5 Marketing Trends That Might Not Survive in 2024 [HubSpot Research + Expert Insights]

Few advertising and marketing tendencies final ceaselessly. In actuality, they arrive and go at speedy pace — and entrepreneurs should adapt.

As a result of advertising and marketing is all the time evolving, your advertising and marketing playbook ought to, too. But when your technique seems the identical as years prior, it is time to do some housekeeping.

Right here, we’ll cowl 5 advertising and marketing tendencies which are shedding steam and the way entrepreneurs can reply.

1. Account-based advertising and marketing.

In 2023, solely 13% of entrepreneurs leveraged account-based advertising and marketing (ABM), in line with HubSpot’s annual State of Marketing report.

To Dustin Brackett, CEO and Founding father of HIVE Strategy, this is sensible. As he informed me, “Whereas I strongly imagine in ABM and the ability it has for organizations making an attempt to promote right into a focused listing of different organizations, I can see why it’s going to by no means be on the high of the advertising and marketing tendencies lists. ABM is absolutely solely invaluable for organizations which have high-value prospects. There is not a ton of ROI available by investing in ABM for a B2C group, or any group that has a decrease buyer lifetime worth as a result of ABM is a big funding in time, sources, and {dollars}.

Matt Freestone, Managing Director at Unmatched, sees lots of his purchasers investing in ABM. Nonetheless, he believes the resistance to ABM comes from gross sales and advertising and marketing alignment points.

As he places it, “We have discovered that the rationale ABM tends to not be utilized by entrepreneurs is that many companies nonetheless have gross sales and advertising and marketing alignment points. I feel ABM will see a resurgence in 2024, so long as Gross sales and Advertising groups can come collectively, construct efficient campaigns, and share widespread objectives.”

Lastly, Katherine Forbes, Senior VP of Advertising at Creative Circle, believes ABM isn‘t topping the ’advertising and marketing tendencies of 2024‘ listing as a result of it’s change into established order for many gross sales reps. As she places it, “The ABM method has change into so mainstream for B2B companies that it might probably not be thought-about a differentiating tactic or a pattern. The truth is, it possible is the muse of a typical vendor’s gross sales methodology, moderately than an method employed solely by advertising and marketing groups.”

She provides, “ABM continues to be a productive tactic, however advertising and marketing groups (corresponding to ours) could also be higher off specializing in delivering a white-glove and customized expertise by means of their e-commerce and self-service choices. In keeping with a Gartner, Inc. survey of 771 B2B consumers, 75% of B2B buyers now prefer a rep-free experience, however those that buy by means of digital channels alone usually tend to remorse their buy.”

2. The metaverse.

Advertising is all about experimentation, and the metaverse grew to become a brand new playground for entrepreneurs to discover. Nonetheless, this preliminary pleasure appears to be petering out.

In 2024, 14% of entrepreneurs plan to cease advertising and marketing within the metaverse (e.g. Horizon Worlds and Roblox). As well as, 13% plan to cease leveraging VR and AR.

Though the metaverse is intriguing, it is proving troublesome to execute. The gear is pricey, the {hardware} is uncomfortable, and adoption is sluggish.

Adrian Alexandrescu, CEO of Mediapost Martech, says, “I wasn‘t an enormous believer in the entire Metaverse idea, because it appeared an excessive amount of like one thing impressed by motion pictures corresponding to ’Ready Player One.‘ Quick ahead to right this moment: most of our purchasers haven’t invested a dime in Metaverse Advertising, Roblox, or comparable platforms and have completely no plans for the close to future to take action.”

That mentioned, the metaverse continues to be in its infancy. Because it continues to evolve, issues might flip round.

3. Podcasts and different audio content material.

This one shocked me. As a shopper, I take heed to podcasts every day. And I am not alone – round one in four internet users listen to podcasts, and in 2024, there are over 500 million podcast listeners.

So why would not podcasts be interesting to entrepreneurs?

As Blend’s Advertising Supervisor Dan Stillgoe informed me, “Companies are sometimes fast to shutdown podcasts as a result of they do not see direct ROI from them. It is true which you could’t instantly attribute leads or income from a podcast, however that is not its goal. Podcasts are a long-term brand-building channel that may enhance affinity and connection to your model like no different channel. Whenever you notice the long-term and surrounding advantages, podcasting turns into a transparent and apparent funding.”

He provides, “Podcasting is the right strategy to craft content material that is partaking and genuine — one thing consumers are starting to crave on this AI period.”

Moreover, I am assuming some entrepreneurs really feel the barrier-to-entry is somewhat excessive. Making a full, high-quality podcast episode requires time and sources. It takes extra effort than, say, posting an Instagram Reel, and it‘s more durable to trace ROI. However whereas it’s not straightforward, it is value contemplating if most of your shoppers are podcast-listeners.

4. Audio chat rooms.

For those who’ve been maintaining with tech information and tech publishers like TechAcute, you in all probability have come throughout an audio chat room in some unspecified time in the future. Audio chat rooms — like Clubhouse and Twitter Areas — surged in recognition throughout the begin of the pandemic, when many individuals had been in search of alternatives to attach with others.

Quick ahead to right this moment, and greater than 1 / 4 (14%) of entrepreneurs are planning to cease investing in audio chat rooms in 2024.

Moreover, solely 13% of entrepreneurs invested in audio chat rooms in 2023.

From a advertising and marketing perspective, the largest downside with audio chat rooms is that customers want to talk with folks — not manufacturers.

Stephen Lackey, VP of Advertising at SmartBug Media, says, “The transient nature of audio content material in these rooms makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to create lasting impressions. Not like visible or written content material, which may be revisited and shared simply with direct attribution, spoken phrases dissipate into the digital ether, making it more durable for manufacturers to take care of a sustained presence in customers’ minds.”

He continues, “Furthermore, the dearth of visible parts restricts entrepreneurs from leveraging the ability of visuals and multimedia content material, a cornerstone in digital advertising and marketing within the upcoming 12 months. With out the flexibility to showcase services or products, entrepreneurs battle to have interaction their viewers successfully, probably shedding invaluable alternatives to transform curiosity into motion (particularly contemplating the numerous time funding required for these platforms).”

Relatively than leaning into audio chat rooms, Lackey suggests entrepreneurs give attention to platforms that permit for a extra managed, visually partaking, and scalable method.

5. Person-generated content material.

In 2024, 13% of entrepreneurs plan to lower their funding in user-generated content material (UGC).

There might be a number of causes for this, together with:

• High quality issues: It may be troublesome to take care of a constant model picture whenever you‘re counting on content material created by customers, and that content material won’t all the time be as high-quality as you’d like.
• Restricted management: Entrepreneurs have restricted management over messaging once they’re reposting user-generated content material. Moreover, it may be a lot more durable to watch feedback and engagement on these posts.
• Issue in monitoring ROI: It’s troublesome for entrepreneurs to trace ROI on user-generated content material.

Throughout this tumultuous time the place shopper preferences and behaviors are altering quickly because of AI and shifting algorithms, entrepreneurs may want to maintain full management over the content material they produce – significantly because it’s simpler to trace affect on their very own content material.

Nonetheless, when I spoke with Emplifi’s Chief Strategy Officer Kyle Wong earlier final 12 months, he highlighted the significance of UGC, telling me, “When investing in a technique round user-generated content material, it is necessary to know the fundamentals, which is that this: We’re investing in a technique to basically assist seize extra constructive word-of-mouth advertising and marketing from our prospects.”

I do not suppose UGC goes away, however I might perceive why entrepreneurs is perhaps quickly lowering their funding as they contemplate how shopper preferences and behaviors are altering in 2024 — significantly with the present recognition of influencer advertising and marketing, as an alternative.

Again to You

Advertising is all the time evolving, so your advertising and marketing playbook ought to, too. As we inch nearer to 2023, it is important to take inventory of which tendencies you wish to leverage, and which of them are higher left behind.