Personalize

Marketers will be able to tailor messages like never before

Emphasize

Video marketing content will need to both entertain and educate

Humanize 

As marketing evolves, human-first storytelling will remain key

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The More Digital Marketing Changes, the More the Important Things Remain Same

As 2026 dawns, we stand on the precipice of exciting new digital marketing opportunities. AI will play an important role in elevating marketers’ capabilities. Short-form video will continue evolving and social media will loom ever more paramount. But through it all, messaging connecting with customers on a deeply human level will remain critical. Read on as we offer valuable insights on the digital marketing outlook for 2026.

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708-246-4211

PREDICTIVE PERSONALIZATION HELPS BRANDS BUILD RAPPORT

Predictive personalization through AI and machine learning will enable brands to be proactive. Marketers will dispatch personalized retention messages and offers to those customers who have shown a pattern of decreased purchasing activity. They will funnel resources toward other customers according to the level of purchase intent. And they will be better able to plan campaigns based on the analysis of historical data and social media trends. By anticipating when and what customers need, brands will be able to provide offers in sync with purchasing behavior. This will also make customers feel increasingly appreciated and understood.

We sneak preview the digital marketing landscape for 2026, reminding readers of the key balance between advanced technology and tried-and-true human connection.

Expect global short-form video spending to soar 10.2% in 2026 over 2025, which reflects that 73% of consumers prefer learning about products through brief videos.

Read 42 Experts Reveal Top Marketing Content Trends for 2026 by Stephanie Stahl, Content Marketing Institute.

In 2026 and beyond, social media will continue solidifying its role as the new search engine for youthful consumers. Social media will also increasingly integrate social commerce, or in-app purchasing, and prioritize the use of user-generated content to boost customer trust in brand messages.

Email or call us at 708-246-4211 to learnabout key trends impacting digital marketing in the year ahead, and how you can apply them for greater business success.

REAL-TIME PERSONALIZATION AIDS TIMELY BRAND MESSAGING

Experienced marketing pros, equipped with the new digital technology, can adjust brand messages to a specific customer at whatever point she exists in the purchase funnel. They can leverage performance metrics and user engagement to identify in real time the optimal message or marketing offer a customer should receive. Then they can craft personalized, one-to-one brand messages – whether email, ad copy, videos, images or other – to best help the customer based on her latest behavior.

Not to be overlooked amid these state-of-the-art advancements: The value of genuine connection and the best means of reaching customers on a profoundly human level.

• Remain relatable. Humans covet the authenticity, emotional depth and trust that remain part and parcel of the human-to-human connection, each of which can help spur customers to become fierce, enduring adherents of specific brands.
• Embrace storytelling. People build connections through compassion, understanding, shared beliefs and ability to overcome struggles, which can all be presented through authentic human storytelling that helps forge lasting bonds and builds trust.
• Use responsibly. Rely on experienced, tech-savvy marketing pros. They possess the nuanced understanding necessary to create authentic messages that demonstrate appropriate cultural and ethical awareness. They can also convey intentional humor.