2023 has flown by, with many new challenges and developments to keep us on our toes. But we’re coming out the other end feeling positive and proud to have supported our clients through another turbulent year.
As we head towards the end of the year, we’re thinking about what the next 12 months and what could be in store for the digital marketing industry. Here’s our digital marketing predictions for 2024.
Want to read about a specific channel? Click to see our predictions for:
PPC & Biddable Social predictions
Kicking off our predictions is our PPC & Biddable Media team, who have embraced a number of changes this year including increased automation, business budget challenges and, of course, the end of Universal Analytics.
Our Biddable pod has done some incredible work for our clients, such as EventStore, Western Global and Stage Depot and are excited to see what the new year brings. No matter the challenge, our team is ready to support you in every possible way.
The end of Third-Party Cookies will change the face of Google advertising – Wez
Google will begin phasing out third-party cookies in Q3 2024, with the expected full removal by the end of the year.
Third-party cookies have enabled cross-site tracking of users since the early 2000s. Google now aims to phase out this tracking ability to enhance user privacy and security including preventing fraud and displaying pertinent advertisements. This is great news for users, but the way we advertise on Google will change significantly. To ease the transition, Google is releasing tools to support advertisers without relying on third-party cookies.
We are still in the early stages of the phase out and we’ll be keeping our ear close to the ground as well as continuing conversations with Google as part of our Premier Partnership. Whatever happens, 2024 is set to change the digital advertising landscape as we know it.
What to do next:
- Use this early stage to assess how you will be affected by loss of third-party cookies
- Focus efforts on nailing down your target audience personas and get your first-party cookie collection up to scratch
- Make sure you’re making the most of consent-compliant measurements now like Enhanced Conversions and Consent Mode
- Server-side tracking and Conversion APIs will be the new norm so upskilling and exploring this area will be a must
Micro-influencer content is going to get bigger and bigger – Sam
UGC (User Generated Content) and micro-influencers help increase ad engagement and conversions on social media platforms. Customers have become more aware of online ads in recent years, and this type of creative helps build trust among potential customers and forms a community around your brand.
This type of content is seen as more authentic and therefore resonates with your customer base – more so than traditional ads. They’re seen as a stronger trust signal than anything you yourself might say about your brand and can be used across a variety of channels. On top of this, it can be a more cost-effective way of creating assets!
What to do next:
- Reach out to happy customers or micro-influencers in your market and form a partnership with them. Explain your goals and what kind of content you are looking for without giving them a script. You can also search online for what users are already posting about your brand or use competitions to get users to submit UGC.
Integrated CRMs with ad platforms for first-party data focus – Romy
First party data has become invaluable in any digital marketing strategy, allowing you to gain insight into your leads and customers, track offline conversions, create highly personalised journeys and improve your audience targeting. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration into ad platforms can make the task of uploading this data much easier – or even automate the process.
With all of the changes in how we are allowed to handle and collect data, using the first party data is key. Any CRM integration will only give you more powerful data or make the task of uploading lists easier. Why not let the platforms do the work?
Use winning organic social content for your paid social strategy (Native Creative) – Matt
Organic social content is going to become an increasingly vital part of paid social strategy. As paid social platforms, such as Meta and TikTok, rely more heavily on their algorithm and interest-based targeting, testing creative performance via organic methods will become a really strong way of trialling creative prior to running paid ads. By posting a variety of creative assets and ad messaging organically on platforms, we can see which content the algorithm will prefer for your brand, product or service.
Once you understand what type of creative performs best, you can then repackage that with transactional messaging. You can then focus onproviding a paid social strategy to push and promote this creative, feeling confident that platforms like and understand the creative.
What to do next:
- Organically post as much and as frequently as possible on your social channels. Test different creative types and formats and track how they perform over time. Then, once you know what works with your audience, push further across the paid space.
Content & SEO predictions
Our SEOers have also had a busy year, with numerous algorithm updates, such as the phasing out of FAQ schema, the second Helpful Content Update and AI playing a significant role in search marketing. Our SEO and Content team have been staying up to date and trialling new tactics, producing fantastic work for our clients including more page one spots, more featured snippets and more traffic.
We’re now regrouping and thinking about what lies ahead, and how we can continue to support our clients and generate success year on year.
Think user-focused, not search-focused – Jack
User intent has always been important for SEO – more so now than ever before. The recent updates implemented by Google demonstrate this, including the second Helpful Content Update, the removal of FAQ schema and the launches of Bard and Search Generative Experience (SGE).
Authoritative sources like. .gov sites and the NHS, hold top rankings, and with People Also Asked taking up more real estate than other businesses in search, now’s the time to consider what you can do that these authority sites can’t.
Experience’ was added to Google’s E-A-T guidelines at the end of last year and we’re starting to really see its importance. Your Money Or Your Life (YMYL) sites can only give so much away – for example, a government site will tell you how to fill in a tax form. But what about combing through all the jargon? The time spent filling it all in? Which sections should you prioritise? If you’re a financial advisor, then this is where you add value.
What to do next:
- Don’t just rely on keywords to guide your content – think about what your audience really wants to know and hone in on it. Acknowledge their pain points and take the hard work off their shoulders using both your experience and expertise. Keep your content free of jargon and go into depth on what really matters to users. Think people over search engines – especially in 2024.
- Review your existing content to ensure it reflects the current search landscape. Create a content audit and check each piece is well-optimised and has that depth and level of experience that users crave.
Ensure that your site is accessible for all – Tegan
As SEOers, we always try to provide a smooth experience for users. But does that mean all users?
Accessibility and inclusivity are often overlooked when it comes to the web. Accessibility should be one of your top priorities and feed into all of your marketing efforts. If it isn’t, you’re essentially ignoring some of your audience. After all, why would someone buy your product if they can’t find out what they need to know?
It can be as simple as adding alt text, the colours you use, breaking content into bullet points and incorporating headers in a logical way. When writing for the web, think about how users are accessing your content – for example, someone with poor sight may depend on an Alexa or Google Nest for information. Can these devices easily access your content and present it in a simple, comprehensive manner? Just think – can your website be used by everyone? Keeping little things like this in mind will ensure that you’re speaking directly to your audience – all of your audience.
What to do next:
- Pay attention to how you’re formatting your content. Think small, digestible blocks of content, featuring headers, bullet points and visual elements (and don’t forget alt text when incorporating these!)
- Take this a step further and think about inclusivity. If you’re writing for a parental advice website, are you using gendered terms like ‘mum’ and ‘dad’ or opening this up to caregivers? This also applies to sectors like weddings – not everyone identifies as a ‘bride’ and ‘groom’, which are traditionally limited to a man and woman. Little changes like this go a long way.
- Use a screen reader to get an idea on what your website looks like for visually-impaired users.
The end of link building? – Claire
There’s been a lot of talk this year about the importance of links for SEO, with Google’s John Mueller and Gary Illyes both making statements about the link building activities many agencies rely on. Essentially, they’ve said that links are not a top three ranking factor, and there’s no need to disavow negative, spammy links.
These statements sparked debate throughout the industry, with many thinking that links just don’t matter, full stop. We think, however, that that’s not really the case. While other SEO streams, i.e. tech SEO and content, play a significant role in marketing strategies, link building shouldn’t be ignored.
If anything, these discussions have brought a renewed focus on the importance of high-quality authoritative backlinks from relevant and trustworthy sources. This means moving away from mass outreach strategies and focusing your efforts on individual websites that actually mean something for your own site. A financial site earning a link from Bloomberg will be far more beneficial than a link on someone’s personal finance blog.
What to do next:
- Stop stressing about negative, spammy links. As long as you’re not engaging in black hat practices, you have nothing to fear.
- Rethink your link building strategies. Mass Digital PR campaigns often mean creating news-worthy stories that garner links from various publications, not all of which are 100% relevant to your industry. If you can instead aim for smaller link targets and concentrate on sites that will actually make a difference, then you’ll reap far more benefits.
AI predictions
We can’t talk about 2024 without mentioning AI. The rise of various AI tools has sent shockwaves through the industry, with some embracing the changes they’ve created while others choose to opt for the human-only approach.
At Loom, we value our creativity and believe that nothing can replace the human touch. But when used responsibly, AI can achieve efficiencies and enhance our market-leading services. It’s a key focus for our agency in 2024 and we’re embracing the opportunities it brings.
As we embrace the era of AI-generated content, it’s not just about staying ahead of the curve, it’s about redefining creativity and personalisation in business communication. AI is not just a tool, it’s a canvas for innovation, enabling us to connect with our audience in ways we never thought would be possible.
Tamas
AI-generated image and video content will become more popular- Tamas
In the digital age, the role of visual content in business strategy is more crucial than ever. As we step into 2024, AI-generated image and video content is no longer a futuristic concept – instead, it’s a reality that’s rapidly gaining popularity. This technology offers businesses an innovative way to create engaging, high-quality visuals quickly and in a cost-effective way.
By leveraging generative AI programs like Midjourney, ChatGPT with Dall-E, or even the popular design tool Canva’s AI features, companies can stay ahead in the competitive market, offering unique and personalised content to their audience. The versatility and efficiency of AI-generated visuals are set to revolutionise the way businesses approach content creation and marketing strategies.
What to do next:
- To harness the potential of AI-generated visuals, try investing in the latest AI content creation tools. You’ll be able to produce high-quality images and videos at a fraction of the traditional time and cost. By staying up to date with technological advancements, you can ensure that you’re not left behind in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
- AI-generated image and video content can be tailored to individual customer preferences, creating a more personalised experience. Businesses should utilise data analytics to understand their audience’s interests and behaviours, allowing AI tools to generate content that resonates with them. Personalisation leads to higher engagement, customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
- Integrating AI-generated visuals into marketing campaigns can significantly enhance their effectiveness. Businesses should explore innovative ways to use these visuals in social media, email marketing, and online advertising. By doing so, they can attract more attention, improve conversion rates, and provide a memorable brand experience. It’s important to keep the content authentic and aligned with the brand’s values and message, ensuring a consistent and impactful brand identity.
AI will still struggle to create great content alone – Chloe
AI writing tools have boomed this year, with many businesses using them to create optimised content in minutes. While you can see why creators are drawn to these tools – saving time and money as well as getting around writer’s block – they shouldn’t do all of the work. I predict that, as AI tools continue to make waves throughout the industry, businesses will see the true value of experience and knowledge that human writers have.
There are many things that AI can do to help with the content creation process, such as FAQs and identifying studies, but in terms of fully relying on AI writing content itself, it currently fails to hit the mark.
For content to be truly valuable for SEO, it needs to add unique value and insight currently not available elsewhere online. This is something out of reach for AI as it can only write based on information that is already available online through deep learning.
Also elements such as the creative flair, lateral thinking, depth of client and audience understanding and life experience can only come from humans – something that will become more evident as more and more people experiment with AI.
What to do next:
- Trust yourself – maximise your energy and creativity around audience understanding and product/service knowledge to be able to communicate these benefits well.
- If you do want to incorporate AI into your process, use it for tasks that take away some of the heavy lifting. This could be formatting data, identifying frequently asked questions, pain points gathered from reviews or using image generators to check that what you’re writing makes sense and leaves the right impression on your readers.
Digital marketing strategy predictions
The numerous shifts and developments throughout the industry have led to businesses pivoting strategies and adapting to newfound challenges in any way they can. Changing consumer behaviours, the higher cost of living and the emergence of countless new platforms can lead to some feeling that their marketing strategy isn’t quite cutting it anymore.
At Loom, we’re always conscious of the latest trends, ensuring that our clients’ marketing strategies are the best for them. Every business is unique, so the next big thing isn’t always right for them, but we’re always keen to try new ways of generating traffic and boosting conversions for businesses.
Sustainability continues to take centre stage – Karen
Whilst research shows that sustainability is a high priority amongst consumers, the behaviour change when purchasing is still lagging behind. Marketers are going to have to work harder to nurture customers along the journey to choose the sustainable option.
Sustainability within non-physical products will continue to grow, but right now choosing the sustainable option isn’t as crucial to buyers when purchasing things like a service. So, an education piece is needed here. Service brands will need to educate customers on what sustainable services look like, and customers will start asking more ESG (Environmental, social, and corporate governance)-related questions around the make-up and delivery of that service.
The advertising industry as a whole is committed to reaching net zero by 2030 – and digital advertising is no exception. According to studies, in the UK an average digital ad campaign emits over 5.4 tons of CO2, and even short emails have a carbon footprint. Pay-per-click models can often lead marketers to become complacent with targeting (as impressions are essentially ‘free’ in terms of financial cost). Reduce wastage by staying on top of your placements, your audiences and devices (watching an ad on mobile will have a lower footprint than watching on a large LED screen).
Living sustainably is high on marketers and consumers’ agendas and there are no shortcuts. The global crisis is forcing everyone to look at how we can be better and digital advertising is no exception. We need to be more educated, mindful and value quality over quantity.
What to do next:
- Question everything! Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes and question everything around how your product or service is formed and delivered. Doing this will help you to identify ESG-related improvements. And once you have the answers, educate your customers. It’s not likely to give you a strong USP, but it will keep you in the race.
Quality over quantity for digital strategy – Ellen
This year, the digital world has been overrun with new channels and tech, from ChatGPT to Threads. In this day and age, it’s very easy to get caught up in the ‘next best thing’ and neglect the basics of your digital strategy. Businesses are scrambling to get involved in as many new services and platforms as possible to stay on trend. Instead, you should stay focussed on delivering quality, targeted content and utilising new services when it complements your overall strategy.
And while AI can make life easier in the short term, it still needs a human touch and a human voice. If employing AI, make sure it fits your tone of voice or test the solution before releasing it into the wild world.
What to do next:
- Consider how new channels can support your agreed digital marketing strategy before delving in head first. You know your audience better than anyone else, and where they are present.
Deliver unique value in competitive markets – Tom
In a time of AI and increased automation, it’s more important than ever to consider what your business can offer prospects and your existing client base in terms of unique value. This could be insights, tips, thought leadership or a left-field original take on a subject. The details don’t matter, but you need to do more to stand out and offer value in competitive markets with increasingly apathetic users.
As AI is better able to assimilate existing web content into meaningful answers, it puts more of an emphasis on what it can’t do. It hasn’t lived what you’ve lived. Google’s Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust (EEAT) is a good prism to view this through. What experience do you have? Where does your expertise lie? How can you benefit your target audiences with this across your marketing channels? This could be informing a content strategy, a new email, a website restructure, webinars or video content.
It will take an investment of resources, but business experts who work more closely with their agency partners to improve their marketing and create content and resources will benefit from increased visibility, engagement, better conversions and retention.
What to do next:
- Get a session in the diary where you explore what you can offer potential customers that’s genuinely of value – what will make their lives easier and more enriched.
Agency life & culture predictions
While we’re all focused on looking outwards at how we’re presenting ourselves or clients to the world, we’re also looking internally at agency life in general. Making sure that, as a business, we’re trying our hardest to make a difference for local communities, and our wonderful employees is a key part of the Loom way.
Balancing the 3 Ps – Profit, Planet, People – Nikki
The standout conversation for our sector this year has been around agencies making a positive difference and not just existing purely for profit. Agencies are one of the leading sectors for B-Corporation certifications. This demonstrates that there’s huge momentum and appetite to focus on people and the planet, prioritising these areas alongside balancing profitability. I anticipate this being a continued theme into 2024 as agencies progress further along this journey to building a better business for the future.
What to do next:
- Our society needs more businesses doing better for the world. The decisions any business takes today, will have a direct impact on its stakeholders tomorrow and in the future. So, a well defined purpose of existing to do good will guide and inform decision making and intentions across the whole business. And a business that has a strong purpose for doing good, will more likely evolve to be a better business for the future.
Teams want more focus on purpose-driven work – Vicky
According to a talent study from Gartner, 65% of respondents said that the pandemic made them rethink the place work has in their lives and encouraged a further 56% to contribute more to society. This proves that employee happiness is no longer as simple as a competitive salary and benefits. Today, employees crave purpose-driven work and this is only going to increase in the future.
This has always been a core value of Loom and, due to demand, we’ve developed this every year. We started off by offering work experience and regular fundraising opportunities, but now we also volunteer our time to local grassroot charities, run workshops in schools, offer mentoring to students and much more. The majority of these ideas come from the team themselves and ensure everyone has a purpose at work. We’ve been working towards becoming a B Corp and are really happy that this will keep pushing us forward in 2024 and beyond.
Whatever the sector, individuals, now more than ever, want to do work that benefits wider social or environmental causes, not just on making money for their company.
What to do next:
- Connect your team to the purpose: it’s really important to engage your team from the start. The best way to do this is by asking them what is most important to them – is it sustainability, social responsibility, or something wider? Employees who feel invested in your company’s values and purpose are the key to a happy team.
- Provide more opportunities for purpose in your team’s day-to-day work: it could be giving an extra day of holiday to volunteer for a local charity, or it could simply be encouraging people to take an hour as a team to talk about how to improve recycling in the office etc. Giving people space to work on parts of their role that contribute positively to the wider world results in a more invested and happy team.
Your 2024 digital marketing strategy
You’ve heard our predictions, your head is spinning with ideas and you want to know more! Your next step is to contact Loom Digital.
We’re excited to see what 2024 brings and the new ways in which we can make a difference for our clients. If you’re keen to up your marketing efforts then sign up to our newsletter, or get in touch to see what we can do for you. You can also browse our PPC & Biddable Media, SEO and Content pages for more information.
