Remaining current with digital marketing trends is crucial for brand relevance and expanding your audience.
In 2023, there was a notable rise in new social media platforms such as Threads, and the popularity of AI-generated content. It felt like just as we caught up with the last trend; we were already jumping into the next thing.
In 2024, we want to stay ahead of the game, and this is our cheat sheet on exactly how we can do that.
1. Web accessibility
Improving web accessibility is an essential aspect of modern digital marketing.
Making websites and digital content accessible to everyone, means designing them to be easily used by people with disabilities or other accessibility limitations.
Improving web accessibility is essential not only for reaching a wider audience but also for enhancing brand reputation, improving search engine visibility, and providing an inclusive user experience.
Web accessibility includes trends like alt text for images, readable fonts, easy-to-read colour contrast ratios, keyboard navigation, captions and transcripts, and more.
Ensuring your content is accessible to everyone aligns with your brand’s values and widens your potential audience.
Since only 3% of the global web is accessible to people with disabilities, it’s more important now than ever to incorporate this trend into your digital marketing efforts and stand out from competitors.
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2. Voice search optimisation (VSO)
Voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant have transformed online searching.
It’s important for digital marketing teams to make their content accessible to voice assistants. With digital marketing trends constantly changing, Australian companies find it difficult to navigate VSO.
To improve your SEO, businesses and marketing teams should consider using longer, conversational keywords.
Marketers should focus on optimising content for audio queries to reach the same audiences and engagement as with VSO.
Utilising voice assistants will transform your business with the projected 8.4 billion users by 2024.
3. Blending social media with ecommerce
Speaking of social media, another of the most notable 2024 marketing trends is blending social media and ecommerce practices.
Customers can buy your products or services on social media by integrating these platforms, removing the need for external websites.
How many times have you seen a post on Instagram with a product you want but always forget to buy? Imagine that you can click on that post and check out in seconds.
Wouldn’t you be more likely to take the leap?
Recently, the addition of ecommerce has seeped into other social media platforms, such as TikTok!
This app has millions of users daily, so we recommend jumping on the trend of video advertising on TikTok and creating an in-app store for your products.
Companies that use both ecommerce and social media are more likely to make sales by giving customers a smooth experience.
Stay ahead of your competition by using social media and ecommerce in your digital marketing strategy.
Capture your conversions right on the spot by tagging products in your posts and find your audience right where they hang out!
Here is how it works:
4. Augmented reality (AR) experiences
Augmented reality (AR) is a rising trend in digital marketing, changing how brands connect with customers.
Experts project that AR advertising will generate USD 89.04 million in 2023, with a growth rate of 11.81% per year.
With AR, businesses can offer customers the chance to try products and engage with digital features from the comfort of their homes.
While Snapchat, Instagram, and other social media platforms have already begun using AR features to enhance user experiences, many businesses haven’t adopted this technology.
You can use AR to revolutionise your digital marketing and improve customer experience and conversion rates.
5. Personalised experiences
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly prevalent every day, and in 2024, digital marketing trends will continue emphasising the importance of AI in customer outreach.
AI provides personalised experiences, something that’s critical as hyper-personalisation becomes more relevant in reaching target audiences and retaining customers.
Digital brands use advanced analytics to provide highly personalised experiences to make each customer feel valued and foster better customer-brand relationships.
From AI-powered chatbots to recommended products tailored to user preferences, taking advantage of AI is essential to staying on top of marketing trends.
Incorporating AI will ensure that each customer enjoys their experience with your brand, providing a tailored experience no matter where customers interact with your company.
6. Social listening
Social listening and monitoring will be vital in 2024 for understanding customer sentiments and achieving brand goals.
Gathering consumer data to improve engagement levels and support customers’ needs will help you stand out as a company that truly values its customers and their well-being.
Social listening helps improve customer support, products, and digital marketing campaigns, leading to increased customer engagement and conversions.
Understanding what customers say about your brand can take customer experience to the next level.
Digital marketing must-haves
1. Utilising brand values and mission
One of the primary digital marketing trends in 2024 will include a strong emphasis on brand values and missions.
In the digital world, consumers are becoming even more socially aware and value-driven, and brands need to meet these needs at every touchpoint.
With this in mind, brands will prioritise showcasing their commitment to causes that matter to their target audience.
Building genuine relationships and having meaningful conversations with customers can lead to more loyalty and brand support.
Including sustainability, diversity, and ethical practices in a business has a big impact. In particular, Gen-Z consumers are more likely to trust, buy, and recommend a brand that supports a good cause.
The bottom line? Never underestimate the power of a special cause in enhancing your digital marketing efforts.
Here are definitions of values, mission and vision statements to help you determine your own!
2. Social media
Social media “stories” and short videos are driving current social media marketing trends in order to help brands connect with their audience on a personal level.
By creating genuine and relatable posts, brands have a better chance of promoting products and services that consumers will respond to.
Social media content is getting better with personalisation and authenticity, and more brands are using these platforms for customer support and reaching a wider audience.
Social media platforms are a great way to connect with consumers. If your brand hasn’t used them yet, now is the time to start.
We recommend beginning with a consistent schedule and posting content that fits with your brand and audience.
Our social media team is here to help if you don’t know where to start!
Book a free 15-minute discovery call to find out more.
3. Mobile optimisation
Optimising your digital content for mobile devices is crucial to staying on top of swinging trends in digital marketing.
Mobile optimisation is increasingly important, as over 55% of website traffic and 92.3% of online users come from mobile devices.
Think about how often in your spare time you are scrolling through social media or searching for things online on your phone. Imagine you go on a website and it doesn’t work very well on your phone.
Would your first instinct not be to click off right away?
Make your website and content mobile-friendly to keep users engaged and prevent them from leaving your site.
4. Video marketing
Given that video marketing and advertising have been on the rise for many years, it is not showing any signs of slowing down.
Given the popularity of apps like TikTok and Instagram, which cater to users seeking quick and entertaining content, prioritising video content to increase brand visibility is a must.
Short videos, around 30 seconds to 1 minute, are ideal for keeping viewers entertained and coming back for more.
Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, so 30-second to 1-minute videos are the perfect length to keep your viewer entertained, and to keep coming back for more.
When creating video content, we recommend keeping a few things in mind:
- Start with a great hook: As mentioned before attention spans are not what they used to be! So start the video with something the person on the other end will not be able to resist.
- Keep your tone and language accessible: By that, we mean easy to understand and conversational. Don’t assume that your audience knows anything about the topic at hand (unless they are all experts in their field).
- Calls-to-action! (CTA): Don’t forget to have a purpose for the video and include one main CTA for viewers to take away. It could be as simple as to follow, comment, or purchase a product from the video.
Enhance your digital marketing campaigns
Remember, not every business needs to try to incorporate every trend. Some may seem to fit, while others may feel forced and awkward. This will all depend on your audience.
To keep up with current marketing trends, Australian companies rely on experts in SEO, social media, and web design.
Our focus is on creative and effective strategies for your digital marketing needs!
Contact our team today to get a free 15-minute discovery call, and find out how we can help you achieve your marketing goals in 2024.