In the marketing race, there’s no such thing as “middle of the pack.” As Ricky Bobby would say: If you’re not first, you’re last. This means staying on top of the latest marketing trends at all times is crucial for any business’s success.
Ten years ago, Instagram stories didn’t exist, keyword stuffing was a semi-normal SEO practice and people were spending more time on Tumblr than they did on Twitter … and Twitter isn’t even Twitter anymore!
A time traveler from 2014 would be completely lost in today’s marketing world.
Successful business marketers need to stay several steps ahead of the curve if they want to differentiate themselves from the competition and stay relevant in a changing landscape. If you’re a bit behind on the latest marketing trends, let us help get you up to speed.
Marketing in 2024: 3 Things You Need to Know
1. AI Is Here to Stay
The robots have arrived, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in just about every industry now. Marketing is no exception. In the past two years, Google searches for AI marketing tools have increased 967%!
However, AI is something of a mixed bag.
On the one hand, AI tools can be very useful in helping you brainstorm ideas for new marketing campaigns, analyze how those campaigns are performing and even help you predict future consumer behavior.
But we strongly advise against you using it to directly create your content. AI is notoriously inaccurate, especially when it comes to more difficult, technical subject matter. And something written by a robot is often going to sound robotic. (If you need help with content creation, get in touch!)
2. People Trust Influencers and User-Generated Content More Than They Trust You
Today’s consumers have been conditioned to spot marketing shenanigans from a mile away. They know companies will say and do anything to earn their business, regardless of whether they’ll actually deliver on their promises.
In short, they don’t trust you.
They do, however, trust people they resonate with and respect. Thus, influencer marketing and user-generated content (UGC) deserve some love.
By the numbers:
- Influencer marketing is expected to reach $35 billion by the end of 2024.
- It provides an average return on investment (ROI) of $5.20 for every dollar spent.
- Searches for user-generated content have doubled over the past five years.
- 93% of marketers agree that consumers trust content created by real people.
3. Gen Z Is Growing Up, And It Plays by Different Rules
Gen Z — those people born between 1997 and 2012 — is starting to come into its own. While it only makes up about 20% of the population, it already has some $360 billion in disposable income to work with.
If you want your share of that pie, you’ll have to change how you think about marketing.
Gen Z’s motto seems to be “Hang up and text.” Your voicemails will go unanswered (and most likely, un-listened to). They aren’t going to call to schedule an appointment or a demo. Hands-off options such as online chat features, social media messaging and text-based customer service are the best way to go.
You’re more likely to find Gen Zers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube than on Facebook. They hold ethics and values sacred. And they demand more from marketers than any generation that came before them. Plan your marketing strategies accordingly.
Let Mischa Communications Keep You on The Cutting Edge!
Whether it’s outsourcing some of your marketing tasks to AI, bringing in influencers and soliciting UGC, or welcoming the new kids on the block into your fold, the only way to win at marketing is to keep up with the ever-changing trends.
Thankfully, we can help! Mischa Communications pays attention to the marketing landscape so that you don’t have to. Let’s step into the future together.