12 Major Social Media Trends in 2026

Key takeaways

• The latest social media trends include using AI for content creation and marketing analytics, developing short-form videos, and building more authentic connections with followers.

• Social media trends are emerging patterns, behaviors, features, and content types, and staying informed of them helps you expand your channel’s success.

• Current social media trends also focus on delivering information and entertainment to followers rather than simply promotional marketing.

Relying on influencers to build brand authenticity and personalizing the customer experience are additional current social media trends to consider. Learn more about some of the more dominant social media trends in 2026.

Afterward, if you're interested in developing your social media skill set, consider enrolling in Adobe Social Media and Content Creation Specialization. You'll have the opportunity to learn how to create multimedia content, including videos, graphics, and podcasts, build and manage social media campaigns across multiple platforms, apply storytelling and design principles to digital content, and use creative tools to streamline and enhance content creation.

12 social media trends for 2026

Social media trends refer to popular or emerging patterns, behaviors, features, and content types that gain significant traction. Staying informed about social media trends can help you maintain or expand the success of your channels. While some types of social media trends can move quickly, like memes, others are more long-term, and you can use them to inform your overarching social media marketing strategy and content calendar.

Social media trends typically involve shifts in user behaviors, like preferences for video over static images, and platform functionality, like social media companies introducing on-platform shopping features.

To compile our list, we synthesized findings from several industry reports and studies from companies like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, HubSpot, and Gartner. As you read through it, remember that your social media strategy may not need to include every aspect of this list. It’s important to consider how well these trends align with your marketing strategy and business goals.

1. AI is a content creation essential.

The Federal Reserve reports that about 41 percent of workers use generative AI (GenAI) [1]. For marketing professionals, GenAI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini can improve day-to-day processes and tasks. Gallup reported that 65 percent of employees reported that AI boosted their productivity and efficiency, with 16 percent reporting extremely positive experiences [2].

Using GenAI for content creation

According to AHREFS’ The State of AI in Content Marketing report, 87 percent of surveyed respondents consistently used AI throughout the content creation process [3].

As you incorporate AI into your social media posts, it's important to consider your audience and brand voice. Klaviyo’s 2026 Consumer Trends Report found that just 13 percent of consumers completely trust AI, and 36 percent somewhat trust it [4].

Read more: Social Media Content Strategy: How to Build a Successful Plan in 8 Steps

2. AI can improve campaigns using marketing analytics.

Social media marketers have been using marketing analytics, such as engagement metrics, to inform their content calendar for quite some time. Now, AI can enhance your analysis capabilities, producing more robust insights and reliable trend predictions.

There are a few ways you can start incorporating AI into your marketing analytics. Some common social media tools, like Sprout Social, offer AI-powered features within their interface, but you can also prompt ChatGPT to conduct a data analysis.

3. Short-form videos are what consumers want.

Consumers primarily want brand social media accounts to focus on short-form videos, like those found on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, according to Sprout Social [5]. And tech companies are looking for ways to make video production easier for brands. Meta's Movie Gen uses AI and simple text outputs to create custom videos [6].

Even while short videos are the go-to, it’s worth noting that TikTok has been testing the boundaries of attention spans. In 2026, TikTok videos can be up to 10 minutes long, and uploaded videos can be 60 minutes long [7].

4. Information and entertainment will be bigger priorities.

The type of content brands share on their social media channels is evolving. Many users rely on social media for information gathering. This shift reflects growing consumer fatigue with direct marketing approaches and an increasing preference for authentic, value-driven content.

Consider adopting a more editorial mindset, focusing on creating content that educates, entertains, or solves problems for audiences rather than content that pushes sales messages. Think educational how-to videos and behind-the-scenes clips. This "content-first" approach helps build stronger connections with audiences, establish brand authority, and foster long-term loyalty through meaningful engagement.

How to research social media trends

You can research social media trends by accessing analytics tools within various platforms. Check out Facebook Audience Insights, Instagram Insights, or YouTube Analytics to assess how your social media stacks up against competitors and identify trends. Online tools, such as a trend tracker on Hootsuite, can also help you explore current social media trends by region, industry, and more.

5. Consumer shopping habits are boosting social commerce.

An increasing number of social media users now make purchases directly in their apps. According to Statista, in 2026, there were 1.63 billion social buyers worldwide [8].

At the same time, social media companies are making it easier to shop on their platforms—take, for example, the introduction of the TikTok Shop, which can help to encourage in-app consumer behaviors.

6. Social media platforms are becoming viable search engines.

The social media landscape has expanded beyond newsfeeds. Now, more users are treating the platforms as search engines, seeking product recommendations, advice, and more. According to Adobe, about half of all consumers use TikTok as a search engine [9]. This user trend underscores the importance of understanding the search and discovery features on your social media channels and optimizing your content for them.

7. Followers want more authentic connections.

When you’re thinking about how to communicate with your social media audiences, authenticity should be top of mind. To meet that need, brands are investing more in content that educates and informs their audiences without trying to sell or promote anything, according to SproutSocial [5].

And who shares those messages matters. As you think about how to maintain relevance on your brand's social media accounts, it’s worth considering how you can show up authentically and foster a genuine connection with your target audience.

8. Influencers and UGC can build greater brand authenticity.

Speaking of authenticity, sometimes it’s easier for audiences to believe something about your brand when the information comes from a third party. This is part of the reason why marketers continue to include content creators and influencers in their social media strategy. According to Aspire, 74 percent of marketers planned to increase their influencer marketing budgets in 2026 [10].

However, it’s not just known influencers that social media marketers are turning toward, but also the average content creator. User-generated content (UGC) has emerged as a cost-effective way to promote brand awareness and products in a way that feels more natural than influencer partnerships can feel. A report from Salesgenie indicated that 80 percent of consumers trust UGC more than traditional ads [11].

9. Personalization is increasingly important.

According to Statista, 89 percent of business leaders find personalization important to their success [12].

To efficiently accommodate this high-touch service, social media teams are again turning to AI, using chatbots and automation tools that can respond to basic customer needs, and it seems to be working.

10. Brands will prioritize social platforms by ROI.

Brand leaders are thinking more strategically about the business value of their chosen platforms and prioritizing efforts on those that deliver the strongest ROI. This trend may be driven by two important points:

• A decline in user trust stands to reshape the way people use social media, making it more important for brands to use social media wisely. Trust levels vary across platforms, with Gartner reporting that 25 percent of users have complete trust in YouTube but just 8 percent have compete trust in TikTok [13].

• According to Sprout Social, network fragmentation and the rise of content types require social media teams to tailor content to each platform [14].

According to Statista, the most popular social media platforms in 2026 are Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok [15].

11. Brands will continue exploring new platforms.

As platforms like Reddit, Substack, and Bluesky gain prominence and a larger user base, brands may be tempted to establish their presence. However, success on these platforms requires more than simply showing up. Each platform has its own unique culture, community norms, and user expectations that brands must carefully consider before diving in.

• Reddit's community, for instance, is notoriously skeptical of overt marketing and values authentic, transparent engagement.

• Substack demands high-quality, consistent long-form content.

• Bluesky users prioritize genuine conversations and intellectual discourse.

Before expanding to these platforms, brands should thoroughly evaluate whether their content strategy, resources, and brand voice align with the platform's ecosystem. It's better to excel on fewer, well-suited platforms than to spread resources thin across channels that don't serve their audience or business objectives effectively.

12. Bold creative moves are the future.

There tends to be an established way of doing things for every brand. But in recent years, social media has been evolving into a compelling playground where bold creative moves, especially those that seem "off-brand," yield impressive results.

According to Hootsuite's Social Media Trends 2026 report, social media teams are increasingly experimenting with creativity and AI across their channels, using more predictive social analytics and rapid experimentation at scale [16]. Now isn't the time to play it safe. Instead, lean into creative posts that break the mold.

Discover free social media resources for your career

Join us on Career Chat to gain insights into industry trends. Then, explore these social media resources to learn more:

• Bookmark this page: Social Media Terms and Definitions

• Consider your path: Social Media Career Progression: Job Levels & Skills to Advance

• Watch on YouTube: How to Become a Social Media Manager

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