7 Must-Know Digital Marketing Trends for 2024

As we enter 2024, it’s important to know the digital marketing trends that will likely impact your strategy throughout the year. While the year is still young, many 2024 marketing trends are rooted in what we saw throughout 2023, including AI, personalization, and more.

Today, we’re exploring the biggest digital marketing trends for 2024, which include:

Marketing will become even more personalized
Multimodal AI will change search results
Local marketing will continue to grow in importance
Businesses will launch more immersive experiences
Marketers will have to become more transparent
Consumers will seek value-oriented businesses
Social shopping will take off (even more!)

2024 digital marketing trends and predictions, according to the experts

To best understand the most important digital marketing trends that will impact businesses and customers in 2024, we asked the experts to share how they predict marketing will evolve this year along with some tips to keep up.

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1. Marketing will become even more personalized

Among the digital marketing trends expected to accelerate in 2024 is the movement toward not just personalization, but hyper-personalization, thanks in part to new AI tools.

That runs the gamut from content to product recommendations and user experience.

“AI and machine learning…will be used not only to analyze consumer behavior but also to predict future trends and personalize marketing efforts dynamically,” said Michael Schmied, lead financial consultant at Kredite Schweiz. “Expect more sophisticated AI-driven content creation tools, customer service chatbots, and predictive analytics.”

chatbot statistics - example chat conversation

This, said freelance SEO specialist Seve Paulo Linis, will help businesses engage audiences more effectively.

“In 2024, digital marketing strategies are likely to leverage AI to generate content that is not just tailored to specific demographic segments but to individual user preferences and behaviors,” added Rachit Jawa, co-founder of MiscGyan.

“This means content that adapts in real-time based on user interaction, providing a highly personalized experience that boosts engagement and conversion rates.”

2. Multimodal AI will change search results

For his part, Mike Grehan, CEO of Chelsea Digital, anticipates even more personalization in search engine results pages (SERPs).

That’s because not all the world’s information is currently on the World Wide Web—and search engines like Google can’t crawl a lot of information that is online. Because large language models base their results on crawled content, they, too, have been limited in their inputs and outputs.

However, moving forward, Grehan expects AI will open up multimodal sources of input like digital assistants—and even images and videos—for even more personalized responses from search engines.

“It could be text, but could also be spoken word, a personalized video created in real-time, or maybe even just music,” Grehan said. “It all depends on the characteristics of the information needed and the most appropriate content experience to match it.”

In addition, he expects organic results to become less text-based and more visual—including the addition of augmented reality, which will enable what Grehan called “outside the browser experiences.”

3. Local marketing will continue to grow in importance

Alongside more personalized experiences, marketers anticipate more localized efforts as well.

“Brands will focus on creating highly tailored experiences and content that resonate with specific local demographics,” Schmied said.

Md Tajuddin Sadique, CTO of Mediainfo7.com, agreed, calling it a “glocal approach” when brands tailor their messages to resonate with local communities while retaining a global brand identity.

“Think localized influencer partnerships, hyper-relevant social media content, and community-driven initiatives that address local needs,” he said.

“Imagine a global clothing brand collaborating with local designers to create culturally inspired collections or a fast food chain launching menu items unique to specific cities. This focus on hyper-local relevance will build deeper connections and cultivate brand loyalty beyond national borders.”

2024 digital marketing trends - more local marketing - raising cane's example

This restaurant opened a Dallas Cowboys-themed location in the Dallas area to appeal to its local customers.

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4. Businesses will launch more immersive experiences

In a similar vein, expect to see more immersive experiences from brands in 2024.

That includes virtual environments like the metaverse for more interactive experiences, as well as more AR and VR in marketing campaigns for more immersive storytelling.

“Brace yourselves for a seamless merger of digital and physical realms,” said Neha Gharpande, digital marketing professional at Arista Systems. “Augmented reality will play a pivotal role, allowing consumers to virtually experience products before making a purchase. Marketers will need to explore creative ways to leverage AR for immersive brand interactions.”

Jawa, too, anticipates a “surge in AR-driven campaigns.”

“This technology will not only enhance customer engagement but also provide more detailed data on customer interactions, which can be used to further refine marketing strategies,” he added.

5. Marketers will have to become more transparent

With 2024 bringing the long-awaited end of third-party cookies, consumer data and privacy will be top of mind as well—which means even more emphasis on first-party data collection and the continued growth of retail media platforms.

“With heightened concerns about data privacy, marketers will face increasing pressure to prioritize user data protection,” Gharpande said. “Adhering to stringent data regulations and implementing robust security measures will be imperative to foster trust with consumers.”

It may also include the addition of blockchain technology for additional transparency and security—particularly in programmatic advertising and to combat ad fraud, Schmied added.

In addition, Sadique expects to see more from the data detox movement, which asks brands to “prioritize trust through ethical data collection, clear consent mechanisms, and user-centric personalization.”

“Imagine a world where targeted ads are based on preferences explicitly shared by users, rather than shadowy inferences from their browsing history,” he added. “This shift necessitates a creative approach to understanding audiences, leveraging declared interests, and opting in [to] data instead of hidden algorithms.”

6. Consumers will seek value-oriented businesses

Another ongoing digital marketing trend expected to retain momentum is a focus on consumer values.

“As societal consciousness continues to grow, consumers will demand more transparency and ethical practices from brands,” Gharpande said. “Digital marketers will need to champion sustainability and authenticity, weaving these values into their campaigns to establish meaningful connections with conscious consumers.”

earth day marketing - example of a business posting on instagram for a product launch on earth day

Schmied agreed, noting, “Digital marketing campaigns that highlight a brand’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility will likely resonate more with audiences.”

7. Social shopping will take off (even more!)

Finally, it has taken some time for social commerce to take off in the US, but social media darling TikTok may finally have cracked the code.

According to Toccara Karizma, CEO of Karizma Marketing, TikTok social commerce sales hit $53.1 billion in 2023, which is up 34%.

“This growth highlights the platform’s potential as a lucrative digital marketing strategy for ecommerce brands in 2024, especially when combined with influencer marketing,” she added.

In other words, brands that feature their products on TikTok Shop can work with micro-influencers to extend their reach.

shoppable ads - instacart

Gharpande agreed we’ll see social media platforms evolve into full-fledged shopping destinations in 2024.

“The integration of ecommerce features directly into social apps will redefine the online shopping experience,” she said. “Marketers should capitalize on these trends by creating seamless shopping journeys within social ecosystems.”

Sadique also expects to see conversational commerce grow thanks to platforms like Shopify and Instagram.

“Imagine browsing for a new outfit through WhatsApp messages or customizing your dream vacation via voice commands,” he said. “In 2024, expect brands to leverage conversational interfaces for frictionless transactions, personalized recommendations, and on-demand customer support.”

Make the most of these 2024 digital marketing trends

By understanding these 2024 digital marketing trends and predictions, your business can stay ahead of the curve and look for ways to better connect with your audience across channels, messaging, and more.

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