Digital Marketing in 2026
It’s that time of year again!
This is my third time exploring Digital Marketing trends, and while the larger themes remain the same (AI is changing things, targeting smarter has never mattered more; neither has showing your humanity and authenticity), there are a few smaller themes within this that should shape what you’re doing day-to-day.
Over the years I’ve come to think of trends pieces less cynically; at one point in time, not that long ago, I’d roll my eyes on how you could copy and paste most articles year-on-year and 90% of people wouldn’t notice.
Now, however, I think it’s an interesting moment in time to step back and look at where we all are with these increasingly inevitable themes and trends.
With that said, let’s get to it.
1. AI is redefining search, discovery and visibility
Google is rapidly shifting toward AI-native search experiences (AI Mode, generative overviews, answer-led results). The familiar journey of keyword > link > click is being disrupted by conversational, synthesised answers that often remove the need to visit a website at all.
This matters because discoverability is no longer just about rankings. Visibility now depends on being a trusted source that AI systems choose to reference or summarise. Traffic patterns, attribution models and what we define as “SEO success” are changing fast. I spent some time last week looking at exactly what that means for your website.
For marketers, this means evolving your SEO strategy and complementing with a a GEO one: prioritising clarity, authority and machine-readability. Structured data, strong expertise signals, genuinely useful content and brand trust will increasingly influence whether you appear in AI-driven answers.
Further reading:
2. Social media is fragmenting - generational behaviour matters more than ever
Social media is still central, but platform behaviour is diverging sharply by age. YouTube maintains broad dominance, TikTok continues to skew younger, while Facebook and WhatsApp retain volume and usage among older demographics.
This matters because “just being on social” is no longer a strategy. Platform choice now shapes not only reach, but perception, trust and tone. Some customers might feel icky about certain brands being on X for example, while others might not care at all. The same message performs very differently depending on where it appears. You’re far better off being effective on the 1 or 2 platforms your audience uses, than spreading yourself too thinly across 7 or 8.
For marketers, this means sharper channel strategy. Each platform should have a defined role, audience and creative style. Distribution should be intentional, not duplicative.
Further reading:
3. In an AI world, creativity becomes the real differentiator
As AI accelerates content production, “good enough” content is abundant. Every other post on LinkedIn now features signposting, em-dashes and strategically placed emojis. The brands that stand out will be those with genuine taste, strong creative direction and emotional resonance.
This matters because volume alone will not win attention. The risk is a crowded landscape of bland, automated content that looks and feels interchangeable.
For marketers, this means investing in creative thinking, not just output. Strong visual identity, storytelling, brand voice and distinctive ideas become critical assets - even if AI supports the execution. I think this is a great way of reframing the ongoing human/authenticity conversation.
Further reading:
4. Audiences want to participate, not just consume
Consumers increasingly expect to interact with brands, not simply receive messaging. Participation, co-creation and creator-led content are becoming default expectations, particularly among younger audiences. And when they do engage, you’d best be reposting from your stories.
This matters because passive brand broadcast is steadily losing effectiveness. Engagement now comes from involvement, relatability and shared ownership.
For marketers, this means designing campaigns that invite contribution: user-generated content, community prompts, creator partnerships, remixable formats and interactive storytelling.
Further reading:
5. Data, automation and optimisation are now baseline capabilities
Advanced measurement, automation, predictive personalisation and real-time optimisation are fast becoming defaults, not differentiators.
This matters because brands without strong data foundations simply cannot compete effectively - regardless of their creative ambition.
For marketers, this means getting the basics right: clean data, clear KPIs, reliable attribution, integrated CRM systems and a realistic understanding of performance drivers. It also means not giving up on something before you have enough data.
Further reading:
6. Inclusivity, cultural fluency and authenticity still matter (regardless of political headwinds)
Kantar argues that inclusive innovation and culturally fluent communication remain essential globally - even as certain political narratives, particularly in the US (but also in the UK), push in the opposite direction. Now, Kantar, an market research agency, might have a certain bias in making this assertion of course - but it’s food for thought.
This all matters because the world does not revolve around one market, whatever the media will have us believe. There are over 200 countries, and audiences increasingly reward brands that reflect real diversity and lived experience.
For marketers, this means maintaining authenticity over optics. Representation should feel genuine, values should be consistent, and inclusivity should be embedded rather than performative.
Further reading:
7. Digital maturity is global - but relevance remains local
Digital reach is now near-universal across many regions, but user behaviour, cultural nuance and platform preferences vary significantly between markets.
This matters because assuming global uniformity weakens relevance and effectiveness. What works in the UK may not translate seamlessly to the US, Australia or wider EMEA markets.
For marketers, this means designing strategy that balances global consistency with local intelligence - adapting tone, content and platform mix to each market context.
Further reading:
That’s it! If you found this interesting, I would hugely appreciate it if you shared with your friends and colleagues.
If you’re feeling particularly generous and enjoyed this edition, I won’t stop you from buying me a coffee. Otherwise, I’ll see you next time 🫶
This is such a sharp and well-structured look at where we are heading, Tom. Your point about visibility shifting from rankings to being a trusted source for AI synthesis is spot on and really critical. It seems like we are moving from a game of algorithm optimization to one of pure information utility, where the 'brand' is just the reliability of the data you feed the model. However, I wonder if this will eventually lead to a bifurcated web where we have 'human-first' spaces that are messy and creative, versus 'machine-first' spaces that are sterile and structurd purely for ingestion. It feels like the premium on human connection will skyrocket as the rest of the web gets optimized for bots.