2026 TRENDS AND PREDICTIONS: WHAT DO CREATORS NEED TO KNOW?

2026 is set to redefine how creators connect with their audiences. From AI optimisation to the new experts in town, the sands of social media are shifting faster than ever.

Staying relevant for your viewers means tapping into the next new trend fast, so here are 5 to watch out for in 2026.

1. AI's not going anywhere

We all knew this wasn't going away any time soon. In fact, AI is set to play an even more important role in content creation in two big ways:

 Optimizing for AI search

AI software, like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and PerplexityAI, has reached critical mass. Millions use it, strategies are defined by it, and now creator content needs to work with it.

This means creating assets that match the way we now search: using ultra-detailed, hyper-specific topics, such as "healthy, vegan, batch-cook meals on a budget of $50 a week" rather than just "vegan batch-cook meals"

To optimize your content for AI search:

• Research the questions your audience asks AI software that are relevant for you to answer. You should have some level of expertise or experience to offer in this area.
  
  
• Make sure your content closely and valuably answers the question it's designed for. This is very important. Don't just focus on the keywords it contains, understand the search intent behind the question.
  
  
• Make your content compelling. If anyone could answer the question, your content has to present the most intriguing way to answer it.
  
  
• Optimize your content for keywords relevant to the original search.

 

Disclosing use of AI in content creation

Sprout Social insights warn us that Gen Z and Millennials are most concerned about the non-disclosure of AI use.

AI use has been instrumental in the rise of fake content, misinformation and fraud across social media in the last year, and the battle for consumer trust will rage on into 2026.

Abiding by the evolving rules surrounding AI use on each platform, as well as clearly disclosing how and where content has been used, AI will be a key factor in content and creator credibility in the coming year.

2. Nostalgia (for a time before AI)

When the world becomes chaotic and unpredictable, we reach for the familiar. And for the Millennial and Gen Z cohorts, life has never felt more precarious.

Cue content that taps into the comfort of known entities, like old tech, habits and aesthetics. This includes flip phones, garage bands and 90s clothing styles. Pinterest Predicts even put letter writing (the performative aspect of which you'll see on social media) in its trend predictions for 2026.

 

3. Splitting your content into a series

This is a trend that has already "arrived" on the social scene and it's set to continue in 2026.

Separating your content into a series of episodes is a cheat code that encourages viewers to engage across a greater selection of your content. There's a knack for achieving this, and it's fairly simple:

Each episode has to provide a pay-off, otherwise people won't see the value in it, and won't seek out other episodes.

But each episode needs to have a storytelling flow to it. This allows you to deliver a pay-off moment, while setting up a new challenge, problem to be solved, promise of future enlightenment, or simply future laughs to be delivered in the next episode.

Instagram's "link reel" feature lets you easily link your reel to other episodes in your series so your audience can find it. It's almost like the platform wants you to do this 🙂

 

4. Remixes and Reactions

Remixes have been around for a bit. They're particularly popular when applied to music collaborations. One person might be jamming on the guitar, and another creator, in a different location, will add in their beat. Another creator might remix that video, adding in their vocals. Creative individuals especially use non-musical sounds and turn them into collaborative musical masterpieces.

Remixes that show people collaborating with dance moves, across a four-way split-screen, for example, are another popular format.

Reaction content is a classic use of the remix. It's also an incredibly quick way to leap on a trend by leveraging existing content and the audience that has already interacted with it.

TikTok has duet/stitch features allowing you to remix content. In response to this, YouTube Shorts' now offers remix features, which let you remix using 4 parameters:

• Sound: Apply a track or sound from the original content to your own
• Collab: Splitscreen your content with the original or a clip from it
• Green screen: Superimpose yourself onto the original video
• Cut: Select a segment of the original video to play at the start of yours

If you don't want to allow other creators to remix your content, you can edit the permissions for this under "Shorts remixing" within YouTube Studio.

 

5. Experts could be redefined

CEOs have entered the chat and they're a new competitor for creators. Businesses and brands have recognised the importance of having fully accessible leaders with visible, active and authentic profiles to drive their credibility and reach - and they're putting serious money towards the mission.

Fully formed content strategies for business leaders will see them create everything from opinion posts to thought leadership, interviews and videocasts for their channels.

This brings a new dynamic to the "expert" space. CEOs will have insider access to industry movements driving trends, be able to offer exclusive insights and have a strong network of similar industry experts to draw upon. Existing leaders in their niche will have to go the extra mile to assert their creds and offer the same value to their followers.

 

Tap into 2026 music trends

Universal Music for Creators has a catalogue of over 50,000 music tracks and 200,000 sound FX. It also tracks trending music across social media and supplies you with the fully approved sounds you need to leap on the next big thing.