Marketing Must-haves In 2024

For a marketing nerd like me, delving into a new year of tools and techniques is so freaking exciting. One of the best things about my industry, is that there is always something new and interesting to learn! But for most business owners, I totally understand how the continual changes in marketing make it feel more like a never-ending-grind, instead of a fun playground (so many toys!).

For 2024, there are just three things I think you need to focus on for your marketing. I know that makes it sound easy, but these things do take work. The payoff though – is worth it.

   1. Start with strategy (you cannot pass go or collect $200 until you do!)

No marketing channel, social network, or shiny new ad is going to make a lick of difference if you didn’t put any thought or planning behind it. Jumping onto a new trend, signing up to a marketing package or starting a new social media profile so that it feels like you are doing something is a complete waste of time if it doesn’t match your strategy basics – what are your marketing goals (to support your overall business goals), who is your audience for those goals, what key messages do you need to tell that audience to achieve those goals? When you figure this out, it unlocks everything else and makes your marketing activity useful and meaningful.

   2. Work that website (please, please, please open your mind to the potential here!)

Your website is for helping people find you, then helping the people who found you to figure out if you are a good fit for them, then converting those who do believe you are a good fit for them into customers. There’s a lot more but if you can please (please, please) just look at your website and review – does it do those three things for me? For those familiar with the terms “customer journey” or “sales funnel” – these are the first steps. Awareness, consideration, conversion – so crucial for a business, and your website can cover off on all of them. It takes thought and time, or you paying for someone else’s thought and time, but if you want a business in two years, five years, 10 years time – it’s 100% essential.

   3. Your marketing needs YOU (umm me? Why would I be important to my own marketing?)

Because as much as outsourcing marketing to your staff, AI (who doesn’t love ChatGPT??) or a marketing agency/freelancer can be super beneficial, it will never “work” without you. No one knows your business, your service, your clients, your industry the way that you do. We all have competitors, but they don’t have your unique blend of experience, ideas, skills, support and so on. If you want super effective marketing, especially when outsourcing elements of it (or all of it), don’t forget that you are still essential.

Here's cheers to a productive, successful, kick arse 2024 for all of us!

Jade McAuley

Founder, Rebel Nation