State of Marketing 2026: Data from 1,500+ Marketers Worldwide

In short: The core channels remain essential, but the approach has changed

The 2026 report reveals that core marketing channels—social media, email, , websites, and blog content—are more important than ever, but the rules have changed. Brands must create more personalized content tailored to each channel to stand out. They must also optimize their content for AI-powered search.

Marketers have made tremendous strides in adopting AI, personalization , and short-form video. Confidence is on the rise, but professionals still face challenges related to burnout, demonstrating ROI, and keeping up with changes to platforms.

The key marketing trends identified this year are:

1. Using AI to Create Personalized Content (48.57%)
2. Leveraging Automation (47.38%)
3. Create content that reflects the brand’s values (46.84%)
4. Update SEO in line with changes in search (40.60%)
5. Reusing content across multiple channels (35.08%)

Major Trends in Digital Marketing in 2026

1. Brands Are Tailoring Their Content for AI-Powered Search

While 2025 was a year of panic over the impact of AI research on SEO, 2026 is a year of action. Updating SEO strategies in line with changes in search is one of the major trends discussed this year (cited by 40.6% of marketers).

Half of all consumers now use search engines powered by by AI by 2026, and half of Google searches will include an AI preview. Brands better understand what allows content to rank in search engine results ( answer engines ), and they adjust their content strategy accordingly. 70.2% of marketers believe they are able to adapt their strategy to changes. organic research.

Their survey shows that websites, blogs, and SEO remain the most popular and impactful channels in 2026, particularly for B2B companies. Consumer will have progressed further along the buyer’s journey before visiting your site, but they’ll do so with a stronger intent. To maximize your visibility, discover our approach to content SEO and our services for digital content creation.

2. Marketers’ confidence and their ability to adapt to AI are on the rise

Here’s what the data reveals:

• 68.2% of marketers say they understand how to use AI in marketing, compared with 47% in 2025.
• 67.5% know how to measure the impact of AI, compared with 48% in 2025.
• 78% say they are able to keep up with new cultural trends.
• 69.2% say they effectively use customer data to create personalized experiences.
• 68.8% feel confident about keeping up with new social media platforms and their features.
• 68.4% believe they can pivot their marketing strategy in response to major events.

“AI is a disruptive technology. And whenever there’s a disruptive technology, it creates enormous opportunities for experimentation.”

— Johann Wrede, CMO of UserTesting

3. AI-Driven Personalization Drives Growth

The number one trend for marketers in 2026 is the use of AI to create personalized content. Nearly half of the marketers surveyed are currently exploring this approach. 93.2% of them say that personalized or segmented experiences have led to more leads and purchases.

The challenge of creating personalized content has always been resources and scale, but AI is a game-changer. However, only 65% of marketers say they have high-quality audience data, and only 12.6% of brands use hyper-personalization (such as behavior-based messages or product recommendations).

“Consumers are looking for content that resonates with them.”

— Susan Ganeshan, CMO of Emplifi

4. The volume and quality of leads are on the rise

Good news: Generating high-quality leads is getting easier. While 30% of marketing still cite lead generation as a major challenge, 55.7% believe that it is easier to generate leads today than it was ten years ago.

Over the past 12 months, 24.5% have seen a significant increase in their lead volume , and 50% have seen a moderate increase. Quality is also on the rise: 93.8% of marketers say the quality of their leads has improved over the past year.

5. Marketers use AI for content creation, ad optimization, and much more

AI saturation is here: 86.4% of marketing teams report using AI in at lea s of their operations. Only 1.7% do not use AI and do not plan to do so. Here are the most common uses:

• Content creation (42.5% for heavy use; 38% for occasional use)
• Media Production (37.2% / 37.7%)
• Advertising Automation and Optimization (34.1% / 36.5%)
• Automation of administrative tasks (35.6% / 40.5%)
• Training and Skills Development (34.6% / 40.1%)
• Brainstorming and Ideation (33.9% / 39.8%)
• Strategic Planning and Forecasting (33.4% / 37.5%)

Key finding: 26.5% say that AI has significantly increased their productivity, , and 66.2% say it has increased it slightly or moderately. About one-third of teams save 10 to 14 hours per week thanks to AI, and another third save more than 15 hours.

6. AI has a major impact—but it should not replace humans

73.4% of marketers believe that AI works in tandem with marketers, with assisting them in carrying out most of their tasks. Furthermore, 62.7% believe that more unique, human-centered content is needed to stand out from the AI-generated content.

“The human element is the most important part of any workflow involving AI. True creativity requires the human mind.”

— Johann Wrede, CMO of UserTesting

“We need to find ways to stand out by being unique, and the only way to a chieve that is to focus on real words from real people.”

— Amy Kenly, Vice President of Marketing at The Launch Box

7. Marketing budgets will increase modestly in 2026

79.2% of marketing teams expect at least a slight increase in their budget in 2026 compared to 2025, and 21.2% anticipate a significant increase. Only 6% expect a reduction. However, budgets remain under close scrutiny: 73% report that their budget is being scrutinized more closely than before.

Here’s where marketers plan to increase their investments:

• AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude (37.7%)
• Paid social media (37.4%)
• Video marketing (37.1%)
• Content Marketing (36.9%)
• Website / blog / SEO (35.4%)

And where they plan to cut back on spending:

• Outdoor advertising (billboards, posters) — 23.3%
• Direct marketing (21.6%)
• Print advertising (21.4%)

8. Social media reigns supreme

Social media is the cornerstone of marketing in 2026, second only to websites, blogs, and SEO . Organic content is used by 40.3% of brands, and paid social content by 39.4%. Social media dominates three of the five most impactful channels:

• Paid social content (25.9%)
• Organic content on social media (23.5%)
• Social shopping tools (22.7%)

If you wish to strengthen your presence on social media, discover our services. Instagram agency , Facebook agency or a LinkedIn agency in Brussels.

9. Instagram Surpasses Facebook as the No. 1 Social Media Platform for Brands

For the first time, Instagram has surpassed Facebook as the platform most used by brands (70% versus 69.6%). Instagram also outperforms Facebook in terms of perceived ROI (48% vs. 42.7%). Its capabilities in short-form video , social commerce, influencer marketing, and visual storytelling make it a top choice.

10. More brands use TikTok than X (formerly Twitter)

54.5% of brands use TikTok as a marketing platform, compared to 55.8% for X. TikTok has also surpassed X in terms of perceived ROI (32% vs. 31.3%). A telling statistic: nearly twice as many marketers plan to increase their investments in TikTok than in X by 2026.

11. Short-form video is the best investment of 2026

Visual formats dominate, but one format stands out above all others in terms of ROI:

1. Short video (48.6%)
2. Long-form video (28.6%)
3. Live video (25.1%)
4. User-generated content (24%)
5. Blog posts (22.3%)

This trend applies to B2C, B2B, and nonprofit sectors. AI tools make video production faster and more accessible. To produce professional short videos , our video production studio in Brussels supports brands from start to finish.

12. Content tailored to each channel performs better

49.4% of teams reuse the same content across all platforms, while 39.5% adapt the content for each platform. This adaptation—whether it involves resizing an image or completely reworking the message—is essential to meeting the expectations of each channel’s specific audience.

“Approach each channel by asking yourself: Who is the audience on this channel? What behavior do I want them to adopt? And how will I measure success?”

— Susan Ganeshan, CMO of Emplifi

13. Influencer marketing is effective, but underutilized

Only 21.2% of brands report using influencer marketing (23.6% in B2C compared to 18.6% in B2B), even though its ROI is proven. Micro-influencers are the most profitable according to 32.4% of respondents, ahead of macro-influencers (30.2%) and mega-influencers (13.1%).

Real-world example: Tara Robertson, CMO of Bitly, , saw a 5x increase in impressions and video views, a 6x increase in engagement , and an 82% growth in followers thanks to a campaign featuring micro-influencers.

14. Data remains a major challenge

Obtaining clean customer data remains a challenge. The main obstacles cited are:

• Adopt a data-driven marketing strategy (19.5%)
• Sharing data within the organization (12.4%)
• Lack of high-quality data (9.2%)

The main sources of data available to marketers are:

• First-party sources (web/app analytics, CRM, transactional data)
• Third-party sources (data management platforms), which are increasingly restricted by privacy laws
• User Research (surveys, interviews, focus groups)
• Zero-party sources (preference centers, explicit opt-ins)

15. Brands Are Emphasizing Their Values

Nearly half of marketers (46.8%) are exploring how to integrate brand values into their communications in 2026. While 75% of marketers say their brand has a clear understanding of its values, only 23.9% are firmly convinced of this. Validation through customer surveys, engagement metrics, and A/B testing remains essential.

16. Marketing teams are under pressure to prove ROI

The number one challenge for marketers in 2026 is measuring marketing ROI, cited by 33% of respondents. Furthermore, 37.9% believe that their senior management considers marketing to be less important than before. 83.5% of marketers report that they are expected to produce a higher volume of content using AI.

17. Burnout is a threat to teams

70% of marketers believe that marketing has changed more over the past three years than it did over the previous 50 years. The numbers speak for themselves: 25.7% report that their workload has increased significantly over the past year , while 47.4% say it has increased moderately. Fewer than 5% reported a decrease.

18. The Skills Marketing Teams Will Need in 2026

While headcount remains generally stable, the skills in demand are changing. Finding candidates with the right skills is the main challenge for recruiters this year. Three skills stand out as priorities:

1. Automation and AI Prompting

Every marketing manager surveyed is looking for AI skills or, at the very least, a nd genuine curiosity about the subject. The future of junior marketing roles will resemble a of prompt engineering and AI management more than a traditional hands-on position.

2. Cross-functional communication within the organization

Knowing how to share results, present to management, and advocate for a budget are essential skills for advancing in marketing.

3. Data and Analytics

“Being comfortable with data and analytics is essential. You can’t break in to the marketing world today without these skills,” explains Amy Kenly of The Launch Box.

FAQ on Digital Marketing Trends

Which digital marketing trend should you prioritize first?

Start with AI-powered content creation and workflow automation. 86.4% of marketers are already using AI tools, particularly for content creation and media. Start by automating repetitive tasks, then gradually expand to include strategy and reporting.

How much should you budget for AI marketing tools?

Initially, allocate 5 to 10% of your total marketing budget to AI tools— —and then adjust based on the measured ROI. HubSpot data shows that marketers who automate their content and analytics report greater efficiency and faster campaign execution.

What is the difference between marketing automation and AI?

Marketing automation executes predefined workflows (e.g., drip campaigns, email sequences). Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, adapts and learns (e.g., lead score prediction, dynamic personalization). Automation is the engine; AI is the pilot that guides smarter actions over time.

How do you measure the ROI of influencer marketing?

Set measurable goals (impressions, engagement, conversions, growth s in followers) and link the results to your CRM. Use tracking links and CRM integrations to attribute influencer content to concrete business results. Micro-influencers (fewer than 100,000 followers) generally offer the best ROI.

Which social media platform offers the best ROI in B2B versus B2C?

In B2C: Instagram and Facebook dominate (47.4% each), followed by YouTube (43.9%), and TikTok (35.2%). In B2B: Instagram (48.4%), YouTube (40.5%), Facebook (36.9%), and X/Twitter (31.3%) are the most frequently cited. To your B2B strategy, our services at LinkedIn agency can help you maximize your impact.

What does the future hold for digital marketing after 2026?

The next chapter in marketing will revolve around hyper-personalization and AI: personalized web experiences, dynamically generated content, and zero-party data, where customers voluntarily exchange their information for tangible benefits. Brands that combine human creativity with machine intelligence will lead the way.

How do marketers use AI?

According to the 2026 report, the main intensive uses are: content creation (42.5%), media creation (37.2%), and the automation of administrative tasks (35.6%).

What are the main challenges facing marketing today?

The most commonly cited challenges are: measuring the ROI of marketing activities (33%), keeping up with the latest trends and new features (29.8%), generating leads (29.6%), and aligning the marketing and sales teams (27.6%).

How can I ensure my marketing team’s skills remain relevant in 2026?

Invest in training in analytics, AI, cross-functional communication, and authentic, human- storytelling. These are the four pillars of the most in-demand roles this year.

How can I optimize my content strategy for AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?

Answer users’ questions directly in a conversational tone, create structured, easy-to-read content, and draw on your niche expertise to demonstrate your authority. Also check out our guide on content SEO for practical best practices.

And now: your marketing action plan

Today’s marketing landscape requires both strategic vision and tactical agility. This report covers eighteen major trends, but not all of them require immediate action .

Start by assessing your current capabilities in light of these trends, identify two or three of them that align with your audience and resources, test their impact through pilot projects before making a major investment, then measure the results and scale up what works.

The winners of 2026 won’t be those who chase every trend, but those who will intelligently integrate the right innovations into their specific context. If you’d like to accelerate your video and podcast content strategy, our team StreamBox is here to help.