As 2026 kicks off, everyone is trying to predict what the next big INs and OUTs for social and content will be. Here’s my take: The brands that win next won’t be the loudest or the biggest. They’ll be the ones who feel the most human.
For years, social rewarded scale. More reach. More views. More followers. But as platforms mature and feeds get more crowded, attention has become harder to earn and easier to lose. The next phase of social isn’t about how many people you reach, it’s about how deeply you connect with the right ones. Intimacy is becoming the advantage.
So let’s get into it. Here are the ins and outs of 2026 from someone who clocks about nine hours a day on TikTok – helping clients not just show up, but stand out.
IN: Micro events and intentional collaborations
Think Dunkin’ Donuts sponsoring your birthday party (s/o Kris Jenner). A growing trend across feeds is brands, artists, and influencers leaning into smaller, more personal activations instead of massive, headline-chasing stunts.
These moments can still be expensive, but when done right and captured intentionally, they create content that feels real. Real people, reactions, and stories. That authenticity is hard to fake at scale and far more valuable than a polished activation that people scroll past without feeling anything.
Micro events create moments that feel like you had to be there. And that feeling is exactly what people want more of, even if it causes a little bit of FOMO.
OUT: Growth at all costs
The era of growth at all costs is fading. Reach is no longer the north star – relevance is.
In the early days of TikTok, it was easy to become obsessed with viral views. But for established brands today, the question has shifted. It’s no longer “How many people saw this?” It’s “Did this actually move the needle with the people we care about?”
There will always be times when scale matters, especially for newer brands or big launches. But if you’ve spent the last few years chasing reach and struggling to prove real value from it, this is your sign to change how you define success. Attention without connection is just noise.
IN: Curated content in your brand voice
Your social content should be an amplified version of your brand. Not a random collection of posts.
Being curated doesn’t mean being boring, it means being intentional. The best brands know who they are, what they stand for, and how they want to show up. Every post ladders back to that, even when it’s playful or trend adjacent.
When content feels consistent, audiences know what to expect from you. That familiarity is what builds trust and long-term engagement.
OUT: All trends, all the time
The strategy of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks needs to stop. People are tired of brands trying to be everything at once.
Not every trend is for you, and that’s okay. You don’t need to show up in every pop culture moment to stay relevant. In fact, being selective often makes your participation feel more earned.
You might have one or two fewer viral posts in a year, but what you gain is an audience that actually understands and connects with your brand. If you can’t add something meaningful, funny, or on brand to a trend, posting just to post is over. Unless you’re cool with being cringe.
IN: Tweaking content by channel
As your accounts mature, clear patterns start to show up by platform. What works on TikTok won’t always work on Instagram. What hits on Instagram might flop on Facebook.
The opportunity is in the details. Small tweaks like a different opening line on Instagram, a stronger first-second hook on TikTok, or choosing voiceover versus text-to-speech can make a real difference. These changes don’t require reinventing the wheel, but they do require paying attention.
Posting the same asset everywhere is easy. Optimizing it slightly for where it lives is what drives better performance.
Final thoughts …
Would you rather build a fan for life or 100 fans for a few seconds?
2026 is the year to stop chasing fleeting attention and start building real connections. The brands that win won’t be the ones trying to reach everyone. They’ll be the ones who know exactly who they’re talking to and show up for them consistently.
Build smaller moments, be more intentional, and focus more on resonance than reach.
