As The Business Manual puts the spotlight on tech and artificial intelligence this month, we take a closer look at Digital Marketing Trends according to some of the top marketing research companies.

As change accelerates in the digital landscape, marketing will also undergo significant transformation in 2024. According to research company Gartner, a number of digital marketing trends are apparent in the areas of social, generative AI, and trust in media. For marketers, it may be difficult to escape the shadow of AI and the many ways it will affect our lives in 2024 and beyond. What do they need to know about digital marketing trends in 2024?

5 Digital Marketing Trends for 2024

1. Creatives Will Use AI More

While 2023 was the year AI blew up, the trend is unlikely to change in 2024; however, the use of AI will become more focused.

In its Creative Trends 2024 report, Dentsu, one of the world’s largest marketing and advertising agency networks, notes that “2023 was the year when governments around the world began in earnest to think about how to balance safety and innovation in AI; expect 2024 to see much soul searching in this space.”

According to Gartner, in 2024, a staggering 80% of creatives will be using generative AI on a daily basis. This will increase their productivity and allow them to focus on more strategic work. This is also expected to lead to increased spending on creative services.

2. Social Media Slump

With all the changes in the tech landscape, the biggest loser may turn out to be social media. Gartner notes that as consumers’ concerns regarding misinformation grow, they are expected to decrease the amount of time they spend on major social platforms. As much as 50% of consumers are expected to limit their social media use.

3. Drop in Organic Traffic

As audiences choose to interact more and more with AI, Gartner expects them to increasingly be driven to brands’ sites directly from AI-generated results. This marks a significant change in audience behavior. Organic traffic (traffic from search engines such as Google) has long been the primary driver of traffic for the vast majority of sites. In 2024, it is predicted to drop by 50% or more.

4. The Search for Authenticity

Content created using generative AI will also have a far-reaching impact on other market behaviors. While most will embrace AI, a portion of audiences will search for more authentic, AI-free “acoustic” content.

As a result, user-generated content will experience a boost in 2024 as audiences search for greater authenticity. Gartner expects 20% of brands to lean into this trend by pursuing strategies that eschew generative AI and focus on authenticity.

5. Brands Will Collab with Nano Influencers More

Connected to the trend of audiences’ search for authenticity, brands are expected to further pursue strategies such as micro or nano influencer marketing. Such collaborations can be beneficial to brands because of nano influencers’ low rates, high engagement and high perceived levels of authenticity.

While definitions vary, nano influencers have 1,000 to 10,000 followers. Micro influencers meanwhile have 10,000 to 50,000 followers.

Beyond collaborations with smaller, more focused influencers, shorter video content will also rule in 2024.

Finally, on what platforms will these collabs happen? According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, TikTok will rule in 2024. The short-form video content site is utilized by 69% of brands that employ influencer marketing. This number is far ahead of Instagram (47%), YouTube (33%) and Facebook (28%).