The social media landscape is a constantly shifting beast, and trying to predict its future can feel like gazing into a crystal ball. But as we look ahead to 2026, some trends are starting to solidify. Based on current trajectories and user behavior, here are five bold predictions for what social media might look like in just a few short years. Without further ado, lets attempt to take a glimpse into the future and see what our predictions are for social media in 2026!
Prediction 1: The Video Takeover on Facebook and Instagram
Remember the days when your Facebook and Instagram feeds were dominated by static photos? Those days are rapidly becoming a distant memory, and by 2026, we predict they’ll be entirely obsolete on these platforms. Instagram and Facebook have already made Reels central to their platforms, and by 2026, it’s likely that video will completely dominate both feeds.
Video content tends to be a lot more engaging, captures your attention for longer, and is easier to digest than having to look at an image and then read the caption. With captions, sound, and storytelling built in, the video does the work for you. While video content has been growing in importance, 2026 will become the year the majority of all our content becomes video. If you’re not doing video content, the time is now.
Prediction 2: Personal Relationships Don’t Matter
For the longest time, whenever we open up our social media apps we are greeted by a feed that shows content from our friends, family, and pages we follow. It was great for sharing life updates and connecting with long-lost friends. When TikTok stormed onto the field, the big thing that set them apart was their FYP; a section dedicated to showing content from creators all over the world that relate to your interests- not your friends and family.
Fast forward to today, and most of the content being shown to us on any platform is content the algorithm thinks we will like. Some of us actively avoid certain platforms so that we don’t see content from certain family members or only go to those platforms to post an update for them. Moving into 2026, we may find that social media becomes less about staying in touch and more about consuming curated content tailored to our interests.
Prediction 3: LinkedIn’s Unexpected Casual Turn
LinkedIn has long been the “professional” place in the social media family- you only turn to it when you’re looking for a job. But, 2025 has seen a fascinating transformation for LinkedIn. While it will undoubtedly remain a powerhouse for professional networking, expect LinkedIn to make a serious play for the “casual social media” space by 2026.
We anticipate features that encourage more personal updates, community building around shared interests, not just careers. Imagine connecting with colleagues over their weekend hobbies or sharing lighter, more personal milestones. LinkedIn could become the unexpected dark horse in the race for our casual scrolling time. Not only that, but LinkedIn is getting in on the video craze and prioritizing video content.
Prediction 4: The Slowdown of TikTok’s Meteoric Rise
TikTok has been an undeniable phenomenon, captivating audiences worldwide with its addictive short-form video format. However, as we approach 2026, we predict its stratospheric rise will begin to slow dramatically, maybe even reverse.
This isn’t to say TikTok will disappear, but rather that it will mature and face increased competition. Other platforms are rapidly adopting and refining similar features, and user fatigue with any single platform is inevitable. While still a major player, TikTok may find its growth plateauing as the market becomes more saturated and users seek out new, novel experiences. Add in the ongoing legal and political scrutiny over TikTok’s ownership and algorithm — including potential U.S. oversight including discussions in the U.S. about data privacy, potential ownership changes, and national security oversight — and it’s easy to see why users may start drifting elsewhere.
Prediction 5: Pay-to-play
Ok, this isn’t really a prediction as for small businesses this has already been the case for a couple years. Facebook even said at the end of 2024 that they simply didn’t value small pages. But I do think that social media platforms will lean into this even more as every social media platform tries to squeeze out more advertising dollars. This is something that I have been testing in 2025 and pages that run ads tend to have higher organic engagement rates than those that don’t run ads.
This doesn’t mean go out and start spending thousands of dollars every month on social media ads but it does mean that you should at least do something. My recommendation- even if it’s just $20 or $50, do something consistently each month.
Conclusion
Similar to 2024 and 2025, 2026 could shape up to be an exceedingly interesting year in terms of social media marketing. Stay tuned as we travel through 2026 together and remember, if you need help navigating the ever-changing landscape of social media, schedule a conversation with 4/4 Solutions!