2024 Marketing Predictions: Threads, AI, Social Media SEO, and The Resurgence of Email Marketing

India is a marketing executive at Affinity, working primarily on social media content and strategy. 

Having made it through the first few weeks of 2024, and reflecting on the major changes made to the digital landscape in 2023, it’s time to start looking forward. Here are our predictions for the biggest marketing trends in 2024. 

The Rise Of Threads

With X rapidly declining after major changes to the platform last year, Threads has the opportunity to grow as the go-to public text platform. In fact, Threads has already had a record number of users, surpassing 1 million in just an hour. Compare this to X, which has lost 32.7 million users since 2022, and you can see where the intrigue stems from. 

Threads is consistently making positive changes to its platform, including providing more relevant content on users’ for you page and implementing keyword search and topic tags. Threads recently launched in the EU in December 2023, making its potential user base even larger. 

Use these early days to establish a presence for your business on Threads, and experiment with what works for you. 

The AI Revolution

AI has been on the up for the last year, but we think 2024 will be the year big tech will begin to implement more AI into their platforms – as a matter of fact, this has already begun.

Meta has launched a new AI tool on Facebook, which includes content recommendations, topic filters, and generative AI post prompts. They have also recently implemented a generative text-to-image AI tool for Instagram Stories in the US. Combined with already popular programs such as Canva and Grammarly, you’re looking at a pretty robotic future.

Our advice for AI? Proceed with caution. While it can be beneficial for generating ideas and speeding up workflow, don’t let yourself become swept away by AI’s capabilities. Stay in touch with your brand’s authenticity by keeping that human voice behind your content. No robot will be able to connect with your audience like you do. 

Social Media SEO

With social media content appearing in Google’s organic search results, the potential for social media SEO is so fresh that current tools haven’t even caught up yet. That makes it your job to optimise your social media profiles and posts for SEO. 

Use keywords in your profile bios and post captions to enhance your discoverability when users search for key terms. Keep your branding consistent to reinforce brand recognition and make sure your profiles are linked to your website to provide valuable backlinks to your site. These are all ways you can improve your social media SEO, which will be necessary in 2024 to maintain and grow a social presence.

Resurgence of Email Marketing

Email marketing has always been a consistent format, but in recent years with such huge advancements in technology, it seems to have been slightly forgotten. However, you could be underestimating its abilities. Email is a direct, sure link to your audience. 

But maybe it’s time we use it slightly differently. Rather than focusing on what your audience wants to see, think about what they expect from you and what they want in their inbox. Personalise your approach to provide relevant, customer-centric communication. And remember, the simpler, the better. Don’t overwhelm your audience, keep it direct and authentic.

It’s also important to understand new changes coming into place this year. Gmail and Yahoo are implementing big changes from February 2024 that could affect you and your business. Stay updated and know your way around email marketing to use it effectively this year. 

Look to The Future

All in all, 2024 is bound to be filled with exciting and daunting new marketing changes, just as in previous years. The digital space is ever-changing, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. 

There will be no shortage of trends this year to inspire you to take your marketing efforts to the next level. From AI taking the world by storm, to new and evolving social platforms, we are bound to be implementing new strategies and techniques in 2024. 

Navigating the dynamic landscape of marketing changes can be challenging, and Affinity can help you adapt. Whether you’re looking to get more out of your email strategy or improve your social presence, get in touch with the team for guidance.