Our 2026 Digital Marketing Checklist
What we’re planning for, bracing for, and watching for this year in the world of digital marketing
By Luke Thiessen, Director
I used to call it “Mythical January.”
In a previous job where I led a nonprofit communications team, we would talk all year – especially as we neared and weathered the busy holiday season – about Mythical January. It was the time when we all expected to be able to sit back, catch up on all of the projects that fell by the wayside throughout the year, and plan for the year ahead.
But every year, without fail, we would reach Mythical January, and two things would happen. First, we would realize the list of things we left for January was longer than we could possibly tackle. And second, some opportunity or emergency would come up that would shake us from our leisurely catch-up session and set us right back on the hamster wheel of work that wouldn’t stop again until after Christmas.
So this year, I thought I’d kick off the Starling blog with some planning advice and insights to help you make the most of your Mythical January – whatever that looks like for you.
We’re going to look at some of the challenges, opportunities, and emerging technologies that we expect will warrant our attention this year. I hope this helps you plan your 2026 digital marketing and strategize for the year to come!
A.I. Everything
You know we had to start here. Sometimes we love it, sometimes we hate it, but it’s not going away, so might as well embrace it.
We still believe human-created content is king, and will continue to be this year, but we as marketers know that AI is making its way into more facets of our work – so it’s important to understand what’s happening.
One area where we’re watching AI closely is in ad delivery. Many of our main digital ad channels are integrating AI into how they do targeting and placements, including Meta and Google. So for 2026, we are watching the data closely to see if and how these tools actually impact results, what the best use cases are, and if there are any issues we need to be watching for.
Another major area of AI integration we are watching is in search. This impacts a few things, from how we approach SEO on our websites and blogs to PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising in search. So far, this has had a smaller and slower impact than many marketers feared, but AI is still changing the way we approach search engine marketing. So for 2026, we are continuing to invest in the tools and strategies that continue to deliver results, but we are also bracing for a future where much of this could change.
We are also watching the AI regulatory landscape this year, as 2025 already brought some significant international developments which could hint at what’s to come. Regulation in the EU (as well as China and some parts of the U.S.) is forcing disclosures for AI-generated content and AI-assisted technologies. There are also active lawsuits in Canada which are likely to impact things here, as our government has indicated it’s watching for court decisions before enacting any AI regulation.
Alternative Search
This overlaps somewhat with what we’re watching in AI, but two major shifts are happening in search right now that cannot be ignored: chatbots as search, and social media as search.
AI chatbots are quickly taking market share from traditional search engines, as more people type their queries directly into ChatGPT or other AI tools. The line here blurs a little, as the chatbots appear to be getting at least some of their results directly from Google (not to mention Gemini, one of the most popular chatbots, is a Google product). However, it is a significant trend that is changing how many users engage with search.
Social media is doing something similar, especially among younger users who are typing queries directly into the (mostly AI-powered) search bars within social media apps. This makes SEO more complicated in a lot of ways, but at minimum reinforces the importance of having good strategic copy across all of your social media content.
Short-Form Video
Video has been the king of content for a while now, but its importance just keeps growing. TikTok shows no signs of slowing down, and virtually every other platform is scrambling to keep users on board by prioritizing similar video feeds.
For 2026, we are watching the pace of this shift to video-first, looking at more efficient and cost-effective ways of embracing video content, and evaluating how this should fit into overall strategy for our clients.
Authenticity
In the age of AI slop and automated marketing, we (as well as many other experts) believe that authenticity will only become more important in 2026.
Authenticity has always been one of our core values at Starling Social, but we are seeing increasing evidence that it makes for more effective digital marketing. Real people want to see and hear real people in their social feeds, and that applies to advertising too.
The challenge here is that video is often the most expensive and/or labour-intensive content to make, whether for organic social or ads. However, making something that feels authentic can also mean making something less polished and more natural – so there is also opportunity here for marketers with smaller budgets and modest tools.
Niche Platform Advertising
Perhaps less of a trend and more of a personal project, something I’m trying to watch and do more of in 2026 is marketing on niche platforms.
You might not think of Reddit or LinkedIn as niche (both boast huge user numbers), but their advertising programs are barely a fraction of the size of Meta and Google. However, both have invested significantly in the quality of their ad business recently, and can deliver great results for a good price if done well. Targeting and placements naturally work differently here than on Meta or Google, and they are both home to strong niche communities of users, creating advertising opportunities you just can’t get elsewhere.
Getting Professional Help
Overall, it seems the world of digital marketing just keeps getting more challenging and complex – and in 2026 the pace of change has become almost dizzying. But that’s why we’re here.
If you could use help navigating any of this – from adapting your advertising strategy for AI, to creating more video content, to trying something new with your digital marketing – get in touch to book a discovery call today.
