Gear up for 2024 with these marketing game-changers. From AI alliances to authentic connections, these trends have the potential to redefine your strategies.
Teaming up with AI:
Overcoming initial hesitations, AI has evolved into a pivotal ally for digital marketers and content creators. Deeply integrated, it streamlines processes, sparks creative ideas, designs outputs, and enhances time efficiency. If you haven’t embraced AI as a trusted colleague, you’re missing out on unlocking new levels of productivity and creativity without undermining human expertise. Marketers have adeptly welcomed artificial intelligence into their workflows, maximising its potential and reclaiming valuable time.
Authenticity Reigns In Controversy:
In a world of controversy, authenticity emerges as the ultimate champion. Brands are urged to define their values and political stances, preparing their digital presence for the greater good. Sprout Social’s ‘#BrandsGetReal’ survey reveals that over two-thirds of respondents believe brands should address social and political issues on social platforms, viewing their following as a resource for enabling change.
For brands with a significant follower count, you may be called upon to define where your brand stands in these issues. Be proactive not reactive by aligning with your internal teams and preparing for how to best respond when the time comes.
Super-Charged Community Engagement:
Effective community engagement is the new norm, and generic responses won’t suffice. Leading brands actively step beyond owned channels into conversational communities like Reddit, Pinterest, Publisher platforms, and viral threads. By infusing interactions with wit, charm, and creativity, not only do you find more of your ‘tribe,’ but you also pave the way for higher and deeper levels of engagement. Personalised responses are a must in 2024; dropping a ‘thank you’ or ‘love heart emoji’ will no longer cut the mustard.
Leaders to the Front:
Once in the background, brand leaders now take the spotlight. Consumers crave connections with the personalities shaping the brands they love. Trends like ‘A Day in the Life of’ or ‘Behind the Scenes’ continue to gain momentum, emphasising the human side and the start-up-to-success story of brands.
If you lack a brand personality who is ready for the limelight, consider showcasing a group or department that can effectively communicate your brand values, products, and is open to sharing their work life.
Stepping Up Cross-Channel Understanding:
Brands continue to broaden their understanding of audiences by tapping into behaviours, preferences, and interactions learnt across other platforms. The trick isn’t to toss out what’s working but to mine valuable insights from every team who is collaborating on your brand strategy and sharing their learnings with others to unlock fresh opportunities. As a tangible example, the google performance team may be reverting a campaign to a ‘maximise for click’ optimisation and the social team should have the opportunity to dial up their retargeting campaigns on TikTok or META to effectively convert those extra website visitors.
Practical Steps Ahead: Break down those silos within your teams, agencies, and marketing partnerships. Collaboratively gather insights from internal and external sources to craft a unified marketing approach. It’s not just about personalised marketing; it’s about deepening your understanding of the audience throughout your entire ecosystem. Gate-keeping information isn’t beneficial, it takes an army of insights and learnings across all platforms to move the dial on any marketing strategy.
As you navigate the dynamic landscape ahead, remember: AI is your ally, authenticity reigns, and connections are your currency. If you need some help navigating the year ahead, let’s chat about making 2024 one of the best ones yet!