As we look ahead to the next few years, social media predictions for 2024–2026 will play a crucial role in shaping digital marketing strategies. With rapid shifts in platforms, technology, and consumer behaviors, understanding these trends is more important than ever for brands. As a PR and social media agency, we were living and breathing the innovations and shifts in the digital landscape throughout 2023 and 2024. From Twitter’s bold rebrand to X, the use of CGI technology to create thumb-stopping campaigns, and the arrival of Threads, the social media ecosystem has continued to evolve at pace. Now, as brands look beyond short-term tactics and plan for longevity, the key question is no longer just what’s next for 2024? – but what are the social media predictions shaping strategies through 2026? Below, we explore our top social media predictions, combining immediate platform shifts with future trends of social media marketing that brands must prepare for now.
Brace yourselves for continued growth in dark social media. Private platforms such as WhatsApp are already among the most widely used global messaging tools, and their influence will only increase through 2026. As a dark social platform, WhatsApp content is untrackable by search engines and marketers, making it highly appealing for authentic communication. Brands are now moving beyond customer service and into: Exclusive content drops Private community building Direct brand-to-consumer engagement By 2026, brands will need to embrace the rise of dark social and evolving influencer marketing strategies to stay ahead. As we look at these social media predictions for 2024–2026, it’s clear that successful strategies will rely on long-term engagement and a deep understanding of consumer behavior.
Sound continues to play a critical role in latest social media trends. TikTok now competes directly with streaming giants for attention, shaping how audiences consume entertainment. We’re seeing: Increased use of voiceovers Creator-led sound trends Stronger brand partnerships with musicians and podcasters Podcasts remain a powerful long-form format, giving brands an intimate channel to share expertise and build credibility – a trend set to strengthen through 2026.
Community management is no longer optional. Brands are expected to react in real time, with humour, empathy and relevance. By 2026, two-way engagement will be a defining factor of successful social media marketing agencies, with brands rewarded for: Cultural awareness Fast, reactive content Consistent tone of voice This shift reinforces the importance of having an experienced social media agency London brands can trust to manage reputation in real time.
Influencer marketing is maturing fast. As we move toward 2026 social media trends, creators are prioritising long-term value over transactional posts. Beyond payment, brands are offering: Newsletter inclusion Editorial features Podcast appearances Media interviews This evolution places greater emphasis on authenticity and positions the role of a social media influencer marketing agency as a strategic partner, not just a broker.
Vanity metrics are losing relevance. In their place, brands are focusing on: Watch time Retention Saves and shares Short-form video will remain dominant, but understanding how attention behaves across platforms will define winning social media strategies through 2026.
After Millennials and Gen Z comes Gen Alpha – digital natives born after 2012. Their expectations are already influencing social media future predictions. What’s in: World-building narratives Gaming-led content Creator-driven storytelling What’s out: Static branded posts Single-platform reliance Brands must diversify and invest in formats that feel immersive and participatory.
Brand trust is increasingly built from the inside out. Employees, founders and leadership teams are becoming core content creators. LinkedIn will continue growing as a leadership platform, while TikTok humanises brands through behind-the-scenes storytelling. By 2026, internal advocacy will be a key differentiator for brands navigating reputation management. At Richmond & Towers, this approach underpins our strategy. As the UK’s first PR and social media agency to be both 100% employee-owned and B Corp certified, we’ll continue amplifying internal voices to demonstrate what responsible business looks like in practice.
TikTok is no longer just an entertainment platform – it’s a search engine, discovery tool and commerce driver. With users increasingly turning to TikTok and Instagram over Google, brands must: Optimise captions for search Embrace cultural creativity Showcase brand personality This trend will remain central to social media marketing trends through 2026.
While short-form video dominates feeds, longer content is making a strategic comeback. Platforms reward longer watch times, deeper storytelling and educational value. The rule for 2026: go long only when the content earns attention. Quality remains king.
Artificial intelligence is transforming the digital ecosystem. From chatbots to personalised content feeds, AI will redefine how brands optimise user experience. By 2026, brands successfully integrating AI into social and SEO strategies will dominate visibility, engagement and conversion – making this one of the most important future trends of social media marketing.
Social media success now demands long-term thinking. From dark social and AI to influencer evolution and platform fragmentation, brands must build strategies designed for 2024, 2025 and beyond. If you’re looking to strengthen your social media strategy, evolve your social media content creation, or partner with a social media marketing agency that understands what’s coming next. 👉 Get in touch with Richmond & Towers to see how our PR and social media agency London can support your growth.
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Are you ready to dive into the latest consumer behaviour trends? With the world around us continuing to evolve at pace, it’s more important than ever to keep up with what consumers are thinking, feeling and doing right now – and take a step back to consider the effect this might have on your comms plan. Okay then. All set? Here we go.
A SPOONFUL OF NOSTALGIA
Collins Dictionary has named its word of 2022: “permacrisis” (defined as “an extended period of instability & insecurity”) – reflecting how the year has presented “challenge after challenge”. So, it’s no wonder that in the face of what feels like never-ending uncertainty, when it comes to nourishing ourselves, we’re turning to nostalgic favourites to evoke familiarity when the present & future feel anything but. Millennials are most frequently looking to childhood favourites for comfort in stressful times, and there’s been a sizeable increase in searches for retro foods over the last three years, including classics like Neapolitan ice cream (+218%) and Battenburg cake (+93%). And the sentiment extends beyond food. Social media darlings Aperol Spritz & Negronis are enjoying renewed fame online, having first become popular in the UK in the 70s & 80s respectively, showing how old can quickly become new again when introduced to a fresh-eyed digital audience.
The urge to constantly evolve & chase ‘newness’ is a necessary temptation as we look to keep consumers interested & engaged, but don’t forget to look to the past for inspiration. Revisiting iconic products, slogans or campaigns with an overt nod to the nostalgic appeal can be an effective play at a time when consumers themselves are yearning to connect with & seek comfort in the familiar.
INTERNET OVERLOAD
After a mammoth, pandemic-induced spike, time spent online has returned to ‘normal’ levels. In fact, growth is slowing to a point where predictions are being made as to whether we’ve hit an ‘internet saturation point’ (which, you know, is a little questionable given the 5 billion of us still using it day in, day out…). Anyway, the way we use – and more importantly feel – about the internet is changing. Over time, it’s moved from functional tool, designed & used to browse for information, to something much more. It impacts our wellbeing, with the number of people saying time spent online causes them anxiety up 11% since 2020 (highest amongst Gen Z & millennials). There’s been a 14% increase in people taking steps to reduce their time online since Q2 2020, in part as individuals look to fight back against the attention recession that’s taken a collective hold on our ability to concentrate.
So, the internet (obviously) isn’t going anywhere, what’s changing is the volume & frequency of time people are spending on the digital platforms brands use to connect. High impact, wow-factor, ‘blink & you’ll miss it’ experiences online that demand immediate attention at a set time, versus a cumulation of eyeballs over time could be a way for brands to keep things fresh while not further fatiguing audiences. And as people start to push back against the negative effects of mindless time spent online, the currency of more analogue experiences may begin to rise, with people valuing opportunities to reconnect IRL. That said, it pays for brands to challenge the idea that a campaign or launch has to be entirely digitally-led to be successful, when growing numbers of consumers are crying out for the opposite.
I’LL SUBSCRIBE TO THAT!
Books, coffee, razors, toilet paper, dinner boxes, CBD-infused tampons, household cleaning items, pet food, flowers, cheese & wine… There’s very little in 2022 that one cannot subscribe to. The subscription boom was born out of necessity in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic but, almost three years on, subscriptions remain a mainstay of many of our lives – particularly when it comes to convenience. Cleaning & personal items that previously left us in a stitch when we ran short now turn up on our doorsteps at regular intervals aligned with our personal usage, ensuring we’re never without loo roll, laundry tablets or a fresh razor again. And that’s not to mention those that cater to, well, catering! Be that dinner boxes, fresh pasta, wine, pre-made cocktails & even pet food for our furry friends, as well as those that deliver pleasure, indulgence & self-care straight to our door.
In a nutshell? Almost anything is subscribable! Consumers are on board & familiar with the format and, as we’ve made clear, willing to give all sorts of things a go. And there’s freedom to think outside the box & tailor an offering that suits your product & customers’ needs – whether that’s to support a big launch, get product to the people in line with brand-relevant calendar moments, or piggyback off an existing subscriber service to maximise that reach. .image.mb-4 {display: none;}div.center-quote div.relative{position: relative;max-width: 300px;margin: 0 auto;}
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A long time ago social media brand marketing was about presence. AKA have a profile, post sometimes, ride the trends. Today? Well, if your brand still treats social as a checkbox activity, you’ll get drowned in the noise. It’s no longer about presence. It’s about making a presence. At R&T,… Read more
Get set to read up on the latest (and tastiest) goings on in the fast-evolving world of PR and social media. November has been a juicy month, so we recommend you grab yourself a snack and a cuppa (or suitable drink of choice depending on the time you’re reading this, we don’t judge) and let’s dive in…
WHEN THE SOUND’S RIGHT WE BITE
Did somebody say…
If the words ‘Just Eat’ didn’t pop into your head, you’re one of the lucky few who hasn’t succumbed to the viral earworm from the food delivery service. Made famous by consecutive star-studded collaborations with Snoop Dogg & Katy Perry, the audio bite of the latter recently became a TikTok sensation with thousands of user-generated videos racking up more than 150m views. While catchy jingles aren’t anything new, TikTok’s unique ability to transform audio snippets from traditional marketing material into viral moments has added an extra layer to brand considerations around how to formulate and maximise audio branding.
Whilst Instagram democratised imagery, giving anyone the ability to present & promote a brand independent of its own visual guidelines, TikTok is making sound accessible & shareable like it’s never been before. Brand sounds now have the potential to cross over from standard marketing tool to creative muse and, in some instances, viral moments. There’s rarely rhyme or reason in predicting what TikTok’s next big trend will be, but considering paid partnerships with creators as part of a product or campaign launch could plant the seed for a viral moment with the compounding potential to push brand awareness far beyond the capabilities of typical advertising or even that of Instagram influencers.
INSTAGRAM… PROCEED TO CHECKOUT
Shopping direct via social media platforms like Instagram is gaining traction, with almost one in five impulse buyers accrediting social media ‘buy’ buttons as one of the most common reasons they make unplanned purchases (with four in 10 Gen Zers impulse buying online at least once every 2-3 weeks). We’ve long looked to influencers to ‘influence’ our purchase habits. That we can now simply click on the outfit we’re coveting & buy it instantly – forgoing the need to hunt it down online – and have it on our doorstep the next day, makes many transactions almost too simple to refuse. Retail trends reflect this, with the ability to browse items & check out in a few taps driving consumer confidence in social shopping. And with retail technology directly embedded into platforms, like Instagram’s ‘shopping bag’ feature, it’s becoming easier for today’s consumers to shop ‘til they drop.
Instagram’s expanding retail functionality is an example of how social platforms continue to evolve & blur the lines between social-connection tool & retail channel – streamlining what is already a very efficient customer experience to maximise our impulses in the fashion, lifestyle & beauty spaces. With consumers readily accepting Instagram as a shoppable platform, it’s an additional channel for brands to tap into – so, if & where possible, consider building direct shopping into future influencer campaigns.
INSTAGRAM… BRAND PORTFOLIO
The OG monetised platform for social creators, Instagram continues to evolve its influencer offering, actively working to boost its appeal to commercial creatives as it looks to retain talent who might be tempted to prioritise TikTok or YouTube instead. Having tried various routes to get creators more exposure in the app – by recommending posts from profiles that users don’t follow, effectively pushing them into new feeds – that ultimately proved unpopular, Instagram has just announced a ‘Creator Portfolio’ option. The new feature (that’s still being tested, launch date TBC) will enable creators to build a media kit type portfolio in-app, readily showcasing their audience reach, as well as previous work to prospective brand partners.
Having access to integrated reach & engagement figures, direct from a creator’s profile will better enable brands to choose the best individuals to partner with for an upcoming campaign. Third-party platforms do exist through which brands can gauge reach & engagement, but the figures & averages provided don’t always take into account paid versus unpaid content, the latter of which typically performs better than paid-for content & can skew results. The ability to see how previous branded activity has performed in-app however will provide a much more accurate read on anticipated results. .image.mb-4 {display: none;}div.center-quote div.relative{position: relative;max-width: 300px;margin: 0 auto;}
There are some projects that feel like a neat tick on a to-do list. And then there are the ones that quietly tap into your own history, take over your calendar, your camera roll, your group chats, and remind you why you wanted to work in culture-making in the first… Read more
The UK’s advertising restrictions on ‘less healthy foods’ (LHF) are no longer theoretical. Since January 2026, the rules governing how less healthy food and drink (formerly referred to as products that are high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS)) can be promoted online have fundamentally changed the advertising landscape. Much… Read more
A long time ago social media brand marketing was about presence. AKA have a profile, post sometimes, ride the trends. Today? Well, if your brand still treats social as a checkbox activity, you’ll get drowned in the noise. It’s no longer about presence. It’s about making a presence. At R&T,… Read more