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Research Report

2026 Social Media Trends Report

HubSpot's latest study of 1,000+ global social media marketers reveals the top trends, expert tips, and data-backed tactics to future-proof your social strategy.

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Inside social media marketing in 2026

From AI, to continued growth of video, to accelerating community-first platforms -- today's social media marketers are seeing big gains from moving fast while still taking time to invest in the right trends for their targets.

We surveyed 1,000+ global social media strategists, including hundreds of brand executives who manage them, to learn what they're investing in -- and how they're staying agile in a time of rapid digital transformation.

2026 Social Media Trends Report

Get the latest insights, tactics, and trends of the year, gathered from over 1,000 global social media marketers across B2B and B2C industries.

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Social media is getting in the "Loop"

bryna corcoran

63% of social marketers say their executives think social media will play a more important rolein 2026 than in 2025. Brands today are paying creators upwards of six figures to run their social media accounts, and they’re putting social media at the center of their Loop Marketing strategy.

Bryna Corcoran

Director of Brand & Social Media

HubSpot

  • 85%

    of social media marketers believe the channel is more important for brand building than performance marketing.

Unlocking a brand-building machine

The same performance marketing channels companies once relied on aren't cutting it anymore.

As increasingly fragmented, yet saturated, discovery platforms make it harder to stand out, companies seeking increased brand awareness in 2026 are realizing just how critical social media marketers are to their business' growth.

  • 94%

    of social media marketers are using AI in their workflows in some capacity to work more efficiently, a +32% YoY increase

In a world of AI -- authenticity still wins. Every time.

From ideation to content creation, AI is transforming how brands (particularly those on smaller, limited teams) execute their social media marketing strategies.

But, AI's unlocks aren't always positive as brands who over-use it could be churning out bland, boring, or "AI slop"-styled content that disengages their targets.

While it can be easy to lean into AI for everything, winning social brands focus on authenticity first -- with AI tools to assist in the manual lift.

Featured Experts

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Rachel Karten

Creator & Author of Link in Bio

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Matt Navarra

Creator & Author of Geekout Newsletter

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Andrea Hudson

CEO & Founder of Booger Money

social media marketer using tactics to improve her social ROI

2026 Social Media Trends Report

Don't stand in the way of social media marketing success.