Social media is constantly evolving. It’s never static. So many changes happened in 2025, and as we move through 2026, we’ve seen trends emerge and impact how social media managers work for brands, businesses, and clients.
We know change can be tricky to navigate, so every trend in this report is supported by data and research.
As a bonus, we're sharing our free social media management trends report with you.
Below are our 12 research-backed social media trend insights for 2026 in more detail.
Short-form and vertical video will continue to dominate in 2026, with platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Reels leading the charge.
TikTok has 1.9 billion monthly active users (MAUs), as of Q1 2026, and its average engagement rate of 5.3% is higher than most social platforms.
It’s also overtaking Google in many ways as a search engine (social search optimisation), with 49% of consumers (and 65% of Gen Z) using TikTok as a search engine. And this trend is only going to increase across all demographics in 2026.
And there's a good reason for it.
Wyzowl's video marketing statistics report clearly shows that video marketing is the way forward:
Research also shows that users in the US spend an average of 45.8 minutes per day on TikTok and that Instagram users watch 17.6 million hours of Reels daily!
Data and reports aside, if you looked at your own social media networks, you would notice that you personally consume more short-form videos when scrolling.
If you want your business to succeed on social media and achieve your goals, engaging social media videos are the way to go in 2026.
When planning your short-form video strategy, it is essential to ensure that you are not blindly participating in trends and experimenting with unique sound clips just to be trendy:
Who is your target audience?
What is the goal of the video? Brand awareness? Ads? Personal connection?
Where will it be posted? TikTok, Reels, or Shorts?
YouTube Shorts: Repurpose TikTok content to promote longer YouTube videos.
The possibilities of short-form videos are endless, and this is precisely why this social media trend remains the leading one. The good news is you can schedule any type of short-form video (Reels, TikToks, YouTube Shorts) on any platform using Sendible.
In 2025, raw, unfiltered content reigned supreme. Audiences, especially Gen Z and Millennials, want to connect with relatable and transparent brands.
Consumers are tired of overly polished, generic content that feels disconnected from real-life experiences. Instead, they crave genuine interactions and relatable storytelling.
User-generated content (UGC) is a natural extension of this demand, acting as the ultimate proof of authenticity. By blending UGC with authentic, brand-created content, businesses can build trust, foster community, and enhance engagement.
Add BTS as one of your social media content pillars.
Share behind-the-scenes content, employee stories, and day-in-the-life videos. This helps audiences see the people behind the brand and fosters a sense of reliability. Don't be afraid to share no-context quotes, team-building photos, and challenges of different roles.
Engage with trending topics and challenges in ways that align with your brand values, but don’t force participation just to appear relevant.
Address mistakes openly, share insights about your processes, and provide an honest look at your company’s journey. Transparency is a cornerstone of authenticity.
UGC not only provides a cost-effective way to scale content but also brings trust and relatability that’s difficult to achieve through brand-created content alone. It lets consumers see how real people interact with your products or services.
Neal Schaffer, Author of The Age of Influence and Digital Threads says, "When I look at where social media is headed in 2026, it’s clear that creators aren’t just amplifying the customer journey anymore—they are the journey, guiding people from first discovery all the way to confident purchase with a level of trust brands simply can’t manufacture on their own."
Almost 6 full months later, we have to agree. This is exactly the way social media content has moved, and continues to move.
As platforms prioritise paid content and creator-driven posts, organic reach steadily declines.
Facebook posts now reach just 2.2% of followers on average, while Instagram posts reach 9.5%. This trend has pushed brands to rely more on paid strategies to maintain visibility.
However, generic, broad-reaching campaigns no longer deliver results in a world where users expect personalised and relevant content.
Narrow-targeted social media ads are the key to cutting through the noise and maximizing ROI.
Leverage analytics for precision: Use platform tools such as Meta Ads Manager, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, or TikTok Ads to segment audiences by interests, behaviours, and demographics.
Combine organic insights with ads: Monitor your highest-performing organic posts and use them as templates for targeted ads. Boosting proven content ensures better engagement and ROI.
Experiment with retargeting: Retarget users who have interacted with your organic content or website to create a second touchpoint that moves them further down the funnel.
While organic reach continues to decline, narrow-targeted ads offer a sustainable path forward. They allow brands to extend the reach of their best content, reach hyper-specific audiences, and drive meaningful engagement in an oversaturated digital landscape.
Combining organic strategies with paid precision allows you to achieve visibility and results without relying solely on one approach.
Social commerce — the inevitable blending of social media and e-commerce — has experienced significant growth and transformation in recent years.
In 2025, 46% of consumers reported buying products directly through social media. In fact, the global social commerce market reached $1.2 trillion in 2025, driven predominantly by Millennials and Gen Z consumers. That number is staying steady in 2026, mainly as a result of inflation and war-driven economic uncertainty.
Consumers actively engage with social media throughout their purchasing journey:
Brands and businesses with at least one social media account have 32% higher average sales than those that don't use social media. An active, authentic social presence means more sales.
In fact, the GoDaddy report revealed that the top three platforms are:
Statista reports that social media platforms have become the latest shopping destinations. Their data reveals that in 2023, the social commerce market in the US generated approximately $5.6 billion in revenue.
Projections suggest this figure will almost double within the next five years, reaching nearly $141 billion.
So, what does all of this mean for you?
As online buying becomes increasingly common and consumers use social media to buy or review products, you must provide easy ways for customers to purchase.
You want to work with them to minimise potential purchasing frustration and equip them with native shopping experiences and opportunities available on social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. This will result in a higher ROI and a better user experience.
Regarding social selling, the social media strategy is slightly different from what you might use for a service-based business.
One recurring message on social media is that you need to build a community.
This might sound vague or idealistic, but 66% of branded communities report that their community has impacted customer retention. According to the Global Web Index, 76% of internet users participate in online communities.
The amazing thing about a focused and mighty community is that this is where the brands’ most loyal and dedicated customers are. These are those ride-or-die, forever customers who are first to purchase and support.
With all this in mind, it's no wonder that some social media platforms, like TikTok and Instagram (Reels), now have handy features that allow you to respond to comments with videos, or share comments to your Instagram Story, and provide even more value.
But you can take this even further by creating private communities.
Following trends we’ve seen last year, in 2026, the focus continues to move further from amassing large follower counts to fostering engaged, meaningful communities.
Public feeds are no longer the primary channel for interaction; instead, users are migrating to private groups and niche communities on platforms such as Facebook Groups, Discord, and Slack.
This transition reflects a desire for personalized interactions and deeper connections, where users feel valued and heard, not just targeted.
This and next year, success on social media isn’t about chasing numbers—it’s about building a safe, inclusive home for your audience.
Private communities enable brands to create safe, trusted spaces where followers become loyal advocates. By focusing on depth and fostering genuine connections, brands can build lasting relationships that drive engagement and loyalty.
In an oversaturated social media landscape, users are becoming increasingly selective, engaging with fewer high-quality posts.
More people are turning to TikTok for answers and information rather than Google. A recent Adobe survey on this found that:
When you pair this with the factors that affect the TikTok algorithm (that's influencing changes in all the others) and the fact that Google now indexes Instagram posts, you'll realise that hashtags alone don't cut it anymore. You’ve got to optimise for social search.
AI-generated content refers to content created using artificial intelligence tools, including natural language processing, machine learning, and computer vision.
With the rise of social media platforms, there is a growing demand for high-quality, engaging, and personalised content. This is where AI-generated content comes in: it enables marketers to create content quickly and efficiently, saving time and resources.
Several AI tools have emerged to help marketers create social media content. Here's just a quick breakdown of the most famous ones:
But if you'd like to opt in for an undisrupted experience, we suggest you try Sendible's AI Assist. Save time by quickly generating engaging captions and ideas and ensuring brand consistency directly from Smart Compose Box, freeing you up to focus on other important tasks.
While there are benefits to using AI-generated content, such as faster content creation, increased personalisation, and cost savings, there are also some drawbacks.
One of the biggest concerns is the lack of creativity and authenticity in AI-generated content. There is also potential for errors, biases, and ethical concerns in the use of AI-generated content.
In 2026, consumers and B2B buyers are turning away from “AI slop”, so we urge caution in the use of it to create social media content. Here’s how:
In the first 24 hours since Threads launched, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads had reached 30 million users. People continue to flock to it because it’s a nicer, more authentic social media environment than Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter).
Now in 2026, Threads has over 400 million users and offers unparalleled organic reach (Sendible grew its own Threads views by a staggering 30,000% in 3 months).
Threads, created by the Instagram team as a major competitor to X (formerly Twitter), enhances your experience of sharing texts and engaging in public discussions. Or so they say.
It provides a dedicated space for self-expression, meaningful conversations, and connecting with like-minded individuals. You can easily log in with your trusted Instagram account, personalise your profile, and immerse yourself in a vibrant community.
Take control of who mentions and replies to you. Explore posts from accounts you follow and discover recommended content. Seamlessly share your thoughts to Instagram and other platforms. With Threads, there are no limits to your authenticity and creativity.
A growing number of brands are rethinking storytelling by treating every post or video as a “chapter” in a larger narrative.
Rather than posting disjointed, trend-driven content, these brands create interconnected episodes that build character arcs and ongoing storylines.
This approach not only provides a cohesive brand narrative but also hooks followers by inviting them to tune in for the next “episode” of the story.
Whether through a dedicated content pillar or across multiple channels, episodic storytelling is proving effective at deepening audience engagement.
This approach works for brands with large followers. Here is how you could get started:
In a significant shift, social media managers are stepping out of the shadows to become the human face of their brands.
Instead of interacting solely through generic, faceless brand accounts, audiences are now connecting with real people who embody the brand’s values.
For example, SEMrush has set a precedent by positioning its social media managers as approachable experts, fostering stronger relationships and enhancing brand authenticity. And we at Sendible are doing it, too! Did you have a chance to meet Connie?
You can see her on Instagram and TikTok, or read her unhinged posts on Threads!
She also just started her weekly newsletter, which is published online (yes, it's all lowercase), so you can connect with her by sharing inbox confessions.
B2B marketing is transforming, with a noticeable shift from lead generation to brand awareness.
Recent research indicates that lead generation has dropped to the seventh priority, while establishing and maintaining a strong brand presence has climbed to the top.
This trend aligns closely with the evolving emphasis on storytelling and personal connection. By prioritising brand awareness, B2B companies are not only enhancing their market presence but also aligning with the broader digital trends that favour authenticity and long-term engagement over immediate conversion metrics.
It’s not as alarming as it might sound. Social media networks are increasingly behaving like search engines, making social SEO and GEO essential. Just like traditional SEO, Social SEO involves a variety of elements, with hashtags being just one part of the mix.
You can’t simply add 20 hashtags and hope for the best. It’s important to be intentional with your choices. On Instagram, you aren’t allowed more than 5 now. Your hashtags should align with your keywords, description, and post content to be effective.
Make use of your social media holiday calendar, to use highly-relevant hashtags for your brand and the time of year.
Staying on top of annual social media trends is important for adjusting your strategy. But if you're serious about reaching those business goals, you'll want to stay up to date on the latest social media news as well.
This will allow you to develop new tactics and experiments and act promptly to adjust your content strategy.
Here are the latest ones:
📊 LinkedIn expands analytics with new metrics. You can now track saves and sends in your LinkedIn Analytics, providing deeper insights into how your audience engages with your content.
🧵 Threads introduces automatic post counters. When sharing multiple posts in a thread, the app will now automatically number them so readers can follow along in order. Btw, did we mention we grew our Threads views by 30,000% in three months?
📌 Instagram brings back pinned comments. Instagram has reintroduced the option to pin your own comment to the top of your post, ideal for context, updates, or key highlights.
🔗 Instagram is testing the ability to add links to posts. Yes, that's right! Your clients and managers have been asking about it for a decade now, and we thought they were crazy. But they actually saw the future.
🖇️ Speaking of links, they said that adding a link to LinkedIn doesn't limit a post's reach. But LinkedIn's Senior Director of Product Management also said that your post needs to give enough context that it can stand alone. In other words, the post should be written so users don't need to click the link.
Don't forget to subscribe to our monthly newsletter Insider to stay on top of the news.
There are numerous trends you could hop on to. But be careful, as it is too easy to get lost in them. This is why we carefully selected these 12 trends that could make the biggest impact on your social media strategies and content pillars in 2026.
And now that you're familiar with everything there is to know about the latest social media trends, it's time to work on your strategy! So, read our handy guide on content pillars and start planning social media content calendars for your clients.
Social media scheduling made easy, with Sendible.
Plus we support agencies: Find out more: streamline your social strategy.