As we are almost in 2026 new content marketing trends are changing. What will be the next big thing be in this widespread industry? Or will the new trends revolutionize how we approach content marketing strategies?
What trends will dominate? Keep reading this updated blog post to find out!
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- In 2026, content marketing will be driven by live streaming, short-form video, and stronger visual content to keep users engaged.
- AI-powered content and personalized experiences will help brands create targeted content based on user behavior, interests, and past interactions.
- User-generated content (UGC) and influencer marketing will build trust, social proof, and community around brands at a lower cost than traditional ads.
- Voice search optimization, better SEO strategies, and strong reputation management will shape how people discover brands and how brands protect their image online.
- Brands that invest in better content quality, AR/VR experiments, and data privacy will stay competitive as content formats and user expectations keep shifting in 2026.
What Are The Latest Trends?
Content marketing trends are the latest marketing trends that involve the creation and sharing of online material (such as images, text, videos, blogs, and social media posts) promoting a brand to create an interest in its products or services. It is NOT advertising for a brand.
1. Growth of Live Streaming A Top Content Marketing Trend
It’s no secret that video is one of the most popular forms of content. A recent study showed that 80% of users would rather watch a live video stream than read long-form content.
With live streaming platforms like TikTok and YouTube Live becoming more popular, it’s no surprise that live video is one of the hottest trends in content marketing. Here are three reasons why you should use live video in your content marketing strategy:
Engagement and Interactivity
People love watching live streaming because they can interact with the person behind the camera. This interaction creates a connection between the viewer and the brand, which can lead to higher levels of engagement.
Authenticity and Credibility
In a time when consumers are bombarded with polished, perfectly-edited content, live video offers fresh air. They are authentic and relatable, showing viewers a glimpse into a company’s or individual’s real-life workings.
Memorable and Shareable
Live videos are often more memorable than pre-recorded videos because they capture moments in real-time.
This immediacy makes them more relatable, which can help extend your reach to new audiences.
2. The Content Marketing Shift With AI-Powered Content
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to several changes in the content marketing world. As AI becomes more sophisticated, marketers use it to create and distribute content. This trend is expected to continue in 2026 as AI-powered content marketing strategy becomes more commonplace.
One way AI is used is to create personalized content. By analyzing a user’s behavior, AI can identify the topics they are interested in and tailor content accordingly. This automated strategy helps to ensure that users remain engaged with the content.
3. Content Marketing Trends Include Personalized Content
One of the big themes we’ve already heard about is personalized content. When it comes to content creation, digital marketing agencies are constantly coming up with fresh, engaging, and interactive ideas.
Personalized content means more than just using a consumer’s name in an email subject line. It could be serving up different content based on a consumer’s location, interests, or even past interactions with your brand.
And in a world where more brands compete for attention, personalized content will be vital to winning the battle for hearts and minds. So if you need to think about how to personalize your content marketing, now is the time to start.
4. An Increase In the Use of UGC for Content
User-generated content (UGC) has always been a powerful tool for content marketers. Not only does it allow you to tap into the collective creativity of your audience, but it also helps to build trust and loyalty. There are a few key reasons why UGC is so influential:
- It cuts through the noise of traditional marketing messages.
- It can be an extremely cost-effective way to produce high-quality content.
- UGC can help brands generate valuable user data.
By tracking engagement with UGC, brands can gain insights into what types of content are most popular with their target audience.
Whether leveraging user-generated photos and videos or incorporating user feedback into product development, UGC is expected to grow in 2026 and beyond.
5. Better Visual Content
As a visual species, it’s no surprise that we’re constantly drawn to images and videos over written content. People are more likely to remember information presented in a visual format.
As a result, it’s no surprise that the trend for content marketing in 2026 is moving towards more visuals.
Websites and social media platforms increasingly use images and videos to communicate information, and businesses follow suit. By creating more and better visual content, businesses can reach a wider audience and engage potential customers.
Visual content is also more accessible to share than text-based content, making it more likely to go viral.
6. Voice Search Evolution As A Top Content Marketing Tactic
Voice search is one of the most talked about technologies in recent years. From Amazon’s Alexa to Apple’s Siri, voice-activated assistants are changing how we interact with our devices.
As more people adopt these assistants, it’s only natural that they will influence other areas of our lives – including content marketing.
In the coming year, we will see a shift in how content is created and consumed as people increasingly turn to voice search to find information. This change will have a major impact on SEO and the overall sound of content marketing.
7. Influencer Marketing
The rise of social media has given rise to a new breed of marketing known as influencer marketing. This relatively new form of marketing focuses on partnering with individuals with large social media followings to promote products or services.
According to a recent study, 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations.
Partnering with an influencer with a built-in follower base can be a great way to cut through the noise and reach your target consumers. So, if you want to stand out in content marketing, start thinking about incorporating this strategy yourself.
8. Better SEO Strategies
Anybody in the content marketing field will quickly tell you that SEO is important. It’s become so significant that it’s now one of the key pillars of any good content strategy.
However, as the world of search engine optimization develops, so do the best practices.
To stay ahead of the curve, content marketers need to be constantly updated on the latest SEO changes. Luckily, plenty of resources available online can help with this. However, many people can become SEO experts or use newer SEO AI tools to help them.
9. Short-Form Videos Are A Hot Content Marketing Shift
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s no surprise that video has become one of marketers’ most popular content formats. So what does this trend mean for content marketers?
First and foremost, it’s important to start creating more short-form videos. This could be anything from quick tips and tutorials to behind-the-scenes footage and customer testimonials.
Not only will this help you engage your audience better, but it will also take you a step forward in the competition.
Also, feel free to get creative with your videos. With the right mix of humor, helpful information, and visually stimulating content, you’ll keep people coming back for more.
I use a tool called Fliki today to generate videos from blog posts. It is so easy to use and is quick that I’m sure you would love it.
10. Reputation Management
Reputation management is a key factor driving content marketing trends and success in the coming year. As businesses strive to build their presence and engage with audiences, developing an effective reputation strategy will be essential for long-term growth.
There are more tools to help you manage your brand’s reputation in the coming year like Brand24.
A tool like this helps you find what others are saying about you on social media, something an old fashion Google alert does not do.
Bottom Line of Content Marketing Trends
The content marketing trends in 2026 are likely to be a continuation of what we are seeing now. More content strategies will progress toward better content, live streams, and video with the help of AI.
We will see more Augmented Reality(AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) integrated into platforms. And finally, privacy and data concerns will most likely continue to be an issue needed to be solved in the coming year.
What are you doing to up your content marketing strategy for the new year?
Frequently Asked Questions About Content Marketing Trends in 2026
The key trends for 2026 include more live streaming, AI-powered content, personalized experiences, short-form video, and better visual content. Brands will also rely more on user-generated content, influencer partnerships, stronger SEO strategies, voice search optimization, and active reputation management. These trends focus on deeper engagement, trust building, and being easier to discover across platforms and devices.
AI will shape how content is researched, created, and personalized. Marketers will use AI tools to analyze user behavior, identify topics people care about, and generate or repurpose content at scale. AI-powered content can tailor messages based on user interests, location, and past interactions, which keeps people more engaged. Many teams will also use AI SEO tools to find better keywords, improve on-page optimization, and refresh older content.
Personalized content helps brands stand out in a crowded feed and inbox. It goes beyond using a first name. You can show different content based on a user’s interests, past behavior, or where they are in the buyer journey. When people feel like a brand understands their needs, they are more likely to click, read, watch, and buy. In 2025, generic one-size-fits-all content will struggle to perform compared to personalized experiences.
User-generated content and influencer marketing both add social proof and authenticity. UGC, like customer photos, reviews, and videos, shows how real people use a product, which builds trust and can reduce content production costs. Influencer marketing uses trusted voices with active audiences to highlight your brand. Since 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations, these partnerships can cut through noise, increase reach, and support conversions.
For voice search, brands should write content in a clear, conversational style and answer common questions in a direct way. This helps content appear in voice results on assistants like Alexa or Siri. For reputation management, brands should monitor their name, products, and key people across social media and the web. Tools like Brand24 can help track mentions and sentiment so you can respond quickly, fix issues, and keep your online image strong.
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 14 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
Lisa helps her clients with social media, email marketing and some SEO.
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Section 2.1 for me Lisa, all day long, in terms of commenting, commenting and commenting even more. Comment on blogs. Comment on social media updates. Every time you type genuine words you immediately build traffic and income potentially, and using live or even recorded video to boost engagement makes sense as we look to mobile for video. Rocking post here.
Hi Ryan, yes you are comment king for sure! That’s how people get to know you as well, it works! Thank you for coming by Ryan and doing what you say. Have a great evening.