If 2024 seemed fast, 2025 felt like hyper speed. This year brought major shifts across search, social, AI, content, and user behavior—changes that every marketing leader will need to understand heading into 2026.
At Informatics, we spent the year breaking these developments down in our monthly Client Corner newsletter, and helping companies and not-for-profits turn those shifts into measurable results and more business. Here are five takeaways from all that work and experimentation that you can put into action for 2026.
1. AI is Reshaping Search and Content Marketing From the Ground Up
Virtually every marketing headline these days has something to do with AI, and for good reason. The data we’ve seen from the past year proves that AI is rewiring the way people search, evaluate information, and make decisions.
In fact, 80% of consumers now rely on these "zero-click" results at least 40% of the time, according to Bain research. Traditional methods for mapping reach and advertising success have evolved, and marketers must now include Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) in their strategies to remain competitive.
The shift happened faster than many predicted. Across the year, we covered rapid developments such as:
- ChatGPT, Perplexity, and similar tools becoming preferred search engines for younger audiences who value conversational interfaces
- AI-generated recommendations outperforming traditional search results in trust and speed
- Fundamental shifts in SEO metrics as AI summaries determining what users see first—or whether they see your brand at all
This transformation means that visibility now depends on how well AI systems can understand, interpret, and recommend your content. The old playbook of keyword optimization alone won't cut it anymore.
“AI changed how people find information, so we’ve focused on clearer, more authoritative content that AI can confidently surface. When clients answer questions fully and structure their pages well, both users and AI recognize the value.”
~ Haley Johnson, Informatics Digital Content & SEO Specialist
What This Means for Your 2026 Strategy
Every piece of content now serves two audiences: human readers and AI systems. To stay visible, brands must invest in:
- Clear, authoritative, structured content that directly answers user questions with depth and expertise
- Consistent messaging across every page and platform so AI systems recognize your brand as a reliable source
- Complete, trustworthy answers that reduce the need for users to look elsewhere
- Technical SEO elements like schema markup, proper heading hierarchies, and semantic HTML that help AI understand your expertise
The organizations that embrace AI-ready content in 2026 will stay discoverable. Those that continue treating content creation as a simple keyword exercise will struggle to appear in search at all.
2. Social Platforms Are Now Powerful Discovery Channels
A recurring theme in 2025 was the transformation of social platforms into full-scale discovery engines. Younger users are increasingly turn to social feeds to find brands, products, and solutions, often before they ever type a query into a traditional search engine.
A new survey from Sprout Social found that 41% of Gen Zers and 35% of millennials now start looking for new information or brands on social; only 32% of Gen Zers say they start with traditional search engines.
We highlighted several major signals throughout the year, including:
- Instagram content appearing directly in Google search results, blurring the lines between social and search
- Pinterest, Reddit, Threads, and LinkedIn launching new features designed specifically for brand visibility and discovery
- Short-form video becoming the highest-performing format for organic reach across virtually every platform
The buyer journey has fundamentally changed. Today's customer doesn't wait for a moment of need to research a brand—they come across brands naturally as part of their daily scrolling. Discovery happens during moments of entertainment, education, and connection, not just during active problem-solving.
What This Means for Your Strategy
To stay discoverable in 2026, marketers need to treat social content with the same strategic discipline they apply to SEO. This means thinking beyond engagement metrics and focusing on discoverability and conversion potential.
Essential elements include:
- Strong hooks in the first few seconds that stop the scroll and communicate value immediately
- Search-friendly captions and metadata that help both users and algorithms understand your content
- Platform-appropriate storytelling that respects the unique culture and format preferences of each channel
- UGC-style visuals that feel authentic and relatable rather than overly polished or corporate
“Social has really become a discovery engine. We help clients create content that teaches, entertains, and gets found by using strong hooks and platform-native storytelling to reach new audiences.”
~ Amanda Hoffmann, Informatics Digital Marketing Strategist
3. Buyers Expect Self-Service—and Your Digital Presence Must Deliver
One of the strongest patterns we saw in 2025 was the accelerating shift toward self-guided buying. Across both B2B and B2C, customers demonstrated a clear preference for researching and making decisions independently before engaging with sales teams or customer service.
Key developments included:
- 61% of B2B buyers now favoring a rep-free experience, preferring to gather information on their own timeline
- Google Maps, local search, and listings becoming primary research touchpoints
- AI-driven summaries conditioning users to expect instant, comprehensive answers without clicking through multiple pages
This shift places new demands on every element of your digital ecosystem. Your website, your local listings, your social profiles—each must function independently as a complete source of information and trust-building.
What This Means for Your Strategy
Your digital presence now carries responsibilities once held by sales teams. To keep pace, 2026 strategies should focus on building an environment where buyers can confidently make decisions without hand-holding.
Critical components include:
- Clear, confident messaging that immediately communicates who you serve and what makes you different
- Friction-free navigation that mirrors how buyers actually think and search, not how you want them to
- Proof-driven content at every stage of the sales funnel, including whitepapers, case studies, and testimonials.
- Pages that fully answer user questions without requiring outreach, giving buyers the confidence to move forward independently
“Today’s buyers want answers quickly, so we design websites that guide users on their own. It's about clear navigation, strong proof points, and focused messaging. We want people to discover the brand without friction.”
~ Jeff Stephens, Informatics Director of Web Design
4. Trust Is the Defining Factor in Digital Decision-Making
Trust surfaced repeatedly this year as a make-or-break element of modern marketing. As AI-generated content proliferates and misinformation concerns grow, audiences are becoming more cautious and discerning about which recommendations or messaging they believe.
Consider the fact that 97% of consumers now say they “rely” on reviews before a purchase; most report reading 1-10 reviews before buying, according to PowerReviews.
- Google permanently removing large volumes of reviews deemed fake or manipulated, raising the bar for authentic social proof
- Platforms adding new tools to verify claims and provide context, making transparency a technical requirement
- AI-generated content creating credibility concerns as users struggle to distinguish between authentic expertise and automated output
- A shift away from influencer culture toward UGC-driven content that feels more genuine and less transactional
The underlying message is clear: audiences are more skeptical than ever, and credibility has become a competitive advantage. Brands that have invested in genuine relationships and authentic communication are seeing better results than those chasing viral moments or manufactured hype.
What This Means for Your Strategy
In 2026, marketing teams should prioritize building and demonstrating trustworthiness at every touchpoint. This means making strategic choices that favor long-term credibility over short-term attention.
Key priorities include:
- Authentic, detailed review collection that showcases real experiences from real customers, including context and specifics
- Transparent claims backed by data or examples, avoiding vague promises or exaggerated language
- More UGC and community-centered storytelling that lets customers and employees speak for your brand
- A unified brand voice across all channels that reinforces consistency and reliability
“When we translate real expertise, real outcomes, and real people into a consistent story across every touchpoint, prospects stop feeling ‘sold to’ and start feeling understood. That’s how brands build trust.”
~ Adam Moore, Informatics Brand & Content Manager
5. Video is Now the Most Effective Format Across Nearly Every Channel
Video absolutely dominated 2025 as a driver of reach, engagement, and conversion across every platform and audience segment. What began as a TikTok trend has evolved into a culture-wide shift in how people consume information and make decisions.
New research shows that 70% of B2B buyers find video more effective than other content formats for creating awareness of business challenges—a clear signal that video has become the preferred medium for information consumption in professional contexts.
Throughout the year, we highlighted:
- Short-form video outperforming all other forms of content in terms of reach, shares, and time spent
- LinkedIn users overwhelmingly watching videos on mute, requiring creators to rethink how they convey information
- TikTok's influence on search and discovery, with video content now appearing prominently in traditional search results
- Streaming and OTT becoming mainstream opportunities for targeted advertising, offering precision that traditional TV never could
Audiences prefer video because it's faster to consume, easier to understand, and more memorable than text alone. Whether explaining a complex service, showcasing a product, or building brand awareness, video consistently delivers superior results.
“We’re seeing the best results from short videos with a clear point of view and subject-matter experts who speak directly to the problems they solve. The winning formula is simple: grab attention fast, make it easy to follow, and leave viewers with one clear takeaway.”
~ Chris Gray, Informatics Media Producer
What This Means for Your Strategy
As we move into 2026, video should anchor multiple aspects of your marketing strategy, each format serving a distinct purpose:
- Short-form video (under 90 seconds) should anchor your discovery strategy on social platforms, designed to stop scrolls and spark interest
- Educational mid-form content (2-5 minutes) should support authority-building and SEO, providing depth that establishes expertise
- OTT/CTV advertising should play a role in brand awareness campaigns, reaching audiences in premium viewing environments
The technical barrier to video creation has largely disappeared. Modern smartphones and accessible editing tools mean that consistent video production is now achievable for organizations of any size. The question for 2026 is no longer whether to invest in video, but how to integrate it strategically across your entire marketing ecosystem.
Your 2026 Marketing Action Plan
If you focus on anything in the year ahead, make it these priorities:
- Build AI-ready, authoritative content that serves both algorithms and human readers
- Treat social as a discovery engine, not a posting obligation
- Strengthen your website as a complete self-service environment where buyers can confidently make decisions
- Prioritize transparency and credibility across every touchpoint
- Invest consistently in video at multiple lengths, each format serving a strategic purpose
The good news? You don't have to navigate these changes alone. At Informatics, we've guided organizations through every wave of digital change for more than two decades. We understand the Midwest market, we know the challenges businesses face, and we've helped companies of all sizes turn these insights into measurable results. Let's get started today!
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