As in all industries, one of the biggest disruptors is AI, with marketing seeing this technology impacting almost every aspect, from copywriting and design to data analysis, marketing intelligence, chatbot engagement, and more.
So, for the sake of everyone’s sanity, let’s ignore AI and look at six other trends likely to shape marketing in 2024.
The combination of big data, our social media behaviour and (dare I say it) AI are going to lead to greater personalisation in marketing.
If context was king in 2023, hyper-personalisation is set to stage a coup in 2024.90% of leading marketers say personalisation significantly contributes to business profitability.
However, providing tailored experiences to customers continues to be a challenge for 63% of digital marketing executives.
Harnessing data-driven insights ensures relevance, fostering stronger brand-consumer relationships and amplifying marketing efficacy in an evolving landscape.
According to numerous studies, our attention span has decreased due to the amount and type of information we are bombarded with in the digital age. As marketers, we’re trying to sell to goldfish.
This has been exacerbated by the proliferation of short-form video content on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This, in turn, is impacting the type of sports we enjoy, with sports fans being drawn to shorter sports types.
In particular, combat sports have seen a 21% rise in engagement since the beginning of 2021. Is it now the best solution to produce only short-content appetisers? Ultimately, people will continue to invest time in good content.
We all think intensively about what we spend our valuable time on. If the quality of the offers is right, they are also worth the investment in time.
As the adoption of smart devices like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant increases, voice search will become more critical.
All of these devices essentially trawl Google for answers to voice searches, so applying the appropriate SEO strategy that includes conversational and long-tail keywords will be key.
This shift necessitates a focus on conversational SEO strategies, concise yet informative responses, and adapting to evolving voice assistant technologies.
Marketers embracing these changes will gain a competitive edge in meeting the evolving preferences of tech-savvy consumers.
2024 will see social commerce gain significant traction, drastically changing how consumers interact with products and services. Social platforms will further integrate e-commerce solutions, while third-party solutions like Smartzer will undoubtedly continue their ascendance.
Aside from enabling a more convenient shopping solution for consumers, this also presents a massive opportunity for savvy and innovative marketers to unlock new customer bases and drive sales.
Video content will continue to shape and dominate the digital marketing space.
Compelling storytelling has been a cornerstone of digital marketing for over a decade, but the growth of TikTok, Instagram Stories and other short-form video content is influencing the way we consume content.
So in 2024, video will be the most dynamic medium for marketers to foster engagement.
Mayflies have the shortest lifespan of any creature, living for an average of one to two days. The average TikTok viral trend lasts around three days.
This trend is expanding to other social networks, where a viral dance, song, meme, activity or movement will be born, live and die in the space of 72 hours.
This means that, in 2024, savvy marketers wishing to stay relevant in this fast-paced environment need to adopt what I call Mayfly Marketing – that is, having the ability to track, conceptualise and execute creative that embraces the latest viral trend within 24 hours.
The marketing landscape stands at the intersection of innovation and rapid evolution and beckons marketers to adapt swiftly.
These trends underscore the need for agility in a dynamic and fleeting landscape. Here's to navigating the currents of change in the exciting year ahead. Cheers to 2024!
Danette Breitenbach 5 Jun 2025
Evan-Lee Courie 13 May 2025
