Our Blog 2024 Marketing Trends Posted on 03.25.2024 Website Marketing Keeping up with 2024 marketing trends can be exhausting, as the pace of business and marketing — especially digital marketing — continues to accelerate. The key to success is navigating the changes through ongoing awareness and consulting with experts when needed. We’ve gathered insights from our digital strategists on the 2024 marketing trends you need to know about. Jump to Section Metrics on the Move Metrics on the Move AI in Marketing Social Media Platforms & Influencer Marketing Metrics on the Move While the transition to GA4 is complete, that doesn’t mean website metrics have stayed the same. Google has continued to tweak and refine its analytics platform, which keeps it interesting for SMEs, corporate marketing teams, and our own digital marketing experts. They continue to discontinue some metrics marketers have liked. So, in 2024, website metrics are less granular and more global than previous analytics results. In some ways, GA4 results are more relevant and relatable, like engagement rate, which is the new metric taking the place of the obsolete bounce rate. This data reflects visitors’ engagement with the content, providing a better view of which features on a web page are effective. If engagement is low, we can evaluate what is on the web page to make it more engaging — usually, with more visual elements to support text and provide an SEO bump. As for improving website engagement, some things remain the same, such as adding and optimizing content whenever possible. However, the shifts in analytics also affect everyone’s view of Google advertising results. Contact Metro Studios if GA4 confuses or confounds your marketing team! AI in Marketing Artificial intelligence took global business by storm over the past year, and marketers continue to figure out the best ways to put it to work for them. Keep in mind that AI is not a substitute for a person! The challenge with using AI in marketing is that it requires thoughtful applications and effective prompts to produce useful results. Here at Metro Studios, we see AI becoming useful for select repetitive marketing tasks, including market research, presentation outlines, and dreaded social media tasks. Putting AI to use in small ways may save enough time to allow a team to focus on enhancing the quality of other marketing elements. Remember that generative AI is still in its infancy, and the tools are not 100 percent accurate. Due to the possibility of AI hallucinations—the completely inaccurate or fabricated content tools have created—AI tools should be used with caution and for noncritical tasks. Some tools are more useful than others, making it a time of trial and error. In this early stage, we are also watching how AI is being used behind the scenes on digital marketing platforms. For example, Facebook Advertising is moving toward AI automations within Ads Manager. This surrenders more control to the platform than marketers prefer. Social Media Platforms & Influencer Marketing Influencer marketing continues to grow in popularity on TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms. However, the influencer marketing trend is not suitable for every type of business. Influencer marketing requires careful consideration of how the individual influencer can and will authentically support a brand. A downtrend for 2024 is Threads, Facebook’s alternative to X (formerly known as Twitter). This relative newcomer to social media has not taken off with users or advertisers in comparison with X, which has we feel has cornered the market on the short form social media format. More about TikTok It is difficult to be an expert in digital marketing—especially the back end—unless you soak in it every day. Business owners and marketing teams may find it helpful to consult with professional digital marketers who are in lockstep with the constant changes to the marketing tools and platforms.