Top Marketing Trends of 2024 for Small Businesses
Marketing is always evolving, and every year we hear about the hottest and latest trends that’ll change the industry.
The real question is - how do you leverage these trends to your advantage? What do you need to adjust or change in your strategy to fit this new, evolving market?
Throughout this article, I explore the top marketing trends of 2024 for small businesses and share a complete overview on how to leverage them in your business this year, no matter your industry.
The last 12 months have been particularly interesting. We’ve seen many changes, new technologies and generational shifts coming together, to further evolve the business landscape. All of this has led to new insights and to the rise (or continued growth) of very specific trends.
Let’s explore some of these together:
AI: A Key Tool for 2024
This one comes as no surprise. 2023 kicked-off an incredible growth for ChatGPT and other AI softwares, and 2024 will only see these tools getting bigger and more prominent.
AI-powered marketing tools like chatbots, voice search optimization and predictive analytics are going to be center-stage and if you want to make the most out of them, you will have to figure out how they can be integrated in your current processes to streamline and improve them. One way to do that is by integrating a more collaborative approach between humans and AI, figuring out the gaps your team currently has and assessing whether AI can fill them.
AI has also being pushed as a solution for content marketing, content writing or copywriting. Personally, especially when it comes to persuasive copy and high-quality content that captivates, I don't think AI can do human the way we do human. However, it can be a great tool to help us in the process and maximise our efforts.
Here are some great ways AI can be used when it comes to content marketing and content creation:
Brainstorming for ideas, metaphors and analogies
Sentiment analysis
Quicker and more precise audience segmentation
Lists of frequently asked questions and SEO inputs
Drafts for video scripts and outlines of posts
For the rest - copywriters and content writers will always do a better job at picking up the nuances of your brand voice, as well as the emotions and desires your brand is catering to.
And if you need someone to write copy or help you define and implement a great content marketing strategy , get in touch HERE
Individuality, Authenticity and the Rise (or Comeback of) Storytelling
As a reaction to AI, research is showing that people are yearning for things that make them feel…“human” and connected to themselves, as well as others. Customers are craving more human connections, and brands are starting to slide in people’s inboxes with more authentic and intimate, qualitative content that replicate one-on-one conversations.
In line with that, authenticity and individuality will become increasingly important.
So, how can you communicate to your audience with more authenticity?
How can you showcase that you’re unique in your communication, as well as your approach?
Of course, authenticity or individuality are NOT something “you do” or “create” or can “replicate”. Quite the opposite - they are something you/your brand either have or don’t! So the key in this case is learning or figuring out how to best show those qualities to your audience, and not being afraid of coming across a little more vulnerable, bold, and quirky.
Connected to this yearn for authenticity and individuality, we’re observing another great trend for 2024: the rise - or comeback - of Storytelling! No surprise there! Stories help us feel connected to others and they are a great way to create and shorten the bridge between brand and customer.
Nowadays, it makes no sense to just split the business world in B2B or B2C only… It’s all Business to Human, and storytelling can help connect the service/product/brand to the human on the other side of the screen. So tell your stories!
Look at your brand and identify stories that can be repeated, told, shared - that’s what’s going to make your marketing stand out.
Bigger Focus on Customer-Centric Marketing
With more email being sent every year – how can brands truly stand out and hold a space in their customers’ minds?
The answer lies in customer-centric, hyper-relevant communications.
For too long, companies have been focused on what they want to share with their audience. But as we look at 2024, organisations will really need to make a big effort to move beyond these brand-centric messages, and focus more on meeting customer expectations.
Understanding pain points and - most importantly - desires is key when connecting to customers. By making communications more relevant through advanced personalization, a positive approach and a focus on authentically helping your audience overcome their pain points, your brand will stand out.
PS: Customer-centric marketing is one of our key values and we’re specialised in supporting brands who have a client-first approach. If that’s you and you want a little help to turn this trend into an opportunity to create a marketing strategy that’s fully aligned to your beliefs, my team and I are one click away.
Hyper-personalisation and Interactive Content
Hyper-personalisation and interactive content have steadily taken over the past few years and 2024 will finally see them as two (related) key marketing trends. Audiences, users and customers want to feel you’re directly catering to them, as well as entertaining them and creating unforgettable, fun experiences. This will not only make your brand memorable, but it’ll also increase your conversion rates.
Of course, these days, personalisation is less about calling your customers by their first name in an email and more about delivering relevant content that’s aligned with their journey.
To guarantee a strong, personalised experience, you’ll want to focus on:
1) Learning as much as possible on the buyer persona and actively catering to their wants and needs
The more you learn about your customers, the more you will be able to identify different specific segments that make up your target market. Segmentation can then be an opportunity to offer your audience a tailored answer to what they really need.
2) A strong content strategy engages your prospects at different stages of their customer journey
Sounds like a lot? Think about it this way; a returning customer requires a very different approach than a person who’s just starting to explore how to fix their problem or than a loyal follower who’s ready to buy. Each of these users is at a different stage of their customer journey and by targeting them with content that’s personalised and specific to where they are, you will be able to make them feel seen and understood - hence growing your sales chances!
3) Gathering and analysing data to keep on optimising your clients’ experience
Data is key when it comes to great personalised experiences, that’s why it’s so important to collect, analyse and periodically evaluate your customers’ data and behaviours. This will help you to eventually optimise every marketing effort and make it more effective.
There are many ways to create hyper-personalised experiences, so it can be difficult to point to one idea or other because when it comes to this - the sky truly is the limit! However, if you were to look for some inspiration, think about Spotify with its customised “made for you” or “wrapped” playlists, Netflix and Amazon with their respective “recommended” lists or Stitch Fix and their hand-picked-for-you outfits.
Of course, just creating something that’s personalised is not enough in 2024 and that’s where interactive experiences come in!
People just LOVE interactive content and over the last few years, quizzes, calculators, etc have been prominent across all industries.
Interactive experiences are meant to engage the audience, generate new leads and give value to future customers. Again, there are many variations of interactive content, but some of the hottest trends in 2024 will continue to be:
1) Interactive videos
Giving users control (albeit, limited) of what they see is a surefire way to boost interaction and engagement and track user behaviour. For example, websites in the real estate, hospitality and travel industries have seen huge benefit in providing 3D tours where the user can wander a virtual space, in whatever direction they want.
2) Calculators and Other Valuable Tools
Some of the most popular pages on the web include interactive tools like calculators. They work incredibly well because they provide free value to users (and saves them from complicated math!), while collecting data. But hey, even without the data collection, these tools can be an opportunity to showcase your approach eg. through reports, guide the user to the next steps and/or have targeted calls to action. Plus, calculators are so handy, they are one of the most shareable, interactive pieces of content currently available - definitely a plus if you want to get more eyes on your website.
3) Quizzes and Polls
People love being heard and understood, which is why quizzes and polls work like a charm when it comes to interactive content. They are fun (quiz-lover over here!) and they spark curiosity, get leads and build engagement - all of that while educating your audience. In the last 4-5 years, we’ve seen quizzes become the holy grail of list-building and lead generation; they are an opportunity to grow mailing lists, increase brand-awareness and shortcut the lead-to-sales journey, in just a few smooth clicks. In 2024 people will continue to engage with these fun tools, so if growing your list is a priority, make sure to rely on a (strategic) branded quiz!
Continued Rise of Video Content
Video content will keep on dominating the market in 2024, both in long and short form.
Personally, I have a feeling short form will keep on being the more popular choice; it is accessible, flexible, and engaging, and it tends to grab the attention of target audiences quite easily, especially if combined with text on screen/subtitles.
But please, make sure to not underestimate (or completely forget about) long form video content. Trends show that over the last 6 months more and more users have researched longer videos - and that’s because of both a change in demographics on platforms such as YouTube, as well as a yearn for deeper, slower conversations/content that can actually be educational and valuable, and not just entertaining or shareable.
As I always say to our clients, video does require a bigger commitment in terms of production, (potentially) bigger budgets and higher levels of consistency. So don’t just get started because everyone is doing it! Only make it part of your strategy if you know you can keep up with it - otherwise it’ll just be a waste of resources that could be very well used on other marketing activities.
…And For The Special Mentions
While the ones listed above are major marketing trends of 2024, I want to end this article with a quick roundup of three “bonus trends” that’ll help you grow your brand in the next few months:
(NANO AND MICRO) INFLUENCER MARKETING
As users gravitate towards more authentic and intimate experiences, 2024 will see a further rise of nano- and micro- influencers. While these influencers will not bring your brand in front of millions, they will make sure to present it to an audience that’s much more engaged. In fact, average engagement rate for nano and micro influencers is 3.70%, which is much higher than what macro-influencers get. Plus, the cost of working with these influencers is much more accessible to smaller brands or start-ups with limited budgets.
TREND-JACKING AND NEWSJACKING
Creating content that's on trend or on the news has been a great way to go viral and get visibility - and in 2024 it’ll become a trick to master! Trend-jacking and newsjacking tends to work especially well for SMEs, rather than one-person businesses, but in reality it can be done on different scales by anyone wanting to grow their audience. The only requirement? Not being afraid to express an opinion, being bold and have a little fun!
SUSTAINABILITY AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN MARKETING
As environmental concerns continue to press on and difficult political crisis affect the world, consumers seek brands that align with their values. So if your brand has strong values or implements sustainable, eco-friendly practices, this is the right time to proudly express all the good you and your team do for the world. This will help you show up in front of like-minded individuals and find incredibly loyal customers. Of course, this should not be seen as an opportunity for unethical green-washing or manipulative marketing (we’re surely against all that and would never condone it!) that shouts about great values no one within your company is actually embodying!
What’s the trend you’ll take with you in the next 12 months?
Please bear in mind this is not an exhaustive list of ALL the marketing trends of 2024, as depending on your industry/niche there might be more specific trends that you can leverage. This article is meant to be a selection of the top trends I believe, based on my expert point of view as well as data-backed research, will make a difference for small business owners.
If you do want to explore the best trends, strategies or tactics for your business or are looking for someone to help you create a solid marketing strategy, make sure to get in touch with me and my team here.