5 Marketing Shifts for 2026: What's Actually Working

The start of a new year always brings a mix of energy and pressure.

Many of us are sitting down right now to think about our marketing, communications, and content plans for 2026 — what to start, what to keep, what to change, and maybe even what to finally let go of. And if we're being honest, that planning process can feel even heavier than it used to.

There are more tools. More platforms. More advice. And now, more AI — promising speed, efficiency, and scale, while adding another layer of decisions and noise.

If you're feeling a little overwhelmed thinking about increasing your visibility and engagement right now, you’ll soon see you're not alone.

The insights that follow grew out of a very unscientific survey of some of my most trusted and favorite people working in marketing, communications, publishing, and creative leadership. You can find them (and many other people I admire) here for their conviction, their craft, and the way they show up for their communities.

They were asked some general questions: What are you noticing as we head into 2026? What's changing? What's actually working? How are you helping?

What came back wasn't a checklist or a trend forecast in the traditional sense. It was something more human.

Across responses, there was a shared pull away from the stress of constant output and need to be on — toward approaches that feel more intentional, more sustainable, and more aligned.

Less interest in being everywhere. More focus on clarity. On tending to what already exists. On relationships. On showing up in ways that feel true and doable.

Obviously, AI showed up (almost everywhere) in these conversations — as both a source of acceleration and a contributor to fatigue. Yes, it's helping people think, edit, and work more efficiently. But it also risks flattening voice, watering down expertise, and creating generic, disconnected content. The difference, again and again, came back to thoughtful intention.

Here's the good news: in a landscape increasingly shaped by automation, being you matters more than ever. Your expertise. Your perspective. Your ability to connect meaningfully with the people you're here to serve.

The “shifts” that follow aren't meant to overwhelm or prescribe. They're meant to orient — to help you step into this new year with a clearer sense of what to prioritize, what to question, and how to build visibility and community in ways that actually support the work you're doing.

Think of this as a guide, not a rulebook — shaped by smart, thoughtful voices, real tensions, and a shared desire to move forward with more clarity and less confusion.

Let's dig in..

1: AI as a Thinking and Productivity Partner — Not a Proxy for Voice or Expertise

AI is everywhere right now (it helped with this research project)!

It’s speeding things up.
Filling blank pages.
Summarizing, drafting, automating — and offering real relief from overload.

But how people are actually using AI? It's more nuanced than the headlines suggest.

Instead of a magic solution, AI is showing up as a powerful partner when used with intention — and a real risk when it becomes a way to disengage or outsource thinking altogether.

Here's what's becoming clear: your thoughtful, personalized, creative influence matters - now more than ever.

“As AI capabilities expand, human skills — strategic thinking, judgment, change management — become more valuable, not less.”
— Carrie Skowronski, leadership advisor

Others spoke about AI’s strength as a tool for articulation and clarity — not originality.

“AI is brilliant at helping us take what is already inside us and communicate it in a way that is understood and absorbed.”
— Nika Stewart, shine strategist

AI doesn’t replace expertise. It supports it — freeing up time and energy for the work that still requires human insight and care.

“Used well, AI boosts efficiency and gives us more space to do what truly moves the needle: shaping the narrative and building real relationships.”
— Katie Riess, media relations guru

In practice, that looks like summarizing sales calls, analyzing data, creating briefs, or brainstorming strategy — not to avoid thinking, but to support it.

At the same time, there’s an awareness of the tension here. The pull to move too fast. To hand things off before ideas are fully formed. To publish without pausing.

“AI is reshaping almost everything we do. The real challenge is knowing when to use it — and how to use it responsibly.”
— Patrick Powers, optimization expert

What’s emerging is that AI works best as a thinking and productivity partner — not a shortcut around your creativity, discernment, or experience.

The difference isn’t the tool. It’s how consciously it’s used.

Where could AI help you think more clearly or work more efficiently — without replacing your voice or expertise?

2: Clarity Is the New Differentiator

In a crowded and noisy landscape, clarity has become a competitive advantage.

As tools, platforms, and content formats continue to multiply, the challenge isn't saying more — it's being understood. Visibility breaks down quickly when people can't easily grasp who your work is for, what it stands for, or why it matters.

Clarity showed up less as a branding exercise and more as a practical necessity — the work of translating what you do, who it's for, and why it matters in a way others can quickly grasp.

“Helping them gain clarity around who they are and what they do. Helping them differentiate from their competition.”
— Kim Barron, brand strategist

That differentiation isn't about standing out louder — it's about being easier to understand.

Clarity also shapes how approachable and usable your work feels to others. When messaging is clear, people know how to engage. When it isn't, even strong work can stall.

“Knowing their own brand voice & messaging so deeply that they aren’t intimidated by marketing.”
— Jen Liddy, brand message mentor

Your audience is overwhelmed, scrolling past dozens of messages that all sound similar. What stops them isn't novelty — it's clarity. It's the feeling of "oh, this person gets it. They understand my problem."

“Earning attention is harder than ever in a fragmented landscape.”
— Susan McPherson, social impact strategist

What stands out isn't excitement about new platforms or formats, but a repeated pull toward focus, intention, and reaching the right audience. Clarity is a way to replace pressure with purpose — and motion with direction.

Clarity shifts visibility from performance to positioning. It creates understanding about why you're showing up, not just where you're showing up.

If someone encountered your work for the first time today, would they quickly understand who it's for, what it stands for, and why your expertise matters?

Trend 3: Content Stewardship Replaces the Content Machine

One of the most noticeable themes wasn't about what people want to create next — it was about what they're already carrying.

There's a growing move away from feeding an endless content machine and toward something more intentional: tending to ideas over time, connecting them across formats, and letting meaning and messaging build rather than reset.

At the heart of this shift is a shared recognition that volume alone is no longer the goal.

“The world is not looking for more content — it’s looking for more meaning and connection.”
— Kim Barron, brand strategist

That recognition often comes with a sense of relief — permission to work with existing material, intellectual property, and content instead of constantly producing something new.

“More easily repackaging audio/video and new, updated long-form content.”
— Phyllis Nichols, podcast producer

There's also a renewed appreciation for structure — not as a productivity hack, but as a way to stay connected to the message, mission, and the expertise that drives your work.

“Giving authors a simple, steady structure that helps them make progress, stay accountable, and reconnect with their purpose.”
— Jenn T. Grace, book publisher

But content stewardship isn't just about repurposing blog posts. It's about stewarding your expertise — the frameworks, insights, and ideas you've been developing over time. The people doing this well aren't just resharing old content. They're deepening it. They're teaching core concepts in different contexts, for different audiences, in ways that build authority and trust.

When you're clear on what you know and what you teach, content creation becomes less about "what should I post today?" and more about "how can I help people understand this better?"

Content stewardship shifts the focus from output to continuity — from one-off posts to connected ecosystems, from chasing novelty to deepening ideas that already matter.

Strategic stewardship lightens the mental load and the creative load. It creates coherence. It allows work to evolve without constant reinvention — clarity over clutter, integration over exhaustion, and progress that actually feels sustainable.

Where might you stop starting from scratch — and instead tend, refine, or re-amplify the expertise and ideas you've already put into the world?

4: Visibility Means Connection: Community Is the New Algorithm

For a long time, we’ve been encouraged to chase reach, scale, and growth at all costs. Bigger audiences. More impressions. More exposure. Somewhere along the way, connection became secondary.

But that’s shifting. THANK GOD. Many of us are rethinking where connection actually happens, focusing on spaces and opportunities where relationships can form, deepen, and compound over time. 

It feels like a return to something fundamental.

“Real, relational content from real people is more valuable than ever. The guru days are over (kinda), and the ‘guide’ days are here.”
— Phyllis Nichols, podcast producer

Even as tools evolve and technology accelerates, the core truth hasn’t changed.

“We are still thinking human first. That has never changed. Storytelling and connection is how life works.”
— Kate Manfull, creative agency founder

This shift showed up in renewed attention to formats that seemed more personal and intimate.

“Sticking with the old-fashioned way of staying connected via email and a little social media, meeting new folks by getting out to real-world events.”
— Kate Hanley, writer and editor

And underneath it all is a growing hunger for work that feels unmistakably human — created with care, intention, and lived experience.

“I believe there will be a resurgence in readers who want to read human-made work.”
— Jennie Nash, book coach

What all of this points to is a simple truth many of us already feel: most meaningful growth doesn’t happen at scale — it happens through connection.

It happens when people recognize you.
When they feel like they know you — or want to.

Community doesn’t always need a platform or a program. Sometimes it looks like an email you actually look forward to reading (or writing). A conversation that continues. A small group that shows up again and again. A handful of relationships that deepen over time.

In a year where so much feels automated, accelerated, and transactional, choosing connection can feel like a relief — as well as a strategy.

Who are you really building relationships with right now — and where might you invest more in connection, not just visibility?

5: Think Presence vs. Performance

What if showing up didn’t require more polish, more prep, or more pressure?

This isn’t about being casual or unprepared. It’s about being real.

So much of modern visibility has trained us to optimize how we look, sound, and land. To package ourselves just right. And somewhere along the way, that pressure has made showing up feel heavier than it needs to be.

How about showing up as yourself — with clarity, relevance, and care — without needing to smooth every edge, perfect every sentence, or AI-generate a shinier version of you

It’s especially powerful in moments that invite connection: conversations, video, audio, live gatherings. Places where tone matters. Where trust builds. Where people aren’t looking for perfection — they’re looking for someone they can relate to.

“Do it without looking cute. No one cares.”
— Terri Trespicio, writer and brand consultant

“People need to get out of their own way and show up as the naturally creative, resourceful, and whole people that they are.”
— Danielle McCombs, coach

“Helping leaders show up like creators through video and real storytelling.”
— Katie Riess, media relations guru

Let’s shift the focus from how it looks to how it lands.

And in a world moving faster every day, that choice can be surprisingly powerful.

Where might you trade performance for presence — and show up with greater intention, relevance, and connection?

So what’s resonating? 

If there’s one thing these shifts make clear, it’s this: the goal heading into 2026 isn’t to do everything — it’s to do what actually works for you.

That might mean clarifying or simplifying. It might mean recommitting to something you already know works — or finally letting go of something that doesn’t.

Focusing doesn’t mean closing yourself off to new ideas or experimentation. It means being more intentional about why you try something new, where you invest your energy, and how you show up. Alignment creates space — for creativity, for connection, and for growth that feels sustainable instead of exhausting.

You also don’t need to tackle every idea at once. You don’t need a complete overhaul. Often, the most meaningful progress comes from paying attention to what resonates most — and taking one or two thoughtful steps in that direction.

If you’re feeling energized by some of these ideas but unsure how to translate them into action, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Sometimes a conversation, a sounding board, or a fresh perspective is what helps things click. Let’s chat!

And if you’re local, we’ll be digging into these concepts more concretely together at HAYVN on January 23rd at our monthly marketing collective, turning ideas into practical tactics. It’s a chance to reflect, experiment, and connect — in community — as you shape your plans for the year ahead.

However you move forward, my hope is that 2026 feels less about keeping up — and more about showing up in ways that support the work you care about most.

Huge thanks to all of the contributors (and Chatty and Claude) who shared their time and expertise on this project: 

Terri Trespicio, Terri Trespicio LLC; Phyllis Nichols, SoundAdvice Strategies; Kate Manfull, Fierce Creative Agency; Jennie Nash, Author Accelerator, Carrie Skowronski, Leadology; Kim Barron, New Leaf Brand Strategy + Design; Katie Riess, KT Media Strategies; Patrick Powers, Powers Digital; Kate Hanley; Danielle McCombs, Danielle McCombs Coaching; Anne Allen, Nustart Solutions; Jen Liddy, Brand Messaging Mentor; Nika Stewart, SHINE, Jenn T. Grace, Publish Your Purpose Press; Susan McPherson, McPherson Strategies; Kate Vanden Bos,The Growth Cycle; Lori Fuller, Lori Fuller Photography; Katherine Kennedy; Kendra Farn, P Garyn Productions; Felicia Rubinstein, HAYVN Coworking; Tricia Brouk, The Big Talk; Jill Anderson, Jill Lynn Design; Patty Lennon, Space for Magic; Alice G Patterson, Loving My Company LLC; Amanda Miller, Amanda Miller Publishing