The Top 3 emerging marketing trends of 2024

Getting ahead of your competition and bringing in more sales is something that all businesses need to work towards – and when it comes to sales, advertising, and marketing, in order to make that lead conversion happen - you need to be aware of what is popular, what is not, and what is coming next. In this article, we are looking at how marketing has been evolving over the last few years, three major marketing trends to expect to see in 2024, the technology that is supporting these trends, and what you need to focus on to make the most of your marketing budget in 2024 and beyond.

How has marketing evolved over the last few years?

When we think about some of the biggest events of the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic was certainly one that had a massive impact on people across the globe, and the resulting measures have had a long-lasting impact on how companies conduct themselves and do business with customers.

Warc revealed that online video and social media advertising increased by 17% in 2021, and the digital sector saw a record 18.2% growth.

Since the end of the lockdowns and moving away from the pandemic, there have been some areas of marketing that remain unaffected:

• customers still responding to ads
• the market remaining data-driven
• personalisation is still a priority.

However, the boost in digital and online usage, and consistent growth in technologies such as AI and automation, mean that marketing departments are able to tailor their content and specifically target not only certain demographics, but individual customers too.

Gartner has estimated that by 2025, those organisations using AI for marketing functions will shift 75% of their staff operation from production to more strategic activities.

Why is marketing important to your business?

In order to connect with your customers, stand out from the crowd, and make sales – your business must be visible, have a strong presence, and be relevant to what consumers want; this is where your marketing strategy is absolutely vital.

Business marketing is an incredibly valuable tool which helps to:

• Create brand awareness
• Grow consumer trust
• Acquire customers
• Drive profit
• Increase company growth
• Retain customers
• Enhance consumer engagement
• Connect with business opportunities and other companies.

The right marketing message tells consumers about your company and your products or services. It informs them about your Unique Selling Point/s (USP/s) and clearly shows the value of purchasing with you – and why you are the best choice over everyone else.

The right marketing message tells your viewer (consumer or potential business partner) everything they need to know to decide to work or spend with you.

Sorting out and managing your data, segmenting your leads, and handling the information in a smart and ordered fashion can help you get ahead.

What are the top 3 marketing trends for 2024?

The evolution of marketing continues to introduce new trends and with new technologies supporting new directions and growth, 2024 looks set to be an interesting year, with some of the biggest incoming trends expected to be:

1. Increased usage of AI
   AI is set to continue to be a useful tool for marketers in 2024, with companies able to analyse data, uncover actionable insights, and automate time-consuming tasks that allow their teams to focus on areas where their talents can be put to better use.
   Marketers are finding that AI is enabling more efficient and effective campaign management, especially when paired with digital tools such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, and clearly defined data pipelines and storage, which allows the AI tool the ability to effectively gather, utilise, and generate accurate reports on the information.
   
   
2. More focus on privacy and security
   Data security and privacy is not a new concept, PwC however discovered that 83% of consumers want more control over their personal information, and businesses are set to prioritise having privacy-centric practices, such as explicit consent, transparent data collection, and full compliance with data security and privacy regulations.
   Marketers are expected to be able to highlight what their company and brand is doing, and be able to quickly, accurately, and fully answer customers who want to know what is being done with their data.
   
   
3. Voice search usage is set to grow
   A huge number of people now use voice search on a daily basis, whether it is on their mobile devices or in their homes – Voice Assistants (VA) such as Siri, Alexa, Bixby, or Google Assistant, are widely used.
   This means that marketers need to take special care that their content is optimised for voice search, contains relevant keywords, and can easily be accessed and read by the VA. Content will also need to be cultivated geo-locationally – and consumers sorted by demographic so the most appropriate content is able to reach and connect with them.
   
   

What technology is supporting these trends and changing how you market?

Behind all the upgrades and evolutions in marketing, is the technology supporting it – with growing developments in AI, more structured and effective data engineering, and platforms designed to improve the customer journey – there is a lot of digital transformation happening.

Marketers and businesses looking to improve their digital presence, at a minimum should be looking at:

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software
• Integrative and interactive dashboards
• Data monitoring and analytic tools
• Appropriate data storage (such as data warehouses or data lake-houses)
• Automated alert and calendar systems
• Task management software
• Lead generation and management tools
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tools
• Strategy and road mapping applications

Businesses should also consider integrating AI and business automation into their digital structure, freeing up time and resources for team members to focus on activities that require a human touch and their knowledge and experience.

How can you improve your business marketing?

2024 is going to be a busy year, and the digital evolution and improvements these tools bring is not going to slow down. A tool that has been rapidly growing in 2023, and will continue to grow in 2024, is the future of automation and CRM, TEB Apps. With TEB Apps, you will be able to maximise conversions, boost revenue and accelerate growth with advanced automation features such as:

• Customisable workflows – Fully customise your workflows and assign tasks to team members in real-time to improve sales outcomes

• Attach notes to clients and store documents on TEB – Attach important notes to clients for your team to view and store documents inside the TEB Apps platform to transform customer service

• Streamline your pricing – Make proposals and pricing easy with custom quote templates, and specification pricing to drive your team's efficiency

• Centralise and secure your data – Keep your data in one centralised location for your team to access, and ensure security with granular data access.

Request a call today, and find out how you can grow with TEB Apps, the future of business automation and CRM software.