Digital marketing was once a relatively small field composed of forward-thinking businesses, but it’s now a critical aspect of any successful marketing campaign. Marketers need to do more and more to stand out from the competition and achieve their goals.
Trends in digital marketing are changing more quickly than ever, so it’s crucial for marketers to stay updated with the latest developments. These are some of the most important trends for digital marketers to be aware of throughout 2024.
Omnichannel Marketing
Transitioning from single-channel to a multichannel marketing strategy is a big step for any business, but the difference between a multichannel and omnichannel approach is just as relevant. While multichannel marketing simply uses each platform to relay the same core message, omnichannel marketers view every channel as a way to move the customer journey forward.
Most consumers need to engage with a brand at least a few times before making a purchase, and omnichannel marketing allows you to adjust your messaging based on information about each customer’s previous behavior. If someone visits your web store and looks at a specific type of product, for example, you might use that data to identify future cross-selling opportunities.
You can also leverage omnichannel marketing to let users choose their preferred platforms. Rather than sending a standard notification email for every shipment, allow them to select how they want you to contact them. Omnichannel is all about streamlining the customer experience.
If you’re still using a single channel to engage with your online audience, you should add new platforms as soon as possible. Businesses that market on three or more channels achieve a 250 percent higher purchase rate compared to those that use only a single channel. They also retain nearly twice as many customers.
Once you’re comfortable with a multichannel approach, you can start experimenting with omnichannel tactics to further increase sales. Rather than starting with messaging and sending it to every channel, begin by analyzing the customer experience. From there, you’ll be able to identify pain points and develop content that responds to those needs.
Personalization
Customers expect a personal experience from their favorite brands, and personalization is one of the most effective ways to increase audience engagement and reduce unsubscribes. A thoroughly personalized email campaign delivers relevant content to the right users at the right time based on customer data and personalization engines.
Personalization and omnichannel marketing go together perfectly—with a multichannel presence along with customer information on every platform, you’ll have the tools you need to provide more engaging content.
Gathering customer data enables you to target your subscribers more effectively and take full advantage of audience segmentation. You can use your marketing service provider to develop automation workflows that send ads to a given set of users based on specific triggers. These two workflows are the perfect way to get started with marketing automation.
Welcome Sequences
You only have one chance to make a first impression, and it’s important to start every customer relationship with a positive interaction. A welcome sequence gives each new subscriber an idea of what your brand is all about and keep them interested in future content. You can also offer new subscribers an exclusive discount to increase your sign-up rate and achieve conversions earlier in the customer journey.
Cart Abandonment
Online shoppers abandon carts at a surprisingly high rate, and you can convert some of these users with a cart abandonment workflow. A typical cart abandonment sequence includes two messages that attempt to bring the customer back to your store.
The first notification should come within an hour or two of the initial touch point, while the product is still fresh in their mind. You can also take this opportunity to cross-sell products similar to the one they were looking at.
Wait until the next day to send a follow-up message along with an offer on the product such as free shipping or small discount. Remember to use abandoned cart information to personalize future promotions.
Video Content
Getting the audience’s attention is one of the top challenges for digital marketers, and you often only have a few seconds to make a good impression. Video content gets right to the point, and it leads to longer visit times than text. You can do almost anything with video, so try out different strategies and compare the results. These are three of the most effective marketing videos:
- Testimonials: Building trust in your brand is critical for both immediate sales and long-term engagement. An informative testimonial demonstrates the benefits of your product, especially if you work clients your audience would recognize as an authority in the field.
- Demonstrations: It’s important to help your audience grow more familiar with your products, and demonstrations are a great way to illustrate a product’s benefits and show how it works. They’re especially effective for increasing conversions for a product launch.
- Q&As: Customer feedback is an incredibly useful tool for omnichannel marketing, and it can also be leveraged to develop Q&A videos that respond to common concerns. Hosting regular Q&A sessions also shows your audience that you care about their experience.
Chatbots
Advances in artificial intelligence have made chatbots more effective than ever, and they’re now capable of handling a variety of customer service situations. You can implement chatbots in your app or website or even on social media platforms like Facebook Messenger.
Chatbots require very little overhead and are accessible 24/7, so it’s no surprise that brands like Uber, Whole Foods, and Sephora already use them to facilitate customer interactions. Chatbots can significantly reduce the time you spend managing simple and repetitive tasks and allow your team to focus on more important areas.
Every digital marketing campaign is different, but marketers in nearly every industry are being influenced by these developments in 2024. Implementing these ideas will help you update your brand’s marketing practices and offer a better customer experience. Don’t forget to split-test and consistently review your results in order to identify trends and continue refining your approach.
