024

It's essential for marketers to be more strategic with YouTube advertising. This includes carefully selecting ad placements and considering the context in which ads appear. Brands should also explore alternative advertising platforms and diversify their online marketing strategies to mitigate the risk of over-reliance on any single channel.

11. Rising Role of Mobile Applications

Users are spending considerable time on apps. In 2023, the average user was engaged with apps between 4-5 hours per day (source: BuildFire). This high level of engagement offers a significant opportunity for businesses to connect with their audience.

What's on the horizon for 2024?

In 2024, the role of mobile applications in marketing will rise exponentially. More businesses are likely to launch their own apps as a way to provide a more personalized, convenient, and interactive experience for their customers.

Expect in-app ads to get really smart and personal. Thanks to all the data from mobile apps, advertisers can now make ads that really hit the mark based on what you like, where you are, and how you use your apps.

Our recommendations for 2024

• Put ads in apps, but keep them friendly and relevant. Don't interrupt the fun.
• If you can, create an app for your brand. Some companies make fun apps or games to attract people and then turn them into customers.
• Work with developers directly to create seamless ads in their apps.

12. The Metaverse: Ready for Prime Time?

The metaverse has been a buzzword since Mark Zuckerberg highlighted it in 2021. Despite initial skepticism, interest is growing. But we're still waiting for its full-fledged reality. Could 2024 be the year we dive deeper into this immersive world?

Here's what happened in 2023:

• New Tech: Meta's "Meta Pro Headset" has upped the VR game. We finally have a true Mixed Reality headset capable of more than watching VR movies and playing simple games. The downside is its price.
• Beyond Gaming: Roblox and Fortnite are now hubs for virtual events and complex world-building.
• AI's Role: Platforms like NVIDIA's Omniverse are making virtual worlds more realistic and professional.
• Easier Access: Thanks to tech upgrades, the metaverse is more accessible and diverse than ever.
• Blockchain and Crypto: Their integration promises a secure, transparent digital economy in the metaverse.
   

What's on the horizon for 2024?

Will we all be fully immersed in the metaverse in 2024? It might be a bit early for that.

So why include it in our 2024 marketing trends? Because the metaverse is gaining momentum, businesses should consider leveraging it for marketing if there's a chance. It's bound to hit the mainstream in the next few years unless some global catastrophe hits.

Our recommendations for 2024

For small and medium-sized companies looking to start or prepare marketing campaigns in the metaverse, here are some practical steps:

• Educate and Research: Learn about the metaverse, its tech, platforms, and users.
• Strategic Networking: Connect with businesses already in the metaverse for insights and potential partnerships.
• Start Small: Choose low-investment platforms for initial ventures, like certain areas in Roblox.
• Try Virtual Events: Organize simple virtual events like meet-and-greets or product demos.
• Stay Updated and Plan Ahead: Watch for new trends and think about scaling your metaverse presence with confidence and budget growth.

13. Augmented Reality Gets Real

Augmented Reality (AR) has been around for a while, but it recently made a massive leap forward. It's no longer just for games and fun filters. AR is becoming a powerful marketing tool, offering immersive experiences that can wow your audience.

In 2021, the user count nearly reached 0.81 billion. Fast forward to 2023, and we see 1.4 billion AR devices being used actively. Looking ahead to 2024, this number is projected to soar to a whopping 1.73 billion (source: Exploding Topics).

What's on the horizon for 2024?

More and more people will be using AR and it will become mainstream (it's close to that already). More and more people will have devices capable of AR.

We'll most likely see some advancements in AR technology, making it more sophisticated and user-friendly. This will enable innovative applications, like visualizing furniture in real spaces using smartphones and interactive 3D product ads activated by QR codes. The fashion industry will likely embrace virtual try-ons, enhancing the online shopping experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmJriqzDUTo

Our recommendations for 2024

You don't need a lot of money and a dedicated app developed just for you to harness the power of AR in marketing. There are cost-effective solutions available now.

For instance, platforms like Instagram and Snapchat offer AR filters that can be customized for your brand. This means you can create engaging and interactive experiences for your audience without breaking the bank.

In 2024, we suggest focusing on these areas:

• Social media filters and lenses. Create branded AR experiences on social media. These filters can be fun, engaging, and a great way to increase brand awareness.
• Interactive ads. Use AR for advertising. Imagine pointing your phone at a product ad in a magazine and seeing a 3D model pop up, showing all the features in an interactive way.
• Virtual showrooms and try-ons. These are especially useful for fashion and retail. Customers can virtually try on clothes, glasses, or even makeup from their homes.
• Educational content. AR can make learning about your products or services more engaging. For example, a 3D model explaining how a complex product works.
   

In conclusion, AR is no longer just a novelty; it's a valuable tool that can enhance how we market and sell products. By staying ahead of the curve and integrating AR into your marketing strategy, you can create memorable and impactful experiences for your audience.

Bonus Tip: Beware of Vanity Metrics

In the whirlwind of digital marketing, it's easy to get caught up in numbers that look impressive on paper but don't really tell the whole story. These are what we call "vanity metrics." They might give you a bit of an ego boost, but they don't necessarily translate to real business success.

Examples of vanity metrics include things like page views, followers, and likes. Sure, they're nice to see, but do they mean your marketing is effective? Not always. These metrics often don't reflect the true engagement or value your content is delivering.

Focus on metrics that really matter – those that give you a clear picture of your marketing's impact. Look at conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and customer lifetime value. These numbers show how well your marketing efforts are translating into actual sales and long-term customer relationships.

Conversion rates, for example, tell you how many visitors are taking the desired action, whether it's signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or requesting a callback through a tool like CallPage.

READ ALSO: Skyrocket Your Sales with 10 Essential Sales Metrics

Conclusion

The 2024 marketing trends we've outlined here are just the beginning. To stay ahead of the curve, it's crucial to keep an eye on emerging technologies and changing consumer behaviors. Flexibility and adaptability are your best allies!

The key to successful digital marketing is not just about jumping on the latest trend. It's about understanding your audience, delivering value, and creating meaningful connections.

Thank you for reading, and we look forward to seeing how you'll transform your digital marketing strategies in 2024!