Digital marketing trends in 2024: What you need to know

1. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital marketing

Intelligent chatbots are becoming more sophisticated, capable of handling natural conversations with users. AI also helps analyze customer data to anticipate their needs and offer personalized recommendations.

2. The growing importance of short videos

Short videos are as popular as ever. In 2024, these short video formats continue to dominate, as they quickly capture consumers' attention and are easier to consume.

Brands therefore need to adapt their strategies to create engaging content in just a few seconds. This doesn't mean that long videos are disappearing, but they are becoming less effective for advertising and quick marketing.

As a freelance developer, I've found that one of the best ways to present my website projects is to create short videos that show the scrolling of pages, while highlighting the effects of apparitions and transitions. This really captures the visual impact and subtle animations that make a site dynamic. It's fast, engaging, and immediately gives a professional impression, without the customer having to navigate the site manually.

3. User-generated content (UGC) as a lever of trust

User-generated content (UGC) is becoming increasingly important in 2024. Whether through reviews, testimonials or videos created by consumers, this type of content plays a key role in building trust.

Consumers often turn to the experiences of other users before making a purchasing decision. Brands therefore need to actively encourage their customers to share their opinions or content, whether in the form of videos, photos, or comments on social networks.

4. Voice search continues to gain ground

With the rise of voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, voice search is becoming increasingly integrated into consumers' everyday lives. In 2024, it's essential that companies optimize their content for voice search, as it's changing the way users ask questions.

Voice queries are often longer and more conversational than typed queries. So it's crucial to think about how users formulate their questions as they speak.

I recently worked on a chartered accountant's website where I integrated an FAQ section with natural language phrases. The idea was to allow users to ask questions as they would orally, which is essential for optimizing the site for voice search. For example, instead of a simple phrase like “tax return”, I used “How do I file my tax return online?”, which is more in line with the way people talk with voice assistants.

5. The rise of micro-influencers

In 2024, micro-influencers (influencers with between 1,000 and 100,000 subscribers) are gaining in popularity. Unlike larger influencers, they often offer a higher rate of engagement and a more authentic relationship with their audience.

Brands are beginning to understand that collaborating with several micro-influencers can sometimes have a more significant impact than partnering with a celebrity or big influencer.

6. Marketing automation, increasingly accessible

Marketing automation is becoming increasingly accessible for businesses of all sizes in 2024. Even small businesses can automate repetitive tasks such as e-mailing, audience segmentation and lead management.

This allows marketing teams to save time and focus on creating more creative and impactful strategies.

Thanks to Next.js, it's perfectly possible to integrate marketing automation solutions such as the Hubspot API or Mailchimp. These integrations enable you to capture information via dynamic forms on your site, then automate personalized e-mail follow-ups based on user behavior. This greatly simplifies lead management and enables you to create more targeted, effective campaigns.