This is going to be fun! Last year, we recorded an episode sharing our marketing predictions for 2025, and we are here to see if we were right and where we were colossally wrong.
Tune into episode #153 if you want to hear what we predicted.
And at the end of this year’s episode, we’ll share our completely unhinged 2026 predictions. You won’t want to miss that part!
Our 2025 Predictions Were…
Prediction #1 — Community-Centered Marketing Will Surge
We thought people would want in-person connection again—workshops, coworking pop-ups, collabs, and community involvement—because digital-only marketing won’t cut it forever.
RIGHT! The local workshops we hosted were very well received, and we’ll continue them in 2026.
Prediction #2 — Authenticity > Perfection in Branding
People want to see more messy BTS and fewer polished staged visuals. The internet needs real faces, real voices, and imperfect marketing.
RIGHT! AI is making people crave this even more. Facebook is a scary place right now.
Prediction #3 — Video Will Rule… But NOT in the Way We Expected
We thought video would dominate every platform, with short-form videos being especially key to growth and visibility.
KINDA RIGHT? TikTok, YouTube, and Reels… yes, but also Carousels took a surprising turn! There’s so much short-form video out there that there’s actually a declining watch-through rate.
Brands win with personality over trends—our non-educational content always performs better.
It’s not ‘make video’ — it’s ‘make video people actually want to watch.’
Prediction #4 — SEO + High-Quality Content Will Matter More Than Ever
Abbey thought Google would crack down on low-effort content (AKA AI-written content) and that E-E-A-T would rise in importance. Blogging needs a stronger strategy to rank well in search engines.
RIGHT! SEO isn’t dead—lazy SEO is. With Helpful Content and AI Overviews changes, it’s quality or bust. Our client work and students in SEO On Tap prove this every week.
Prediction #5 — AI Will Become a Branding + Creative Power Tool
Court thought AI would become a collaborator in branding, but people would need to learn how to use it intentionally. That’s why we thought AI tools would grow like crazy.
RIGHT! AI workflows are now in every corner of marketing. The main takeaway from us is that AI didn’t take your job — it became your intern. Don’t let it steal your creativity and your brain.
Prediction #6 — People Want Human-First Brands
We believed empathy and value-driven messaging would matter more than ever before. People are craving connection with humans, not corporations (or AI).
RIGHT! People don’t choose brands — people choose people. We worked with Legal Bestie to bring personality to the boring legal world. Their brand is resonating with more people, and they’re signing more aligned clients.
So what are our 2026 predictions? “Unhinged Version”
#1 No one will use the Pantone color of the year…. Because it’s dumb.
Don’t even get Court started on this 😂 The Pantone color of the year is the most boring light grey color.
That’s not what people want (at least that’s the case for our branding clients!) People want color and saturation. We’re adding so many more colors to clients’ brands lately because that’s not what sets them apart.
Grey will only make you blend in, and who wants that?!
#2 Atlas has an uphill battle, but we do think more people will adopt this platform.
Atlas is ChatGPT’s newest browser and a Chrome competitor. We don’t think it will completely replace Chrome, but with how many people have adopted AI in recent years, we wouldn’t be surprised if Atlas gets some use and attention in 2026.
#3 People will quit Social Media
Honestly, we hope this is true. It’s too hard, oversaturated, and time-consuming to keep up with from a business perspective. Plus, it can have negative effects on mental health because you’re constantly comparing yourself to others. We think people are sick of it.
But there has to be something to replace it, and we think that will be:
#4 Forget traditional backlinks in 2026—receipts will win.
Don’t tell us you’re credible — PROVE IT.
- Screenshots
- Case studies
- Analytics
- Fans
- Subtweets
- Reviews
The internet wants the tea.
A tag in a publication that no one reads isn’t going to help you like it did in the past. You want to join and start conversations now (enter: Reddit.)
#5 Copywriters Will Rule the World… Again
People are going to get sick of AI copy—we already are. It’s so generic and cringy. People want words written by real people—AKA copywriters.
We just hired a copywriter for our growing Duo team because we know this is an area of need for our clients!
#6 ChatGPT referrals are going to grow.
You are going to get more referrals from ChatGPT than from other platforms, possibly becoming your number one referral source. ChatGPT and other AI platforms are constantly learning and growing, so it makes sense they’ll start citing more sources.
#7 2026 could be a harder year for small businesses
Hear us out… what you did before isn’t going to work anymore. We can’t rely on Instagram or paid ad strategies to bring us business anymore.
- We need real connection (IRL opportunities)
- Focus on credibility and authenticity.
- You need to sell differently. People need to understand why they need you when money feels super tight.
What are Your 2026 Predictions?
We can’t wait to see how our unhinged theories pan out this year.
Tell us what you think! Do you agree or disagree with any of our 2026 predictions? Share your thoughts and own predictions with us on Instagram!
FAQs About 2026 Predictions
Yes—but in 2026, SEO is less about chasing keywords and more about building authority, trust, and real value. Search engines like Google are prioritizing content that demonstrates experience, clarity, and genuine value over volume-driven strategies.
Yes! Blog content works best when integrated into a broader ecosystem that supports email marketing, internal linking, and brand authority. One strong, strategic post can outperform ten generic ones.
More than ever! Audiences trust people before companies. Personal brands help humanize businesses, support thought leadership, and differentiate service-based brands in increasingly crowded markets.
Grab your earbuds!
Apple Podcasts | Spotify
If you loved today’s episode of The Duo On Air Podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on your favorite platform and hit subscribe for those new episodes dropping every Monday — it helps more small business owners find us (and let’s be honest, that’s good SEO ).
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Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts with over 20+ years of combined experience working with big brands. They are educators and co-founders of Duo Collective; a boutique organic marketing agency specializing in SEO, branding, and custom websites for women-led small businesses and creative entrepreneurs.
Ready to grow your visibility and become unforgettable?
Learn more or work with our team here.
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