The 2026 social media management trends: Scaling authenticity.

PREDICTION #1

The Threads takeover is real. 📈

If you've been "waiting and seeing" with Threads, the wait is over.

According to our data, engagement and posting volume on Threads grew by over 300% between January and December.

The 2026 Threads strategy

Move your text-based "hot takes" and community conversations here. It's no longer an experiment; it's a pillar.

PREDICTION #2

The LinkedIn Page paradox: Why "Dead" pages are growing. 🏢

Despite the industry buzz about personal profiles and employee advocacy, our data tells a different story: LinkedIn Company Page activity is steadily climbing.

For agencies and multi-location brands using Sendible, the Company Page hasn't been replaced; it has been redefined.

In an era of AI-generated noise and individual "influencer" fatigue, the Company Page has become the source of truth.

The 2026 LinkedIn strategy

Don't abandon your Page for personal profiles; use them as a "Hub and Spoke" model. Your Page serves as the verified portfolio that converts the traffic your employees (the spokes) generate.

The Agency angle

Multi-location brands are doubling down on Pages to maintain brand safety and localised authority that individual profiles simply can't scale.

PREDICTION #3

The mid-week peak is shifting. 🕧

Our data shows that Wednesday remains the powerhouse for engagement, but Thursday is rapidly catching up as the second most active day for social activity.

The 2026 scheduling strategy

Front-load your high-value content for Tuesday through Thursday. Save your experimental or "low-stakes" content for the weekend dip.

In 2026, the most successful social teams won't just work harder; they’ll work smarter. We analysed over 12 million posts and found a fascinating divide in how content gets created:

The Compose Box (94.9%): High-touch, real-time, or uniquely tailored messages remain the gold standard for daily engagement.

Bulk Importer (5.1%): While it represents a smaller slice, this is where the "time-saving magic" happens.

What this means for 2026:

In 2024, the bulk import split was 8.3%, but in 2025 we saw a shift toward a "Hybrid Model." Agencies are using the Bulk Importer to feed Smart Queues with evergreen content up to 2 years in advance.

The 2026 strategy:

Use bulk importing to "set and forget" your baseline brand presence. This frees up your team's mental energy to use the Compose Box for high-impact, reactive content that can't be automated.

“We have literally saved about 50% of our time previously spent on social media management by using Sendible”

Scott Cox, Founder @ Social Reach

We compared over 12 million posts to see where agencies and multi-location brands are shifting their focus. Here is the breakdown of platform activity:

Posts per channel:

SOURCE: SENDIBLE USAGE RESULTS FROM JAN - DEC 2025

THE GRAPH SHOWS IT ALL

What did we learn from this?

Do not ghost on Facebook.

Knowing what to post is just as important as where to post it.

The era of "video at all costs" is evolving. While short-form video still has its place, our data shows a dramatic shift in how brands are choosing to tell their stories. Check out this year-on-year comparisson:

• Image (+7.7%): With a steady climb to 59.7% of all scheduled posts, images remain the reliable backbone of every successful feed.

• Carousel (+24.6%): The breakout star of the year. Carousels exploded from a mere 0.2% to nearly a quarter of all content, proving that "swipeable storytelling" is the new favourite for educational and B2B content.

• Video (-34.6%): A massive drop-off from 47.6% last year. Brands are moving away from scheduling "filler" videos and are now only hitting "record" when they have something high-impact to say.

• Stories (+1.6%): While still a small percentage of scheduled volume, Stories are being used more intentionally to build brand warmth and "behind-the-scenes" trust.

• Reels (-1.1%): A slight dip suggests that the initial "Reels or Die" panic has settled into a more balanced, strategic approach to short-form growth.

We tracked over 12 million scheduled posts to find the "pulse" of the social media week. While the mid-week peak is expected, the subtle gaps in the schedule are where the real opportunity lies for agencies and multi-location brands.

Best day to schedule content for:

• Wednesday (18.0%): The mid-week powerhouse. This remains the most popular day for scheduling YoY, as brands aim for maximum visibility when professional audiences are most active.

• Friday (17.6%) and Monday (17.2%): The bookends. High activity on Monday and Friday shows that brands are either starting the week with a bang or trying to capture attention before the weekend "log-off" begins.

• Tuesday and Thursday (15.9% - 16.1%): The "quiet" workdays. Surprisingly, these days see a significant dip compared to the rest of the work week.

• The Weekend (7.3% - 8.0%): The great silence. Saturday and Sunday remain the least utilised days, with less than half the volume of a standard workday.

How to play the "Day game" in 2026

The data suggests that most brands are following the same rhythm, which means your content is fighting the most noise on Wednesdays.

Find the "Blue Ocean" Gaps 🌊

• The mid-week move: If you have a high-value announcement, try shifting it to Tuesday or Thursday. With slightly lower posting volumes, you have a better chance of standing out in a crowded feed while your competitors are all shouting on Wednesday.

• The weekend advantage: For multi-location brands and local businesses, the Saturday/Sunday silence is a massive opportunity. While other brands go dark, your "human-centric" or "community-focused" content can own the entire weekend conversation.

Social media isn't a flat line; it’s a series of peaks and valleys. By taking a better look at over 12 million posts, we can see exactly when the industry hits the "gas" and when it takes a breather.

SOURCE: SENDIBLE USAGE RESULTS FROM JAN - NOV 2025

THE GRAPH SHOWS IT ALL

The October peak (8.9% of all scheduled posts):

The Spring surge (May 8.6% of all scheduled posts):

The "Quiet" quarter (Jan/Feb - 7.5% to 8.1% of all scheduled posts):

How to outsmart competitors' calendars in 2026:

• The February opportunity: While your competitors are still "recovering" from the holidays, February is the perfect time to launch a bold new brand voice or a high-value lead magnet. With nearly 15% less noise than October, your organic reach has a much higher ceiling.

• The "early bird" November: Interestingly, posting volume drops in November compared to October. Don't wait for the December rush. Instead, start your end-of-year storytelling in November to build trust before the ad costs skyrocket in December.

Data is only powerful if you have the tools to act on it.

Whether you’re pivoting to Carousels, tackling the "October Rush," or scaling a multi-location brand, Sendible is built to turn these insights into a repeatable, high-growth workflow.

Here is how you can use Sendible to master the 2026 landscape: