A lot has changed in digital marketing in 2024.
Like, a lot.
Can you believe that just one year ago, ChatGPT had yet to be unleashed on the world?
Imagine if you’d known about all the AI advances just a few months sooner. How would that have changed your digital strategy?
Well, we’re not going to make the same mistake twice. We’ve prepared a brief guide to the digital marketing trends you need to prep for in 2024.
Follow these tips, and our robot overlords might just spare your business.
Table of Contents
Automate Everything with AI Tools
Digital marketers with the best grasp of AI tools will be able to accomplish more while cutting costs massively. Those who don’t will be quickly buried by their AI-savvy competitors.
Most repetitive, rote tasks can now be automated by AI. Even some creative tasks can be sped up considerably.
To play it safe, start by automating your internal processes, such as reporting, research, and anything spreadsheet-oriented. Tools like GPT for Sheets can turn loads of tedious tasks into one-click operations.
The tool you need doesn’t exist? With AI, you can now design and build your own tool with zero programming knowledge. Just ask ChatGPT for the code and then power it with the GPT API. You can build your own AI assistant for an infinite number of tasks.
The AI tools we’re most excited about in 2024 are generative video tools. These will be similar to AI image generators like Dall-E and Midjourney, but they’ll be able to generate video content based on text descriptions. Check out examples of Google’s Imagen video generator here.
This could be an amazing way to score some free marketing videos, but it’s sure to generate its fair share of controversy too.
…But Don’t Put ALL Your Trust in AI
Don’t go crazy with AI or you will get burned (don’t tell ChatGPT I’m telling you this).
First off, many AI tools are all hype, meaning you might end up paying for something you could do for free on ChatGPT.
Do your research and invest some time in learning how to use ChatGPT, the OpenAI Playground, and other resources like Bard before buying into fad AI products.
Secondly, be wary of using AI to create customer-facing content. The viability of AI content is in flux, especially in Google’s search results. Leaning too heavily on AI content may tank your rankings and your brand’s reputation.
Get Ready for The End of Cookies
3rd-party cookies are all but dead in 2024, and that’s going to make it a lot harder to advertise online. All of the data that ad companies use to target your ideal consumers will be gone.
In order to advertise effectively, digital marketers will need to find ways to collect first-party data. Or, you’ll need to buy someone else’s first-party data—but only if the region and customer have allowed for that.
If your company isn’t a data-generating machine, start prioritizing lead generation and building data-gathering resources like newsletters. Dedicating more resources to cultivating organic traffic is also smart.
Augmented Reality Makes a Comeback
When was the last time anyone talked about augmented reality? Was that way back during the Pokémon Go craze?
VR and AR have dipped in popularity and relevance, but they are expected to rebound in a big way in 2024. This is largely due to the release of Apple’s Vision Pro (a costly set of AR goggles), which is expected to drop in January.
Apple’s marketing alone will likely make AR a global trending topic, and brands will soon begin investing in AR experiences to ride the PR wave (and cater to Vision Pro customers).
Once Apple’s competitors respond to its tech, the AR wars, and broad AR adoption, will commence.
If you have the resources, now is a good time to explore how augmented reality might be used to get consumers excited about your brand.
Now is the Time to Develop Your Digital Marketing Vision for 2024
After an insane 2023, you might think it’s barely worth planning more than a month ahead in 2024. Despite the twists and turns ahead, there are a few things we know will be true next year. AI will grow more important, 3rd party cookies will vanish, and Apple will unveil its biggest innovation since the iPod. Base your digital marketing plan on this, and you’ll successfully navigate the inevitably choppy waters of 2024.
