January feels like it’s flown by, but there’s still plenty of time for you to fine-tune your digital marketing strategy for the new year.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the different tools and tactics out there — especially since they all claim to be the solution to your brand-building woes. If you want to know what you should actually focus on in 2024, I’ve got you covered.
Discover eight essential digital marketing trends to keep in mind when planning for the new year.
1. Instagram Threads
Instagram Threads — which launched in July 2023 — currently has over 160 million users. If you’re not using this new app, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities to engage with potential customers or clients.
Threads is sort of like Instagram’s alternative to Twitter. It’s a platform for people to share their thoughts, reply to other people’s posts, and follow interesting profiles.
At the very least, you should establish a presence on Threads, even if you’re not ready to start posting content regularly. Set up an account now before someone snatches up your preferred username!
2. LinkedIn Marketing
LinkedIn currently has over 1 billion users, and they’re not just job seekers or employers looking to recruit new team members. People share all kinds of content on LinkedIn, including wellness tips, articles about mental health, and much more.
You likely have a LinkedIn profile, but are you utilizing it for more than posting job ads? 2024 is a great time to start expanding your social media content strategy to include LinkedIn posts and long-form articles.
3. YouTube Shorts
Short-form video is a critical part of many brands’ digital marketing strategies. Don’t limit yourself to just TikTok and Instagram Reels, though.
YouTube Shorts receives over 50 billion views per day! Start sharing your short videos there to increase your reach and get in front of people who might not have heard of your brand otherwise.
Remember that YouTube marketing (including YouTube Shorts) is especially useful when catering to younger audiences. According to Pew Research, 95% of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 use YouTube (by comparison, 66% use TikTok, and 62% use Instagram).
4. EEAT Content
Quality content never goes out of style. Google’s definition of “quality” has evolved, though.
Google recently added an extra E to the “EAT” formula (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).
EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
As you create content for the new year, look for ways to show that the writer has first-hand experience, as well as subject matter expertise, industry authority, and is a trustworthy source.
Creating content that checks these boxes will help you stand out online and rank higher on Google search engine results pages.
5. Smart Use of AI
Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. Thirty-five percent of marketers, 54% of bloggers, and 41% of business leaders report using AI tools.
It might be tempting to shy away from AI, but it’s not going anywhere. Rather than running from it, make 2024 the year you embrace it.
If you get comfortable with AI tools now, you can use them intelligently and intentionally to gain an advantage over competitors who are still wary of this technology.
6. Prioritize Privacy
Ninety percent of Americans say online privacy is a critical issue. Emphasizing a commitment to privacy and data security can help you attract more customers/clients in the new year.
What does this look like from a digital marketing perspective?
It starts with transparency.
Be honest with your audience about what data you’re using and how you’re using it. Look for ways to give customers more control over how their data is used, too, by allowing them to opt-in to data collection, processing, and sharing.
7. Focus on Sustainability
Over three-quarters (78%) of consumers feel that sustainability is important, and 55% are willing to pay more to support eco-friendly brands.
Consider creating content in the new year (both long-form and short-form) explaining what your company is doing to support the environment (and if you’re not doing anything, make this year the year you start).
Keep in mind that consumers — especially younger consumers — expect you to show your work. In other words, it’s not enough to say that you’re making sustainable changes. You must also show evidence that you’re following through with your promises.
8. Work with Nano-Influencers
Stop focusing on influencers with the largest followings and consider those with the highest engagement rates.
Influencer marketing is a powerful tool that can help you expand your reach online and attract more customers/clients. Remember, though, that partnering with people who have large followings won’t always yield significant returns.
Research from Influencer Marketing Hub shows that nano-influencers (those with 1,000-10,000 followers) can generate more than twice the engagement of macro-influencers.
Nano-influencers don’t just have better engagement rates. Working with them can also be more cost-effective than working with macro-influencers, allowing you to get more out of your influencer marketing budget.
Final Thoughts
There you have it — 8 essential digital marketing trends to focus on in 2024.
It doesn’t matter if you want to build brand awareness, increase conversions, or anything in between. Capitalizing on these trends will help you get there.
Do you need extra assistance leveling up your digital marketing strategy for the new year? Let’s talk!
Schedule a consultation today.