Micro marketing trends to keep your eye on in 2026

There’s been a lot of hype about the big shifts in marketing, (hi, AI takeover), but the truth is changes rarely arrive with fireworks. They tend to creep in, changing behaviour quietly and adjusting expectations along the way.

We’ve put our ear to the ground and unearthed some of the micro changes that are already shaping the way we work with our clients in 2026.

1. Humour is here to stay

After years of hyper-polished, ultra-safe content, the brands that are bold enough to show they have a sense of humour are reaping the benefits. Not chaos for the sake of it, not trend-chasing, but humour that acknowledges the algorithm, pokes fun at industry clichés and speaks like a real person.

It’s about sharing more than just information, it’s sharing your personality too.

2. Data is driving creativity (not killing it)

There’s a false narrative that data and creativity sit on opposite sides. In reality, the best-performing campaigns are grounded in audience insight.

We’re continually analysing our content and listening closely to the social sphere to discover what’s engaging to our specific audiences and allowing our creative to flow from there.

3. Employee-Generated Content is taking the lead

Audiences are sharper than ever, they can spot a paid partnership within a nanosecond and they’re increasingly drawn to content that feels more authentic.

We’ve seen employee-generated content (EGC) gaining serious traction across the social feeds we work on for our clients. Content featuring real staff and their honest thoughts and experiences goes beyond recommendations and shows the friendly human face behind the brand your audience is already invested in.

4. Gloss is boring

Perfect lighting, seamless transitions, glossy grid. It’s no longer the flex it once was.

Content that feels slightly rough around the edges often performs better because it feels real. Quick edits, a bit of handheld movement, off the cuff comments or some behind-the-scenes slip-ups are much more interesting than perfection.

Crucially, this approach doesn’t mean low quality (inaudible or poorly executed content is just infuriating). It’s just about reducing the polish and being confident enough to allow your audience to peep behind the curtain.

5. Email frequency is being recalibrated

In the era of content-fatigue, we’re seeing more brands step back and ask: “Do we really need to send this?”

Our CRM team has been refining behaviour-led journeys across campaigns, moving away from calendar-first sends and towards intent-based communication. The result is a higher open rate and above-average click-throughs.

6. Longer captions are back (kind of)

Ultra-minimal, cryptic captions? So 2025.

We’ve seen social media captions slowly start to grow. Perhaps, driven in part by the fact that social media captions now form a crucial part of search engine optimisation. Captions are not essays, but thoughtful copy that gives context, tells a story or offers a clear point of view.

However, there is a caveat: if it’s longer, it has to be worth it

At The Content Emporium, we’ve been weaving SEO thinking directly into our social and editorial work, making sure captions do more than decorate a post. They work hard to be entertaining and informative.

None of these shifts are new or dramatic. We’ve been quietly working on them for years, but they are slowly sharpening and informing the way we work.

If you’re looking at your 2026 strategy and wondering where to focus, start small. And if you’d like a second pair of eyes on what’s quietly working (or quietly underperforming), we’re always up for the conversation. Discover what good social looks like in 2026 and how we’re planning our 2026 at The Content Emporium