Top Marketing Trends To Watch in 2024

Trends are not always consistent. Some of them can be hot one season and go cold by the next. Take disappearing content: once big news, it is now on the list of marketing trends that are dying out. Other trends, however, linger on. What’s more, they grow over time. And it just so happens that most of the biggest marketing trends of 2023 have survived, evolved, and become even stronger. 

The most notable examples include  AI-powered marketing and utilizing video content for marketing purposes, especially in the form of short videos. Other trends that have also been building up for quite some time are AR- and VR-powered marketing and marketing in the metaverse. Plus there are some things that are variations of what we have already seen before. 

In the next section, we’ll discuss these and other marketing trends to keep an eye on in 2024. Let’s zoom in on the details.

AI-powered marketing

Last year was the year of AI. The “AI revolution” has transformed the way many people do their jobs, and marketing has been greatly affected by this transformation too. From creating a website with AI to content marketing, Artificial intelligence has made everything so easy! 

In 2024, AI-powered marketing is likely to become even more influential. Not surprising, because AI has become even more advanced during the past several months. 

Here’s a shortlist of the hottest AI-related marketing trends to hop on in 2024: 

AI-aided writing, editing, and research

Some copywriters believe AI is eventually going to take their jobs, and this fear is not ungrounded. With recent updates to both ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, AI has become much smarter. And that is not to mention a plethora of other tools focused specifically on writing, all of which are advancing too. That makes them even more useful for brainstorming, research, and outlining: for example, Bard AI helped the author to conduct research for this article. 

Other tools — Grammarly, for example, — are great for proofreading your copy. And if you want to streamline your email communications, there are plenty of AI email assistants out there to shoulder the bulk of the work. By the way, we now have such an AI email assistant in Selzy, too — and you can even try it for free. 

But will AI replace copywriters completely? At this point, not very likely. Even though AI is now more advanced, it still often provides misleading information. There is even a special term for that now: AI hallucination. In fact, the phenomenon became so common that Cambridge dictionary has even named ‘hallucination’ (in that very sense) its word of the year in 2023. So, it’s still crucial to double-check AI writing and research to avoid errors. 

Creating images with AI

AI image generation has significantly improved in 2023. Midjourney, for example, has released v6, which can generate more realistic images for your ads and references, plus it has its own website now. DALL-E is now DALLE-3, plus there are other popular tools like Stable Diffusion, Adobe Firefly, and others that you can use in a similar fashion. Need more options guaranteed to provide results? Check out our list of best AI image generators. 

More good news: it is now possible to edit photos with AI or even craft whole ad campaigns — images, copy and all — with just one tool. For example, AdCreative AI. You can also use AI platforms to engage your customers by creating unique promo activities like The Coca-Cola Company did with its “Create Real Magic” campaign. The possibilities are ample.

Creating videos with AI

Video production is still daunting for marketers, and hiring video professionals is still expensive. Luckily, generative AI can now produce video content as well as copy and images. Such videos caused quite some buzz on the internet lately: Marvel’s Secret Invasion opening credits and the Coca-Cola Masterpiece commercial are just a few examples. But you don’t need to be Marvel or Coca-Cola to make use of the trend, as there are now accessible tools that can do a decent job of translating your text prompts into videos in just a few clicks. Examples include Creatify AI, InVideo, Hour One, and more. 

Efficiency and cost-effectiveness are not the only benefits of AI video ad generation: these tools, particularly those offering AI avatar capabilities, also allow for better personalization and more precise targeting. For example, here’s how you can create a targeted video ad with Creatify AI in a matter of minutes.

AI-powered data analytics

AI has been helping marketers with analytics for quite a while now. But in 2023, this trend has grown even bigger. As more and more businesses are trying to optimize costs, they turn to AI to make their hypotheses more accurate, their targeting and personalization more precise, and their strategies — more viable. 

For example, A/B testing becomes more effective when powered by AI: advanced algorithms process more data, recognize more patterns, and can suggest ideas that humans might overlook. AI is also great at identifying consumer behavior patterns, which helps brands create hyper-personalized content to increase conversions and enhance customer experience. 

One recent example is Spotify’s DJ feature introduced in 2023. An algorithm analyzes users’ musical tastes based on their previous activity on the platform and offers personalized music recommendations. Then, generative AI creates texts to match the tracks under the supervision of Spotify’s music editors. Finally, an AI-generated voice translates these texts into sound.

At the same time, it’s crucial to avoid hyper-personalization looking creepy. In the cookieless world, people get to decide what data they are willing to share, and knowing too much can push privacy-concerned customers away from your brand. 

Chatbots

Using chatbots is a great way for businesses to elevate customer service and automate typical routine tasks such as ordering food or booking a flight — HelloFresh’s Freddy is just one example. In 2024, more chatbots are likely to be AI-powered, meaning they will use customer data to predict their behavior and personalize conversations. 

Today, AI chatbots are already a huge part of conversational commerce — a bigger and older trend that used to rely heavily on human staff just a few years ago to function effectively. According to Statista, brands’ expenses on conversational commerce are projected to grow steadily until 2025, and it is safe to assume that AI automation will remain at the forefront of that larger trend.

The continuing reign of video content

Video marketing is another big trend that emerged several years ago and is still going strong. Traditionally considered more attention-grabbing than texts or images, videos tend to engage customers better and yield higher conversions. That is why 91% of businesses were leveraging video for marketing and advertising in 2023, according to the Wyzowl’s The State of Video Marketing 2023 report. 

Interesting fact: when asked about the reasons for not using video for marketing, most people surveyed named a lack of time and resources for video production. But since AI is going to fix that, we’ll definitely see more businesses engaging in video marketing very soon. 

And this is the trend you don’t want to miss, since Wyzowl’s report also revealed 91% of consumers were eager to see more online videos from brands. More importantly, 89% of people admitted that an online video convinced them to purchase a product or service; for software products, the figure was 79%. 

Some more noteworthy facts from the report: 

• 51% of people are most likely to share a video with friends as compared to other types of content (a social media post, a blog post, or a product page). 
• People on average consumed 17 hours of video content weekly in 2023. 
• YouTube is the most popular channel companies use for video marketing. It is closely followed by Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Snapchat, TikTok (surprise!) and Twitter turned out to be far less popular.   

But what types of videos will be trending in 2024? Most likely, the following: 

Short videos

Still, in 2023, short videos dominated the landscape, and there are no signs of this trend slowing down anytime soon. YouTube shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok videos — all of them continue to garner millions of views. With reportedly over 1.5 billion active monthly users, TikTok is still a considerable force. Successful examples of TikTok marketing include brands such as Netflix, Fenty Beauty, Dunkin’, and more.  

For example, this behind-the-scenes video clip by Netflix has already garnered 18.5 million views — and counting. It is only 26 seconds long, but it’s helped to expose users to information about Maestro, a 2023 movie already featured on the platform.

Live streaming

Live streaming — particularly, on social media platforms like Instagram — are still going to be a thing in 2024. Although live video currently accounts for just 36% of the video content companies used for marketing last year, it has good potential for growth. According to Statista, live streams accounted for over 27% of all video consumption in 2023, making it more popular than product reviews or even gaming videos. By 2032, the live streaming marketing is projected to grow to over $559 billion, so keeping an eye on this trend is a must. 

Interactive videos

Interactive content is proven to increase engagement by 52.6%, so it is an overall popular trend in digital marketing. Interactive videos are also having a moment, with brands incorporating interactive content such as quizzes, polls, product links and descriptions, and more into their video ads and live streams. 

Currently, Vimeo is one of the most popular video platforms that help businesses add interactions to their videos. Here’s one of the recent examples.

Vertical video optimization

With more and more people consuming video content on their smartphones, vertical videos are now the optimal format for businesses to engage with potential customers. Luckily, AI can help: with simple online tools such as Vidyo.ai, transforming a horizontal video into vertical only takes a few clicks.

AR, VR, and the metaverse

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality technologies have not taken off as quickly as was expected when they first emerged. But while consumers might not be ready to adopt VR (which involves shelling out for specialized equipment), AR is already successfully being used by brands. 

Think cosmetics brands like L’Oreal and Sephora or clothes and shoes brands like Nike — all of them offer virtual try-ons. Amazon is now also offering customers to try on shoes and glasses via a VR mobile app. Car brands have hopped on the trend, too: for example, Volvo, Lexus, and others are now offering virtual test drives. However, virtual makeup is still the most successful example.   

Here’s a recent video from Maybelline India demonstrating how a virtual try-on app allows users to choose makeup items without leaving their homes.

As for the metaverse, it is still gaining traction and might well be the next big thing in 2024 — especially now, when AI is virtually everywhere (pun intended). Many brands continue to test the waters in the metaverse, with Nike, Gucci, and Hyundai being just a few examples. With AI and its ability to predict user behavior, these and other brands can make customer experiences in the metaverse even more personalized. However, metaverse marketing is not fit for every business because most buyer-seller interactions still take place exclusively in the real world.

Here’s one of Nike’s recent endeavors in the metaverse.

LinkedIn as a marketing channel

LinkedIn is not the first social network to come to mind when it comes to marketing. But lately, more and more businesses — particularly, in the B2B sector — have been adopting it as a marketing channel. LinkedIn, it turned out, is not just an effective platform for networking and promoting your blog posts: according to Wyzowl, it also lends itself well to video marketing. As of 2023, it was the third most popular platform for marketers to post videos to, behind only YouTube and Facebook.    

Besides, it allows for perfect targeting, as you don’t need to sift through thousands of irrelevant users to get to your prospects. Being initially a network to connect professionals, LinkedIn still has a quality audience that consists of businesspeople most likely to respond to your marketing efforts. Moreover, the majority of this audience in the US reported having high (55%) or middle (29%) income. Plus the network is growing, too: according to Statista, LinkedIn’s audience will grow up to 828+ million users.   

Here’s what Selzy’s LinkedIn page looks like, by the way. Are you already following us? 

Nano- and micro-influencers instead of celebrities

In influencer marketing, micro- and nano-influencers are gaining more weight than celebrities and mega-influencers. The chief reasons why marketers prefer these smaller influencers (under 100K and under 10K followers respectively) are likely the fees and the number of influencers available. 

Small and medium-sized businesses simply cannot afford to pay celebrities and mega-influencers, plus there are now more smaller influencers on social media than there are big “stars”. Besides, people tend to trust people like them, and celebrity lifestyles are not relatable to most. Unsurprisingly, 39% of brands are ready to spend on nano influencers and only 12% — on collaborations with celebrities on social media.

And these smaller bloggers seemingly deliver good results, too. For example, Yoshino Bontemps, a Paris-based fashion influencer, currently has a little under 50K followers. Nevertheless, her Instagram page is full of collaborations with popular fashion brands.  

Voice search optimization

Most businesses know and use SEO as an integral part of their long-term digital marketing strategies. But VSO — voice search optimization — is still relatively new, although it emerged a few years ago. Since then, it has become more prominent. With over 62% of Americans over 18 years old having been using voice search, VSO is quickly becoming a necessity because users in other countries are certainly going to follow suit. And with the voice recognition market expected to grow to nearly $50 billion, this trend should definitely remain on your to-watch list.   

However, not all businesses are equally fit to adopt this trend. As people traditionally use voice search to find out routes and get directions, local businesses with a physical address can benefit the most from VSO. Another popular category is Food & Drink because people frequently use virtual assistants to search for recipes. 

Here’s what it looks like:

But there are other ways you can leverage the trend, too. For example, retail stores can optimize FAQ pages and product descriptions to drive more traffic and enhance user experience. 

Sustainability, responsibility, accountability

People are not willing to support brands that don’t align with their values: 1 in 4 Americans boycotted businesses for political disagreements. Among those who did so, Millennials and Gen Z, as well as people with six-figure incomes, were the majority. Other reasons for boycotting a company included social beliefs and influence from friends, family, and public figures. Companies can also easily miss the mark when advertising to a specific audience without understanding its actual views and values. 

Unsurprisingly, 21% of respondents boycotted companies they believed to be environmentally harmful. But simply marketing your business as sustainable is not an option anymore: in 2024 and beyond, consumers will continue to be on the constant lookout for misleading ESG-related claims, states the ESG Trends report by PwC. Moreover, the consequences of greenwashing — falsely claiming to be a sustainable company — are rising, both in terms of reputation and business performance. That’s why you should not only market your business as sustainable and responsible now, but also be prepared to back up your claims with trustworthy evidence. According to Deloitte, the best practices to help your business become more sustainable include using data to drive change, looking for opportunities that both help reach sustainability goals and benefit your bottom line, and having a clear strategy.   

IKEA’s marketing of its Blåvingad collection is a good example of showcasing sustainable practices:

What the future holds for the marketing industry

These were some of the most prominent trends poised to dominate the marketing and advertising industry in 2024. We picked them based on research data, the wealth of analytical materials, and our own experiences in the marketing field during the previous year. However, as mentioned earlier, marketing is constantly in a state of flux. Trends come and go — sometimes, unexpectedly. So, it is crucial to always stay alert to not miss the next big thing, whatever it might be. 

That said, it’s also essential to remember that all tools and tactics discussed in the article, as well as any other tools and tactics that might emerge, are only meant to aid you in your marketing efforts. But at the heart of your marketing, there should always remain a deep understanding of your business, your customers, and your product, and a genuine desire to build meaningful, long-term relationships with your audience. And that is the strongest, steadiest, and farthest-reaching trend of all. 

The right tools can definitely help you follow it, but they still cannot do all the job for you. So, don’t worry: there will still be a lot of work to do in the marketing industry in 2024 and beyond.  

Want to find out more? Read our article about email marketing trends.