The Biggest Social Media Shifts of the Year & What Brands Need to Know for 2026

Cloudia Edinburgh
24 hours ago
3 min read

Social media has never moved faster, and this past year delivered some of the biggest shifts we’ve seen in a long time. From the rise of raw, unpolished storytelling to TikTok’s continued dominance and the growing importance of SEO on socials, brands have had to evolve quickly to stay relevant.

Here’s your annual recap of what changed, why it matters, and how you can use these insights to shape your 2026 strategy.

Raw Storytelling Took Over

Gone are the days when polished, perfect feeds were the goal. This year, authenticity became the strongest currency on social media.

Brands that performed best leaned into:

Lifestyle-led visuals
Unfiltered behind-the-scenes footage
Founder-fronted storytelling
‘Real’ looking content

You might be asking… why?

That’s because audiences trust what feels real and authentic.

Going into 2026, we would recommend you to show the side of your business you usually wouldn’t. Document your process, not just your product. Introduce your team, share your opinions, and let people see what happens behind closed doors.

TikTok is Still Growing & Still Dominating

TikTok didn’t just maintain momentum, it exploded again (are we surprised). The platform’s influence has shaped everything from music charts to product virality to search behaviour.

Here are the key, stand-out trends:

Long-form TikTok videos saw huge growth.
Product-review culture skyrocketed.
“Edu-tainment” became one of the most successful content formats.
TikTok Shop changed the e-commerce game.

Next year, think of TikTok not just as a social platform, but as a discovery engine. Focus on value-driven content over hard selling, and lean into storytelling formats that feel relaxed, not overproduced.

Static Posts Declined (But Didn’t Die)

Across Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn, static posts saw declining reach and engagement.

This year short-form video content, carousels with strong hooks and Reels-style storytelling took over.

Static images still have a place, but not as the hero.

So, if you’re investing your energy anywhere, make it video-first, and don’t forget to repurpose your work! One video = multiple reels, TikToks, shorts and stories.

AI Went Mainstream

AI tools moved from novelty to necessity. Content teams embraced AI for:

Caption ideation
Script writing
Trend monitoring
Visual generation
Data insights

AI didn’t replace creators, it supercharged them.

Going forward, ensure to use AI to speed up admin and brainstorming. But please keep your brand voice, creativity, and human perspective at the centre.

Facebook Groups Made a Comeback

While feed content on Facebook is quieter than previous years, community-led spaces boomed.

We saw:

Niche community groups thrive
Localised conversations increase
Peer-to-peer recommendations surge

Brands using groups for community building saw stronger loyalty, repeat customers, and more organic reach.

In 2026, don’t forget to build and join groups around shared interests, not just your product.

Social Media SEO Became Essential

Social platforms officially became search engines. Especially for younger users, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube replaced traditional Google search.

This year we saw:

Captions get longer
Searchable keywords become strategy drivers
Alt text and closed captions used intentionally
“How to…” and educational content surge
Google indexing more social content

Next year, make sure you write captions with search intent in mind. Use clear keywords and answer questions your audience is searching for.

The Top Viral Videos and Trends of 2025

Every year has its viral moments but this year the standout themes included:

Day-in-the-life content
POV storytelling
Relatable humour
Mini-vlogs
Aesthetic ‘photo dumps’
AI-created viral filters and effects

Brands and Creators who jumped on trends early saw massive spikes in reach.

Ensure you develop trend-spotting habits and schedule in research time, but don’t forget to react FAST and always adapt trends to your niche and tone.