As we settle into 2024, we’re starting to see the marketing shifts planted in 2023 bloom. Here are the predicted trends you’ll want to get on board with — before less-savvy marketers catch on.
Long-form content stealing the spotlight
As a collective, consumers are pushing back against mindless microcontent stealing away our attention spans. We don’t want to scroll for hours until we find content that speaks to us — we want control over what we watch and consume, which is why marketers are shifting back to long-form content.
Long-form content, like a 10-minute mixology video or an in-depth apartment tour, gives us the chance to consume content that actually aligns with our interests. This content isn’t just a recycled meme that you chuckle about, quickly scroll past, and forget 5 minutes later. It’s tailored content made with intentionality and care about your audience’s general interests. And in 2024, it’s gonna win out over micro-content every time.
Changes in video marketing
TikTok has become a major player in digital marketing over the last few years. Paying attention to how their algorithm changes and the content it favors is a solid indicator of blooming trends.
In the last two years, this media giant has noticed the pushback against attention span stealing micro-content and introduced the 10-minute video feature and they’re beta testing 30-minute videos. It’s not just consumers getting what they want, either. The TikTok Creativity Program Beta now pays out more to creators with content longer than one minute.
Despite these changes, the TikTok brand still has a reputation built on micro-content, which means a YouTube rebirth is potentially right around the corner.
A blogging renaissance?
With the continued fall of X (aka Twitter), long-form written content is seeing a resurgence. Blogs have never stopped being a thing, but as people grow frustrated with empty SEO pieces, quality, thoughtful blog content will be front-and-center in 2024.
Newsletters & Substack
Newsletters are a prime way to speak directly to your audience. They’re everything a consumer wants: personal, curated, and beautifully human. It’s a powerful way to connect with your audience, especially because it opens the door for direct, one-on-one communication with your audience.
If you’re not already running a newsletter, get on it ASAP!
Not sure where to start? There’s one particular newsletter medium continuously growing in popularity: Substack! Right now it feels like every cool girl on the internet is monetizing their newsletter through substack. Small creators and entrepreneurs should jump on that trend before big brands find a way to ruin it.
Is influencer marketing losing power?
It’s been a long time coming, but the fall of influencers is here. These big, OG influencers (hi, Kim!) are losing a good chunk of power. After so many influencer scandals, consumers have lost trust in them. (Yes, that link goes to a trashy listicle of the biggest influencer mess ups. You’re welcome.)
People want to know what someone like them is loving or hating. They seek genuinity and connection — which isn’t what a celebrity provides. But with resources like the TikTok Shop, anyone can be an “influencer.” Consumers can actually purchase from an individual they see themselves in. This shift gives small creators and entrepreneurs a leg-up, so long as they’re willing to put themselves in front of their audience.
AI smackdown
We’re unabashed AI haters. Not because we’re scared they’re going to “replace” copywriters (spoiler: not happening anytime soon), but because of the way that AI encroaches on our privacy and “borrows” our creative work.
AI is getting good at personalization. Too good. It’s invasive, it’s creepy, it’s gross. We don’t want purchase recommendations based on our shopping history. We don’t want all our consumer habits used to make the robots smarter.
Unfortunately, it will keep happening, but more and more consumers push back against AI every day.
We’re running out of girl dinner
2023 was, undoubtedly, for the girlies. We saw it with the Beyonce Renaissance and Taylor Swift Eras tours. We saw it in every new Lana del Rey track trending on TikTok each week. We saw it in girl math, girl dinner, and the word “coquette” returning to contemporary vocabulary.
But, to all our dismay, this trend is overplayed and has reached its end. The big brands got their hands on it, which means no one’s gonna touch it in 2024.
Hard times = simpler designs
A cool thing about design trends is they strike a balance with the world at large. In 2024, this isn’t any different. Due to economic distress, global conflict, and the anxiety of an impending election, we’ll see simple and to-the-point designs make their return to popular culture.
These minimalistic designs aren’t trying to show the strain in the world, but instead combat it. When the world is super complicated, consumers don’t want to try to parse through a visually-cluttered graphic. Minimalist, utilitarian design will win out in 2024 thanks to its clarity, timelessness, and versatility.
Final Report
Obviously, trends are trendy for a reason. You’re free to take what works for you, and leave the rest. But if you want to stay one step ahead of the curve in 2024, we’ll always be here to help you.
