It’s that time of year for communicators—when we start wondering what the coming 12 months has in store for the industry. New research explores social media marketing trends that will shape brand strategies in 2026. While offering insights on everything from key content formats and paid media strategies to social workflows and virtual influencers, these 2026 predictions from social marketing platform Emplifi revolve around a central theme—the convergence of AI, authentic content creation, and integrated customer experiences.
The firm’s six predictions are based on social media performance data and insights from tens of thousands of global brands that use the platform to power their social media marketing, customer care, and commerce goals.
“The next era of social media marketing will test brands like never before,” said Emplifi CMO Susan Ganeshan, in a news release. “With generative AI now an integral component of most martech stacks, brands have unlimited capabilities to accelerate daily operations, personalize campaigns, and drive serious results across channels.”
Emplifi’s Top 6 Social Media Predictions for 2026
1. Creative Priorities Will Be Focused on Short-Form Video and UGC
According to the research, 73% of marketers are prioritizing short-form video formats, including Reels, TikTok, and Stories, and 47% report they are prioritizing user generated content (UGC). As consumers continue to gravitate toward more authentic, relatable stories, the strongest creative strategies will capitalize on these trends, packaging customer authenticity in naturally consumable formats rather than polished production.
2. Marketers Will Invest More of Their Paid Media Budgets in Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
The data shows that marketing budgets are being reallocated to video-centric platforms where social commerce is thriving, specifically Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Next year, the brands that win on these platforms will refrain from repurposing content, but instead implement platform-native strategies, including immersive Shorts on YouTube, creator collaborations on TikTok, and interactive Reels on Instagram.
3. Generative AI Capabilities Will Shift from Experimental Initiatives to Embedded Workflows
Generative AI has already become a mainstay within social media marketing and customer care operations. In 2026, AI technology will move far beyond pilot programs, becoming a core layer of a brand’s martech stack. This transition will open the door to more agentic AI implementations that manage real-time tasks—from drafting copy to adjusting campaign spend—allowing marketers and customer care leaders to shift their focus from execution to strategy.
4. Virtual Influencers and AI-Generated Creators Will Help Brands Refine Their Influencer Marketing Campaign Strategies
Despite a 30% decline in AI-only influencer partnerships, the firm forecasts virtual creators will remain a viable option when integrated into campaigns in a thoughtful and intentional way. Instead of replacing human influencers with AI-generated influencers, smart marketers will leverage virtual influencers to help scale their storytelling initiatives and to conduct visual experimentations.
The key to winning the virtual influencer game: anchor campaigns in real voices, remain attuned to audience sentiment and preferences, and most importantly, stay transparent about AI usage. (A recent consumer survey conducted by Emplifi found that 83% of consumers want disclosure when AI is being used.)
5. AI Automations Will Become Agentic, Helping to Minimize Burnout for Social Media Marketing Teams
More than half (52%) of the marketers surveyed for the firm’s State of Social Media Marketing report said that they experience feelings of burnout sometimes or very often—another 24% said that they experience burnout, at least, occasionally. During the next 12 months, Emplifi predicts burnout rates will decrease as brands rapidly evolve their AI capabilities and implement strategic agentic AI solutions. By automating scheduling, reporting, and other operational tasks, technology will serve as a force multiplier, allowing teams to focus on high-value creative work and strategic storytelling.
6. Social Media Marketing, Customer Care, and Commerce Strategies Will Converge into a More Holistic, Seamless Customer Experience
With two-thirds of social media marketers already collaborating closely with their customer care and commerce teams, the lines separating customer touchpoints will continue to blur in 2026. In the coming months, social media platforms will operate as the front door to the customer experience, ensuring discovery, purchase, and customer service efforts happen in one seamless flow.
“The brands best positioned to thrive in the new year will know how to balance AI-powered workflows with authentic customer experiences. They will build agentic AI tools to automate tedious tasks, connecting the dots with unified analytics that help them break down the walls between their marketing, customer care, and commerce strategies,” said Ganeshan. “They won’t just survive in the new age of generative AI—they’ll define what it means to be a customer-centric brand.”
