To thrive in 2024, prioritize creativity, invest (or reinvest) in brand marketing, and embrace AI.

Just like personal resolutions, marketing resolutions help us stay focused, adapt to ever-changing trends, and drive growth. With the new year officially underway, now is the time to step back and consider some essential questions: What can you do differently this year to make an even bigger impact? What do you want to do more of? Less of? Are there any strategies you need to rethink or ditch completely?

By reflecting on these questions and setting clear marketing goals, you'll be setting yourself, your team, and your business up for success. Here are seven key marketing resolutions to keep in mind as you plan and strategize for the year ahead. 

1. Embrace creativity as a competitive advantage

There's an overwhelming amount of content out there, and it's coming at consumers from all angles, all the time. Social media platforms are saturated with millions of posts being shared every day, making it easy for people to scroll right past your brand's content. Not to mention Google's algorithm is always changing (we're all on that SEO rollercoaster together), which can mess with your website traffic. 

In 2024, turning those obstacles into opportunities to get creative will be the name of the game. By prioritizing creativity and being willing to experiment, you can discover new ways to cut through the noise and capture the attention of your target audience. That could mean pursuing new collaborations or partnerships, tapping into niche communities, or leaning more into storytelling.

No matter what it is, keep in mind that in a crowded marketplace, creativity is what sets your brand apart. Marketers who embrace this mindset and explore innovative strategies can create a competitive advantage that unlocks new opportunities for success. 

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2. Invest in brand marketing to inspire long-term loyalty

Making sure your brand is searchable is undeniably important. It’s what allows people to find your website and products directly, whether they’re looking for your brand specifically or just related keywords. But it’s also a short-term solution, especially as performance marketing gets more expensive and data privacy regulations are limiting targeting capabilities. 

Investing in brand marketing is a long-term strategy that focuses on building long-lasting affinity with customers on top of immediate ROI. “We know that as performance marketing gets too competitive, our investment in brand needs to pick up some of that weight. 2024 is looking to be a bigger year for brand spend across the industry than we've seen over the last couple of years,” says Sarah Napier, Head of Marketing at Rowen Homes and Pink Boutique. 

Look at the big picture and think about how you can commit to consistent and authentic storytelling this year. 

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3. Experiment and learn from your marketing efforts

Testing should be an ongoing part of your marketing strategy. Whether it's exploring emerging platforms, experimenting with different campaign formats, refining messaging strategies, or fine-tuning how you target and personalize your content. Continuously testing and trying new things allows you to discover what truly resonates with your audience. 

Remember: Even when you find something that works, there’s always room for improvement. Make “test, learn, iterate, repeat" your motto for 2024 to ensure that you’re consistently optimizing your marketing efforts and driving the best results possible. 

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4. Harness the power of AI for greater personalization

AI went mainstream in 2023, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, the role of AI in marketing will only keep growing. More than half of marketing teams are already using AI to create campaigns, and by 2026, Gartner predicts that 80% of advanced creative roles will involve harnessing AI to achieve differentiated results. 

As we enter 2024, marketers are shifting towards a more strategic approach to AI in marketing, and they're excited about the possibilities. "I'm predicting deeper personalization with the help of AI," says Jennifer Purdie, Digital Marketing Manager at McGee & Co. "Soon, we'll be able to not only market to a person based on what we already know about them from zero-party data, but predict their preferences using AI." 

Make it a resolution to upskill yourself (and your team) in both generative and predictive AI, so you can use it for everything from copywriting to creating key audience segments at scale. By integrating AI-powered strategies into your email and SMS marketing, you can analyze customer data and behaviors to deliver highly personalized experiences. In turn, you'll forge deeper connections with customers and propel your brand to new heights.

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5. Lean on owned channels like email and SMS 

Third-party cookies are officially (read: finally) on the way out. So if you haven't already, this year is the time to fully embrace owned marketing channels like email and SMS. These channels allow you to collect valuable first-and zero-party data, but more importantly, they're critical to creating detailed profiles that tell you who your customers are as individuals. 

These profiles are the foundation of your personalization strategy, so you can drive more conversions by getting the right messages to the right customers. 

Pro tip: Attentive captures almost all new SMS and email subscribers for our customers, which means that we maintain a link between phone number, email address, and browser/device. Having your data all in one place, on our unified composer, leads to more intelligent orchestration and the ability to customize campaigns, segments, and journeys across both channels. 

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6. Cast wider net to reel in new customers

Your brand probably has a core shopper or target audience in mind, and it's important to keep focusing your marketing efforts on those groups. But it can also be beneficial to broaden your target strategy to reach more potential customers, particularly those who may not be actively searching for your products or services. 

By getting your brand in front of more people and getting creative to catch their eyes, you can increase awareness and drive more interested shoppers into your sales funnel.

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7. Don’t forget to invest in yourself, too

Be sure to prioritize your own personal growth and development this year as well. Consider learning a new skill (or brushing up on old ones). Start by identifying areas where you can expand on your expertise, then take advantage of online courses, workshops, or industry conferences. 

Curate a list of newsletters and podcasts from your peers or industry experts. Subscribing to these resources is like having a constant stream of inspiration and insights right at your fingertips.

Another option is to commit to becoming a better personal storyteller. Take some time to reflect on what you're good at, what you enjoy doing, and the impact you want to have at work or in the world, and bring it all together in a personal positioning statement.  

Continuously learning and improving is crucial to your own growth and development. But it also enables you to bring fresh ideas and expertise to your marketing efforts. 

As you make plans and set goals for the year ahead, just remember: Resolutions aren't set in stone. They’re more like a guide to help you navigate the ever-changing marketing landscape.

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‍We asked marketers to share their top predictions for 2024. These are the trends they’re paying attention to this year.