My Honest Marketing Predictions for 2026 (And What Small Business Owners Should Focus On)

2025 was a big year for a lot of small business owners.
Messy, overwhelming, clarifying, surprising, and honestly, a little exhausting.

As we walk into 2026 though, I’m feeling hopeful.
Not because I think everything is about to magically fall into place, but because I see a shift happening. This shift feels quieter, steadier, and more intentional. That pace also feels much more sustainable than the hustle-heavy pace so many of us were raised to believe in.

Today, I want to share my honest predictions for marketing in 2026. I’m not writing this as someone who claims to know everything, but as a mompreneur, marketer, and human who has been watching the landscape change in real time.

These are the shifts I believe will matter most. They’re also the things I’m preparing for inside my own business. Most importantly, these are the trends I think will help small business owners grow in a calmer, more grounded way this year.

To start, let’s dive in.

1. Trust Will Become the #1 Currency in Marketing

If there’s one theme that defined 2025, it was this: people are tired of being sold to. They want to believe you. Consumers are skeptical, overstimulated, and overwhelmed with information. Because of that, what cuts through the noise now isn’t perfect branding. It’s proof.

Because of this, in 2026, I believe this will only grow. The businesses that thrive will be the ones who:

• use testimonial-style videos

• lean into UGC (user-generated content)

• let real customers tell the story

• show behind the scenes

• humanize their messaging

When your voice is the only one talking about how amazing your business is, it won’t land the way it used to. But when someone else shares their experience, the trust factor expands in a powerful way.

2. Paid Ads Will Cost More, But They’ll Work Better for Businesses Who Adapt

Meta ad costs rose this year, and they’re not slowing down.

The good news is that businesses who adapt will continue to see incredible results.

What will not work in 2026?

• running salesy ads with no relationship-building

• relying entirely on Meta’s automated suggestions

• using generic “buy now” messaging

• trying to scale with poor creative

What will work?

• storytelling creative

• UGC-style content

• retargeting with intention

• nurturing before selling

• long-term consistency

Paid ads are still one of the strongest growth tools for small business owners. As a result, the creative matters more than ever.

3. AI Will Support Your Strategy, But It Won’t Replace It

AI became a lot louder in 2025, and I believe 2026 will bring even more of it.
Even so, here’s the prediction I feel strongly about:

AI will not replace real strategy. It will only enhance the strategy you already have.

Relying solely on Meta or Google’s automated suggestions removes the human element your marketing needs to convert. You can use AI to brainstorm ideas, speed up tasks, and get started. It cannot make judgment calls, emotional connections, or strategic decisions the way you can. This AI plus human strategy mix will be your 2026 power combo.

4. Long-Form Content Is Going to Matter More Than Ever

Between AI search changes, shifting buying behavior, and growing consumer fatigue, long-form content is about to have its moment. And honestly, I am here for it.

Long-form content like:

• blog posts

• email newsletters

• podcasts

• YouTube videos

…is exactly where you can build trust, expand on ideas, educate deeply, and become a voice your audience looks to for clarity. For example, a Reel might introduce you to someone, but long-form is what keeps them around.

If you want one prediction to take seriously in 2026, let it be this one.

5. Mompreneurs Are Choosing Simplicity Over Hustle

There has been a quiet shift happening, and I see it more every month.

Women are done hustling themselves into the ground. We want calm, clarity, and a business that supports our lives instead of competing with them.

In 2026, I believe more women than ever will:

• simplify their offers

• reduce their posting schedules

• choose long-term structure over short-term chaos

• build systems that give them time back

• set boundaries around their roles and capacity

This is one prediction I’m choosing personally too.

6. The “Just Post Something” Era Is Ending

You know the old strategy: “Just post every day and stay consistent.” That era is over.

In 2026, content needs to be:

• intentional

• tied to long-form themes

• thoughtful

• story-driven

• connected to an actual message

Ultimately, posting just to post isn’t going to move the needle anymore. People want substance, connection, and clarity. This is your year to work smarter, not louder.

7. Reels Will Still Be Important, But Talking-to-Camera Will Outperform Trends

Trendy audios will still exist, but the need for authenticity is stronger than ever.

My prediction? Talking-to-camera Reels will outperform everything.

Not scripts, not AI-generated voices, and not overly polished content.

But real, face-to-camera connection where you share your thoughts, stories, and value directly with your audience.

If you’ve been avoiding showing your face, 2026 might be the year to step forward gently.

8. People Will Buy More Slowly and With More Intention

Consumers are slowing down. Not because they’re unwilling to buy, but because they’re more intentional about how they buy.

Next year, people will:

• research longer

• look for reviews

• compare options

• wait for the right moment

• buy from people they trust

This means your marketing needs to nurture for longer than before. The businesses who thrive will be the ones who guide, not push.

9. Collaboration Will Become a Quiet Power Move

One of my favorite shifts this year has been watching small business owners, especially women, choose community over competition. I’ve been attending Women in Business events, Shop Small gatherings, and monthly workdates with a business-owning friend. Some days we talk strategy, other days it’s mom life, and sometimes we just decompress.

Through those conversations, I’ve seen firsthand how collaboration leads to:

• referral sharing

• shared projects

• expanded networks

• learning

• support

• creative ideas

• community

I believe collaboration will become one of the most underrated growth strategies in 2026.

10. Human Storytelling Will Outshine “Expert” Content

People don’t want the expert on the mountaintop anymore. They want someone who’s in the real-life trenches with them. Your messy moments, your real lessons, and the things you are still learning build connection and trust. They make you relatable, not unreachable.

The more human your content feels, the more your audience will lean in.

What I’m Choosing for 2026

As I wrap up the year and look ahead, here are the things I’m choosing more of:

• intentional marketing

• collaboration

• long-form content

• trust-based selling

• structure, not stress

• boundaries and simplicity

• building a business that supports my life

And here’s what I’m releasing:

• hustle

• urgency

• constant posting

• burnout-level productivity

• the pressure to do it all

• comparison

If you’re craving a softer, simpler, more grounded year, you’re not alone.

If You Want Support That Meets You Where You Are

You don’t have to hustle your way into 2026, you don’t have to do it all, and you definitely don’t have to have your strategy perfectly planned by January 1.

If you want simple, supportive, clarity-filled marketing guidance every month, the kind that fits your actual life, I’d love to have you on my email list.

I send two to four emails a month that help you:

• simplify your marketing

• build real clarity

• grow at your pace

• feel less alone in business

Join here!

Closing Thought

Before we wrap this up, I want to leave you with one thing:

There’s no need to scrap everything you’re planning or reinvent the wheel because of these predictions. They’re guideposts, not rules. Take what resonates. Leave what doesn’t. Build the 2026 that aligns with the life and business you’re creating.

Just know you’re doing better than you think.

About the Author

Written by Alishia Egenhoff, Founder of Social EllaMents Marketing — helping small business owners grow through clarity, strategy, and authentic digital advertising.