What does the future of marketing look like in 2024? 

It’s wild to me that I’m already speaking about 2024 – but here we are! 

This is the time of the year when marketers and business coaches are making their predictions for the year ahead. They’re busy planning how they can create success in their business and support their clients to do the same. 

Things in the online space shift quickly when it comes to technology and consumer behaviour. To maintain a competitive edge you need to keep your finger on the pulse should you need to pivot and make changes. 

You also need to know what is for you and what isn’t – so you don’t find yourself chasing after all the shiny, often unsustainable, latest trends.  

There’s no point pouring time and resources into your marketing if it’s not getting you what you really want – attracting Beyonce-level clients and consistent business growth.

So, in this episode of the How I Do Content Podcast, I dusted off my crystal ball to look at the future of marketing and share my marketing predictions for 2024.

I’m spilling the tea on what you can expect, key trends I’m predicting and the most important things to focus on when it comes to marketing your business in the new year. And sure, you can of course do a quick Google Search for 2024 Marketing Predictions and most people are saying the same thing… But I wanted to share some alternatives to what everyone is saying. Because I NEVER EVER want to sound like every other Harry, Ron & Hermione on the internet.

Before I dive into the future of marketing and my 2024 predictions – I want to review my 2023 predictions and #spoileralert I was pretty bang on! 

Let’s recap my 2023 marketing predictions

• A move away from social media. 

With engagement continuing to tank – many business owners are pretty disillusioned with the return on investment for the time spent on social media. This has seen a shift in how they use social media and in particular how much time they spend on the platform.

• Consumers will be more discerning with how they spend their money. 

This was a big theme for 2023 and many businesses have experienced slower sales throughout the year. The businesses that continued to make money were those who understand consumer behaviour and can clearly communicate why someone needs their offer in their life and why they should invest their time, money and energy in it. 

• A focus on existing customer relationships. 

When you factor in people spending less time on social media and changing consumer behaviour around purchase decisions – I definitely witnessed business owners look to nurture their relationships and market to the people already in their community (aka the warmer leads).

• Owning your magic to help you stand out online. 

The online space has continued to grow and get even more noisy – it’s something that’s never going to change. So the businesses who continued to grow and expand their income and impact this year were those who were able to create differentiation in their messaging and marketing. Authenticity and embracing your unique blend of magic will never not be important.

With that bit of context, let’s get into the future of marketing and my predictions for next year…

The Future of Marketing: My Marketing Predictions for 2024

Prediction #1 – The rise of AI

So every Harry, Ron & Hemione was talking about artificial intelligence (AI) this year. 

It’s really reshaping the marketing landscape and every content creation expert and their dog is predicting it’ll continue to make waves in the world of marketing in 2024 and long into the coming years.

There are many different AI and automation tools that you can use for your marketing and it always seems there’s a shiny new tool to try and I think this will continue to increase over the next couple of years. The thing to remember here is to NOT attempt to try every single AI tool (unless of course that is your actual job) but to be discerning when deciding which to use in your marketing efforts. 

Not all AI tools or new technologies are for you and your business, so be sure to ask yourself… Does this AI tool save me time and/or money and support me to reach my business goals? 

Jumping on a growing trend simply because everyone else is – is a big NO for me. Not to mention these tools are in their infancy stage so the quality of their output can be a little hit and miss. In fact, I’ve noticed a real influx of shit, boring and beige content thanks to ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is only as good as the machine learning prompts you use. 

In order for something like Chat GPT to work effectively, you need to:

• Deeply understand your ideal clients and what they desire
• Have identified and developed your point of difference so you actually stand out online
• Have nailed your messaging to highlight the value of your business, brand and your offers

If you don’t know this info as well as teach it to your AI robot then all ChatGPT will spit out is shit, boring and beige content.

ChatGPT is meant to guide you, not replace you

For the best results and before you outsource all your copywriting and content to ChatGPT – make sure your messaging is on point. 

Prediction #2 – The dominance of video marketing & short-form content

Video and short-form content has been a staple on these types of predictions lists for many years. 

It’s no secret that video and audio are some of the best ways to engage your target audience and speed up the connection-building and conversion process, especially across social platforms.

TikTok is solidifying its position not only as the place to consume content for entertainment and education purposes – but also as a place where consumers actively go searching for brands and businesses that solve a problem or desire they have. And, unlike Instagram, their algorithm and search feature are actually helpful. 

Brands will continue to look to leverage short-form videos across social media platforms not just for promotions but for storytelling, launches and even customer testimonials.  

TWO important things you need to remember when using short-form video as part of your marketing strategy

• Not everyone loves to consume content in video form.

And for some people, it’s also not accessible. Don’t completely forget about written content and long-form content to support your short-form video content. 

You could be missing out on opportunities to connect, engage and convert the right people or potential customers because you’re only focused on creating short-form video content. 

• Remember to think about the whole customer journey

Short-form video content is great to grab attention and draw people in – but once you have their attention, then what? 

This is a mistake I see many business owners make – you spend all your time creating this 10-second video that gets your ideal client or customer’s attention, but then there’s no clear next step. 

After they’ve watched your video – is it clear what you want them to do next? Attention is pointless if you can’t convert it into sales.

This is why one of the best practices is to have a content mix and repurpose the shit out of your content. In my case – one podcast becomes multiple pieces of content across different platforms, like a blog post, an email and 2-3 social media posts. 

When you nail this not only will you get in front of your target audience, but you’ll also save yourself a fuckload of time! 

Prediction #3 – The power of a personal brand

In a challenging economic climate, the businesses that continued to make sales were those who’ve built powerful personal brands. 

The trend-chasers and the businesses who dilute their magic to try and fit in – are close to extinction. 

The business owner who

• Shares their unique thoughts, perspectives and opinions bravely and boldly
• Fully embraces and embodies what makes them magic 
• Shows up and shares the shit out of their offers consistently 

…They’re the businesses that are thriving! 

This year I definitely saw the importance and impact of the personal brand I’ve been building over the last 4 years.

I haven’t been afraid to go full wizard and embrace my unique blend of magic. It’s definitely increased my brand visibility in a year where many businesses have struggled, Instagram engagement is in the toilet and we’ve been overrun by shit robot-generated content. 

I’m so grateful to have such a wonderful, highly engaged community of wizards who show up for me time and time again. Make no mistake this wasn’t luck. To receive this kinda support, you have to give that kinda support. 

I’ve consistently shown up and shared content that is authentically me and in doing so have built strong brand awareness and a community of wizards who have stuck around to support me through it all.

Prediction #4 – Personalised Marketing 

Personalised marketing isn’t a new concept – but with the changing digital marketing landscape in terms of technology and the rise of AI,  it’s something that’s becoming even more important.

With a lot of “online gurus” preaching about “how to 10x your productivity or reach” or whatever metric is trending at the moment – content marketing can start to feel less personal and like the goal is more is more is more.

The more businesses try to jump on the latest digital marketing trends and appeal to the masses, the more the masses crave the personal connection and the smaller details. This is something I’ve seen a real shift in the last 18 months. 

Consumers are wising up to formulaic marketing strategies and tactics. They’re familiar with the launch process. This means you can’t just copy + paste someone else’s 6-figure marketing strategy in the hope you’ll rake in new customers. It’s about making people-driven decisions, rather than purely data-driven decisions when it comes to your marketing content.

You need to understand consumer behaviour and know your ideal clients like they’re your bestie if you want your marketing to actually work.

Get creative with your customer experience

It’s not enough to simply personalise your emails with the “first name” tag in your email marketing platform. You gotta get creative with your customer experience and how you personalise your marketing!

This could look like:

• Delivering timely and relevant content that takes into consideration where they are in their customer journey through list segmentation 
• Giving your community opportunities to connect with you and learn from you in different settings such as free masterclasses, broadcast channels, private podcasts 
• Share personalised recommendations for how people in your community can implement or take action based on the information you’re sharing. I did this through my Messaging on the Mic Series, and the free Marketing Audits I’m offering as part of my Black Friday Sale. 

To personalise your marketing effectively, you need to track user behaviour and buying patterns so you can directly connect with your community on a deeper level. The businesses and brands that do this will cultivate a highly engaged community of people who are ready and excited to buy whatever you’re selling. 

Your community wants to feel seen, heard and understood – so what are you doing about it in 2024?

So, there you have what I forecast for the future of marketing and my 4 marketing predictions for 2024 – but with my own unique perspective on them! 

Shop my Black Friday offers 

If you want to set yourself up for success in 2024 and beyond with tried and tested strategies to support you in creating magical sales-generating content and launch with confidence – my Black Friday offers are for you!

The continued growth in my business over the last 4 years wouldn’t have been possible without knowing how to master my marketing campaigns and slay my sales and right now there are some incredible offers on the table for all wizarding levels –  from DIY to planned-for-you, to full coaching and implementation.

These offers are only available until Wednesday 29th November, so if you’ve wanted to work with me for a while – this is the perfect opportunity.

Sign up at https://thesocialbolt.com.au/black-friday 

Happy shopping! 

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