Paul Greenwood: Social Search, AI content and how online behaviour will change
By Paul Greenwood, global head of research & insight, We Are Social
Social search
Social search is set to surge even more in 2026. Brand discoverability on social media will be just as important as on Google. In particular, text-based social platforms are going to see increased interest from brands because they’re so often used to train AI Large Language Models, so brand presence there will help with GEO strategies.
Social commerce
Social commerce is another growth area. It’s already the norm in some parts of the world, particularly in the East, but expect to see Western platforms getting better at it next year with options like shoppable video and more trials of live shopping. People who use social for entertainment expect the shopping experience to be equally entertaining, so they’ll want social commerce to be like QVC on steroids.
Online behaviour
We’re also going to see online behaviour evolving. Time spent on social media is plateauing and we may have already reached ‘Peak Social’, so brands will have to be more creative than ever to reach audiences, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha users who are moving away from traditional platforms and into ‘dark forests’ like messaging apps and creator-centred communities.
Although brands may struggle to get a read on these online communities, there is the scope to develop deeper connections, if not broader ones.
AI generated content:
Finally, AI-generated content will continue to appear across social, so don’t be surprised to see reactions against the slop and countertrends. While tech and premium brands may lean into the clean, crisp AI-generated aesthetic, heritage brands will want to highlight natural settings and more overtly real, human-led stories.
We’re in the third era of social influence now, where we’re moving away from video and visual and into the age of the expert. Next year will see more longer-form content on deep, meaningful topics, where people take what they post more seriously. They’ll expect brands to be the same – to provide expert insights and be more thoughtful and ambitious in their approach.
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