It’s that time of the year again. At Voicebooking we love all sorts of content. On a daily basis we want to share our tips and tricks. You know as well as anyone how trends can change in a heartbeat (think: Clubhouse). So, let’s take up the important task to share what will happen in 2024 with the latest marketing trends. Be prepared for what’s next and make sure to be ahead of your competition. Let’s start.
Short attention span videos
Videos. Videos. That’s all we talk about here. Who doesn’t love a good video?
As the years go by, it’s interesting to see how audiences’ preferences change. It’s no secret that TikTok changed the entire video landscape. People started enjoying quick videos and this started reflecting in society as a whole. Suddenly clips of 10 minutes length felt like a long film. 5 minutes? Too long. 1 minute? Forget about it. Welcome to the era of seconds-long videos.
Psychologist Dr. Gloria Mark even showed in her research that, on average, people only pay attention for47 seconds when watching clips. And I dare to say that this number is getting shorter by the day. And how can you entertain a crowd with only a few seconds?
Short attention span videos means that videos now have to grab your attention instantly. You are living in a moment where short clips have to go straight to the point to be most successful.
Short-form videos are basically created by slicing long-form videos apart. Which is a simple way to create multiple in bulk and share them on all platforms. But you have to create that wow effect. In 2024 this will be no different. You are now stepping into a zone of not just short videos, but they have to be as fast paced as possible. This is an essential trend for marketers and content creators to know about.
Let’s talk TikTok.
Let’s dance? Or let’s sing. Discuss society. Gossip. Let’s even promote companies. On TikTok you get this all at once. Since its global rise in 2020, the platform has not stopped growing and new opportunities became a reality marketers truly underestimated.
But going back to the love for short-form videos. You can agree with me when I say that Vine started it all. Their platform changed the creative landscape by introducing 6 second-long videos. Creators had to adapt to fit their short message in the most clever way possible. Vine really introduced us to the world of short video content. But Tiktok revolutionised it.
In fact, the prediction is that TikTok might surpass Facebook as the main marketing platform by the year 2024. As other platform’s viewing times are decreasing, TikTok’s just keeps growing. It’s no secret that the amount of influencers birthed through this app have changed the media landscape when it comes to influencer marketing. Now, audiences have a truly never-ending well of options, from micro to mega influencers, and the content simply doesn’t stop. TikTok is on its way to overtake both Instagram and YouTube.
Not only did TikTok incorporate short-form videos into their platform, they also developed a fully personalised algorithm. People got access to not only viral content but to a whole world of fully personalised content. Every like, every comment and every save influences what the user is going to see next.
Videos got shorter and users were convinced to post multiple times a day by the pressure of a fast-paced algorithm. The quick dynamic of TikTok threw a spanner in the works towards short-lived attention spans. Brands now need to get on board with that. Not just for ad purposes, but for storytelling, products and services, press releases and everything you can think of. Now more than ever companies need to hop on the train of creative content, but most importantly, relatable content.
With algorithms that offer so many options, audiences can easily skip anything you create. The content prioritised needs to instantly catch people’s eyes. And it needs to follow the trending sounds and even jokes created by the users.
Duolingo does a great job at relating to its audience with quick, funny videos, creating a combination of being silly and reminding people of its service:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeNxqEPT/
Or like Ryanair is doing with joking about themselves to connect with their audience
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeLpnYWT/
But let’s not forget, this is not only a TikTok trend, Instagram is following suit in the form of shorter reels, and even YouTube has introduced shorts. I never expected to say this, but the shorter the better.
Another Voicebooking favourite: Podcasting
Audio is booming once again. And we are loving it. At Voicebooking, we are no strangers to the world of audio. So it’s not with little excitement I share this trend for 2024.
As time passes, the number of podcast listeners are on the rise. Can you blame them? The amount of different podcasts out there is pretty much infinite. Listeners can get into politics and history, learn about the environment and animals. But also listen to the latest celebrity gossip or the most gory true crime stories. I could go on and on with all the different types of podcasts (share your favourite podcast in the comments, I promise to check it out). Ok wait – I am losing focus thinking about the next podcast I want to listen to…
Right now the most successful podcast in the world is the one from the one and only Joe Rogan. I dive even deeper into the secret to podcast success by discussing the Joe Rogan formula in this YouTube video. You can learn a lot on how to be ahead of the curve when creating your own podcast.
But what is interesting regarding podcasting, are its’ advertising opportunities. In 2024, the prediction is that investments in podcast advertising are to increase. Research has shown us again and again how audiences are willing to listen to the advertisements without skipping when tuning into their favourite podcasts.
It’s safe to say Spotify wears the crown. Their exclusive range of content has maintained loyal users for the podcasts available on their platform. And not to mention how Spotify Advertising allows advertisers to create free voice ads with text to speech technology, played within the platform. At Voicebooking, we are proud to work with Spotify, supplying those ads in The Netherlands.
Not to mention, this year, Voicebooking has officially expanded the podcast services. With over 10 years of experience, we finally started offering our services exclusively with handy packages from podcast recording to podcast mixing. With us, you have the control to determine exactly what you need, and we’ll assist where necessary.
Let’s bring AI into this conversation.
Okay. Let’s talk about the big elephant in the room. Nowadays… this elephant is probably AI generated. Back in 2022, and even more so this year, AI was the biggest topic in tech and the business world in general. And this will only increase in 2024. Let’s explore the latest trends in AI.
Organisations have started incorporating AI tools into their work, and even marketers have started making use of AI for their own creative processes and production. Since the focus is on content, it’s important for you to take a moment to learn about automated content creation. For example, Runawayml.com offers videos within seconds. You can request them easily through simple prompts. Just think of what you want. And it will be created for you.
These automated tools can create both written and visual content you may use by simply adapting to your inputs and requests. You can use it to publish content in all social media platforms with just a few clicks.
AI is essentially a talented marketing assistant that can work on content creation and planning, depending on how you choose to use it. We’ve put together a list of content creation tools which utilise AI, if you want to learn a little more about this for yourself.
The opportunities with AI are endless. The growth of tools have shown the amount of ways people have started using AI to benefit themselves and smoothen their path of work:
But let’s talk about the biggest skeleton in our closet: AI voices. As of the start of 2023, the rise in demand for automated voices has grown dramatically. As one of the newest AI trends, this Google trends report shows exactly how the demand has increased in the past 5 years. And with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With AI voices going through sophisticated processes and growing more realistic by the day, the future of voice over may lie at the mercy of artificial intelligence.
But wait. We aren’t quite there yet. There is a reasonable amount of growth to do before AI voices can truly replace a human. There is no doubt that AI voices have gained traction this past year, which will continue in 2024. The prediction stands that 60% of employees will be using AI tools regularly for their work.
Though as I said, it is a tricky situation for voices. Companies still have a preference for a human touch when it comes to voice overs. Audio experiences are essential for brands to communicate with their customers. And AI doesn’t quite fit the bill – so far…
As we are a company that is always working with audio, we are not strangers to AI. We have been offering our own AI Voice Over Generator since 2019. We always thought that this service can offer you to test out your voice over script for timing and impact in the best way.
AI voices are trending after all, so we want to have the option for you to work smarter, and not harder. The Voice Over Generator makes it possible to do this more conveniently, saving you time (and hassle) in having to edit audio in-app.
Personalisation of media
With everything I talked about so far, one important takeaway is: personalisation. It has never been this important. Trends have always existed. But with the even faster paced algorithms now, consumer trends have become the centre of all marketing activities. In an ocean of content, companies can only really stand out when they focus on people’s individuality. Around 60% of customers have been expressing how they become loyal with personalised experiences. And about 88% of marketers in the US have already made it clear how personalised efforts have made a big difference for their brands.
Let’s look at Spotify, again. They did genius work with creating the Spotify Wrapped. A moment at the end of the year where people get to reminisce on what they have been listening to all year.
It’s the perfect way to start a conversation with your customer. And it gives them a nostalgic and personalised feeling of their experience with the service. Because the more tailored your content is to your audience, the more you will interact and get their attention. People want to feel special and create connections with the brands they choose to buy from or use the service.
So forget traditional marketing. Forget the usual promotional steps you want to take when talking about your brand. Think outside of the box. Think of ways you can approach your audience from different angles. Ask them questions. Let them speak to you. Make jokes that are relatable. Be silly. Be authentic. And most of all, show why you can give them exactly what they need without the boring facts that they are tired of hearing.
And that’s a wrap.
That’s it. I know trends can be a bit overwhelming. You need to pay close attention to the constant changes in the digital world.. But you got this. The focus continues to shift more and more towards personalisation and making sure your brand is being authentic. The increasing amount of tools to help your production will only make your life easier. So don’t worry. You need to focus on telling your story and being able to relate to your audience. Try to pay close attention to the sounds that are viral, the types of videos that are getting the most traction and you can implement this for your own benefit.
Maybe start brainstorming your very own podcast? Maybe have fun at the office with videos showing your staff and work? Maybe even sit down and try to create work that balances playful storytelling and informational content. But make sure you are having a conversation. Make sure you understand the importance of consumer preferences now more than ever.
At Voicebooking, we will keep sharing our best tips and tricks for content. Let us guide you through the digital madness. Start creating. Start watching. And you will be ahead of the game.
