The internet is a hub of activity; a lot happens online in just one minute. It’s hard to fathom, but in a single minute of 2023, people worldwide sent 241 million emails, made 6.3 million searches on Google, and spent $455,000 on Amazon. These numbers are staggering and highlight the sheer volume of online activity that takes place daily. It’s not just the quantity of online activity that’s impressive; it’s also the number of people who use the internet. As of January 2024, there were 5.35 billion internet users worldwide, translating to approximately 66% of the global population. The average internet user globally spends over 6 hours a day online, making the internet an integral part of our daily lives. Given these numbers, it’s unsurprising that businesses are eager to identify digital marketing strategies that can help build and maintain meaningful customer relationships. The competition for customers’ attention is fierce, and brands need to stand out. If you are looking to promote customer relationships, check out these three digital marketing trends that are here to stay.
1. Customer connection first, channel second.
In 2024, multi-channel marketing will be more critical than ever, with the growing number of digital channels available to marketers. Customers use various channels to research and purchase items, with search engines being the most prominent (54% of adult* consumers use). However, brand websites (43% of consumers use), social media (26% of consumers), and word of mouth (28% of consumers) also play a significant role in influencing a consumer’s purchasing journey. With this in mind, brands must strive to create a cohesive marketing strategy that spans digital and traditional, owned, and non-owned channels. Remember, every channel is an opportunity to connect with customers, and every connection made is a step closer to achieving marketing success. Our recommendation for brands is that every channel does not need to drive a purchase – every channel needs to deliver a connection.
*Between the ages of 14-64 years age
2. Meeting the customer where they are to get them to where you want them to be.
To establish strong connections with your customers, meeting them where they are in their journey with your brand is crucial. Personalization has been a growing trend in digital marketing for several years, and our experts at Kognitiv believe it will become even more critical in 2024. One of the reasons for this is that, as of January 2022, almost half of US consumers (49%) reported that they would likely stop using a brand if their customer experience wasn’t personalized. In our experience with some of the world’s leading brands, consumer preference for personalization is only growing. To retain customers, marketers must focus on creating tailored digital experiences that cater to the unique needs of their target audience. While we know most organizations have targeted purchase frequencies and associated revenue targets (e.g., get my customers to purchase once every two months), these generic rules make it challenging to deliver relevancy to the individual shopper. At Kognitiv, we recommend evaluating each customer’s unique buying cycle and personalizing the journey from there. By better understanding where customers are in their brand connection, you can create personalized experiences that will deepen their connection and be meaningful for both the consumer and your business.
3. Predictive data opens the door for AI & ML optimization.
AI and ML are transforming digital marketing through predictive analytics and automated processes. However, not all organizations are ready to dive into AI yet. A study conducted in March 2023 revealed that only 15% of marketing professionals worldwide had plans to use AI for automation. We believe it’s perfectly okay to start small by testing the waters. If you want to build stronger relationships with your customers across all channels, technology will play a vital role in ensuring relevance. The same study also found that 33% of marketing decision-makers planned to enhance their predictive data and analytics capabilities in 2024. Additionally, 41% of them planned to improve their real-time marketing capabilities. Predictive data has the power to unite our first 2-trends. More brands will lean on technology to better understand where the customer is in their purchasing journey, how they got there, and forecast where they are expected to go next. They will then identify the connections that will progress the relationship further.
Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash.
