We’re four months into 2026, and the marketing world is moving quicker than ever. From ‘synthetic feeds’ dying out to an uptick in employee-generated content, we take a look at the latest updates for marketers to keep an eye on!
Social media algorithms favour watch times
Instagram is putting greater emphasis on video watch times. Likes have now become the weakest engagement signal with repeat views and how long a video is watched for becoming king. And it looks like this trend crosses multiple social media platforms, with the exception of LinkedIn.
According to Sprout social, the new algorithm hierarchy is: watch time → shares → saves → DM sends → comments → likes.
Authentic storytelling beats corporate releases
Customer stories and behind-the-scenes content now carry more weight than traditional press releases. Marketers are returning to real client experiences, highlighting the people behind solutions, and sharing perspectives that feel personal rather than promotional.
A HubSpot study found that 75% of people don’t trust advertisements, but 70% trust recommendations from other customers.
TikTok has raised the threshold for becoming viral
Videos now need a 70% completion rate to go viral on TikTok. Previously the figure was 50%. Equally, longer videos (60-180 seconds) are now outperforming shorter 15-second clips. Something to keep in mind when editing down videos!
Employee-led content is the way to go
Audiences trust employees more than influencers or CEOs, and social teams stepping in front of the camera are creating valuable opportunities for brands to build more personal, human connections. This is a trend we’ve particularly seen more on TikTok and Instagram reels, where it has become more valuable to have a person in front of the screen than a product.
AI-generated media is on its way out
Media created in AI is seeing some backlash – with many social media users now referring to AI-generated images and video as ‘AI-slop’. One recent TikTok showing a promotion for a restaurant highlighted an AI-generated poster, with commenters almost unanimously agreeing that they would actively avoid brands using AI to promote products. According to Hootesuite, authentic content is now the real differentiator online.