Marketing Trends — What’s In, What’s Out In 2024
In the dynamic realm of marketing, staying ahead of the curve is not only a strategy but a necessity. Everything changes quickly; what might be a marketing-must one day is a complete no-no the next — in the blink of an eye.
This new era’s marketing landscape is constantly shifting due to many factors. It’s driven by technological advancements, shifting consumer behaviors, and global dynamics. Adaptation is the name of the game, and you must be prepared to pivot.
Join us as we reveal what marketing trends we should bid farewell to and which ones we should greet with open arms.
Are you ready to look deeper into 5 significant marketing trends — in our opinion — that’ll dominate 2024? Let’s dive in.
1. Out With Long-Form Video Content And In With Short-Form Video Content
Over the last couple of years, it’s evident that video content has taken over and outperforms static images. In fact, 88% of marketers say video is integral to their marketing strategy. And 52% of companies say they create videos to educate their target audience about their products.
Now that we know videos are a marketing essential, it’s time to figure out the ideal length. 75% of people watch short-form video content on their mobile, and most watch videos with closed captions. Although long-form videos offer in-depth analysis of products or services — which is really educational — they don’t hold people’s attention, especially in the age of TikTok.
Short-form videos are meant to be around the 17-second mark. They’re designed to be easily digestible content nuggets, ideal for quick scrolling and viewing multiple pieces simultaneously.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 96% of consumers prefer to watch short-form videos when learning about a product or service. While close to a third (30%) of all short-form videos are watched 81% of the way through. So, if your marketing strategy has yet to start using short-form videos, now is definitely the time to start.
2. Out With Traditional Advertising And In With Sponsored /Native Content
With digital marketing strategies taking precedence over traditional marketing, techniques like direct mail and print ads are no longer beneficial. We’re not saying that these methods don’t work, they simply don’t resonate with younger generations — they are the future, after all.
So, what are the alternative methods? Native or Sponsored marketing — both forms of paid advertising. Native ads seamlessly integrate a business ad into the user’s regular reading flow. In contrast, sponsored content is advertising tailored for a specific site or platform. It’s designed to reach a fresh audience, those who would have otherwise never heard about your brand.
When it comes to traditional ads, you could talk with someone over the phone and gain information about a product or service. But there are better methods. We all hate getting a marketing call when we’re busy or mid-meeting. But sponsored ads provide the same information — or more. Plus, there’s the benefit of actually seeing how the product or service works.
That’s why according to Hubspot, “more than a third (36%) of marketers plan to increase their investment in native advertising in 2024, and 56% plan to continue investing the same amount.”
3. Out With Big Celebrities And In With Micro-Influencers
We’ve all seen posts from our favorite celebrities featuring brands and products that they endorse, influencing us to purchase the product. So we know that the strategy of working with influencers is great for marketing — that’s why influencer marketing is extremely popular.
Hubspot says, “When marketers collaborate with influencers and industry thought leaders in their industry, they can expand brand awareness and gain fans from the influencer’s own audience.”
Micro-influencers generally have 10,000 to 100,000 followers, and according to Ad Week, Micro-influencers are “actually attracting much higher engagement and conversion rates than highly influential users.”
Although micro-influencers have fewer followers, they usually value their community and won’t peddle ineffective products to boost their revenue. They’re more open and honest about what they want to achieve from the partnership. And since their voice is more relatable and authentic — a mom blogger will actually sign up for a diaper subscription in real life.
This is why “of the marketers who worked with influencers and creators in 2023, 64% worked with micro-influencers, making them the most popular choice for influencer marketers.”
4. Out With Branded Photographs And In With UGC
We all know how indispensable visual aspects are in marketing. Providing consumers with something to see helps them imagine the product and click the purchase button. This doesn’t have to be videos alone; it can also be still images.
There are many different image styles, but overall, it comes down to Branded photographs, which are super staged and have impeccable lighting. Then, there’s UGC content, or user-generated content, which is much more genuine and natural.
We go into detail about the differences between these two in a previous GeistM blog post. But ultimately, seeing real people using the product convinces buyers. According to Hootsuite, “60% of marketers agree that authenticity and quality are equally important elements of successful content. And no other content type is more authentic than UGC from your customers.”
UGC is important in the final stages of the marketing funnel because it makes users feel like their money is going to the right place. “Nearly 80% of people say that UGC impacts their decision to purchase, making user-generated content and social commerce a match made in heaven.”
So, make sure that your marketing funnel has some UGC — you can even get a sample of the product you’re advertising and take the images or videos yourself.
5. Out With DIY Marketing And In With GeistM
Finding the optimal marketing strategy for your business can be tough. It requires a lot of testing and experimenting to figure out what can help your brand the most. It’s not just start-ups that are struggling to find the right strategy; even big brands can miss out on certain aspects that could have boosted their campaigns.
Rather than trying to figure out a marketing strategy for yourself, put your trust in us, and we’ll do it for you. Here at GeistM, we can create a marketing strategy that’s completely customized to help you achieve your goals.
We’re a marketing partner with owned and operated media sites. With our expert content team, we provide full-service direct-response content marketing. And our amazing in-house creative team work hand-in-hand to develop high-quality and engaging visuals to boost your brand.
By choosin GeistM, we can identify the perfect marketing strategy for your brand, keep up with trends, and help your business grow. So contact us today!
