We would be remiss if we didn’t attempt to predict how our industry would shake out in terms of social media for 2026. In this blog, we outline what trends we expect to see in this new year, as well as some recommendations for how to balance planning evergreen content while leaving room for trends.
AI Integration
AI is no longer a novelty. More than a billion people use AI monthly, and platforms and brands are embedding AI into creative production, ad optimization, and content personalization. What does this all mean for content teams?
- Faster iteration: Use generative tools for first-draft scripts, caption variants, and A/B visuals, then layer human edits to keep voice and brand guardrails.
- Personalization at scale: AI-driven ad creative can dynamically tailor images/copy to audience segments or even to individuals’ preferences. Test low-risk campaigns that let AI optimize placement and creative. Meta, one of the largest social media advertising channels globally, is looking to fully automate advertising by this year.
- Ethics & transparency: Consumers care how AI is used (and some brands see engagement gains by rejecting AI-created humans). Be explicit about AI use where it matters (e.g., synthetic people) and keep brand values front-and-center. Some brands like Aerie have gone so far as to specify they are not using AI on their images of real people.
Community Building, Shift to DMs, Microinfluencers
Social is moving from talking at followers to a conversation. Community-first strategies, private/closed spaces (DMs, groups), and deep relationships with smaller creators (nano/micro influencers) are driving trust and conversion more than one-off paid reach. We expect platforms and brands to lean into community features and creator commerce even more in 2026. Why should this matter to brands? Engagement depth beats raw reach: a DM conversation or a product shared in a hyper-relevant micro-community can convert better than a viral post. Additionally, micro and nano-influencers offer higher authenticity, niche audience alignment, and often better ROI for tight budgets
Authenticity over Polished and Produced Content
Audiences (especially Gen Z and younger Millennials) increasingly prefer real, imperfect content. That means behind-the-scenes, candid confessions, and unfiltered product demos over slick, airbrushed advertising. Brands that demonstrate transparency or refusal to over-produce can see higher engagement and trust. Brands can achieve this through the following:
- Lower barrier content: Short, relatable clips, vertical video, or employees speaking directly to the camera for social media content.
- Strategic authenticity: Being authentic doesn’t mean chaotic. Define where and how your brand shows vulnerability (e.g., product missteps, production life, user stories).
More Highly Produced Serial Content
While authenticity rises, platforms also reward serialized, appointment-style content. Think “episodes” or recurring shows that treat social channels as mini-networks. Highly-produced serials (with consistent formats and cliffhangers) increase watch time and build habitual audiences, bridging creator-first formats and premium production. A great example of this is the Roomies content, which is basically a social show with its own dedicated social following created by the brand bilt. This may seem like the opposite of authentic, lo-fi content we mentioned earlier, but both can coexist. Audiences want relatability and something to tune in for. Serialized content combines production value with a predictable viewer habit.
Brands that invest in a smaller number of high-quality series (e.g., weekly mini-docs, recurring tutorials) can create owned IP and higher CPM-worthy inventory.
Trends Versus Trending Versus Evergreen
There is a distinction between trends in our space, like types of content or formats, versus trending content, which is usually a specific style of video or carousel type that users use across TikTok and Instagram. Trending content usually features a specific audio, dance trend, storytelling format, or text-on-screen usage. We recommend embracing trends when they make sense for your brand and to do the trend as close to it debuting as possible to avoid being late to the game and piling on. To help plan for trends and evergreen content, there are a couple of things you can do:
- Develop a content calendar and plan out social media holidays in advance like Halloween or Groundhog day.
- Leave flexibility to account for 1 trend a week or 1 a month, depending on your brand’s posting frequency.
- Embrace content trends and platform new features. The platform algorithms will often reward early adoption of new trends, so it helps to experiment. Even if it is slotting in one post a month for this experimentation.
In 2026, social strategy will be defined by a blend of AI-powered efficiency, deeper community engagement, and a dual demand for both raw authenticity and premium, serialized storytelling. The winning approach balances a strong evergreen content backbone with flexible space for emerging trends, allowing teams to plan confidently for the year while staying nimble enough to jump on what’s next.
