In and Out for 2026 in Digital Marketing
Let’s be real: marketing moves fast! One minute we’re all obsessed with perfectly curated grids, and the next, we’re being told that "messy is the new clean" and that emojis are out (they’re not, by the way 💅).
As we roll into the thick of 2025, the landscape is shifting again. We are seeing a massive move away from robotic perfection and a hard pivot toward radical authenticity. If 2025 was the year of "learning AI," 2026 is the year of "proving you’re human."
At Cheeky Kookaburra, we don’t believe in following trends blindly, we believe in making them work for your brand. So, we’ve poured a coffee, looked at the data, and argued over the playlist to bring you our official forecast.
Grab your Notes app. Here are the Ins and Outs for creative brands this year.
The "Face" of the Brand: IN. People don’t follow logos; they follow people. Having one consistent human being in your videos builds "lore" and a level of trust that a stock-footage account can never touch.
Randomized Posting: OUT. The "post whenever you feel like it" era is dead. Algorithms still need that initial spark of momentum. If you’re posting while your audience is asleep, you’re starving your content of the engagement velocity it needs to go viral.
Outlier Hooks: IN. Pattern interruption is the only way to survive the "zombie scroll." If your hook—that first 3-second statement or visual—doesn't feel bold or slightly "off," your audience has already moved on.
Pure AI Scripts: OUT. Everyone can smell "GPT-speak" now. In 2026, there is an "Authenticity Premium." If your script doesn't have human opinions, slang, or messy personal stories, it’s going to be ignored by both users and search engines.
The "Edu-tainment" Pillar: IN. The winners of 2026 live at the intersection of the classroom and the comedy club. Purely educational content is too dry; purely entertaining content is too shallow. You have to teach something valuable while keeping the energy high.
Hashtag Obsession: OUT. Hashtags are now just "filing folders" for SEO, not growth engines. Your on-screen captions and spoken keywords do the heavy lifting of telling the algorithm who should see your video.
Sound-Off Accessibility: IN. Captions are no longer optional. With more people scrolling in silence (at work, in bed, on the bus) than ever before, your on-screen text is your actual narrator. No captions = No views.
Trend Chasing: OUT. Doing a viral dance just because it's "trending" is a waste of time. Unless a trend perfectly aligns with your brand's core value, it’s just noise. Originality beats recycling every single time.
Human-First SEO: IN. Google and social search engines are prioritizing E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust). This means showing real-world results and personal anecdotes. "Perfect" generic advice is being replaced by "messy" real-world proof.
Ready to become an Outlier?
The 2026 vibe is simple: Be more human, be more bold, and stop trying to be so "perfect." The brands that lean into their quirks are the ones that will own the search engines and the social feeds.
I’ve got the strategy, you’ve got the brand. Want me to take your business niche and write 3 "Outlier Hooks" that will stop the scroll instantly? Let’s get to work.
