Marketing - especially performance and content marketing - is part of our work as an agency for our clients. So it's only natural that we give you an insight into what trends we can expect this year and what marketers will be up to. Let's open the "magazine" and see what there is to read.

The trends in 2024

Trend No. 1: Let’s speak Values 

Values, values as far as the eye can see. 

There are various studies, surveys and polls on this topic and one thing can be said in summary: consumers are making ever louder demands of brands and companies. Around 80% of respondents worldwide state that they will increasingly buy from companies whose strategy, communication and actions are in line with their own values and general understanding of values. 

For companies, this means that if you do good, you should definitely talk about it and tell people what you stand for. Ideally, your actions should also show that you mean it.

Trend No. 2: Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence is becoming an everyday companion and this is the case in many industries. But it is also clearly on the agenda in marketing: Chat GPT and co. have shown us the advantages and disadvantages in 2023. 

And of course, AI will continue to accompany us, how could it be otherwise? There are more and more tools and new features and functions, not only for text creation but also for images, photos and videos - or even animations - that are designed to make marketing work easier and not only offer new possibilities, but can also ensure real progress in everyday business life for even a small budget. 

Tools such as Google Gemini, Adobe Firefly, Neuroflash and others are on the agenda of many companies and can clearly be found in the "toolbox" of tools. 

We also test what we can here - we regularly share our experiences on LinkedIn.

Trend No. 3: Storytelling

Not new, but still impressive and groundbreaking: stories that captivate us. Who doesn't love good stories that give us goosebumps, move us to tears or make us laugh so hard that our stomachs start to hurt? 
⁠And storytelling is becoming increasingly important in marketing. Gone are the days when the "pure" promotion of product features, services or the sole differentiation from the competition was enough to retain customers or win new ones. 
⁠What has already happened in some places in recent years will now become more and more widespread and increasingly decisive for companies: We sell through stories. 
⁠It is no longer enough to simply create content - stories must be created through content. Stories that convey emotions and make us build an inner connection with what we see. In order to ensure that your own products are perceived differently in a corresponding context, the respective story. 

⁠"Make your customer the hero of their own story" - with your products, your service or whatever you want to sell. This is the credo for content marketing and co.

Trend No. 4: User Generated Content

Content that is created by users and customers is nothing completely new in marketing and for some companies it has been part of their own approach and strategy for some time. 
⁠But for the next generation in particular, this form of content is something in which more trust is placed than the "classic" online advertising that everyone does. User-generated content is more than twice as likely to generate trust - that's a figure to be proud of. 
⁠What does this mean for marketing? Do you have some loyal existing customers who have been with you for a long time and love your products or services? Well then, get in touch and be surprised at how willing some of them are to work with you. 

Pssst! There are certainly some micro-influencers in your industry who are also interested in working with you. Almost the same applies here as far as the trust factor is concerned.

Trend No. 5: Social Media as Search Engine 

"I'll google this" - who hasn't said that before? Of course, because most of us have grown up with the Google search engine and we're almost used to the fact that any question can be answered super quickly. Just a few clicks away, just a bit of typing on the smartphone. 
⁠But will we search differently in the future? The answer is yes, because platforms such as TikTok have already given Google competition, especially for search queries. 
⁠GenZ in particular is already using Instagram, TikTok and co. much more to answer the respective questions. Want to learn something new? Great, there's sure to be a tutorial on TikTok. 

Looking for a gift? Sure, you'll find the right inspiration on TikTok and you can also shop there directly. 

We are only at the beginning here, but social networks should not be underestimated as a search engine. And the "power" of GenZ should not be neglected either. Still in doubt? Then take a look at the "Generation Question Everything" study.

What does this mean for marketing? Think about a social SEO strategy.

Trend No. 6: Viiiiideeeeeeoooooooos

Of course, this point is also included in the marketing trends and was already a topic in our articles on the trends for 2024. 

Shorter, faster, more, live and authentic - this is the summary of what brands should focus on. 

Shorter videos - TikTok, reels or YouTube shorts are meant. 

Faster? Authentic? Not all content has to be perfect. Be real and show the side behind the camera, because that's what the community wants to see. 

More? About 50% of your content should be videos. That's an announcement, but it's the trend. 

Live? Yes, this format has been around for a while, but companies need someone who is prepared to be live in front of the camera on the relevant platforms.

Our sources of inspiration 

But of course we've looked around the big wide world of the internet, asked around and researched for all we're worth. That's why we don't want to withhold the articles from you and have put together an overview of what we've collected here: 

• The 10 most important marketing trends from the marketing company Kantar

• Digital marketing trends for 2024 - an article by FAZ

• Asana has also published a great article: The most important marketing trends for 2024

• A good overview from the media company Pressrelations: Sustainability, hyper-personalization and AI - these are the marketing trends for 2024

Have a read if you want to find out more about the various trends.

Summary 

Of course, there are even more trends than the 6 we have presented to you. Keep an eye on the topic of "interactive content", don't forget augmented and virtual reality, personalization could also bring about some changes, sustainability should be on everyone's radar one way or another and there will also be a lot happening in influencer marketing. 
⁠Nevertheless, we have picked out the trends that best suit us as an agency and some of which we are already working on implementing. 
⁠We are looking forward to the new year and are excited to see what unexpected things will sneak around the corner. 

You can find more reading material in our blog - how could it be otherwise? We can only say: Happy 2024.