Social media tips tricks 2026

By 2026, social media will require a transition from passive posting to optimizing "social search," fostering genuine communities, and utilizing AI-enhanced, engaging short-form videos. Essential tactics include incorporating keywords in captions and bios, focusing on raw user-generated content (UGC), and choosing niche creators over celebrities.

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Key Social Media Trends & Strategies for 2026

• Social SEO & Discovery: Enhance profiles, captions, and alt-text with keywords, as users are increasingly searching for products directly on TikTok and Instagram instead of Google.

• "Silent-First" Video: Develop short-form videos that can be understood without sound, using text overlays and subtitles, since over 70% of users watch on mute.

• Community > Reach: Focus on engagement metrics like saves, shares, and direct message interactions rather than follower count.

• AI-Powered Insights: Utilize tools like Sandcastles.ai and SortFeed to explore trending topics and competitor content before creating videos.

• Micro-Influencers & UGC: Partner with niche creators (5k-20k followers) for greater trust and extensively use user-generated content for authenticity.

• Authentic Content vs. Polished Ads: Raw, educational storytelling and behind-the-scenes content outperform high-budget, overly-produced, "perfect" ads.

Essential Tips & Tricks

• The "First Hour" Rule: Engage with comments and messages within the first hour of posting to enhance initial visibility.

• Vertical Video Pillars: Concentrate on captivating hooks in the first 3 seconds, followed by educational or entertaining narratives.

• Repurpose, Don't Clone: Tailor content for specific platforms (e.g., data-driven carousels for LinkedIn versus emotional, fast-paced reels for Instagram).

• Audit & Iterate: Use analytics to monitor conversions and ROI, moving away from "vanity metrics" to data-driven decisions.

• cisions.

12 social media trends for 2026

Social media trends typically involve shifts in user behaviors—like preferences for video over static images—and platform functionality, like social media companies introducing on-platform shopping features. The most important social media trends at the moment are:

To compile our list, we synthesized findings from several industry reports and studies from companies like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, HubSpot, and Gartner. As you read through it, remember that your social media strategy may not need to include every aspect of this list. It’s important to consider how well these trends align with your marketing strategy and business goals.

1. AI is a content creation essential.

A survey by AIPRM reveals that seventy-five percent of workers utilize generative AI (GenAI). For those in marketing, GenAI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini enhance daily operations and tasks. According to a 2026 report from Sprout Social, 80 percent of marketers acknowledge that AI has had a positive impact on their work, with 78 percent noting more time for creativity and 73 percent observing increased efficiency [2].

Using GenAI for content creation

According to a 2024 HubSpot report, marketers consistently use GenAI throughout the content creation process: 34 percent use it for research, 41 percent use it to outline content, and 46 percent use it to draft content [3].

As you incorporate AI into your social media posts, it's important to consider your audience and brand voice. In a 2026 survey, Hootsuite found that 62 percent of consumers are less likely to engage with or trust AI-generated content—a sentiment that's particularly pronounced among older generations [4].

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2. AI can improve campaigns using marketing analytics.

Social media marketers have long utilized marketing analytics, including engagement metrics, to guide their content schedules. Today, AI can further enhance your analytical abilities, delivering more comprehensive insights and accurate trend forecasts.

There are several ways to begin integrating AI into your marketing analytics. Some popular social media platforms, like Sprout Social, provide AI-driven features within their systems, and you can also use ChatGPT to perform data analysis.

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3. Short-form videos are what consumers want.

Consumers primarily want brand social media accounts to focus on short-form videos, like those found on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, according to Sprout Social [5]. And tech companies are looking for ways to make video production easier for brands. Look for Meta's Movie Gen to launch in 2025, which will use AI and simple text outputs to create custom videos [6].

Even while short videos are the go-to, it’s worth noting that TikTok has been testing the boundaries of attention spans. In January 2024, TechCrunch reported that the app expanded its long-form upload limits to 30 minutes after previously testing 3-minute, 10-minute, and 15-minute limits [7].

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4. Information and entertainment will be bigger priorities.

The type of content brands share on their social media channels share is evolving. Hootsuite claims that 60 percent of content will prioritize information and entertainment over traditional promotional messaging in 2025 [8]. This shift reflects growing consumer fatigue with direct marketing approaches and an increasing preference for authentic, value-driven content.

Consider adopting a more editorial mindset, focusing on creating content that educates, entertains, or solves problems for audiences rather than content that pushes sales messages. Think: educational how-to videos and behind-the-scenes clips. This "content-first" approach helps build stronger connections with audiences, establish brand authority, and foster long-term loyalty through meaningful engagement.

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5. Consumer shopping habits are boosting social commerce.

An increasing number of social media users now make purchases directly in their apps. According to Statista, in 2023, there were 106.8 million social buyers in the US. By 2027, they forecast that this figure will grow by over 10 percent to 118 million [9].

At the same time, social media companies are making it easier to shop on their platforms—take, for example, the introduction of the TikTok shop—which can help to encourage in-app consumer behaviors.

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6. Social media platforms are becoming viable search engines.

The social media landscape has expanded beyond newsfeeds. Now, more users are treating the platforms as search engines, seeking product recommendations, advice, and more. Prabhakar Raghavan, a Google senior vice president, said that the company estimates 40 percent of young people use TikTok or Instagram as search engines [10]. This user trend underscores the importance of understanding the search and discovery features on your social media channels and optimizing your content for them.

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7. Followers want more authentic connections.

When you’re thinking about how to communicate with your social media audiences, authenticity should be top of mind. To meet that need, brands are investing more in content that educates and informs their audiences without trying to sell or promote anything, according to Hootesuite's Social Media Trends 2025 report [8].

And who shares those messages matters. In Sprout Social's Content Benchmark Report, users said they largely wanted to see average people in social media posts: front-line employees (48 percent), social media teams (42 percent), and real customers (42 percent). Meanwhile, executive leadership lagged in popularity, with only 15 percent of respondents expressing that desire [11].

As you think about how to maintain relevance on your brand's social media accounts, it’s worth considering how you can show up authentically and foster a genuine connection with your target audience.

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8. Influencers and UGC can build greater brand authenticity.

Regarding authenticity, audiences often find it easier to trust information about your brand when it comes from a third party. This is one reason marketers continue to incorporate content creators and influencers into their social media strategies. According to HubSpot, 50 percent of marketers utilizing influencer marketing plan to increase their investment in this strategy in 2024 [12].

However, social media marketers are not only focusing on well-known influencers but also on everyday content creators. User-generated content (UGC) has become a cost-effective method to enhance brand awareness and promote products in a way that feels more genuine than influencer partnerships might. A report from Gartner revealed that over 80 percent of consumers believe UGC enhances product discovery, brand trust, and experience [13].

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9. Personalization is increasingly important.

Sprout Social reveals that 51 percent of consumers consider brands that engage with customers on social media to be the most memorable. Additionally, 76 percent appreciate a brand's quick response time, and 70 percent expect personalized replies to their customer service inquiries [2].

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10. Brands will prioritize social platforms by ROI.

Brand leaders are thinking more strategically about the business value of their chosen platforms and prioritizing efforts on those that deliver the strongest ROI. This trend may be driven by two important points:

• A decline in user trust is poised to transform how individuals engage with social media, emphasizing the need for brands to utilize these platforms wisely. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 50 percent of consumers will greatly reduce their social media use due to their perceptions of platform quality [13]. 

• As reported by Hootsuite, social media teams are increasingly feeling overwhelmed by the number of platforms they manage. They are evaluating which platforms yield the desired outcomes and are discontinuing use of those that do not [4].

The biggest platform usage changes from 2022 to 2023 include increased usage on TikTok and LinkedIn (16 percent and 5 percent, respectively), and decreases in use across WhatsApp, Pinterest, and X (18 percent, 11 percent, and 7 percent, respectively) [4]. Meanwhile, HubSpot reports that the platforms with the strongest ROI, according to marketers, are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok [13]. 

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11. Brands will continue exploring new platforms.

As platforms like Reddit, Substack, and Bluesky gain prominence—and a larger user base—brands may be tempted to establish their presence. However, success on these platforms requires more than simply showing up. Each platform has its own unique culture, community norms, and user expectations that brands must carefully consider before diving in.

• Reddit's community, for instance, is notoriously skeptical of overt marketing and values authentic, transparent engagement.

• Substack demands high-quality, consistent long-form content.

• Bluesky users prioritize genuine conversations and intellectual discourse.

Before expanding to these platforms, brands should thoroughly evaluate whether their content strategy, resources, and brand voice align with the platform's ecosystem. It's better to excel on fewer, well-suited platforms than to spread resources thin across channels that don't serve their audience or business objectives effectively.

12. Bold creative moves are the future.

There tends to be an established way of doing things for every brand. But in recent years, social media has been evolving into a compelling playground where bold creative moves—especially those that seem "off-brand"—yield impressive results.

According to Hootsuite's Social Media Trends 2026 report, social media teams are increasingly experimenting with creativity across their channels, even if it looks different from how the company promotes itself elsewhere . Now isn't the time to play it safe. Instead, lean into creative posts that break the mold.

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