The beginning of the new year is always a great time to take a step back, view your business from a broader perspective and prepare for the year ahead. Part of looking at the bigger picture is ensuring your business aligns with trends and developments in the small business world.

In this article, we break down the most dominant trends for you to be mindful of so you can operate your business more effectively and grow your customer base.

Emerging Small Business Trends for 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The use and popularity of artificial intelligence exploded in 2023. Businesses are exploring all the possibilities of AI to increase their productivity and spend less time and energy on mindless tasks.

As a small business owner, you wear many different hats — oftentimes too many. There are many ways you can use artificial intelligence to alleviate some of the burden on your shoulders, streamline your tasks and be more efficient with your time.

Video Marketing and Storytelling

When TikTok exploded onto the social media scene in 2018, its short video format revolutionized the way people consume media and entertainment. These ‘loop’  or ‘reel’ videos make content more digestible. Other platforms have tried to emulate it; Instagram with its ‘Reels’ feature and YouTube with ‘Shorts’ are two others that have been widely used.

Telling your business’s story through these short-form videos can make your business more personable. Creating them is more cost-effective compared to other forms of promotion and can be a fun, creative exercise for everyone involved. Check out Influencer Marketing Hub for a comprehensive introduction to making this video content.

An Up-to-Date Website

Alongside social media, a website containing relevant content that is easy to use is vital to attracting and retaining customers. With the technological compatibilities businesses utilize today, consumers have very high standards for digital experiences.

If your website is not useful or informative, it can turn prospects away forever. A user-friendly, comprehensive website is crucial, signaling to potential customers that their experience matters.

Ethical Business Practices

Consumers are becoming more mindful of the ethics of businesses from which they buy things and are speaking with their wallets. The number of people with these principles increases in younger generations.

Small businesses engaged in the community, sustainable practices, inclusive hiring and other moral standards are ones consumers aim to support. They want their purchase behaviors to align with those ideals in an attempt to make the world a better place.

Social Proof

With the vast number of opinions they have access to through online reviews and social media, consumers can find out everything they want to know about a business before visiting their website or walking into their store. Around 81% of shoppers conduct online research prior to their decision to buy a product.

Ensure your business can prove the success and quality of your products and make it part of your marketing strategy to use the voices of your satisfied customers. Check out this article for the best practices for setting up a system of collecting social proof and communicating it effectively.

Unique and Personal Experiences

Customer service and experience are major factors for many consumers when evaluating a business. Making someone feel special is the best way to win them over as a lifelong loyal customer.

Building personal relationships, friendly assistance and personalized services are factors you can use as a small business owner to keep people coming back. Identify what makes your business special or try to find ways to make your business’s shopping experience truly one-of-a-kind.

It’s important you are aware of all the resources you can use, as well as what your prospects are looking for in a business. If you can hop on these small business trends this year, you will likely see increased productivity and happier customers!

If you liked this article, learn more about how the American Business Coalition can support you by visiting americanbusinesscoalition.info.