Will this year's popular digital marketing trends continue into 2024?

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is already being used by many brands to improve customer experiences, personalize content, and automate processes. Some of the AI tools that gained popularity in 2023 include ChatGPT and Midjourney that are helping people with a basic framework and inspiration. Just last week, we saw the yearly favorite AI-generated Spotify Wrapped take over social media as Spotify subscribers share their listening habits from the beginning of the year.

Will it survive the year?

AI is here to stay. Knowing how to use these tools to your advantage is key. AI can help you create engaging content and stay relevant to your target audience in an information-rich landscape that constantly competes for user attention.

SEO on Social Media

According to a study, TikTok and Instagram are the search engine of choice for more than half of Gen Z and their purchase decisions are influenced by the products they see on these social platforms. In October 2023, TikTok rolled out Search Ads Toggle, explaining their search experience as way to:

…deliver more ways for brands to connect and engage with the TikTok community through search. With the Search Ads Toggle, brands can now show up next to content relevant to their business, product or service while providing users with a more personalized ad experience.

Will it survive the year?

While Google won't be dethroned, we think keyword search on social media will gain momentum next year. So now is the time to start adapting your SEO strategy to include relevant industry-related keywords in your social posts to help with your brand discovery and guide users through your marketing funnel.

Mobile-Optimized Videos

Video consumption has been growing across markets and most users consume video via social media. Earlier this year, Instagram prioritized Reels in its algorithm and integrate video content even more in its Explore page. Across the various social channels, we saw short-form videos for TikTok made its way over to Instagram as Reels and YouTube Shorts while longer-form content still plays heavily on YouTube. ​

Will it survive the year?

Absolutely! If you aren't already, produce engaging video content that your target audience would want to consume and adapt them across the different social networks. You can also partner with influencers who are skilled at creating video content specifically for social media platforms that you want to be present in.

Multi-Platform Social Influencers

While we know that many influencers are popular on a specific social media channel, we've seen a rise in content creators that operate across multiple platforms and tend to have large audiences interacting seamlessly across their accounts. This new generation of content creators use multiple social platforms for different purposes and they will select the best content that works on that platform for a specific purpose.

Will they survive the year?

Not only will these new gen content creators survive, we predict they will thrive in 2024. The best way for brands to approach these content creators is to focus on building long-term partnerships rather than one-off campaigns. This can help build trust and credibility with audiences and create more authentic relationships between brands and influencers.

Want to learn more? 

or get in touch with us at ContentPublishing-Germany@hillandknowlton.com for any questions! We’re happy to advise you on the best digital strategy for your brand.