Online advertising is constantly evolving. 

Trends pop up and become “best practices” seemingly overnight and can fall out of favor just as quickly. Companies must keep their fingers on the pulse of the latest social and technological advancements and changes to stay competitive. 

When you know the trends and changes, you can adapt your online advertising strategy to ensure you get the most out of your advertising dollars. Also, as more and more businesses fight over the same online advertising space, it’s vital to find any advantage you can to stay ahead of the competition. 

In this article, we’ll review the top online advertising trends for 2024. Some will apply to your online marketing strategy, and others might be too large or niche for your current needs. Still, it’s good to be aware of the big picture so you can anticipate future developments. 

Short-Form Video Content

There’s no denying the impact of Instagram Stories and TikTok on digital marketing and online advertising in 2022. Audiences love short-form video content, and data shows this trend will only continue to grow in 2024. Even YouTube has jumped into the short-form video trend, seeing a doubling of views of short-form video content in the last few months. This is excellent news for businesses, as short-form video content doesn’t require the high-quality production of a feature advertisement. In fact, you can get away with even less than you might think. For example, 85% of short videos viewed on Facebook are watched without sound! Thanks to modern cell phones and digital cameras, everyone has access to quality recording tools. Companies simply need a bit of creativity and authenticity to stand out from the crowd. 

Chatbots

2022 saw ChatGPT explode into the public consciousness. This landmark shift in public perception opened many’s eyes to the power and potential of “chatbots.” While ChatGPT is known by most, there are many other AI learning chatbots out there that users will turn to in 2024. Some will even be customized and explicitly packaged to serve online advertising needs. Digital marketers will harness the power of these artificial intelligence programs to write individualized responses to inquiries, create tailored content for email and social media, and improve their daily workflows. 

Micro and Nano Influencer Marketing

Love it or hate it, influencer marketing has entrenched itself in online advertising over the last few years. The influencer marketing industry has grown to over $21.1 billion in 2023 from $16.4 billion in 2022. Thankfully for smaller businesses, there is a recent shift into what types of influencers are resonating most with audiences. Many audiences are finding larger influencers increasingly unrelatable and are switching instead to smaller micro-influencers. Brands can save money and use a few nano influencers with a smaller reach to have a bigger impact in 2024. 

Voice Search Optimization

Voice search more than doubled from 2018 to 2022. And this looks to continue to grow in 2024. More people are favoring voice assistants like Siri or Alexa over text-based searches. 71% of consumers say they prefer searching via voice to typing out an inquiry. In 2024, leading companies will look to build content specifically for voice search because of the opportunity for more traffic and brand authority. 

A Shift in Which Social Media is Used

Social media isn’t going anywhere. But what social media platforms digital marketers turn to will change in 2024. Any brand looking to capture the younger generation will obviously leverage TikTok. It’s cheaper than Facebook and Instagram and converts as much as two times higher. Digital marketers working in the B2B space will look to LinkedIn in 2024. But newer platforms like Discord, Clubhouse, and even the Metaverse could present exciting opportunities for online advertising in 2024. 

Authenticity

Previously, consumers only had a couple of choices for what to purchase. But with more options available than ever before, consumers are looking for brands that they find genuine and relatable. Leading companies in 2024 will tap into this trend by telling authentic stories about their brand and working with influencers to help build authentic connections with their customers. 

Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Every business in 2024 can benefit from sharing how they are committed to social or environmental causes. Sustainability has been a buzzword for years and only gets more critical yearly. Researchers at IBM found that 50% of customers feel more strongly about sustainability in 2022 compared to 2021. However, we’ve also gone over how important authenticity is to customers. So, it’s vital that brands make a true commitment to social or environmental causes and aren’t just trying to jump on the bandwagon. 

Privacy & Security Concerns

Due to the large number of security breaches during Covid, more people have become increasingly concerned with how their data is collected and used. This has caused shifts in some countries and regions regarding how and what kind of data companies can collect. As more countries take steps to limit data collection, digital marketers will have to get creative to find ways to leverage data and respect their customer’s privacy. According to the experts at Adobe, this could be one of the most complicated issues in digital marketing for the next five years. 

Wrapping Up

These are a few of the online advertising trends in 2024 that digital marketers will use to reach their target audiences. 

Again, some of these might not apply specifically to your digital marketing needs, but it’s always good to be aware of the significant trends shaping the industry. Also, it’s worth noting that 2024 is still in progress, and a new disruptive technology could likely explode onto the scene before the year’s end. 

Online advertising and digital marketing evolve and change at a rapid pace. Staying on top of the latest trends can be a full-time job in itself. But some of the classics aren’t going anywhere either. Banner ads and ad networks will still dominate online advertising in 2024. 

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