5 Marketing Trends for Small Businesses in 2026
It’s the first month of 2026, and I wanted to share some of the key marketing trends small businesses should be aware of this year.
In this post, I’ll walk through the latest marketing trends, why they matter for small businesses, and how you can use them to build stronger connections with your audience. Let’s dive in.
TL;DR - 2026 marketing trends for small businesses
In 2026, human-first marketing matters more than ever, with AI tools supporting content creation without replacing your voice
Authentic, unpolished content helps small businesses build trust and stronger audience connections
Short-form video content (such as Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts) performs best when it answers customer questions and supports search visibility
Blogging is increasingly important due to AI-led search and generative engine optimisation (GEO), with blog content frequently cited by AI tools
Building community through email marketing and owned platforms helps small businesses create long-term, two-way relationships
Human-First marketing
“AI should support your marketing - not replace your voice.”
AI is everywhere, and it can’t be ignored. As a small business, using AI tools like ChatGPT can genuinely support your marketing. They’re great for generating content ideas, analysing data, and creating rough outlines, saving you literal hours of time.
However, there’s a fine line here.
While AI works brilliantly as a support tool (or even an admin assistant), it shouldn’t be used to replace you or your voice.
If you’re copying content directly from an AI tool and pasting it onto your website or social media without editing, your audience will notice. It often comes across as inauthentic and low quality. In fact, many people are now actively avoiding AI-generated content altogether.
The rise of mass-produced, low-quality AI content on platforms like YouTube has even earned the nickname “AI slop”, with many arguing that it’s actively damaging the internet and social media.
So, how do you stand out as a small business?
In the age of AI, your audience wants to hear from you. They’re craving real, human connection. The small businesses that will win in 2026 are the ones that strike the right balance - using AI thoughtfully, while keeping the human touch front and centre.
So use AI, but be intentional about how you use it. Always edit your content, inject your personality, and make sure it still sounds like you.
Side note: If you’d like help setting up a custom ChatGPT that actually sounds like you, I share exactly how to do this in my Skillshare course.
2. Authenticity over perfection
“Your audience doesn’t want perfect - they want real.”
As a small business owner, you are likely spinning multiple plates, and probably don’t have time to create a perfectly polished Instagram Reel every time. That’s ok. In fact, audiences are far more drawn to authenticity than perfection, and unpolished content often outperforms overly polished posts.
If you feel comfortable, share more of your story. Why you started your business, the challenges you’ve faced, what goes on behind the scenes, how you juggle work and childcare, what an average day is like for you, how you make your products - even the messy bits. This kind of content builds trust and helps your audience feel more connected to you and your brand.
You don’t always need to show your face (although it does help to build trust), and you don’t need a script, perfect lighting, or great hair. Just be yourself. People buy from people they trust, and storytelling-led content is extremely effective, especially in the age of AI, where audiences are craving real human connection.
This shift towards authenticity is also backed up by Mintel. In their 2026 Global Consumer Predictions webinar, they highlight growing opportunities for brands to foster genuine connections as everyday human interactions continue to decline.
3. Video content still rules
In 2026, video content still rules. Short-form video (think Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts or TikTok) continues to outperform most other content formats on social media for reach. It’s engaging, easy to consume, and lets face it, attention spans are only getting shorter.
That said, forget about going viral.
The small businesses winning in 2026 are the ones using video content strategically, not reactively.
Video content now regularly appears in organic search results and AI-powered search tools. So instead of chasing the latest trend or audio, a better use of your time is creating short videos that answer common customer questions, explain how something works, or share quick tips related to your industry.
These are the videos most likely to show up in search, be recommended by AI tools, and continue bringing you engaged customers long after they’re posted.
Social media platforms are also increasingly being used as search engines in their own right. People now search on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube in the same way they would Google - looking for answers, recommendations and how-tos.
This means your social and video content should be created with search in mind, not just engagement. Clear captions, simple language, and content that directly answers questions all help your posts surface more easily, and make them easier to repurpose across your blog, email newsletters, and other channels.
4. Blogging isn’t dead
“In 2026, blogging isn’t about keywords alone - it’s about being useful, clear, and credible.”
If you’re a small business with a website and no blog, 2026 is the year to change that. Blogging is making a come-back, largely due to the rise of AI-led search and generative engine optimisation (GEO).
More people are now searching for answers, products, and services using AI tools like ChatGPT, and AI-generated answers are increasingly appearing at the top of search engines such as Google. What does this mean for your small business? Quite simply, these tools love to reference blog articles.
If you are not regularly publishing well-optimised blog posts that answer real customer questions, you may miss out on appearing in AI search results, and as a result, miss out on a significant amount of organic traffic.
One of the most effective ways to increase your visibility in AI-powered search is to consistently answer common customer queries through blog content. Over time, this helps search engines (and AI tools) understand what you’re knowledgeable about and when to recommend your business.
Even better, creating a cluster of related blog posts around a specific topic, such as GEO, and linking them together helps position you as an authority. It builds trust with your audience and strengthens how AI tools interpret your expertise (as I’ve done throughout this post).
AI can absolutely help with brainstorming ideas or outlining posts, but the content itself should always be written in your voice and grounded in genuine expertise. That’s what makes the biggest impact - with both humans and AI.
5. Community is key
“Reach builds awareness. Community builds loyalty.”
In 2026, building community is more important than ever for small businesses - especially as organic reach continues to decline across social media and search.
The small businesses that will thrive are the ones focusing on owning their audience, not just borrowing it from platforms.
That means growing an email newsletter list (email marketing is still one of the highest-ROI channels available to small businesses) and investing in spaces where real relationships can form.
Community can take many forms. This might look like a private Facebook or LinkedIn group, a Discord or WhatsApp community, or simply a shift in mindset on platforms like Instagram or TikTok - moving away from chasing follower numbers and towards nurturing a smaller, more engaged audience.
When you build community in this way, you create deeper, two-way relationships with your audience. It encourages conversation, trust, and loyalty, and ties directly back to the human-first marketing approach that will define successful small businesses in 2026.
Final thoughts: what this means for small businesses in 2026
Marketing in 2026 isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing the right things, intentionally.
The common thread across all of these trends is human-first marketing. AI tools, video, blogging and community building are all powerful, but only when they’re used to support real connection, not replace it.
Small businesses have a huge advantage here. You don’t need big budgets, glossy campaigns or viral hits. What you do need is clarity, consistency, and the confidence to show up as a real person behind your brand.
The small businesses that will thrive in 2026 are the ones that:
use AI strategically, without losing their voice
prioritise authenticity over perfection
create helpful, searchable content that works long-term
build trust through storytelling and education
focus on community, not just reach
You don’t need to do everything at once. Start small, stay human, and build momentum over time.
Action points for small businesses
1. Audit how you’re using AI
Are you using AI to support your marketing (ideas, structure, analysis)?
Or are you posting unedited AI content?
2. Add more human content into your mix
Behind-the-scenes posts
Your story or why you started
Honest updates about challenges or lessons learned
3. Use video strategically
Answer FAQs
Share quick tips or how-tos
Explain your service or product simply
4. Start (or revive) your blog
Focus on questions your customers actually ask
Write clearly, helpfully, and in your own voice
Link related posts together where possible
5. Shift from “followers” to “community”
Encourage replies, DMs, comments and conversations
Start or grow an email list
Think about where your audience likes to gather
6. Don’t try to do everything
You don’t need to be on every platform or use every tool. Pick one primary platform, one supporting channel, and one long-term asset (like a blog or email list).
As technology continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: people want to feel understood.
In a world of automation and mass-produced content, small businesses have a real opportunity to stand out by being human, honest, and helpful. The brands that will thrive in 2026 won’t be the loudest, they’ll be the most trusted.
If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: your voice, your story, and your experience matter more than ever.
– Louise
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