This time last year the world’s leading brands fired up ChatGPT to write their marketing predictions. It didn’t work.
The copy felt stale and generic, and more importantly, OpenAI’s promised child wasn’t able to peer into the future: it simply didn’t have enough data to forecast what would come next.
Humans: 1. AI: 0.
A year later, things are different. That doesn’t mean AI can suddenly predict the future, but it’s only getting smarter and more deeply embedded in our world.
And this time, it’s personal. When brands can produce bespoke content at an unheard of scale, meaningful interactions are poised to become more important than ever.
So yes, we’ll all be working with AI in 2024—that’s not a shocking prediction—and this will present opportunities to improve our workflow, operations and marketing strategies, especially for those who tap into Wix Studio's AI. But we’ll also see more human-focused trends emerge as a result. Here’s how AI will leave its mark on the marketing world in 2024.
01. Tech will get talkative
Conversational commerce is poised to redefine customer engagement in 2024. The integration of advanced chatbots and messaging platforms facilitates seamless interactions between brands and consumers. This personalized, real-time communication not only enhances the customer experience but also streamlines the path to purchase.
In early November of 2023, OpenAI announced the launch of custom GPTs, meaning you can now make your own branded chatbots (no code required). The internet went off, creating bots for everything you can think of: a programmer chatbot, one that provides alt-text descriptions for images, another that optimizes prompts for other GPTs, and even a GPT for finding other GPTs.
Brands such as Amazon’s Alexa are leveraging AI to integrate shopping assistant features into their product for eCommerce purchases, and WhatsApp and Facebook messenger are also poised to add a layer of social commerce to the tech giant’s repertoire.
How can agencies capitalize on this trend? Voiceflow is one such no-code collaborative tool for designing, prototyping and building virtual conversational assistants you can integrate with your client’s Wix Studio websites.
02. Virtual Influencers will serve looks
2023’s marketing campaign of the year was Snoop Dogg’s smokeless fire pit, but most brands don’t have access to celebrity influencers to promote a campaign that big. Instead, smaller brands and startups are turning to virtual influencers—branded avatars, if you will—to own their narratives.
The influencer marketing landscape is undergoing a futuristic transformation as these computer-generated personalities become powerful brand ambassadors. Look no further than Lu do Magalu and Lil Miquela as examples of virtual influencers in the wild. With 6.7 million and 2.6 million Instagram followers respectively, these digital humans have more reach than many of their real influencer counterparts. Another notable example is Aitana, an AI influencer from Spain who makes over $10K dollars a week in brand contracts.
And of course, brands with long-standing mascots are also seizing the opportunity to virtualize their characters, including but not limited to: Barbie, the Geico Gecko, and KFC’s Colonel Sanders.
The rise of virtual influencers marks a departure from traditional brand partnerships, as companies are now able to make their own influencers and fully control the creative process. And for those with longstanding characters, an opportunity to round out their personalities will bring brands to life in unexpected ways.
03. UGC content will take over your feed
People still like learning from other people. In response to the surge in AI content, brands are turning to User-Generated Content (UGC) to tap the power of the crowd’s collective creativity.
Consumers actively participate in brand storytelling by creating and sharing content as well as helping brands garner social proof and build community. This shift empowers brands to build authentic connections with their audience, tapping into the unique perspective and advocacy of their customer base for compelling, trust-building narratives.
Doritos launched Doritos Legion of Creators, a site where users can create branded images and videos that Doritos shares on its social media accounts. And let’s not forget GoPro’s crown jewel: the Million Dollar Challenge. Since 2018, the company has encouraged customers to purchase the newest GoPro model and use it to capture “life’s epic moments.” The 2023 edition awarded 55 creators a share of the $1 million—that’s $18,181.81 for the lucky winners and thousands of social assets for GoPro. We expect to see more of this in 2024.
04. Gen AI will smash your cookie jar
Though the cookie-pocalypse isn’t new, it’s finally taking effect this upcoming year. In 2024, the demise of third-party cookies will usher in the prominence of first-party data. Brands are focusing on building direct relationships with consumers, emphasizing transparency and consent to gather valuable insights without leaving a trail of privacy concerns behind them.
As of now, about 80 percent of advertisers rely on third-party cookies and must explore new ways to engage with customers. Apple’s iOS 14 app tracking permission requirement has been disastrous for adtech companies, with Facebook, Snap, Twitter and YouTube losing a combined $10 billion in revenue during the two quarters following the change.
It’s no wonder the use of data is rising: not only because cookies are going extinct, but also because first-party data is particularly valuable for targeting. A study by Google and Boston Consulting Group found that brands leveraging first-party data for key marketing functions are seeing up to 2.9X revenue uplift and a 1.5X increase in cost savings.
Generative AI, combined with first-party data sources, will empower brands to deliver custom messages to their most engaged customers. This will generate a loyalty effect, rewarding the most active customers with increasingly customized content.
The same holds true in reverse. Intuit leverages first-party data using its Gen Z customers’ reactions to Gen AI content. In October, the company launched its ‘Automagical Aura Generator,’ which gives users their own Gen AI pic of their financial horoscope.
05. Longer-form video will make a comeback
In the age of short-form content, long-form video is making a notable comeback in 2024. Platforms are evolving to accommodate extended storytelling, allowing brands to convey complex narratives and engage audiences on a deeper level. This resurgence reflects a shift toward more immersive and substantive content experiences that’s more difficult for Gen AI to produce at scale and implicitly requires the human touch to succeed.
Recently, Instagram has been testing longer reels to directly challenge YouTube shorts. And webinars, which initially skyrocketed during the pandemic, have remained a best-practice among brands looking to reach customers for longer periods of time.
06. AI will go from tool to coworker
In 2024, generative AI will become more accessible to broader audience groups. Though the technology is no longer new (and it's advancing at an accelerated pace), larger, more powerful models built on larger datasets, along with autonomous agents and multimodal functionality will give way to AI with closer to human level of understanding and reasoning. This includes proactive decision-making, collaborative creativity and dynamic learning and adaptability.
We’re seeing this trend take shape in many forms, such as Google Gemini, the company’s most powerful, multimodal AI model to date, as well as our very own AI assistant in Wix Studio, where you can generate code based on prompts/descriptions, fix existing code and look up documentation. Imagine how robust your client’s websites will be when AI takes the guesswork (and gruntwork) out of coding from scratch.
07. Zero-click and voice search will change SEO for good
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is undergoing a transformative evolution in 2024 due to the rise of zero-click and voice search. There will be new things to consider: how to develop a brand when CTR drops, how to take tone, accents and more conversational searches into account, and how to refine your current SEO strategy to play to this new reality. It’s estimated that by 2025, 50 percent of all searches online will be completed through voice search.
Consider this: if more people surf the web on screenless devices like Alexa, what might that mean for your business? And how might your company rank at the top of the SERP? Check out the Wix SEO Learning Hub for answers to all of your SEO questions.
But remember: the best resource will always be your audience. Agencies will need to engage their audiences in conversation to understand what they’re looking for (and how), both on and off the SERP.
If 2024 is the year AI connects with consumers, the only question is: how will you as a marketer?
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