In the final episode of our Predicting the Future of Social in 2026 series, three themes dominated the discussion:
Social in 2026 isn’t going to be defined by another round of new formats, shiny platform updates or algorithm changes. It’s going to be defined by something far more fundamental: how brands show up, how audiences find them, and how human they’re willing to be.
In the final episode of our Predicting the Future of Social in 2026 series, three themes dominated the discussion:
For all the innovation we’ve seen such as AI production tools, lo-fi formats and endlessly available templates, the brands that stand out in 2026 will be the ones who feel the most human. That means content that actually adds value to a user’s day, not more content for the sake of posting. It means behind-the-scenes moments, real people, and ideas that contribute something meaningful to overstretched feeds.
AI will play a role, of course. But authenticity will decide whether anyone connects with what you make.
One of the strongest predictions from our panel? Brands need to stop treating their feed as the centre of the universe.
In 2026, audiences won’t be “visiting” your channels in the traditional sense, they’ll discover you across search results, For You Pages, platform recommendations and paid touchpoints long before they ever land on your grid.
We’ve moved beyond: “What are we posting?” The smarter question is now: “Where are people discovering us, and does our brand look and feel consistent across every touchpoint?” Organic, search and paid can’t be strategy silos anymore. They need to work like one system.
AI and automation will continue levelling the playing field in paid. But if every brand uses the same tools in the same way, the result is simple: everyone looks the same.
The brands who win next year will be the ones who use automation to free their teams to think differently, not as a replacement for human judgement. Because social performance doesn’t come from the technology itself. It comes from the thinking wrapped around it.
If there was one message that summarised the whole discussion, it’s this:
Audiences don’t experience your brand in pieces. They experience one single, connected journey, whether the content comes from organic, paid, creators or AI.
And next year, the brands who thrive will be the ones who design for that single, joined-up experience.
If you want to hear the full discussion, including the debate on AI authenticity, what “premium” content now means, and how platform behaviours will evolve, watch the episode.