A look back on The Growth Agency in 2023:
2023 has been a year of massive growth for our clients. I feel that we are finally back to pre-pandemic levels, with more investment in marketing and client service and customers who are eager to buy.
This has translated in numerous projects for us at The Growth Agency. From creating new mobile experiences, to performance campaigns, conversion rate optimisation, first steps in AI by creating a POC chatbot, to think thanks about GDPR in marketing. Corporates are taking steps to ride the mobile wave while thinking of privacy and customer experience. And I believe that we will see this trend continuing in 2024.
About 2024 and the digital marketing landscape:
It’s crucial for us at The Growth Agency to stay not just current, but ahead of the curve. In 2024, we’re taking bold steps into the realms of Artificial Intelligence (AI), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance, advanced chatbot technologies, and the emerging field of search-generative experience. We believe that immersing ourselves in these trends will keep our clients’ marketing strategies ahead in 2024.
A company wide AI-training to get our team ready for ‘The Year of AI’
The role of AI in digital marketing can’t be overstated in my opinion. It’s transforming how we understand consumer behavior, personalize content, and optimize digital strategies. Recognizing this, we’ve chosen Growth Tribe to provide our team with comprehensive AI training and an AI for Business Certificate. This 40-hour training with practical exercises ensures that every team member is not just familiar with AI but is adept at leveraging its potential to create more effective, data-driven marketing solutions for our clients.
Why this focus on AI? Because understanding and leveraging AI is crucial in making marketing strategies smarter and more customer-focused. The ‘AI for Business’ program is hands-on, diving into real-world applications of AI in business. We’re talking strategy, machine learning, and decision-making powered by data – the skills that make a real difference in today’s market.
Our team has been working hands-on with AI tools in 2023. We did a team challenge to create content with AI way before ChatGPT existed, we’re using AI to handle large data sets for our clients, and we have been testing just about any AI chatbot on the market. For us, it’s about delivering value to our clients, backed by the power of AI.
I truly believe that 2024 will be ‘The Year of AI’, and a good understanding of the current models will be essential for all marketers (and business people for that matter). We’re looking to hire more team members in 2024 and I can honestly say that I won’t hire anyone who doesn’t know how to master the common AI tools for marketing purposes. That’s how big of a deal AI is.
GDPR: A whole lot of migrations to compliant marketing tools will be done in 2024
We’ve seen this ‘trend’, fueled by improved regulations starting in 2021 already. Fast forward to 2023 and GDPR is an agenda point for every CMO I know. Why? Because we see big fines being enforced. And not to the big ones, such as Meta and Google. No, even small businesses and even private persons are being slapped with fines. Check out the GDPR fines by sector and by country here.
GDPR fines can cost you up to 10M or 2% of your revenue, so it’s safe to say that it’s a big deal. The listed companies that we work for have chosen the path to compliance and are making big steps towards compliance already.
I’m expecting a whole array of companies to take this path in 2024. Migrations to GDPR-compliant marketing tools such as Piwik Pro, Matomo, Piano analytics etc will be more and more common, especially if tools such as Google Analytics don’t manage to comply.
Our Head of Data, Husain, is getting in-depth training of the available tools on the market and he is responsible for 2 big migration projects that will continue throughout 2024.
For us, GDPR compliance is about providing peace of mind. It’s about making sure that our clients’ strategies are not just successful but also secure and respectful of user privacy. This commitment to data privacy is a cornerstone of how we build trust and deliver excellence in the digital marketing world.
Innovating with Chatbots and ChatGPT
Chatbots and ChatGPT: Our Game-Changer in Customer Conversations
Let’s talk about chatbots. They’re not just a trend; they’re reshaping how we connect with customers. Our latest project? We’re working on a chatbot for an insurance client that’s going to increase customer satisfaction while making sure the pressure on customer service gets managed and customer service agents spend time on high-value tasks instead of answering routine product questions.
This project is more than just a tech upgrade. It’s about making customer interactions smoother, quicker, and just better. We’re talking 24/7 answers, and instant help – all thanks to the smart AI tech behind ChatGPT. We’re blending this tech with our marketing know-how to create chatbots that aren’t just smart, but also understand what customers need.
2024 is going to be a big year for customer experience. It’s going to be all about finding the right balance between human touch and smart tech. Companies that get this mix right are going to be leading the pace.
Here we can see that the role of growth marketing is not just focused on bringing in new clicks and leads, but it can also be in upselling current customers, making sure customers don’t churn and increasing overall customer experience and satisfaction. And our team is equally excited about creating value for companies on those levels.
The AI-Driven Transformation in Search: The Impact of Google’s GSE
We’re witnessing a pivotal moment in search technology, fundamentally driven by AI’s integration. With Google dominating the digital search landscape, their latest innovation, Search-Generative Experience (SGE), shows a significant leap forward from traditional SEO.
Google’s influence in online marketing is undeniable. The big majority of online experiences begin with a search engine, and Google holds the market share. Understanding and adapting to their changing algorithms and technologies is crucial for any digital marketing strategy. This is where SGE comes into play, representing a big shift in how content is discovered and interacted with.
Google’s Search Generative Experience moves beyond the conventional keyword-centric approach. It leverages AI to understand and predict user intent, so that it can deliver content that’s relevant to the user and the context.
The implications of this new way of working for businesses are profound. It means reevaluating and evolving their SEO strategies. It’s no longer sufficient to optimize for keywords alone. The focus must shift to developing content that addresses the specific needs and questions of users, tailored to the unique insights AI-driven search provides.
At The Growth Agency, we’re focused on mastering SGE. We are already working on the beta version of GSE to decode the nuances of this advanced search technology, making sure our strategies are tested. In an ecosystem where Google sets the rules, our goal is to empower our clients to not just navigate but excel in this new search landscape.
Conclusion
At The Growth Agency, our vision for 2024 is clear: We want to be the go-to partner for corporations when it comes to growth, and we will focus on leveraging AI to work smarter and more optimized. We will be updated on the latest technologies in AI to be able to educate our clients as well. We’re excited about AI Chatbots, the new way of using Google, and everything else that AI will impact in 2024! Our team is ready for it.
As a data-driven agency, we’re taking data privacy seriously. We’re making sure we advise our clients when it comes to GDPR compliance in marketing, and we support them in transitioning to GDPR-compliant tools and tech. We’re not GDPR-experts, we work with legal partners in Belgium and beyond.
Organic search and SEO is a core part of our toolbox as growth marketers, and the new AI-powered search experience (GSE) will level the playing field for a lot of companies. We’re committed to be at the forefront and are ready to implement tested strategies for our clients.
Overall, it will be an exciting year full of new technological advance, new ways of working and different types of objectives. I believe that a shift like this will separate the ones who are continuously learning and growing from the ones who try to keep the status quo.
Join The Growth Agency on this journey of growth and innovation.
