Those of us in marketing understand that two things move quickly: technology advancements and changes in customer expectations. These two aspects inform what we believe will be 2024’s hottest trends in marketing technology—things sure to be topics of discussion in the coming months. For actual implementation, it’s important, of course, to consider how these trends can support your specific marketing goals and deliver ROI.
-
Hyper-personalization
Personalized marketing used to mean that the recipient’s name appeared in the email salutation. Today it’s much more, factoring in the individual’s job role and industry, pain points and buying hesitations, and position in the sales funnel. This is because marketers are learning to harness volumes of customer/prospect data to highly customize communications. Look for websites with separate navigational paths depending on the visitor, segmented messages and outreach methods, and predictive analytics to pinpoint prospects and reach them at the right place and time with the right offer.
-
AI-assisted content creation
“Assisted” is the key word since AI on its own is not yet fully capable of producing original copy that offers new ideas and insights, and without the human touch is likely to come off as generic and automated. However, AI tools are currently useful for helping to brainstorm ideas, outline thoughts, and create first drafts faster. In fact, there’s a growing demand for copyeditors with skills to polish generative AI content into custom, engaging materials.
-
Conversational marketing
More than ever, customers and prospects expect personalized and immediate interactions. While they won’t yet replace the abilities of a human customer service agent to hear and understand needs, chatbots and virtual assistants are becoming increasingly sophisticated through AI/NLP to engage in more human-like dialog and answer questions more accurately. This is making it easier for customers to get assistance through automated channels faster and with far less frustration.
-
Voice-enabled search
It’s now possible to search the Internet or a website using only your voice. Already, about 1 billion voice searches occur monthly, meaning that marketers may soon need to start thinking about voice-search rankings. This can be complex since devices that allow voice search tend to take only the top or top-few results. We view this as a longer-term trend toward technology moving away from solely text-based entries.
-
Short-form video
As buyers’ attention spans get smaller and video continues taking center stage on social platforms, expect more of it as a way to cut through the marketing noise. In fact, last year 96 percent of marketers identified video as a valued part of their marketing strategy—the most ever. The good news is that video is becoming less expensive to produce (especially in its popular short form), with basic projects that can fit into almost any budget.
-
Virtual/augmented reality
As these technologies (backend platforms and player devices) continue to evolve, and high-speed broadband becomes more prevalent, marketers are looking to create immersive experiences using VR/AR—whether through virtual demos and tours or interactive games created to reinforce brands. Like video, VR/AR offers a novel way to stand out.
Marketing technologies are always evolving, and these are just a handful of the trends currently catching our attention. Suffice it to say that technology for technology’s sake is never the way, so invest in what makes the most sense for your needs. Further, any new technology works best when integrated with a well-rounded program of tried-and-true marketing practices.
Now is the time to put together your 2024 marketing strategy if you haven’t done so already. Talk to us today for expert advice and resources to move you closer to your goals.