Each new year brings the promise of exciting digital marketing advancements. AI’s continuous ascent, voice search optimisation, AR marketing and the metaverse are just some of the technologies that will witness huge upgrades in the year to come. Business owners can utilise any digital upgrade, especially when they have the potential to simplify your online operation whilst generating massive conversions.

What’s more, the year 2024 should witness massive changes in consumer technology and industry strategies, both of which are important to include in your online endeavours. So, with this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the awesome and exciting developments we can expect to see in the year to come:

 

1. AI-personalisation

Yes, AI dominates the digital trends for the year to come. The year 2024 should see a massive ascent in the use of AI for digital personalisation. AI-centric personalisation is going to change the way businesses engage with their customers. Brand owners will become more reliant on AI-generated algorithms to collect and evaluate large data sets. This will enable them to produce highly specific and personalised audience experiences.

Regardless of whether it’s personalised content recommendations or versatile pricing strategies, you can trust that AI will be part of it. AI will help brands refine their customer experience and drive conversions in the process. This trend will help marketers better understand their audience and thus create higher conversions and engagement.

 

2. Voice search optimisation

Voice search has stepped out from user obscurity to become an essential digital marketing element. In the past, mobile users were often wary of voice search, as it simply didn’t produce the best results and often left users frustrated. But with the advent of smart speakers and voice assistants comes the need for voice-driven content optimisation.

This will include the use of conversational phrases, long-tail keywords and structured data to ensure voice-driven content drives traffic. What’s more, voice-activated advertising will continue its ascent, providing brands with a new way to connect with their audiences. Voice search technologies are only expected to advance in the year to come, and this presents a big opportunity for marketers looking to connect with their customers on a more humanistic level.

 

3. Augmented reality (AR)

AR has been shaking up the digital marketing industry for some time now. However, 2024 will see it implemented like never before. Business owners will want to leverage AR technology to create awesome customer experiences that provide the customer with the opportunity to visualise experiences or products before they buy.

From AI-driven property inspections to virtual fashion fittings, marketers will have amazing tools at their disposal to provide before purchase experiences. This will provide greater customer engagement, enhance user experiences and generate higher conversion rates. This is an exciting opportunity for creative marketers, who will be able to produce new experiences with the help of intelligent digital upgrades!

 

4. Influencer marketing

Whether you like it or not, influencer marketing continues to rise. 2024 will realise massive changes in the industry. There will be a focus-shift from macro-influencers with massive followings to micro-influencers with a smaller-yet-more attentive following. This will prioritise authentic content over having a massive following and marketers should pay close attention.

What’s more, AI-driven influencer identification and tracking tools will optimise influencer marketing through making it more data-centric. These tools will prioritise authentic connections to generate more specified influencer partnerships.

 

5. The metaverse

The metaverse continues to gain attention amongst digital marketers. So what is it, exactly? It is essentially a limitless multiplayer digital sphere where people can meet, explore and purchase. But it goes far beyond the notion of a simple “trend”, especially when you consider its projected value reaching $678.8 billion by the year 2030.

This makes it a technology that marketers cannot afford to overlook, especially when you consider the branding potential it provides. Marketers will be able to create new experiences, specify campaigns based on user behaviours and produce engaging virtual product launches. This space will help facilitate digital communities and increase customer loyalty. Some of the world’s biggest companies are already making massive forays into the metaverse, harnessing its power to engage with their global audience in a way once thought technologically-impossible!

 

6. Programmatic advertising

Programmatic advertising is changing the way businesses reach their target demographic. It combines strategy with technology to automate ad-buying capabilities, thus ensuring optimised ad efficiency. Programmatic advertising creates maximum automation, efficiency and precision. It reduces mistakes whilst optimising marketer value through providing specific content to personalised user segments.

Brands can tailor ads to their target audiences based on their consumer habits. User behaviour data is constantly rising and this has led to higher engagement rates and a reduction in the price-per-acquisition. This helps brands to expand globally or run specific local campaigns through intelligent tools that prioritise adaptability in a changing market. Programmatic advertising is an imperative to the shift in digital data, strategy and technology and its rise will continue to help marketers deliver high quality, highly-specific advertising.

 

7. General AI

AI is well and truly a part of the modern digital sphere. It is changing the way marketers attract customers and engage with audiences. Businesses the world over are enlisting AI for automation, budget optimisation, content creation, personalisation and more. AI’s amazing versatility creates personalised interactions whilst anticipating user behaviour, thus producing a user experience like never before.

AI is able to collect insights from a vast pool of data sources, thus providing a heightened understanding of user behaviours, emerging trends and preferences. This intelligent data comprehension generates smarter marketing strategies that target audiences love. What’s more, AI-driven automation reduces repetitive tasks, allowing marketers to focus on creative strategy that marks a point of difference for their clients.

Applications like ChatGPT are helping businesses create personalised digital campaigns. These tools provide a faster content production method, generating advanced user experiences and enhancing overall marketing strategies. Marketers must strategically-utilise AI for each of their clients to achieve optimal success. It’s a powerful tool that when used correctly can optimise human potential rather than reduce it.

 

8. Inclusive marketing

Marketing isn’t only a game of advertising a product. In fact, a core principle of any content marketing strategy is communicating your brand’s beliefs and principles. Marketers have to communicate their clients’ responsibilities and this includes inclusive marketing. Modern campaigns must prioritise a need for inclusion as part of a growing global audience. Inclusion prioritises understanding global experiences and providing a greater platform for people who have been unheard in the past.

Marketing departments must also champion diverse hiring practices to drive the need for inclusion. Marketing should be at the forefront of inclusion, as brands have a powerful opportunity to help create a shift in the global standard. But this must start internally, as it is important to have voices with an understanding of nuanced experiences on-hand to convey these messages to the public.

 

9. First-party data & data privacy

Data protection and privacy are becoming increasingly important for businesses. Cybercrime is always on the rise, with nefarious online actors using a variety of new techniques to try and gain access to personal information. These increased concerns have made marketers more adaptive to changing customer expectations and global regulations. There has been a shift in focus towards open data standards and user content, thus prioritising ethical data collection and storage.

This includes standards like privacy-focused advertising and zero-party data collection. These practices will help reduce customer apprehension whilst allowing brands to provide highly personalised experiences that their customers will trust. Data handling is at the forefront of global industry regulation and customer expectations. Therefore, it is imperative that marketers meet these standards with skill and efficiency.

In 2024, marketers expect to see stricter privacy regulations and a reduction in the use of third-party cookies. Consequently, the digital arena is shifting its focus towards prioritising first-party data as standard. First-party data, collected from the customers themselves, offers greater compliance, accuracy and reliability.

What’s more, it provides an amazing insight into a customer’s behaviour and journey, thus providing marketers with a unique opportunity to create engaging content through data collection. First-party data is one of the best ways marketers can create highly personalised experiences whilst maintaining customer privacy.

All this information can be leveraged to produce smart campaigns that improve customer experiences and create lasting relationships. Third-party data is losing its hold on digital marketing and marketers have a wonderful new tool at their disposal. Customer privacy is essential and the great thing is it can be solidified whilst producing exciting new marketing opportunities!

 

It’s going to be a big year

2024 promises to be a massive year in the digital arena. There will be strategic and technological advancements that forever change the industry. AI and AR marketing will continue to enhance the way marketers connect and engage with their audiences, thus bringing with it highly personalised experiences that can drive conversions like never before!