16 Must-Know Marketing Trends for 2024

The future is already here! Yes, you read that right. 

The future is already happening, and all we need to do is take a step back and see what’s going on around us.

It’s been said that everything in life is marketing, and that couldn’t be more true. 

As we move forward, digital marketing will continue to be a significant player in echoing the new trends that are emerging in various aspects of our lives. 

So, if you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve, you’ll want to keep an eye on these trends.

Believe it or not, these marketing trends will shape the marketing landscape in the months and years to come. 

So, let’s take a closer look and see what exciting changes are already on the horizon. If you’re pressed for time, download our free marketing trends infographic to see the highlights!

Are you ready to see what the future holds for marketing? Great, then let’s dive right in!

What Is a Marketing Trend?

When it comes to understanding where the world is headed, trends are the key. 

Trends are like the currents in people’s thinking and behavior that give us a glimpse into the future. 

These changes usually have a profound and lasting impact and are brought about by a variety of factors, including technological advancements, market shifts, or global challenges.

It’s essential to distinguish trends from fashions, as the two are quite different. 

Fashions tend to be short-lived and have a superficial influence, while trends are more impactful and help define an era. 

For example, the emergence of social media was a trend that has transformed the way we communicate and connect with each other, while the use of the selfie stick was more of a passing fad.

So, if you want to stay ahead of the game, it’s crucial to keep an eye on emerging trends and identify which ones are likely to have a lasting impact. 

That way, you can position your business to take advantage of new opportunities and stay ahead of the competition.

16 Digital Marketing Trends

Now that we have a clear understanding of what trends are, it’s much easier to spot them in the world of marketing. 

Keeping up with emerging marketing trends can be incredibly beneficial when it comes to developing new products, devising new marketing strategies, or creating more effective marketing campaigns.

In fact, following creative marketing trends is often the key to unlocking innovative marketing strategies that can help your business stand out from the crowd. 

By staying up-to-date with the latest trends, you can tap into the cultural atmosphere and create marketing content that truly resonates with your target audience.

1. Sustainability

According to a recent study by FirstInsight, 62% of Generation Z, those born in the late 1990s, are prioritizing sustainable brands in their purchasing decisions. 

It’s clear that the consumer ethic has become a way of life for many, and companies are starting to take notice.

In fact, a study by Statista found that 20.76% of companies surveyed have plans to invest in sustainable marketing strategies as part of their roadmap. 

This is a positive sign that many companies are beginning to take sustainability seriously.

However, there is a danger of “greenwashing,” where companies use sustainability as a mere facelift for appearances’ sake. 

To counteract this, the concept of “greenthinking” has emerged. 

This refers to innovative marketing that truly integrates sustainability into a company’s purpose and values.

As Andy Stalman points out in his highly recommended book “Totem,” companies with a genuine commitment to sustainability become leaders and show that it’s better business to do good than to try to make up for past misdeeds.

It’s a fact that many people in society are committed to demonstrating that a balance between economic, environmental, and human sustainability is possible. 

And, importantly, these people are also consumers. 

So, if you want to appeal to a growing segment of the market, incorporating sustainability into your marketing strategy is a smart move.

2. Artificial Intelligence

By now, it’s likely that you’ve heard of AI-generated content, such as Chat GPT, Dall-E, or Midjourney. 

These artificial intelligence tools have revolutionized the way we generate content, from articles and video scripts to SEO optimization and web page images.

According to a study by Statista, marketers have found AI to be most useful in three key areas: accelerating growth, learning from marketing data, and creating customized customer experiences.

In the future, we may even rely on AI to capture social intelligence, provide valuable information about our audience, or use social listening to detect comments about our brand on blogs, forums, and social media.

In a world where cookies are no longer an option, this information will be crucial in getting to know our audience more intimately and building lasting and trusting relationships with them.

It’s clear that AI in eCommerce will continue to play a significant role, and it’s up to us to stay up-to-date with its advancements to leverage its potential and stay ahead of the competition.

3. Branded Entertainment

In today’s fast-paced world of digital branding, it can be challenging to capture your audience’s attention and trust. 

With the abundance of content available on multiple platforms, entertainment has become more massive than ever before, making it increasingly difficult to stand out.

To combat this, marketing trends such as gamification and contests have emerged as a solution. 

According to a study by Samy Alliance, 39% of brands are using contests, and 36% are using gamification or gaming as their primary means of entertainment content.

By integrating the brand into relevant content and providing something of value in return, brands can create more meaningful interactions with their audience. 

This approach not only helps to capture attention but also fosters trust and loyalty, which is crucial in building lasting relationships with customers.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it’s essential to stay up-to-date with these marketing trends and leverage them to create engaging content that resonates with your audience.

4. Experiential Marketing

Branded user experiences are becoming increasingly important in the world of marketing trends. 

This is due to the fact that customers today prefer to be treated as individuals with unique needs and preferences, rather than just another number in a database. 

Salesforce’s customer survey showed that 84% of customers feel this way, which confirms what many marketers already suspected.

To create these personalized experiences, companies are getting creative with their marketing strategies and tend to use customer journey maps to understand them better.

For example, Apple offers customers a guided tour to teach them how to use the iPhone camera. 

This not only helps customers get the most out of their device, but it also creates a shared memory and strengthens the bond between the customer and the brand.

The key to success with branded user experiences is to make them relevant and valuable to your audience. 

By understanding your customer’s needs and preferences, you can create experiences that truly resonate with them and build a deeper connection to your brand.

5. Electronic Commerce

eCommerce has become an essential channel for retailers worldwide, accounting for 19% of commercial transactions in 2021, according to Statista. 

As this channel continues to grow in importance, we can expect to see marketing trends related to eCommerce emerge and evolve rapidly. 

Many of the trends discussed in this article, such as artificial intelligence, sustainability, visual search, and automation, will have a significant impact on the eCommerce industry. 

It’s a dynamic market that is constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated, and businesses that stay ahead of the curve will have a competitive advantage.

6. Metaverse

The Metaverse trend is closely related to the development of virtual and augmented reality technologies. 

This new digital paradigm will go beyond being a marketing trend in social networks and represents the next evolution of the Internet, also known as Web 3. 

Meta’s Reality Labs, the virtual reality division of the company formerly known as Facebook, generated $2.1 billion in revenue in 2021 according to Statista. 

The Metaverse will bring together the digital and physical worlds and is currently under construction, with only a few people having seen it.

7. Virtual Influencers

The field of influencer marketing seems to be undergoing a process of change, although it is still effective.

Web 3 is also expected to bring changes to social networks, as real-time interactions will be different and will resemble the popular video game “The Sims”, as we will be able to have our own three-dimensional (and digital) version.

This will allow brands to create avatars that act as content creators.

If we also incorporate the AI of a chatbot, we would have “characters” that represent our brand and can have spontaneous conversations with the inhabitants of the Metaverse.

It may sound crazy, but it is a possibility.

8. Decentralized Platforms

Web 3 is built on the concept of a decentralized internet, which enables the creation of communities without relying on third-party platforms and their algorithms. 

As a result, communication within these communities will be more natural and free-flowing and will foster the formation of niche groups based on shared interests. 

This will promote more collaborative and co-creative relationships, and enhance the sense of belonging among members. 

This innovative marketing trend has the potential to revolutionize the rules of the game in marketing.

9. Privacy

Concern for data privacy and protection is a growing trend in marketing. 

More and more people are aware of the issue and it cannot be overlooked. 

According to Statista, 75% of internet users in the US proactively search for ways to protect their online privacy. 

This has a direct impact on trust in brands before making a purchase decision. Consumers demand transparency and responsible use of their personal data.

Brands that are committed to data privacy and protection, or offer options for control over personal data, are better valued by their customers and potential customers.

10. Gamification

The video game industry is seeing a significant portion of its profits coming from mobile devices, accounting for 51% of its revenue according to Statistician. 

The industry is projected to reach $315.9 billion by 2024, as reported by Statista. Gamification can be a highly effective way to engage and motivate audiences, fostering loyalty and interaction with brands. 

Games that require users to view ads in order to continue playing have proven successful, as long as they are not too boring. 

Netflix is among the companies exploring the video game market, though it is a costly endeavor that only larger companies can undertake.

11. Visual Search

Image-based searches are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to text and voice searches. 

This marketing trend has a particular impact on eCommerce, as users can use their own photos to search for products in online stores. 

Companies such as Google with Google Lens and Amazon are leading the way in this area. Advanced eCommerce search engines such as Doofinder also allow for this type of search. 

It is especially important for websites to fill in the “alt text” of their images with the appropriate keywords to optimize for this marketing trend.

12. Automated Marketing

Marketing automation has brought significant time savings and increased efficiency, but according to data from Statista, marketing professionals value improved customer experience, data-driven decision-making, and optimization of personal time the most.

This marketing trend continues to have a significant impact on various digital marketing techniques such as email marketing, advertising management, social media, and content creation. 

As we move forward, we can expect AI and big data to further enhance this trend, leading to new possibilities in social intelligence to better understand and segment our audience and improve their engagement with our brand.

13. Google Analytics 4

Migrating to Google Analytics 4 is more than just a marketing trend, it is a pressing topic for businesses.

When Google announced this new version, they also stated that the old version would eventually be phased out, making the switch necessary.

One of the main improvements of Google Analytics 4 is its ability to collect data from websites and provide deeper insights into customer behavior.

Fortunately, transitioning from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 should be relatively seamless and data loss should not be an issue.

As a result, businesses should prioritize upgrading to this new version to take advantage of its benefits and avoid any disruptions in their data collection and analysis.

14. Short Videos

Video content remains a powerful tool in marketing, with short-form videos being a current trend. 

TikTok is a prime example of this trend’s success, with over 57% of its users being over the age of 25. Brands can create new narratives and collaborate with influencers to produce engaging content that connects with their audience’s interests and preferences. 

Short videos provide an opportunity for brands to be creative and memorable, while also conveying their message effectively. 

As this marketing trend continues, we can expect to see new strategies and tactics emerge to optimize the impact of video marketing.

15. Evolution of CRM

The marketing trend toward utilizing first-party data for marketing purposes has led to the emergence of Customer Data Platforms that aid in managing the integration, tagging, and storage of customer data.

CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, continues to be a vital tool for sales and marketing teams to follow up with customers and manage customer interactions.

By having a holistic view of customer interactions and data, businesses can improve their marketing strategies and personalize their messaging to better connect with their audience.

16. Purchases on Social Media

Social media has become a platform for both people and businesses to showcase themselves and their products. 

With the rise of social commerce, users are increasingly making purchases directly through social media platforms.

According to a Statista report, around 58% of online shoppers between the ages of 26 and 41 worldwide have already made purchases through social media.

As a result, businesses need to rethink their social media strategy and create more attention-grabbing posts that feature “shoppable” products. 

This can be a challenge, given the high level of noise and competition on social media.

Marketing Trends for the Future

I know some of the things we’ve covered may seem a bit futuristic or complicated, but trust me, they’re real and they’re happening. 

As eCommerce marketers, it’s important for us to stay on top of these marketing trends and be prepared for what’s to come.

Who knows what the future holds? We may see new social networks, innovative products, and groundbreaking digital marketing techniques that we never even imagined. 

But with the right mindset and knowledge, we’ll be ready to adapt and thrive in this ever-changing industry.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this article has been helpful in keeping you informed and prepared for the future of eCommerce marketing!