Information for this blog post was obtained from HubSpot, Neil Patel, Copyblogger, and Forbes.
If there is anything certain about the world of marketing, it is that it’s always changing. This presents a challenge for college students like you who are gearing up to enter the industry after graduation. If you find yourself wondering about the skills employers will be looking for, you're not alone. This blog post is designed to be your guide! We'll explore the most current trends in the industry and outline the key marketing skills you should focus on developing this year. This will ensure you're well-prepared for a marketing role post-college. Let's dive into the essentials that will set you up for success in the dynamic world of marketing.
2024 Industry Trends
As always, the marketing industry is changing rapidly. These changes are driven by evolving consumer behaviors and technological advancements. As we move deeper into the digital era, new trends are altering traditional marketing approaches. Exploring these trends will make clear why the skills discussed later in the article are becoming crucial for success.
1. AI-Generated Content
One major trend in marketing currently is the use of AI to generate content. As companies need more engaging and personalized content, they are turning to AI platforms to help keep up with the demand. According to a survey done by HubSpot, 51% of marketers say the like generative AI most for creating social media posts. 58% say that’s what they use generative AI for most frequently. Although AI may be used most for this purpose, it can also write anything from articles to video scripts. This technology helps marketers create specialized content for their audience more efficiently. This is why AI-generated content is one of the biggest trends in marketing this year.
2. Consumer-to-Company Communication
Another trend emerging in the marketing industry is the way customers communicate with companies. Research shows that consumers are increasingly using direct messages (DMs) to reach out to businesses. Last year, HubSpot reported that almost one in five social media users had contacted a brand for customer support via DM. Additionally, 76% of social media marketers said their company offers customer support service on their social media platforms. This shift highlights the growing importance of social media in customer interactions within the overall marketing strategy.
3. Content Types
In this blog post, Neil Patel predicts that in 2024, companies will begin producing more podcasts than they do blogs. He notes that while there is approximately one blog for every 7.8 people worldwide, there is only one podcast for every 1.857 people. This significant gap serves as a potential opportunity to capture larger audiences through podcasting, making it a marketing trend to look for this year.
4. Social Networks
In 2024, companies may be shifting their focus to different social platforms for better returns. While Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram have been popular in the past, they don't always deliver the highest returns. As a result of this, Neil Patel predicts that companies will spend more time on platforms like X, Pinterest, and Snapchat, which have shown to offer greater returns on investment, despite being less popular.
Key Marketing Skills for 2024
As an aspiring professional in the marketing field, you can analyze new trends like those discussed previously to predict the skills employers will find most valuable. By doing so, you can better prepare yourself for the continuous and inevitable changes within this industry. Below is a list of key marketing skills for 2024 that will help you thrive in this ever-changing field.
1. Adaptability
Throughout this post, we’ve emphasized the dynamic nature of the marketing industry. As consumer behaviors change and new technologies emerge, marketers must be equally able to adjust. For instance, we discussed earlier how AI is changing the way companies produce content. Similarly, we discussed how content type and social media platforms are changing based on performance and consumer demand. Being adaptable to these changes will keep you ahead of your competition in this fast-changing industry.
To increase your adaptability, Tim Stoddart at Copyblogger has a few recommendations. He suggests communicating with others during conferences or through social media to learn how they use new tools and techniques. He also suggests doing your own research by trying out new tools and trends independently.
2. ChatGPT Prompt Proficiency
ChatGPT is a major recent technological development in the marketing industry. Because of the large impact it has and will continue to have, marketers need to know how to use it effectively. Generic prompts can result in average responses. However, learning how to write strategic and specific prompts can yield higher-quality responses. To improve your prompt writing skills, Stoddart at Copyblogger suggests experimenting, asking colleagues or industry experts for help, and searching for templates on Google or LinkedIn.
3. Relationship Building
As we discussed earlier, consumer-to-company communication is becoming more personalized and interactive. To ensure customer satisfaction, marketers must know how to manage and nurture these relationships. Not only can this boost your company's reputation with customers, but it can help you gain insight into customer preferences and behaviors. This, in turn, can aid in creating more effective and strategic marketing campaigns.
Rachel Wells at Forbes suggests a few ways to enhance your relationship-building skills. These include engaging with posts or having conversations via direct messages with followers. She also encourages building offline relationships and making additions to your network.
4. Social Listening Skills
Another critical skill for marketers to master in 2024 is social listening. By paying attention to trends and conversations about your brand on social media, you can understand customer preferences and behaviors. Mastering social listening can help you to predict and identify emerging trends. Topics such as changes in preferred social media platforms or content type as mentioned earlier are just two examples of predictions that could be made.
Forbes recommends building this skill for use in future marketing roles. The insights gained through social listening can be used to create sales or partnership strategies. Even if you’re not in a leadership or management role, you will still be able to make valuable recommendations based on the information you have collected.
In conclusion, succeeding as a new marketer in 2024 requires a diverse skill set and strong adaptability. By staying current with the latest marketing trends and mastering skills like the ones mentioned above, you can better prepare yourself for the ongoing changes in this industry. Embracing change and continually improving your skills will ensure you are equipped to meet the changing demands of the marketing industry. This will not only make you a better marketer but will also increase your appeal to future employers.
Now that you have the skills, get some tips on finding a job in social media marketing from my colleague Crystal's post here.
Resources
Patel, N. (n.d.). Top 5 digital marketing trends for 2024. Neil Patel.
Santiago, E. (2024, March 12). The Hubspot blog's 2024 social media marketing report: Data from 1400+ global marketers. HubSpot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/hubspot-blog-social-media-marketing-report#top-five-social-trends
Stoddart, T. (2023, Oct. 25). 9 crucial content marketing skills for 2024. Copyblogger. https://copyblogger.com/content-marketing-skills/
Wells, R. (2024, Jan. 9). Social media marketing skills in demand, worth $1.5 trillion by 2030. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelwells/2024/01/09/social-media-marketing-skills-in-demand-worth-15-trillion-by-2030/?sh=41fe09a77d00
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