Letters from Leadership: Trends That Are Here to Stay
This time of year is always a bit of a shock to the system. How is the year almost over? What did we learn? In what moments did we find the most joy? Or sadness? Where do we go from here?
No matter how hard you try to prepare for the close of the year (and trust me, I TRY), it’s always chaotic, reflective, and a mad dash to the finish - that precious week where everyone seems to stop running.
As I look back on the year, it’s hard to process. I’ve experienced so many major life and professional events, highs and lows, moments of pure greatness and many opportunities to grow; all while the marketing world is forever and always keeping us on our toes. Despite many changes in the marketing and business world, 2024 showed us there are some trends that are here to stay.
Social Media
It’s well past time to silence the boomers (haters). Social media is not going anywhere anytime soon. For those who thought that social would eventually have its downfall, you’re going to have to keep waiting. Social platforms showed us their staying power this year:
TikTok continued gaining momentum as the fastest growing social platform in the world, eclipsing 1.6 billion users and a search platform that is now second to Google/YouTube.
Instagram has become an established mode of communication and connection with over 500M daily active users of Instagram Stories.
LinkedIn… oh Linkedin. Some might call it an echochamber, others the second dimension of hell. Nonetheless, LinkedIn had a massive year this year now having over 900 million users, the birth of LinkedIn content creators/influencers, and global expansion. Six people are hired every minute through the platform.
AI
You knew this would be here. Marketing jobs will not be replaced by AI, but they will be replaced by marketers who know how to use AI. At Indie, we are at the beginning of adopting and testing AI tools that are still in their infancy. I am a believer that human input will continue to be needed for the foreseeable future, but we also need to roll up our sleeves and, put quite simply, get into it. The time is here for AI testing across:
Creative concepting
Audience & creative strategic brainstorming
Copywriting
Content development
Media optimization
Analytics & insights
In Person Work Culture
The days of fully remote work are coming to an end. Businesses are seeing the value from a culture and work product perspective in employees having face time. Clients are asking for in person meetings and connection. While technology is better than ever and so much can be done digitally, nothing can replace people being in a place together. While work culture has absolutely changed, I do believe hybrid in-office models and flexible office spaces are here to stay. Business is rooted in relationships and relationships are made stronger through human, in-person connection, shared experiences, and the in-between chats.
So what’s to come in 2025?! We’ll see… I’m sure there will be a prediction blog released next. Until then, let’s sit in what this year taught us, revel in the chaos as it all winds down, and enjoy the quiet week that we all deserve. Plus, the unknowns are the thrill of life. How bored would we be if we knew exactly what was going to happen next?!
Molly Baker | Chief Executive Officer