If you look at digital marketing 10 years ago, compared to the current day, the change is incredible. Back then, SEO, some Google Ads and email marketing were essentially it. How things have developed! These are still three core processes, but businesses can invest in a huge range of other techniques now to market their products and services.
But what about the future? If the last 10 years are anything to go by, we can expect even more radical change going forward. This is what I want to take a look at below. Using my experience, the current landscape, and trends, I’ve considered the future of digital marketing so you can see how we may have to adapt as businesses in the upcoming months and years.
Voice Search Will Continue to Explode in Popularity
Many households use voice technology and home assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home Hub. Not only that, but an increasing number of smartphone users use voice technology on their devices such as Siri and Alexa. It’s estimated that in the UK, 48%+(1) of consumers have used voice searches to make a purchase.
It’s quick, convenient, and saves time typing… Also, voice recognition continues to improve with the help of AI so the accuracy of voice searches is greatly improved as opposed to when the technology was first introduced.
Because of this, we can expect voice search to grow exponentially. As a result, businesses will have to adapt their digital marketing techniques and consider not only text search results but also voice search and how to optimise their content for it.
AI Will Change the Way Digital Marketing is Created and Used
AI has been a topic of hot debate throughout 2023 and this continues into 2024 and no doubt beyond. The power machine learning and AI has is incredible and I expect it to continue to impact digital marketing.
To start, many companies are enhancing their marketing platforms with AI, particularly for data analytics, trend spotting, and user personalisation. Algorithms with machine learning capabilities can process infinitely more data than humans ever can, and that data can be used to optimise your marketing campaigns.
AI is also being used fruitfully in the world of content marketing. For example, tools like ChatGPT can be used to draft article outlines, research topics in greater detail, and even auto-generate text. Many of these tools are still in their infancy, but over the coming years, I expect them to be perfected and become an integral part of digital marketing. That being said, I would never recommend simply taking content from ChatGPT without editing it, adding your own insights and examples. The issues around ‘vanilla’, dare I say, boring content need resolving as Google has highlighted many times, quality content is critical.
Short-form Video Content Will Continue to Grow
Many people thought that short-form video content was a phase and that it would fade into obscurity, however, that’s not the case. Figures show that short-form video content continues to grow in popularity with the main driving force being TikTok. For example, TikTok has an estimated 23+ million UK users per month – that’s over 1/3 of the UK population (2).
TikTok is certainly aimed at the younger generations, but just think – as those generations grow older, they will continue to use the platforms and content types they grew up with. This means that short-form videos should only become even more prominent.
Other platforms aside from TikTok are investing in this type of content too. For example, YouTube has its YouTube Shorts categories which are increasing in popularity. Long-form video content remains popular too, but the pendulum will certainly swing in the favour of short and sweet content.
This is certainly an area that me and the Key Principles team need to start looking at and implementing. Watch this space as we start to use video content in 2024.
Mobile-Optimisation Will be Fundamental for Success
Did you know that 87% of adults and 96% of 16-24-year-olds own a smartphone in 2023? As a nation, we spend an average of 4 hours 14 minutes per day on our phones. Unbelievable really, and even 69% of over-65s have a smartphone (3). Considering there are an estimated 66 million internet users in the UK, it’s easy to see how important mobile optimisation is for digital marketing. Google’s mobile first campaign clearly considered this many years ago.
Simply put, everyone has a smartphone, and everyone uses it daily for prolonged periods. This won’t change. We won’t suddenly go back to an era where desktop computers and laptops dominate. Smartphone technology continues to improve in terms of speeds, processing power, and internet connectivity.
Therefore, the future of digital marketing will be centred around catering to that mobile market. Website developers will place higher importance on mobile optimisation, while SEO specialists will focus on optimising content and keywords for mobile searches and voice searches.
Influencer Marketing Will Expand
Influencer marketing is already popular and used widely on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This involves working with an influencer who promotes your brand on your behalf. They promote it via their social media channels and usually have a huge audience so your company can gain great exposure.
In return, you might agree to a set fee with the influencer, or a selection of free products, etc. 2023 saw growth in the influencer marketing industry, but it was mainly aimed at a younger audience. For example, many influencers partner with beauty, fitness, and wellness companies.
More businesses are starting to see the potential of influencer marketing though. It requires less effort compared to crafting a marketing campaign from scratch, and the potential exposure can be huge if you partner with the right influencers.
I expect the scope and range of influencer marketing to increase in 2024 and beyond. It will penetrate new industries and will start to be effective to a wider demographic of customers.
Content Marketing Will See a Resurgence
As Google continues to roll out updates and guidelines, we can expect content marketing to see a boost in usage and popularity. Content marketing is still incredibly useful, but other types of digital marketing such as PPC advertising have also flourished which has meant content marketing has taken a backseat.
One of the latest Google updates which emphasised the quality of content and using things such as the EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) principle means that content marketing will grow once again. Things like high-quality, long-form blog content will remain useful in boosting SEO rankings and helping with keyword optimisation.
The key is the quality though. It’s not about spamming keywords or pumping out content that is of little or no value. It’s about crafting content that offers real value to your customers and from that, the other benefits will come. We offer content marketing as one of our key services so please contact us to discuss the options.
Augmented Reality Will Expand Past Being a Gimmick
The future of digital marketing will also include augmented reality (AR). Historically, augmented reality has been a gimmick, and the best-use example has probably been the popular mobile game Pokémon Go! However, I can see a future where augmented reality has tangible digital marketing uses and will play an integral role in immersive marketing.
In some industries, this is already happening. For example, some interior design companies are experimenting with augmented reality furniture and décor. You can use your smartphone to “see” augmented reality products and place them in your home. This gives an unparalleled level of immersion and much more info than simply looking at a photo of a wardrobe on a product page.
The potential applications for augmented and virtual reality are incredible and as the underlying technology develops, these applications will start to be realised. In 2024 and beyond, the future of digital marketing will involve a world where AR is much more than a gimmick.
Video Marketing Will Reign as the Top Dog
Did you know that before 2017, only 60% of businesses in the UK had dabbled with video marketing? Fast-forward to 2024 and it’s estimated that 91% of businesses now utilise some type of video marketing (4). This could be things like video testimonials, product showcase videos, behind-the-scenes vlogs, and product tutorials.
Video marketing has never been as popular and as the technology becomes more accessible, this will only increase in the future. Consumer needs have evolved past simple text and image-based marketing. We now expect a greater level of immersion and interactivity, and this is why video is so prominent.
Not only that, but platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram focus heavily on video and millions of people use them daily in the UK.
This isn’t just pre-recorded and edited video either – live video or streaming will play an important role in the future of digital marketing. These platforms all have live functionality for example where businesses can engage directly with their customers.
The Future of Digital Marketing Has Never Looked as Interesting or Promising
The above are just some of the changes I can see as we progress. As business owners and marketers, if you want your online marketing to remain relevant and provide a positive ROI, it’s important to understand the trends and how the landscape will change.
This allows you to stay ahead of the curve, adapt your marketing strategies, and continue to dominate the competition. If you feel like you are already lagging and your marketing is outdated, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free strategy session where we can assess your current setup and create a plan going forward.
I would say that the fundamentals of marketing and digital marketing will not change. The key will always be about understanding what your customers want and need, and then developing your business and marketing to fulfil those needs at a profit.
I hope you have found this article on the future of digital marketing of value. I very much welcome your thoughts and comments on the above, and your views on the future of digital marketing and marketing in totality.
References
1) https://embryo.com/blog/top-30-voice-search-statistics-for-2023/#:~:text=Research%20from%20Vixen%20Labs%20confirms,52%25%20of%20shoppers%20in%20Germany.
2) https://www.smart-home-fox.co.uk/tiktok-user-statistics
3) https://www.finder.com/uk/banking/mobile-internet-statistics#:~:text=96%25%20of%2016%2D%20to%2024,internet%20at%20home%20in%202023.
4) https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/
