Greetings from the JamJo Bunker.

As paid advertising specialists (or PPC Goblins as we like to call ourselves), the team here at JamJo try and stay ahead of emerging trends as best we can. This is difficult today as technology appears to be at a sort of inflection point; (Web3, AI, Blockchain, Skynet, The End Is Nigh!). Things are about to get funky in the digital realms.  So staying ahead is important for us and it’s important for the businesses that hire us and trust us with looking after their paid advertising needs.

As we step into 2024, there are several key tendencies that are shaping the paid advertising landscape. Some of these tendencies have been bubbling up for a while, but it seems that this pot of PPC stew is about to boil over now that consumers are shifting towards using them more and more. From the integration of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning to the rise of interactive ad formats to ethical and privacy-focused advertising, these trends are redefining how companies will connect with their audiences. It’s certainly changed how we approach working with our clients for sure.

Let’s go through some of the most impactful paid advertising trends of 2024, looking into how each can help companies and PPC teams grow and succeed in this hard-as-nails-competitive industry.

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Too long, gimme links!!

Ah yes the rise of AI. In 2024, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms in paid advertising is becoming increasingly significant if not a little controversial. These technologies enable more effective targeting and personalisation of ads, optimising ad spend and improving ROI. The human touch will never be supplanted but companies can leverage AI to analyse customer data and predict buying behaviours, tailoring their advertising strategies accordingly.

OpenAI’s chatGPT4 is still the top pick, as it has advanced features that can help you write comprehensive ads, define and build audiences and is capable of analysing text, images and voices. It’s important to note too that whilst there are a myriad benefits of utilising AI in your digital marketing campaigns, keep in mind that Google are also using machine learning algorithms to detect AI-generated text which can have an impact on SEO content.

One of the biggest changes the search world is looking at is Google’s SGE. What is Google SGE you might ask? It stands for Search Generative Experience, and it’s Google’s way to integrate AI into search results. This will allow users to use longer queries in their searches to get AI powered overviews and recommendations, and will allow you to ask follow-up questions – think ChatGPT plugged into the top of your Google Search queries.

We will touch on this topic in a separate blog, as the topic will have a massive impact on both SEO and PPC.

TL;DR: Even your grandmother is using ChatGPT so be careful to bring the human touch when using it.

Here’s an interesting one – as voice-assisted devices continue to gain popularity, optimising for voice search in paid advertising campaigns is essential. As of 2023, 50% of the US population use voice search features on a daily basis, and 71% of consumers prefer to use search queries by voice instead of typing.

This involves using more conversational and long-tail keywords in ad content to align with how people naturally speak. Thus, advertisers will need to adapt their strategies in 2024 to ensure better visibility in voice search results.

Video advertising continues to grow and dominate in 2024. But this is the thing; its difficult to execute well – It’s time consuming and costly to produce.

Short-form videos, particularly popular on platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, are proving highly effective for engaging younger audiences, or building your branding across all audiences. Additionally, the rise of interactive video ads, where viewers can click on elements within the video, (especially on TikTok and Instagram stories with the help of stickers) offer a more engaging and immersive experience.

This trend also includes live video advertising, where we see a rise in companies that can interact in real-time with their audience, providing a more authentic and immediate connection while presenting their stories, products or services.

Advertisers should focus on creating diverse video content that resonates with their target demographics, utilising these various formats to maximise reach and impact.

Our recommendation however is that if you are a small business and creating video content might be a challenge, to focus only on the channels that your core audience uses, rather than spreading too wide and spending too much time and effort on this.

TL;DR: Video content is where it’s happening but its difficult to do it well on a low budget. Anyone with an iPhone and a semblance of personality can shoot a video but be careful of how low-budget videos can negatively impact a businesses professional image.

As seen in the past few years, social media platforms are slowly evolving into shopping platforms, with features that allow users to make purchases directly through ads. The best example in this case is Meta, who launched the Marketplace in 2016, then introduced Shops in 2020.

A study done by Curalate mentions that 76% of consumers used Social Media as a touchpoint in their purchase process, while 11% of them have purchased immediately, within the social media platforms.

Having this in mind, advertisers and businesses that are focusing on e-commerce and sales should capitalise on this trend by integrating e-commerce capabilities into their social media ads, providing seamless and convenient shopping experiences.

While the EU has been leading this charge, we have seen increasing concerns about data privacy across almost all countries, with the US market being particularly vocal.

Advertisers in 2024 are focusing more on ethical advertising practices – this includes respecting user privacy, ensuring transparency in data collection and usage, and avoiding intrusive advertising tactics, especially with the stringent regulations like the dreaded General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union. Here advertisers are increasingly required to navigate a landscape where consumer data protection is paramount. GDPR compliance is not just a legal necessity but also a trust-building measure with consumers who are more aware and concerned about their digital privacy.

Moreover, this emphasis on ethical advertising extends beyond mere compliance in the EU, or option of choice in other countries. It involves a commitment to upholding high standards in advertising content, avoiding misleading or deceptive practices, and ensuring that ads are respectful and relevant to the audience.

It might be somewhat limiting to have to integrate these measures but keep in mind that consumers are getting much more aware of dodgy advertising practices. Companies that successfully integrate these principles into their paid advertising strategies are likely to build much stronger and trusting relationships with their consumers – this in turn leads to better overall engagement. Everyone wins buddy!

TL;DR: Respect is the name of the game here. Not just from a compliance point of view. Keep those ads relevant to the audience and certainly avoid misleading adverts or any other deceptive practices.

And that’s it. A few paid advertising trends we can discern from our bowl of tea leafs. As we step into 2024, adapting to these emerging paid advertising trends is crucial for any business’s growth. Remember, keeping up with these changes can be challenging, but, fear not, you are not alone.

Our digital agency JamJo might be of service. We can guide you through some of these trends in more detail and ensure your advertising strategies and campaigns are effective, and aligned with the latest and tastiest of developments in the paid advertising world.

Reach out to us with any digital marketing related question you might have or for expert assistance in navigating the dynamic world of digital advertising. We look forward to hearing from you!