8 Ways Marketing Growth Will Actually Change by 2026

If you’re still thinking about “marketing” as running campaigns and pushing pixels, I’ve got bad news. The ground under our feet is moving fast. By 2026, the best marketers won’t look like marketers at all. They’ll look a lot more like product people, designers, and maybe even mini-media companies. The old playbook is getting shredded.

And honestly? I’m here for it.

Here’s what I’m seeing (and testing) right now that tells me just how different things are about to get – and where the real opportunity is if you’re willing to actually build things, not just talk about them.

Marketers as product managers (and why your campaign calendar is getting dusty)

Remember when “marketing” meant buying ads, sending emails, and maybe writing a blog post if you felt ambitious? Those days are fading. The best growth people I know are prototyping ideas with AI, shipping micro-products, and working hand-in-hand with product teams. They’re less “what slogan do we use” and more “what feature do we launch that solves this customer headache?”

I watched a founder-led SaaS company in the UK, 20 people, do exactly this last quarter. Instead of launching a big campaign about their new integration, they spun up a working demo with a no-code tool, had customers play with it, and used the feedback to shape the final release. Their “marketing launch” was a Loom video explaining the new workflow recorded by the product manager, not the CEO.

Just “here’s what we built because you asked for it.” Results? Faster feedback, higher adoption, and zero wasted budget on half-baked creative.

Try this next time you’re planning a campaign: What can we actually ship that moves the needle for customers, even if it’s just a rough prototype?

SEO isn’t dead, but generic blogging is

If you’re still churning out “10 ways to improve your pipeline” articles, Google (and your audience) have already tuned you out. But hyper-specific, bottom-of-funnel content is having a moment.

Think “How to migrate your 500-user Salesforce org in 3 days (with scripts),” not “Salesforce migration tips.” The companies winning in SEO right now obsess over decision-stage content – the stuff your ICP Googles right before they buy. And they’re tracking conversions, not just traffic.

I’m seeing 4x higher conversion rates on these “problem-solver” posts compared to anything top-of-funnel. This kind of content gets forwarded, not just indexed and forgotten.

Your best influencer might be on payroll (and not in marketing)

I’ll admit, I used to roll my eyes at the whole “employee advocacy” thing. But the shift is real. Instead of dropping cash on external influencers, companies find their own people are the most trusted (and cost-effective) megaphones.

When your implementation lead or head of customer success shares a story on LinkedIn about solving a gnarly client problem, it lands. It’s not a script, it’s not an ad – it’s someone showing what they do best. Costs less, builds trust, and yes, it drives leads. I’ve even seen companies give employees small video budgets or time to write, then amplify the best stuff on the company’s own channels.

If you’re not sure where to start, ask around who’s already creating or sharing stuff about their work.

AI video ads are everywhere but taste still matters

AI tools can crank out video ads in minutes. That’s not the hard part. The hard part is making something people actually want to watch (and maybe, just maybe, remember).

I’ve seen some shockingly bad AI ads lately. Think robotic voiceover, stock footage, and a logo at the end. It’s noise. The best ones have a story, a hook, and a little humanity. Design taste is the separator, not just the tool. If you don’t know what I mean by “taste,” watch the next five ads in your LinkedIn feed and count how many you’d actually share with a friend.

I’ll wait.

Network effects make products sell themselves

This is my favorite trend – products that grow because customers invite other customers. Think Calendly, Loom, or even Notion’s shared docs. When your product makes users look good in front of other people, you get a self-sustaining growth loop. No more throwing cash at ads hoping people stick around.

Picture this: User signs up. They invite a teammate. Teammate invites a client. That client brings their team. Each step, your brand spreads, not because of a campaign, but because you built something worth sharing.

If you’re a founder-led company, ask yourself: What’s the smallest feature or workflow we could add that gets our users to invite someone else without even thinking about it?

Design taste: the underrated marketing superpower

People don’t just want products that work, they want products (and marketing) that feel good. Design isn’t just about pretty colors or logos. It’s about creating moments of “wow, that was easy” or “that actually made my day better.”

Try this quick “taste test” for your own assets:

• Does your landing page give people exactly what they need, without clutter?
• Is your demo so clear your grandma could follow it?
• Would you share your own ad with a friend and not cringe?

If you hesitated on any of those, it’s time to simplify. Hire or consult with someone obsessed with design and user experience. It pays off.

Human-first media channels are your new growth engine

People ask me a lot if they should start a blog, a YouTube channel, or a newsletter. The answer is yes – if you’re willing to make it human, not corporate. People buy from people, not logos.

The companies leading in 2026 will build media channels around their expertise. If you can teach, entertain, or just be genuinely useful, you’ll build trust (and a pipeline) faster than any paid ad.

Take a step back and ask: What are we uniquely good at? Who on our team has a story to tell?

Start there, then build the media channel around it.

Less algorithm chasing, more human-centered experiences

The days of gaming the LinkedIn or Google algorithm are numbered. The stuff that wins now is beautifully designed, human-centered content and products.

It’s not about being everywhere, it’s about being worth paying attention to when you show up. That’s the new playbook.

What to keep top of mind heading into 2026

• Focus your SEO on problem-solvers, not traffic bait.
• Turn your employees into your loudest, most authentic fans.
• Don’t let AI tools replace taste and storytelling.
• Look for network effects hiding inside your product.
• Design for simplicity and delight – always.
• Build media channels that put faces before logos.
• Care more about people than algorithms.

Schedule a 15-minute call with us and see how we help founder-led companies turn trends into real growth.

Jason Bagley Founder, Growth Experts

I'm a business builder, the founder of Growth Experts, sometimes public speaker, and a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Mostly though, I’m just a dad to Eva & Cruz and a husband to Karina.