Content Marketing, Marketing Automation, Marketing Strategy, Technology
18 mins read

5 Trends that will shape digital marketing in 2024

Eveline Smet

Founder & Growth Strategist

As the world of digital marketing evolves, new trends and technologies emerge every year. In this article we explain five major changes in store for the next 12 months – you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to upgrade your growth strategy for 2024

Digital marketing trend #1: Artificial intelligence as the marketer’s secret weapon

As artificial intelligence matures, companies are exploring new ways to engage their customer base. One such way is through artificial intelligence (AI). Businesses can use AI for a number of purposes including improving customer service by providing personalised ad campaigns or even creating products from scratch! With so many perks being offered by this technology it’s no wonder why businesses around the world have already started adopting its uses in order reach out efficiently while also staying on top what customers want However, as with any new technology, there are also some potential risks associated with AI such as data privacy concerns and the potential for biassed results.

AI is likely to become an increasingly important part of the digital marketing mix. Keep an eye on it and see how you can use AI to benefit the digital marketing aspect of your business:

  1. AI will change the way that digital marketers collect and analyse data. Marketers will increasingly rely on AI-powered tools to help them make sense of the vast amounts of data, to better understand customer behaviour, develop more targeted marketing campaigns, and measure the success of digital marketing practices.Tensorflow and Gretel are some examples of AI data tools that help marketers to get insights from all marketing data and make smarter decisions, make more accurate predictions and improve the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.
  2. AI will also enable marketers to personalize their communications with consumers and send highly personalized messages to them based on their specific needs and interests. This personalized way of communication will be immensely valuable in fostering customer loyalty and driving sales. It is worth looking at some of the AI communication tools to stay up to date with digital marketing trends in 2024. Campfire, Kore, and Meya are all conversational AI tools that help marketers create engaging customer service chatbots and automated conversations that can deliver personalized recommendations and articles.
  3.  AI can also help digital marketers automate copywriting, keyword research, and even video making. For instance, Jasper is an AI-powered copywriting tool that provides customized copywriting advice. Whether you’re writing for social media, email marketing, or even your website content, Jasper helps you craft the perfect message for maximum impact. Descript is another AI video/audio editing tool that can also transcribe audio and video files into text, making it easy to create subtitles or closed captions for your videos.

You can also try FlexClip AI video editor for AI text-to-video, blog-to-video, and text to image generation.

Read more about the AI tools that our growth experts use at The Growth Agency here.

There’s no doubt that artificial intelligence will play an important role in digital marketing trends for the next year. Thanks to AI, marketers can make their work more data-driven and personalized than ever before with better efficiency too!

Here are a few courses on the subject that can help you get started: Artificial Intelligence in Marketing, Modern Artificial Intelligence Masterclass: Build 6 Projects, Artificial Intelligence Harvard University Courses.

Digital marketing trend #2: Dominate the search results by being voice-ready

If 10 years ago someone told you that Siri will find her way into digital marketing, would you believe it? Fast forward, and we’re looking at voice search and digital assistants as a huge digital marketing potential. The convenience of using our voices to search what we need is what made voice search grow from a niche technology to an integral part of many people’s lives. You are wondering why? Here are 3 main reasons:

  1. More and more people are using voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, Bixby and Google Assistant to find information online. As a result, marketers need to optimise their content for voice search if they want to be found by their target audience. We’re talking about SEO!
  2. Right now, Digital assistants are mostly used for basic tasks like setting timers and playing music, but in the future, they’ll be able to answer complex questions. For example, Instead of having to see or hear an ad and then mentally process it, people will be able to ask digital assistants about products and get immediate responses.
  3. In the past, Voice-activated devices were mostly limited to smartphones and smart speakers, but now, they’re everywhere – TVs, cars, appliances, which will make it easier for consumers to interact with brands and make buying decisions without ever having to use a screen.

It’s clear that digital assistants and voice search are going to impact digital  marketing in 2024 and the years ahead. Businesses that are able to adapt their strategies to these new technologies will be well-positioned to succeed in the future. 

The Growth Agency has been helping clients with data and new technologies for 10 years. If you’re looking to adjust your strategy to marketing trends for business growth in 2024, book a free call with one of our growth experts here.

Digital marketing trend #3: Let customers experience your brand in Metaverse

Another recent development that is expected to have a major impact on digital marketing is the rise of the Metaverse. Metaverse provides a new, immersive way to experience the internet that has already started to change the way digital marketers reach consumers. 

In Metaverse, brands can create their own virtual 3D spaces that can be used for everything from product launches to virtual events and trade shows. It includes the use of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). 

Metaverse is expected to replace traditional websites as the primary way that consumers interact with brands online. Here are some examples of how brands can use Metaverse:    

  1. Brand experience: Brands will be able to create immersive experiences within Metaverse that allow them to connect with customers on a deeper level. For instance, Nike has created a virtual store within the Metaverse that allows customers to try on and purchase shoes without ever leaving their homes. Coca-Cola also has used the Metaverse to create a virtual version of its popular Happiness Machine. 
  2. Virtual games: the Metaverse can be used to create the most exciting possibilities for marketing such as play-to-earn games. Players can earn rewards for completing tasks or reaching certain milestones and the rewards can be redeemed for real-world products or virtual items within the game. This presents a unique opportunity for companies to promote their products and implement a new marketing strategy for a captive audience. 
  3. Hyper-targeting: By understanding the unique context of the Metaverse, digital marketers can hyper-target their audience with laser precision. Contextualization will be one of the key digital trends developing over time. In the Metaverse, context can be used to raise awareness of a product or service through targeted ads and in-game events. 

Metaverse will have a major impact on how brands interact with consumers online and collect valuable data about their customer’s behavior in order to fine-tune their digital marketing strategies. Marketers who are able to adapt to this virtual dimension will be well-positioned for success. 

Last but not least, here are some of the courses we recommend for exploring this topic: Metaverse and NFTs for marketing, What is the Metaverse?, Certified Metaverse Expert™

Marketing trend #4: GDPR and marketing: how to align growth and data privacy?

As we all know, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of regulations that member states of the European Union have to implement to protect the online privacy of their citizens. The regulation came into effect on May 25, 2018. Since then, growth marketers have to comply with these regulations or face hefty fines. How will GDPR affect growth marketing in 2024?   

  • Cookies are going to disappear: In recent years, there has been growing concern over the use of cookies and their potential to violate user privacy. As a result, there have been calls for them to be phased out entirely by 2024, however it has been delayed until 2024. This gives advertisers more time to test cookie replacements, but it also means that there will be a longer transition period for users and businesses. In the meantime, it is important to keep an eye on the developments in this area and to be prepared for the changes.
  • First-party data: Another way GDPR affects growth marketing is that brands will focus more on first-party data. First-party data is data that a brand collects directly from its customers. This data is considered to be more accurate and reliable than third-party data, which is data that is collected by other companies and then sold to brands. As a result, brands will have to focus more on collecting first-party data to target their customers effectively in their growth marketing efforts. Under GDPR, brands also have to get explicit consent from users before they can collect and use their data. 
  • Changes in EU Acts: EU Data Act builds on the GDPR by extending these same requirements to all devices that generate and store data, including smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other wearables. The EU Data Act will also require businesses to provide clear and concise information about their data collection and processing activities. Moreover, the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act is currently in the proposal stage. This legislation would categorise AI applications by three risk categories: Unacceptable Risk, High Risk, and Others. Businesses that use AI voice assistants and products, such as CV-scanning tools that assess applicants, will have to take note of the future requirements they’ll be responsible for, in terms of device data collection and processing. 
  • GDPR will have a big impact on email marketing:  Under GDPR, growth marketers will have to get explicit consent from users before they can send them emails. In addition, they will have to provide a way for users to unsubscribe from their mailing list easily. As a result, digital marketers will need to be more careful about how they collect and use email addresses. They have to make sure that their marketing content is relevant and valuable enough for users to want to keep receiving it. If you want to know more about GDPR read this blog post prepared by The Growth Agency’s marketing team.

So, there you have it! These are just some of the ways that GDPR will affect growth marketing in 2024. Marketers will need to make smart marketing adjustments and stay up to date with the latest EU regulations.

Digital marketing trend #5: New platforms and more personal marketing as a result of digital marketing landscape fragmentation

In January 2022, social media giants Meta and Twitter lost 26% and 31% of their shares respectively due to the poor user engagement. The loss in value not only affected the platforms themselves, but also the digital marketing landscape as a whole. As a result of the decline in Meta and Twitter’s stock prices, many brands began to re-evaluate their social media strategies. 

This tendency will be visible much more in 2024: 

  • New innovative platforms: As a result of decreasing user engagement in Meta and Twitter, digital marketing can face some major changes in the future. That’s why new platforms (for example Tik Tok) may slowly step up trying to take advantage of this situation. Start-ups and smaller businesses will have a much better chance of succeeding. 
  • Creative and personalised digital marketing: Declining user engagement in Meta and Twitter makes businesses find new ways to reach their target audience in the future. It could also lead to the more creative use of digital marketing tools, such as influencer and content marketing. That’s why we can expect an increase in user generated content (UGC) and more organic ways to advertise products and services.
  • New rules and freedom of speech: Equality, more democratic rules and freedom of speech will become a new trend across all digital platforms. This will level out the playing field for digital marketers, who will need to focus on creating truly compelling content if they want to affect their target audience without ideological barriers. In addition, the new rules will also ban platform providers from collecting data on their users without their consent. This will make it much harder for marketers to target ads and create personalised user experiences. 

In any case, the reduced influence of Meta and Twitter will undoubtedly change the landscape of digital marketing in 2024. By leveraging authenticity, new platforms and rules with freedom of speech, brands could build deeper connections with their customers and drive bottom-line results in the future. 

Five key areas that will impact growth marketing in 2024 – A summary

In conclusion, these five key areas will have the most significant impact on the future of digital marketing in 2024: 

  • Artificial Intelligence 
  • Voice search and digital assistants
  • Metaverse
  • General Data Protection Regulation
  • New platforms and more personal marketing according to the digital marketing landscape fragmentation

We’re always ahead of the curve when it comes to creating winning strategies for our clients. If you need help coming up with a plan that will work well in 2024, reach out!

If you would like to read more on marketing and tech tools, you can also dive into our articles about the best marketing automation tools for your business.

As the world of digital marketing evolves, new trends and technologies emerge every year. In this article we explain five major changes in store for the next 12 months – you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to upgrade your growth strategy for 2024

Digital marketing trend #1: Artificial intelligence as the marketer’s secret weapon

As artificial intelligence matures, companies are exploring new ways to engage their customer base. One such way is through artificial intelligence (AI). Businesses can use AI for a number of purposes including improving customer service by providing personalised ad campaigns or even creating products from scratch! With so many perks being offered by this technology it’s no wonder why businesses around the world have already started adopting its uses in order reach out efficiently while also staying on top what customers want However, as with any new technology, there are also some potential risks associated with AI such as data privacy concerns and the potential for biassed results.

AI is likely to become an increasingly important part of the digital marketing mix. Keep an eye on it and see how you can use AI to benefit the digital marketing aspect of your business:

  1. AI will change the way that digital marketers collect and analyse data. Marketers will increasingly rely on AI-powered tools to help them make sense of the vast amounts of data, to better understand customer behaviour, develop more targeted marketing campaigns, and measure the success of digital marketing practices.Tensorflow and Gretel are some examples of AI data tools that help marketers to get insights from all marketing data and make smarter decisions, make more accurate predictions and improve the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.
  2. AI will also enable marketers to personalize their communications with consumers and send highly personalized messages to them based on their specific needs and interests. This personalized way of communication will be immensely valuable in fostering customer loyalty and driving sales. It is worth looking at some of the AI communication tools to stay up to date with digital marketing trends in 2024. Campfire, Kore, and Meya are all conversational AI tools that help marketers create engaging customer service chatbots and automated conversations that can deliver personalized recommendations and articles.
  3.  AI can also help digital marketers automate copywriting, keyword research, and even video making. For instance, Jasper is an AI-powered copywriting tool that provides customized copywriting advice. Whether you’re writing for social media, email marketing, or even your website content, Jasper helps you craft the perfect message for maximum impact. Descript is another AI video/audio editing tool that can also transcribe audio and video files into text, making it easy to create subtitles or closed captions for your videos.

Read more about the AI tools that our growth experts use at The Growth Agency here.

There’s no doubt that artificial intelligence will play an important role in digital marketing trends for the next year. Thanks to AI, marketers can make their work more data-driven and personalized than ever before with better efficiency too!

Here are a few courses on the subject that can help you get started: Artificial Intelligence in Marketing, Modern Artificial Intelligence Masterclass: Build 6 Projects, Artificial Intelligence Harvard University Courses.

Digital marketing trend #2: Dominate the search results by being voice-ready

If 10 years ago someone told you that Siri will find her way into digital marketing, would you believe it? Fast forward, and we’re looking at voice search and digital assistants as a huge digital marketing potential. The convenience of using our voices to search what we need is what made voice search grow from a niche technology to an integral part of many people’s lives. You are wondering why? Here are 3 main reasons:

  1. More and more people are using voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, Bixby and Google Assistant to find information online. As a result, marketers need to optimise their content for voice search if they want to be found by their target audience. We’re talking about SEO!
  2. Right now, Digital assistants are mostly used for basic tasks like setting timers and playing music, but in the future, they’ll be able to answer complex questions. For example, Instead of having to see or hear an ad and then mentally process it, people will be able to ask digital assistants about products and get immediate responses.
  3. In the past, Voice-activated devices were mostly limited to smartphones and smart speakers, but now, they’re everywhere – TVs, cars, appliances, which will make it easier for consumers to interact with brands and make buying decisions without ever having to use a screen.

It’s clear that digital assistants and voice search are going to impact digital  marketing in 2024 and the years ahead. Businesses that are able to adapt their strategies to these new technologies will be well-positioned to succeed in the future. 

The Growth Agency has been helping clients with data and new technologies for 10 years. If you’re looking to adjust your strategy to marketing trends for business growth in 2024, book a free call with one of our growth experts here.

Digital marketing trend #3: Let customers experience your brand in Metaverse

Another recent development that is expected to have a major impact on digital marketing is the rise of the Metaverse. Metaverse provides a new, immersive way to experience the internet that has already started to change the way digital marketers reach consumers. 

In Metaverse, brands can create their own virtual 3D spaces that can be used for everything from product launches to virtual events and trade shows. It includes the use of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). 

Metaverse is expected to replace traditional websites as the primary way that consumers interact with brands online. Here are some examples of how brands can use Metaverse:    

  1. Brand experience: Brands will be able to create immersive experiences within Metaverse that allow them to connect with customers on a deeper level. For instance, Nike has created a virtual store within the Metaverse that allows customers to try on and purchase shoes without ever leaving their homes. Coca-Cola also has used the Metaverse to create a virtual version of its popular Happiness Machine. 
  2. Virtual games: the Metaverse can be used to create the most exciting possibilities for marketing such as play-to-earn games. Players can earn rewards for completing tasks or reaching certain milestones and the rewards can be redeemed for real-world products or virtual items within the game. This presents a unique opportunity for companies to promote their products and implement a new marketing strategy for a captive audience. 
  3. Hyper-targeting: By understanding the unique context of the Metaverse, digital marketers can hyper-target their audience with laser precision. Contextualization will be one of the key digital trends developing over time. In the Metaverse, context can be used to raise awareness of a product or service through targeted ads and in-game events. 

Metaverse will have a major impact on how brands interact with consumers online and collect valuable data about their customer’s behavior in order to fine-tune their digital marketing strategies. Marketers who are able to adapt to this virtual dimension will be well-positioned for success. 

Last but not least, here are some of the courses we recommend for exploring this topic: Metaverse and NFTs for marketing, What is the Metaverse?, Certified Metaverse Expert™

Marketing trend #4: GDPR and marketing: how to align growth and data privacy?

As we all know, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of regulations that member states of the European Union have to implement to protect the online privacy of their citizens. The regulation came into effect on May 25, 2018. Since then, growth marketers have to comply with these regulations or face hefty fines. How will GDPR affect growth marketing in 2024?   

  • Cookies are going to disappear: In recent years, there has been growing concern over the use of cookies and their potential to violate user privacy. As a result, there have been calls for them to be phased out entirely by 2024, however it has been delayed until 2024. This gives advertisers more time to test cookie replacements, but it also means that there will be a longer transition period for users and businesses. In the meantime, it is important to keep an eye on the developments in this area and to be prepared for the changes.
  • First-party data: Another way GDPR affects growth marketing is that brands will focus more on first-party data. First-party data is data that a brand collects directly from its customers. This data is considered to be more accurate and reliable than third-party data, which is data that is collected by other companies and then sold to brands. As a result, brands will have to focus more on collecting first-party data to target their customers effectively in their growth marketing efforts. Under GDPR, brands also have to get explicit consent from users before they can collect and use their data. 
  • Changes in EU Acts: EU Data Act builds on the GDPR by extending these same requirements to all devices that generate and store data, including smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other wearables. The EU Data Act will also require businesses to provide clear and concise information about their data collection and processing activities. Moreover, the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act is currently in the proposal stage. This legislation would categorise AI applications by three risk categories: Unacceptable Risk, High Risk, and Others. Businesses that use AI voice assistants and products, such as CV-scanning tools that assess applicants, will have to take note of the future requirements they’ll be responsible for, in terms of device data collection and processing. 
  • GDPR will have a big impact on email marketing:  Under GDPR, growth marketers will have to get explicit consent from users before they can send them emails. In addition, they will have to provide a way for users to unsubscribe from their mailing list easily. As a result, digital marketers will need to be more careful about how they collect and use email addresses. They have to make sure that their marketing content is relevant and valuable enough for users to want to keep receiving it. If you want to know more about GDPR read this blog post prepared by The Growth Agency’s marketing team.

So, there you have it! These are just some of the ways that GDPR will affect growth marketing in 2024. Marketers will need to make smart marketing adjustments and stay up to date with the latest EU regulations.

Digital marketing trend #5: New platforms and more personal marketing as a result of digital marketing landscape fragmentation

In January 2022, social media giants Meta and Twitter lost 26% and 31% of their shares respectively due to the poor user engagement. The loss in value not only affected the platforms themselves, but also the digital marketing landscape as a whole. As a result of the decline in Meta and Twitter’s stock prices, many brands began to re-evaluate their social media strategies. 

This tendency will be visible much more in 2024: 

  • New innovative platforms: As a result of decreasing user engagement in Meta and Twitter, digital marketing can face some major changes in the future. That’s why new platforms (for example Tik Tok) may slowly step up trying to take advantage of this situation. Start-ups and smaller businesses will have a much better chance of succeeding. 
  • Creative and personalised digital marketing: Declining user engagement in Meta and Twitter makes businesses find new ways to reach their target audience in the future. It could also lead to the more creative use of digital marketing tools, such as influencer and content marketing. That’s why we can expect an increase in user generated content (UGC) and more organic ways to advertise products and services.
  • New rules and freedom of speech: Equality, more democratic rules and freedom of speech will become a new trend across all digital platforms. This will level out the playing field for digital marketers, who will need to focus on creating truly compelling content if they want to affect their target audience without ideological barriers. In addition, the new rules will also ban platform providers from collecting data on their users without their consent. This will make it much harder for marketers to target ads and create personalised user experiences. 

In any case, the reduced influence of Meta and Twitter will undoubtedly change the landscape of digital marketing in 2024. By leveraging authenticity, new platforms and rules with freedom of speech, brands could build deeper connections with their customers and drive bottom-line results in the future. 

Five key areas that will impact growth marketing in 2024 – A summary

In conclusion, these five key areas will have the most significant impact on the future of digital marketing in 2024: 

  • Artificial Intelligence 
  • Voice search and digital assistants
  • Metaverse
  • General Data Protection Regulation
  • New platforms and more personal marketing according to the digital marketing landscape fragmentation

We’re always ahead of the curve when it comes to creating winning strategies for our clients. If you need help coming up with a plan that will work well in 2024, reach out!

If you would like to read more on marketing and tech tools, you can also dive into our articles about the best marketing automation tools for your business.

Questions? Comments? Ideas! We’d love to hear from you! do not hesitate to drop us a note 😊

Eveline Smet

Founder & Growth Strategist

Eveline is our founder and the one who eats strategy for breakfast. She is in charge of budgets, KPI’s and growth plans. During her high school years, Eveline was wearing baggy pants and listening to 2PAC & Biggy. We have proof. Just ask. If you ever catch her looking off into the distance, it’s either because she wants to order sushi or she’s hungry thinking of ways to increase your profit. She’s also the biggest victim of marketing. But the biggest office sweetheart.

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