Every new year, the marketing world gets busy forecasting big shifts and declaring the death of various strategies. But if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that things can change quickly and often in directions we didn’t expect. Making 'predictions' feels slightly absurd, but it’s still useful to pause, look at what’s happening in real time, and pay attention to the signals going on around us.
Instead of trying to guess where the entire industry is heading, I’m more interested in the patterns I’m seeing inside real businesses: what my clients are investing in, what they’re moving away from, and what they’re seeking more of. These are the trends shaping how I’m approaching content and messaging for 2026.
AI search is growing, but SEO isn’t going anywhere
Yes, AI search is reshaping the way people look for information. But SEO isn’t dead (nothing ever is, it just evolves!). Instead of chasing keywords or quick-win optimisations, brands are leaning into clarity, structure, and genuine usefulness (which, tbh, have always been the foundations of good SEO). People are searching across more surfaces than ever: Google, TikTok, Instagram, newsletters, private communities and, increasingly, AI tools.
What matters is being discoverable in more than one place, being consistent across those places (with your messaging) and basically creating content that answers a question better than anyone else.
Businesses are shunning AI content in favour of originality
I’m already hearing clients say they regret jumping on the “fast and cheap content” train. They tried it. It didn’t work.
There’s a growing realisation that their edge — their voice, their thinking, their stories — can’t be automated. Nor do they want it to be. Premium brands don't do things on the cheap. The brands investing in thoughtful, crafted, perspective-led content are the ones finding high quality (read: big budget) clients, and this pattern will only strengthen in 2026.
Long-form content is having a real return
Long-form content is one of the few formats with a genuine shelf life. Algorithms shift. Social platforms change their rules. But a strong piece of long-form content can serve your visibility, credibility and authority for years.
The trend isn’t necessarily “everyone should blog again”. It’s more that business owners are rediscovering the benefit of having a home for their own ideas (somewhere they control, that doesn’t disappear in 48 hours, and that AI search can perpetually reference).
I've written more about why blogs still matter in the age of AI search here.
Done-for-you services will keep growing
Business owners are tired. They’re stretched. They’re looking at all the areas they’re trying to master and realising it’s not sustainable. They're also (as above), looking to think and act like a premium brand (so they can charge as such).
Courses still have their place, but the appetite for DIY solutions is different now. People want someone who can take a specialised task off their plate and do it properly, because they’d rather spend their time on the parts of the business only they can do. It’s a return to valuing expertise over shortcuts.
Brand building will matter more than performance marketing
There’s been a noticeable shift away from chasing quick conversions. Businesses want to build a reputation, a sense of identity and a distinct point of view that gives their brand staying power. Strong brand foundations make every other marketing effort easier, including performance marketing. But the sequence is flipping: brand first, optimisation second.
We can all think of brands we've seen quickly rise, and then suddenly disappear. Don't feel threatened by flash-in-the-pan brands, who appear to be winning out of nowhere. In competitive spaces, it's still (and always will be) the brands with a clear voice, a clear stance and a clear promise that people gravitate to. Trust, in this economy, is golden.
Zero-click content becomes the norm on social
Social platforms want people to stay where they are, which means posts that provide value immediately — without asking for a click — are performing better. That's not to say links are obsolete (we still need our website to do the heavy lifting), but it means trust-building is the prerequisite for action, so make this the underlying goal for your social efforts. It's “giving people a reason to trust you on the platform” rather than “getting people off the platform”.
Interpretation will matter more than information
AI can gather information faster than we ever could, but it can’t bring context, nuance, discernment or taste. People want someone who can help them make sense of things, not just repeat what’s already online. This is where the real value of expert content sits: the ability to interpret, not just inform.
We all now have access to the world's biggest template library (AI platforms), so we don't need another generic download. Clients are willing to pay for specific advice, that fits the context of their life or business (not everyone else's).
Businesses will diversify where they show up
Social ain't going anywhere, but it’s certainly not the single point of truth (good brands know it never was). I’m expecting to see more energy going into owned channels: blogs, email, content libraries, private podcasts and membership-style hubs. These are the places where depth lives, and they’re far more stable than anything built entirely on borrowed land.
The middle of the market will shrink
A 'premiumisation' of expertise is already happening. AI has taken over the low-cost, low-complexity end of content creation. High-touch, strategic work is thriving. The middle — the semi-original, semi-template, semi-cheap space — is where things feel squeezed.
I’m already seeing businesses becoming more willing to invest in specialists, because they’ve realised the cost of doing things half-heartedly. There’s less appetite for DIY shortcuts, and more appreciation for people who can step in, understand the whole picture and deliver a result that moves the business forward.
Businesses are either investing in quality or opting for AI plus occasional support. The brands that sit in the middle will have to move.
Where this leaves us for 2026 (TLDR)
If I were choosing where to put my energy this year, I’d focus on:
strengthening voice and differentiation
building content with real longevity
being findable across all the places people actually search
choosing depth over volume
investing in relationships and reputation
working with clients who value original thinking
and creating work that reflects where you’re going, not where the industry has been
What else are you seeing within your own industry? What resonates with you here? I'd love to hear.
