Marketing is all about making your voice or your brand’s voice heard in a crowded field. As that field becomes ever more crowded, only those with a mastery of the right technology will be able to retain the competitive edge needed to stay ahead.
But what is the right technology? What are the most forward-thinking and successful marketing technology companies actually doing to engage their target audiences?
As marketing and ad spending continue to plummet, read on to read on to find out the trends that will define the future of marketing.
1. AI in Marketing
You probably could have guessed that this one would come out on top. After the year that saw ChatGPT rise to global dominance, it should come as no surprise that AI is tipped to completely transform how we do marketing.
AI-powered language models will be generating content for hyper-specific audiences on a scale not possible until now.
That same technology will continue to automate large swatches of marketing activities, while also serving to provide a richer customer experience with smarter automated chatbots. Across the marketing industry, it will seem like AI is the only game in town in 2024.
2. Integrated Sales and Marketing Platforms
While agencies have been making the case for integrating sales and marketing for a while now, 2024 is the year it will finally come into its own. This is partly due to the proliferation of technologies that make this breaking down of siloes so much easier than before.
As this expert guide to generating software leads explains, improved solutions like Hubspot have now made it so that keeping your sales and marketing together on the same platform is the obvious, easy choice, rather than a long-term project.
3. Micro-Micro Influencing
Influencers are not going anywhere. However, who we target and how we target them is changing. The shift away from celebrity mega-influencers towards small-scale micro-influencers has been underway for some time.
Nowadays, brands of all shapes and sizes are using ultra-smart influencer-finding platforms to link up with many, many niche opinion leaders, rather than a small number of big fish. In 2024, expect to see way more people with low follower counts with #ad in their captions.
4. A New Approach to Data
Data and privacy have been defining topics for the industry and how it uses technology. Consumers are sick of having their data picked over by advertisers for targeting that they never signed up for.
As regulations gather pace and become more stringent, marketing technology companies are having to take new approaches to data. This shift will largely play out through the greater uptake of first-party data.
Rather than third-party data, which collects user info from web cookies, first-party data is taken directly from consenting users. It’s a more honest way to use data, often with more accurate results.
Tech Tools to Help Marketing Technology Companies You Stay Ahead
Marketing technology companies know that 2024 is a do-or-die year. Tough times lie ahead for the industry, and those who can adapt with the right tech will survive and thrive.
For more guidance on the tech tools that will keep you one step ahead, we have got you covered. Make sure to consult our dedicated technology section for actionable insights you can trust.