What to Prepare for in 2026 – And What You Can Start Doing Now
AI, authenticity, and action – discover the key marketing trends for 2026 and what you can start doing right now.
Hey marketer! 👋🏻
The turn of the year is traditionally full of looking back. What went well, lists of joy, and such. But instead of looking backward, I prefer to look ahead. In today’s newsletter, I want to highlight the main trends I’ve been observing in practice lately – trends that will continue to grow stronger this year. Trends you should know about.
From SEO to Answers: The End of Fluff
The biggest change that practically everyone in the industry is talking about is the transformation of search. You may have noticed it yourself – more and more people are stopping to ask Google for a list of links. Instead, they’re asking ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity to get a direct answer. They’re not searching “best restaurant New York” – they’re asking “where should I go for dinner in New York if I want Italian food and have a budget of $50 per person.”
What does this mean for you? Algorithms and AI models will ignore average content that just rewrites what’s already been said a hundred times elsewhere. That generic product description you copied from your supplier? That article that just summarizes what someone else already wrote? That won’t cut it anymore.
Content built on your unique experience will win. On data that only you have. On opinions you can actually defend. As I write in my book Become Your Own Marketer (currently being translated into English) – it’s not enough to just be in search engines, you need to be where your customers are. And in 2026, customers are increasingly turning to AI assistants.
Practically speaking, this means one thing: one truly great article where you share your hands-on experience will bring you more than ten average pieces. Draw from what you do every day. Offer a perspective that no tool can provide – because it has nowhere to get it from.
AI as a Partner, Not a Replacement
2026 will be the year when AI stops being a toy and becomes a standard work tool. You’re probably already there – using it to edit texts, for brainstorming, for processing notes or data. And that’s the right approach.
But watch out for one thing. Companies that try to automate communication at the expense of humanity will hit a wall. Imagine you send an inquiry and get back a response that’s grammatically correct, but you can feel it was written by a robot. How would you feel? You’d probably think you’re not important enough to this company for a human to respond.
The key skill will be guiding AI to create drafts and prototypes, but the final output must be reviewed by a human. Otherwise, you end up with what’s being called “AI slop” – low-quality junk that doesn’t engage anyone and that people recognize at first glance.
I mention this in my book too: people very quickly recognize when they’re talking to a robot. For small businesses, human contact is a huge advantage – use it. Use AI as a junior assistant who speeds up your routine and helps you be more efficient. Let it prepare an outline, a first draft, a summary. But keep the responsibility for the final tone of communication with yourself. That personal touch is what will set you apart.
Authenticity Beats Perfection
As a counterpoint to perfect, AI-generated visuals, there’s a growing trend of realness. It might seem paradoxical, but people are tired of perfection. American smiles, polished stock photos, flawless graphics, overly slick-sounding copy – it all starts to feel suspicious. Like there’s nobody real behind it. How many car brands alone have recently rebranded to that same, interchangeable visual style?
People are drawn to content that feels human. Even imperfect content. That’s precisely what builds trust. When you see a photo from a real workshop instead of a stock image, you trust it more. When you read a text where the author admits something didn’t work out, you trust them more than someone who claims to be perfect and infallible.
Social media is shifting from mass reach to depth and community building. Influencer marketing isn’t ending, but it’s changing. It’s no longer about numbers, but about real influence and trust. A smaller audience that trusts you is more valuable than a large audience that just scrolls through their feed.
What does this mean for you? Show your human side. Don’t be afraid to admit when something doesn’t work out. Don’t be afraid to show behind the scenes – even the messy parts. Take your own photos, even if they’re not perfect. People love the process; they enjoy watching how things come together. It’s precisely this authenticity that will differentiate you most from your competition. You’re creating a truly authentic brand and connection. I’ve written about this in my book as well.
Email Remains King
While everyone is debating whether to be on TikTok or Threads, email quietly remains the channel with the highest return. But the rules of the game are changing.
Due to privacy protection and the end of third-party cookies, collecting your own contacts is becoming increasingly important. Mass mailings to purchased databases are ending – and good riddance. Personalization and relevance are taking over. It’s not about sending an email to everyone, but sending the right message to the right people at the right time.
Email is a timeless tool. Build your own database from day one. Even if it’s just ten people, that’s ten people you can communicate with directly, without an algorithm deciding whether anyone sees your content.
And most importantly – give people something they’re genuinely interested in. By making your emails useful rather than just sales pitches, you’ll strengthen their relationship with you. Just like this newsletter – I try to make sure you take away something practical from every issue.
From Knowing to Doing
The market is oversaturated with information. Courses, e-books, webinars, podcasts – there’s more information than anyone can process. And here’s something important to realize: in 2026, it won’t be those who know the most who win, but those who can quickly put things into practice.
Education is important. But even more important is not getting stuck in endless learning. I know plenty of people who keep studying more and more materials because they feel they don’t know enough yet. That they need one more course, one more book, one more certificate. And only then will they start.
The truth is you’ll never know everything. And that’s okay. Learn the basics, try them in practice, and only then continue learning based on the results. Systems for work management and processes will be more important than accumulating knowledge.
Don’t wait for perfection. Launch your project at eighty percent and fine-tune as you go. That will tell you far more than another month of studying.
What Does All This Mean?
Technology is great for optimizing processes. AI will save you hours of work. Automation will ease your routine. Use them. But none of it can replace genuine interest in your customer, empathy, and real care.
That will be your biggest competitive advantage in 2026, when the web is flooded with generic content. Don’t try to chase every technological trend. Use AI to eliminate routine, but create content with emphasis on your personal experience and authenticity. That’s something AI can’t replace – because it has to come from you.
Wishing you all the best in 2026, and thank you for being here with me! 🥂
See you in the next article 🫡
Jan Barborik
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