7 must know marketing trends for 2026

It may just be the recency bias talking, but 2025 has seemed to be one of the biggest, most transformative years for digital marketing since the advent of the world wide web. AI has burst into the mainstream public consciousness and quickly transformed the face of our digital landscape at a truly unprecedented scale, with more people using the internet and social media than ever before – according to Ofcom’s 2024 Online Nation report, a near-total 97.8% of the British population has access to and/or uses the internet regularly, spending an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes a day across all devices. It’s been the challenge of marketers this year to create advertising that cuts through the clamour of rival businesses and products to speak directly to this increasingly online audience, maintaining relatability and brand identity whilst also leveraging content to perform well within the boundaries of new technologies like agentic AI search. 

As 2025 comes to a close, however, it’s time to look ahead to what the future of marketing might hold. The experts at Rawww have put their heads together to compile a list of the top 7 must-know marketing trends for 2026, touching on everything from smart social media strategy and data privacy practices to the great blogging renaissance. 

1. Social platforms are becoming search engines

Traditional search engines are seeing a shift in users and behaviour trends as people increasingly turn to social media platforms with their queries, using apps like TikTok and Reddit for everything from finding recipes and restaurant recommendations to keeping up with breaking news stories. Forbes and Talker Research’s 2024 survey of 2,000 Americans found that there has been a 25% decrease in Google usage by Gen Z compared to Gen X, with just under a quarter of all people surveyed stating that they preferred using social media to search for items and topics as opposed to traditional search engines. Brands in particular should be keeping an eye on this marketing trend moving into 2026, as social media has proved to be an effective tool for visibility and community-building: 24% of all people surveyed claimed they discovered new businesses on social media ‘daily’, with this number doubling to 44% amongst Gen Z. 

Whilst this phenomenon is fairly recent and research as to why exactly remains somewhat speculative, the primary motivators put forth to explain why more people are using social media as a search engine include: 

• Convenience: 29% of people polled by Forbes and Talker Research said that they use social media as a search engine out of convenience as they’re already active on these platforms at the time of needing information, with 22% of respondents adding that they like social media for its quick results. 
• Authenticity: When SERPs are overrun with sponsored results and it becomes almost impossible to tell an endorsement from a genuine opinion, people begin to search for honest answers on social media. A staggering 92% of customers trust user-generated content (brand material organically created by regular users as opposed to influencers) over brand-created content, which is seen as less authentic. 
• Personalisation: 19% of survey respondents said they enjoy the personalised results that social media searches offer, influenced by smart algorithms that find content tailored to their specific preferences. 
• Engaging format: Social media searches offer a more dynamic and visually interesting experience, with 22% of respondents saying they prefer the engaging nature of video content over static, text-based web pages. 

As social media platforms increasingly double up as search engines, their algorithms must also evolve to match the demand for well-informed, relevant answers. Platforms like TikTok are now starting to index videos the way that search engines index web pages, analysing data like video titles, captions, spoken words, and user comments so that content can be pushed to its intended audience by the algorithm. Combined with TikTok videos and public Instagram profiles being indexed by Google from late 2022 onwards and featuring prominently in Google’s new, social-media style ‘Perspectives’ search, this breakdown of barriers between digital platforms – search engines becoming social, social media becoming searchable – seems set to continue into 2026. 

For the industry at large, all this points towards a future of marketing that involves a fluid, dynamic, omnichannel approach to content which is able to remain agile in the face of shifting user behaviours. We predict that one of the biggest trends in marketing for 2026 will involve producing versatile content that works on multiple levels: as entertainment, as an answer to a search query, and as marketing material. 

2. Privacy-first marketing

This year has seen large corners of the internet touched by governmental authority, with 2026 looking set to usher in much of the same. The UK government passed the Data (Use and Access) (DUA) Act earlier this year, an important piece of legislation that works to reform existing UK GDPR and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations in line with the evolving digital climate. Number 10 also officially began the enforcement of the Online Safety Act (2023) in July of this year, stirring up myriad opinions and a healthy dose of controversy with their landmark decision to require all websites hosting 18+ content to ask for ID-based age verification. With more digital rulings set to be drafted and a formal AI bill looming on the horizon pending the conclusion of expert consultations, one thing seems clear – businesses must stay up-to-date with online legislation as it’s passed, lest their marketing strategies unwittingly fall foul of new regulations or guidelines. 

Ways that you and your business can stay compliant include: 

• Conducting regular data audits: Review what personal data you collect, where it’s stored, how it’s processed, and whether you still need it. Delete it if you don’t. 
• Review and refresh consent mechanisms: Ensure all data-capturing elements on your website use clear, affirmative consent (no sneaky language or pre-ticked boxes) and make opting out as easy as opting in. 
• Prioritise zero-party data collection where possible: Zero-party data collection means that the data you collect is all willingly given by customers through interfaces like quizzes, preference centres, surveys, and loyalty programmes. This cuts out the need for a third-party middleman. 
• Train your team: Ensure everyone handling customer data understands their responsibilities and is up-to-date on necessary training. 
• Build first-party data strategies now: Third-party cookies are on the way out across most browsers – more privacy-oriented browsers like Firefox and Opera have had them disabled for a while, with Google the latest to announce that they will be turned off by default. This means it’s important to invest in building direct relationships with your audience through email lists, account creation incentives, and value-exchange content. 

As personal data becomes a more valuable – and more contentious – commodity than ever, it’s important that your business strategy takes into account how new legislation and privacy laws may impact the future of marketing as we move into 2026. 

3. Optimising for AEO as AI agents drive ‘zero-click’ search

It’s the virtual elephant in the virtual room – there hasn’t been a corner of the internet free from the AI revolution this year, with OpenAI’s ChatGPT racking up an eye-watering 800 million active weekly users by April and seemingly every company launching their own version of integrated agentic assistance and smarter working. Google’s new AI Overviews and AI Mode have completely overhauled the way that people engage with search results and, consequently, the way that content should be written in order to rank highly on the results page. The amount of ‘zero-click’ searches – searches that don’t result in a single conversion, as the information needed has been found directly on the search results page – has rapidly grown following the introduction of AI-assisted search, with a Bain & Co survey finding that 80% of search users rely on zero-click searches about 40% of the time. For businesses looking to secure conversions, this doesn’t sound ideal – but there exists a solution (or three) in the form of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), and Large Language Model Optimisation (LLMO).

Whilst they might sound like three versions of essentially the same thing, these strategies have cropped up to address the various and nuanced challenges and requirements of AI search: 

• AEO: Answer Engine Optimisation ensures that your content contains a well-researched, authoritative answer that will be cited by AI chatbots. Think of it as making sure you’re the source that’s quoted by AI engines. 
• GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation takes AEO a step further by ensuring that your business is directly referenced in an AI answer, not just used as a source. Think of it as making sure your content is featured in generated summaries and comparisons. 
• LLMO: Large Language Model Optimisation is all about making sure your website content is as AI-friendly and parsable as possible to large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini – remember, if they can’t properly understand your content, they won’t use it. Think of this as speaking the AI’s language to ensure your content stands out. 

If all this new marketing jargon feels confusing, don’t worry – we’re here to help. Check out this blog for a deeper dive into AI Overviews, AI Mode, and how to optimise your content to remain visible with these changing SERPs, or check out this blog for a handy, in-depth look at AEO, GEO, LLMO, and how they’re impacting traditional SEO.

 4. Blogging for SEO makes a comeback

Remember when blogging was all the rage? Although corporate blogging may have fallen out of vogue in recent years, we predict that 2026 will be the new 2006, sparking a resurgence in blog-based content largely as a result of AI platforms’ preferences for authoritative, human-authored writing. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI answer engines frequently cite high-quality content from real people with real experiences, meaning that websites producing regular, well-written blogs are being pushed to searchers more than those neglecting their blogging. 

According to research from SEO guru Neil Patel collected over 12 months from 20 different companies, the 10 businesses that stopped blogging saw alarming declines in traffic and engagement: 

• 39.7% loss of SEO traffic 
• 10.4% revenue drop 
• Only 6.5% increase in LLM traffic

Whereas the 10 brands which continued to publish well-researched, informative blog content saw: 

• 85.8% increase in LLM traffic 
• 9.1% revenue growth 
• A much smaller 18.2% average loss of SEO traffic 

These stats make almost certain the prediction that 2026 will be the year of blogging, with content rooted in lived experiences, expertise, transparency, and storytelling looking set to perform strongly across both traditional SEO and AEO-powered AI discovery. 

5. Getting creative to combat advertising fatigue in consumers

The stats don’t lie; people are growing more and more tired of being sold to, which unfortunately makes a marketer’s job somewhat difficult. According to SurveyMonkey research from 2024, a staggering 74% of respondents think there are too many ads on social media, with almost half (44%) stating that they find social media ads irrelevant to their wants and needs. With advertising and marketing material becoming a more and more pervasive element of everyday life, cropping up everywhere from public transport on the daily commute to the screen of your household smart fridge (yes, really), it’s the job of the marketing industry in 2026 to push creative boundaries and stand out from the ever-growing melange of competitor advertisements. 

So, what will this look like in practice? 

• Lead with entertainment: Content that makes people laugh, think, or feel something is far more likely to be engaged with than a straight product pitch. Think less 'buy now' and more 'watch this' (and then ‘buy now’). 
• Invest in storytelling: Narrative-driven content builds emotional connections that static ads simply can't achieve. Whether it's a behind-the-scenes look at your team or a customer success story told cinematically, stories stick in a way that stuffy sales copy just doesn't.
• Embrace user-generated content: As mentioned earlier in this blog, 92% of consumers trust UGC over brand-created content, finding it more relatable and authentic than traditionally brand-affiliated adverts. Encouraging your audience to create content on your behalf not only builds trust but also lightens your creative workload.
• Create genuine value: Educational content, useful tools, and resources that solve real problems position your brand as helpful rather than overly pushy. The sale becomes a byproduct of trust rather than the sole objective of every interaction.

6. Social commerce will continue to star

Continuing the trend of social media platforms becoming a digital one-stop-shop, e-commerce has really stepped into the limelight this year – in particular, integrated shopping experiences found on apps like TikTok Shop or Facebook Marketplace. Research commissioned by TikTok and conducted by Retail Economics projects that the UK social commerce market will more than double from its current value to reach £16 billion by 2028, growing at four times the rate of overall eCommerce; for context, this would see social commerce account for 10% of the total UK online commerce market, up from just 6% today. That's not a statistic worth ignoring.

For brands looking to capitalise on this marketing trend in 2026, the playbook is evolving rapidly:

• Make content shoppable: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok now allow products to be tagged directly in posts and videos, meaning every piece of content can be an opportunity for conversion. The line between content and commerce is blurring fast.
• Leverage live shopping: Throw it back to the days of TV shopping this year, because demonstrations and real-time Q&A sessions create a sense of urgency and build trust in a way that static posts simply can't replicate. TikTok Live Shopping and Instagram Live are leading the charge here, bringing the energy of in-person retail to the digital space.
• Partner with creators: Influencer-led product discovery remains incredibly effective: The Influencer Marketing Hub's 2025 Benchmark Report found that 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations over traditional branded content, and brands are seeing an average return of $5.20 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing.
• Offer platform-exclusive deals: Creating incentives that are only available through social channels drives both engagement and sales whilst rewarding your most active followers. 

Brands that still view social media purely as a broadcast channel for awareness are missing a significant revenue opportunity. In 2026, social commerce isn't a nice-to-have, it’s a need-to-have.

7. The rise of serialised short-form content

Short-form video has dominated digital marketing conversations for years now, but 2026 will see a notable evolution in how brands approach the format. Audiences aren't just hungry for quick, snackable content anymore – increasingly, they're craving depth, storytelling, and real substance, even within the constraints of a 60-second clip.

Research from Upskillist shows that creator-driven, narrative content is dramatically outperforming traditional branded material, generating 10× more views, 3× higher save rates, and 5× more meaningful comments. Audiences want to feel invested in what they're watching, not just passively entertained for a few seconds before moving on to the next thing.

This is where the concept of the micro-series comes in: episodic, serialised content designed to keep viewers returning for the next instalment that focus on building story arcs, developing recurring characters or themes, and creating a sense of anticipation that keeps audiences coming back for more. Think of it as appointment viewing for the TikTok generation – content that people actively seek out rather than stumble upon. But why does serialised content work so effectively?

• It builds habit: Viewers who enjoy episode one will actively seek out episode two, creating a pattern of return engagement that single pieces of content rarely achieve. This repeated interaction signals value to platform algorithms, which in turn boosts visibility.
• It deepens connection: Ongoing narratives allow audiences to form relationships with characters, presenters, or storylines over time, turning passive viewers into invested fans who feel a sense of ownership over the content.
• It rewards consistency: Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts favour creators who post regularly with content that retains attention. Serialised formats naturally encourage both consistent posting schedules and higher watch-through rates.

For brands, the opportunity lies in thinking beyond the individual post. What story can you tell over five episodes, or ten? What characters, themes, or recurring segments can you develop that audiences will want to follow?

Conclusion 

As we move into 2026, these seven marketing trends make one thing abundantly clear: the way people search, shop, and engage with brands is changing faster than ever before. From social platforms doubling up as search engines and AI-driven discovery reshaping how content is found, to privacy-first expectations forcing a fundamental rethink of data strategies and the resurgence of meaningful, human-led content cutting through an oversaturated digital landscape – the brands that adapt early and with built-in flexibility will be the ones that come out on top.

The future of marketing belongs to those willing to embrace change, experiment with new formats, and prioritise genuine connection over short-term gains. Whether that means optimising your content for AI answer engines, investing in serialised storytelling, building out your social commerce capabilities, or simply creating content that entertains rather than interrupts, the opportunity is there for the taking.

Want to know more about any of these marketing trends for 2026 or need help implementing them into your content strategy? Get in touch with us today.