Social Media in 2026: Dos, Don’ts and Top Trends

Are you up to speed on the latest updates to social media? Blink and the social landscape seems to transform – and it’s hard to know if what you’re doing is outdated.

We’ve taken a look at the most important changes and priorities so you don’t have to. Keep reading to understand 2026’s top social media trends (so far), what to expect as the year goes on, and how to make sure your social content is the best it possibly can be.

2026 Social Media Trends

Social content is constantly changing, depending on audiences’ needs and preferences. In 2026, there are a few overarching themes we can explore – and tapping into these could help you see an improvement in your social media performance.

AI content has hit the mainstream

But that doesn’t mean people like it. AI has hit us like a tidal wave, filtering into every aspect of our online lives – from Google’s AI overviews (which now seem like a fundamental element in search) to the pervasive spread of AI-generated imagery and videos.

Ironically, at the same time AI content has seen this exponential growth, there has also been more focus than ever on the need for ‘authenticity’ on social media.

Content doesn’t need to be polished and professional – and in some cases, this could even hurt its performance. Particularly on platforms like TikTok, people are responding best to real people, real life, and unfiltered moments. So, if this isn’t already something your content strategy is taking into account, it should be.

One size no longer fits all

It used to be really common for brands to use the same content across different social media platforms. In 2026, this tactic could be putting you at a disadvantage. More than ever, social platforms are undergoing small but meaningful tweaks that set them apart from each other.

As an example, while ultra-short looping reels may be a success on Instagram, the same content is unlikely to perform as well on TikTok – where longer-form video is increasingly being pushed out.

And while a landscape image might fit in on someone’s Facebook feed, it will seem out of place on Instagram, where portrait and square imagery is far more common.

Additionally, while including a few relevant, well-placed hashtags on Instagram and TikTok could help improve how your content is categorised (and who sees it), hashtags in a Facebook post will just look weird and outdated.

Ultimately, it’s more important than ever to optimise your content for specific platforms. Otherwise, you could be hindering its performance before you even post.

Video is still king

The push towards video content certainly isn’t new, and it isn’t going away either. In 2026, it’s a given that video content will likely perform better than anything else on all the major social media platforms. So, if you aren’t already posting video content regularly, the question is why not?

For many businesses, the idea of producing video content might seem daunting – but it doesn’t have to be hard, or over-complicated. Short, 30-second videos are ideal for social media, and you don’t need sophisticated tech to get started – just a decent smartphone camera will do. You could try filming:

• Interviews with staff
• Behind-the-scenes videos
• Product unboxings
• ‘How to find us’ videos

And these are just a few examples to get you started.

Forget the idea of ‘one and done’

You might remember a time when any content you posted would be shown to your whole audience – or the majority of it anyway. Sadly, this is no longer the reality. On all the major social platforms, your content will only be served up to a subsection of your followers, plus potential new audiences who seem likely to engage with it.

What this means is that you can post the same content multiple times, and it’s likely a different audience will see it each time. So, don’t be afraid to re-hash and re-post your content, particularly if it has performed well previously. In all likelihood, doing this will help you grow your audience, reach new people, and even lessen the demand for you to produce new content (which we all know can be time consuming).

Reaction is as important as action

To thrive on social media in 2026, it’s not enough just to be active. Brands need to be reactive too. This means regularly engaging with your audience: answering comments, responding to DMs, and being involved with your communities online.

Quick, meaningful responses hold huge value to audiences, and can mean the difference between keeping a loyal customer or driving them towards a competitor.

Any engagement from you as a brand may spark further comments and engagement from your audience – and social algorithms are tuned to push content wider and wider, the more interaction they receive. So, as well as making sure your brand appears responsive and community-focused online, your replies could have the added bonus of helping your content perform better too.

Stay in-tune with social media trends

We’ve barely managed to scratch the surface here in terms of what’s going on with social media in 2026. Staying tuned into the trends and changes is vital if you want to maintain your content’s performance, so don’t let yourself fall out of the loop.

If you need a social media refresher or want to take your content production to the next level, why not take one of our training courses? We offer a range of social media courses tailored to your experience level, which can take place either remotely or face-to-face.