Trends and strategies in digital marketing for 2024
As a business owner, I totally get it – you've got a million things on your plate, and sometimes marketing can slip down the list.
Understanding the latest trends and strategies in digital marketing gives you a better grasp of what works best for your business. When you understand what the latest digital marketing trends and strategies are, you can better target your ideal clients and make sure your marketing is being effective!
Understanding digital marketing isn't about buzzwords or complex jargon; it's about understanding what can help you best achieve your business goals.
To help you, here are 7 of the latest trends and strategies in digital marketing that you can use in 2024.
1. Personalisation is key
Yes, I’ve been banging on about personalisation for a while now – that’s because it’s more than a trend; it's a necessity.
Why? Because your ideal clients want to feel like you really, really know them and that you're speaking directly to them… personally!
So how do you do this? Well you need to know your data. Yes, sounds boring but OMG your data gives you sooooo much insight into your ideal clients. And that means regularly reviewing the data all those digital platforms give you is a non-negotiable when it comes to marketing.
If you’re not using data to tailor your content, offers, and even website experiences to people's personal preferences then you’re throwing money down the toilet
Remember, personalisation isn’t just about addressing someone by their name in an email; it's about creating a whole experience that makes them feel like you really, really get them them.
This can include:
- sending personalised product recommendations
- creating targeted social media ads
- customising website content based on past interactions.
By focusing on personalisation in your digital marketing, you can increase your ideal clients satisfaction and loyalty, which improves that all important know, like, and trust factor. Which we know leads to more leads and sales.
2. Video content continues to dominate
So, videos are still ruling the roost in digital marketing. Why? Because they're engaging, easy to watch and understand, and most importantly, they’re usually shareable.
If jumping in front of the camera gives you overwhelming butterflies or the icky’s, you have options. You can still create videos that are valuable and relevant and that resonate with your ideal clients.
It’s not all about Tik Tok and silly dancing! Video content (without faces) can also include:
- product demos
- client testimonials (if your clients don’t want to be on camera you can showcase their business and have them do a voiceover)
- behind-the-scenes footage
- educational content
- And more.
When thinking about the video content to create – keep your ideal clients in mind. What do they want to see? What do they want to know? Those questions you keep getting asked about for a product or service you offer – try answering those in video format.
Finally, you can use videos across a range of platforms, from social media to your website and email marketing campaigns. Just remember to keep them short, visually appealing, and relevant to your ideal clients.
3. SEO isn’t just keywords anymore
SEO is evolving. It's no longer just about stuffing keywords into your content.
Google continues to get smarter and smarter, focusing on people’s intent and the overall experience. This means you need to create quality content that genuinely helps your ideal clients.
Again, think about what questions you (your business) get asked all the time and answer them through your content.
And yes, keywords are still important, but they need to be used naturally. Don't force them in where they don't belong. Instead, focus on creating valuable and informative content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords.
4. The new Google
And then there’s the new Google on the horizon – SGE (Search Generative Experience) – which focuses on understanding the context and meaning behind a user's search query. This means that we need to focus not just on keywords, but also on creating a meaningful and comprehensive experience for our ideal clients.
To do this, it's important to understand your target audience and their search intent. What are they looking for? What information are they seeking? By knowing this, you can create content that directly addresses their needs and provides value to them.
Additionally, always remember to keep your content up-to-date and relevant. As Google continues to evolve, so does the importance of fresh and current content. This not only helps with SEO rankings, but it also shows your ideal clients that you are actively engaged in providing valuable information.
Remember, while it's important to use relevant keywords and optimise your content for SEO, it should not come at the cost of providing a meaningful and enjoyable experience for your ideal clients.
So focus on creating content that resonates with your target market, addresses their needs and interests, and provides value for them. By doing so, you can attract more ideal clients for your business.
5. Voice search: the (not-so) new frontier
These days everyone has a smart phone, which means voice assistants and voice search is becoming a big player in digital marketing.
And this means rethinking your SEO strategy to include conversational phrases and questions people might ask verbally.
It's a different ball game from traditional search queries, so you need to adapt your content accordingly. This can include using long-tail keywords, creating FAQ pages, and optimising for local searches.
BTW, long-tail keywords are longer and more specific phrases that people use when searching. For example a long-tail keyword when searching for wine could be “best red wine to enjoy with Spanish food” compared to a short-tail keyword like “red wine.”
It’s also important to know that voice search isn't just about SEO. It's also about the experience people have.
People tend to speak differently than they type, so your content should reflect that. Use natural language and avoid industry jargon or complex terms. And focus on providing quick and concise answers to commonly asked questions.
Additionally, with the popularity of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, it's important to make sure your business information is up-to-date and easily accessible through these platforms. This means having accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information online.
Voice search is a popular way for people to search for information. It's also predicted to continue growing in the future, making it really important to make sure your content is voice search friendly.
6. AI
Let’s talk about the “word” on everyone’s lips… AI (aka Artificial Intelligence).
You might not be aware, but you're probably already using AI every day in apps like: Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon. A is making our lives easier by predicting what we want to watch or listen to next, and suggesting products we might be interested in.
But it's not just limited to entertainment and shopping. AI is also being used in marketing to analyse data, create content, and more.
AI can assist with data analysis. With the large amount of data available nowadays, it can be overwhelming to try and make sense of it all. But with AI algorithms, you can gather insights based on real-time data. This not only saves time but also helps in identifying patterns and trends that you may have otherwise missed.
Incorporating AI into your marketing allows for a more personalised approach to reaching your ideal clients. Using content creation platforms like Chat GPT, Bard, and Jasper, you can create tailored marketing messages that resonate with your ideal clients. And that builds the know, like, and trust factor. And that leads to… you guessed it, more leads and sales.
AI can also help with your customer service by using chatbots that can answer common questions and provide assistance 24/7. This improves the overall experience of your ideal clients by providing quick and efficient support.
But… while chatbots are great, many of us (me included) still prefer to deal with a real person, so I recommend having an option to contact that real person included in your chat bot options. Otherwise you can create quite the frustrating experience for your ideal clients rather than a happy one.
So don't be afraid of AI – embrace it! Because, as technology continues to advance, incorporating AI into your business strategies will become more necessary. Jump into it now and get your head around how you can make AI work for you.
Making digital marketing trends work for you
Remember, doing marketing well is not about jumping on every digital marketing trend. It's about working out which options best works for you and your business. What trends will work best to attract and engage your ideal clients to help you achieve your business goals.
You don’t have to do everything. Pick a few areas to focus on and do them well. That’s how you make digital marketing work for your business without it falling to the bottom of your to-do list.
