As the year comes to an end, the JE Consulting team have been looking back at a year of significant change in the digital marketing sector, especially within marketing for professional service firms.
We have seen the influence of ChatGPT take centre stage, Twitter change its name to ‘X’, and SEO become a highly relevant player in the way your website works.
Web design and performance has become more significant and the social media space has seen the impact of a more video-orientated advertising push.
Our team has been adapting to this rapidly changing landscape and has learned some important lessons along the way.
Now, we would like to share some of these lessons with you.
Technology, AI, and the cloud
By Jo Edwards, Senior Director
Professional service firms have been increasingly integrating AI and cloud-based technology into their operations and we have been doing the same.
We have a well-trained team of copywriters who are fluent in ChatGPT prompts and getting the most out of this new technology.
The content we create still very much relies on the creative abilities and flair of our team but we have been able to speed up our writing processes considerably, all whilst maintaining the quality of our copy.
Many companies are seeing the same results, with Forbes suggesting that ChatGPT boosts the quality of content creation by 40 per cent.
We are excited about the advantages that AI will offer marketing professionals and we are actively encouraging our teams to interact with ChatGPT to ensure we stay at the forefront of innovation in that field.
Similarly, cloud computing is now fully integrated into the professional services sector as well as in marketing and we intend to embrace the opportunities this system offers.
These new technologies have not made our jobs redundant or reduced the impact of our talented team, but we have adapted quickly to ensure that we remain industry leaders in our field and have embraced the innovation that technology has brought.
Web design and performance
By Paul Edwards, Senior Director
2023 highlighted the importance of proper web design and a high-performing website.
Accordingly, we have seen a significant increase in the interest and focus that professionals are paying to their internet presence, website design and performance.
We now know that the average time spent on a website by an individual is just 53 seconds, as of 2023 – this is likely to shrink even further next year.
This reflects what we now know about the degrading of attention span in consumers and the importance, therefore, of eye-catching graphic design and efficient web functionality.
Our web design and graphics teams have been working hard to keep up with the changing face of this side of the digital marketing equation.
We have been focusing on the visitor journey and user experience (UX) to drive conversion rates for our clients.
This is alongside our other efforts in Pay-Per-Click (PPC), organic SEO and social media advertising.
My recommendation to professional service firms, going into 2024, would be to invest in your website design now, rather than later. The longer you leave it the more likely you are to be left behind.
Social media
By Celbe Silcock, Social Media Manager
This year, TikTok took the advertising world by storm. Their ad revenue is set to hit $13.2 billion by the end of 2023, a 33 per cent increase from last year.
The same can be said for Instagram, whose ad revenue rose from $43.28 billion in 2022, to $50.58 billion in 2023. Predictions suggest they are headed for $59.61 billion in 2024.
Our social media team feel that this reflects the power of video for the marketing profession, rather than these platforms specifically.
Especially in a social media setting, with most algorithms now favouring videos over static posts.
You only have to look at the statistics to see that consumers expect more dynamic content from brands and will engage with videos more.
In fact, people are 52 per cent more likely to share video than any other type of content.
While 66 per cent said they watch video content to learn more about a brand or product – suggesting that written content no longer holds the same value.
As you can see, video is now far more influential than written content and, as a result, firms should all be seriously considering a video-based marketing campaign in 2024.
Video could be the difference between staying competitive and falling behind in your marketing practices.
The current and future state of SEO
By Tom Mason, Director of Communications
One of the fundamental changes that we have seen in 2023 is the prominence of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in both the rhetoric of marketing professionals and in the minds of our clients.
Suddenly, SEO has become a serious consideration for anyone with a website who wishes to rank highly on a search results page.
And its utility is reflected in numerous studies that suggest that SEO drives 1,000< per cent more than organic social media.
Within the company, we have been working hard to train both our copywriters and our web developers on the latest changes in SEO and how they can implement these lessons into their work.
We’ve seen a marked increase in the SEO scores of our blogs, articles, and web pages as a result – which is a huge positive for our clients.
Clients themselves have been curious about SEO and many are asking what we can do for their website, which demonstrates just how valuable the field has become.
In 2024, we will be looking to seamlessly integrate SEO best practices into our work so we can provide an optimised service for all our clients.
(We recently wrote a blog on optimising your website’s SEO, which you can access here).
Graphic design
By Todd Gravestock, Creative Director
We try to remind our clients that staying on top of graphic design trends allows your branding to really speak to your audience.
By keeping up with the latest styles, you’re showing your audience that you’re in the loop with what’s working in the design world and what’s catching people’s attention.
From an operational point of view, our team are using the latest technology, including AI, to fulfil the mundane tasks that had previously required our attention and freeing up the artistic abilities of our team to focus on adding creative design value to the work we do.
In terms of design principles, modern nostalgia and candy colours are now in fashion while super clean designs act as a countermovement.
Graphic design has seen a rapid change due to technology’s influence, (like every marketing department), and these new design principles focus on a clean, bright, and warm impact on the reader.
Utilising these new design principles enhances user engagement and improves brand perception, directly impacting the success of our clients’ websites.
Final thoughts from the JE Consulting team
As we reflect on the past year, it’s clear that the marketing landscape for professional services has undergone a profound transformation.
The rise of AI and cloud computing, along with significant shifts in social media dynamics and the critical importance of SEO, have redefined how we approach marketing strategies.
Our team has adapted and embraced this innovation and we are, of course, continually evolving our skills in the field of digital marketing.
Looking ahead to 2024, we foresee an even greater reliance on technology-driven marketing solutions for professional service firms.
The integration of AI will continue to revolutionise content creation and customer interaction, making personalisation more sophisticated and effective.
Additionally, the ongoing development of SEO and its impact on web presence suggests a future where digital visibility becomes increasingly competitive.
Gone are the days where professional service firms could rely on a high-street presence and word-of-mouth to market their business.
In short, 2024 belongs to those who embrace digital marketing in all its forms and adapt to the emerging trends.
If you would like advice on any of the subjects mentioned above, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our team at info@je-consulting.co.uk or call our office and ask for the relevant team member on 0121 355 4774.
