Marketing Trends for 2026

Forming your library’s marketing plan? Review these five trends first!

By Julia Giantomasi

Published January 13, 2026

The new year is always a great time to refocus strategies and assess what’s working in all facets of your marketing plan. While it’s important to stay in tune with marketing trends as they’re ever-changing, getting a big picture look at what’s predicted for 2026 can be the perfect starting point. Eliminating AI from the conversation because it’s a growing and complicated topic that deserves its own blog, keep reading to find out what strategies will be most successful in the coming year.

Snackable Video Content

As platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts continue to be top-performing on social media, making short-form videos is the greatest way to reach your audience. Bite-size videos are most effective in quick, engaging storytelling to the masses that have shorter attention spans by the day. Feeling stuck and looking for fresh ideas? Revisit our blog on catching patron attention with these short-form videos.

Community is Key

Ditch the “one size fits all” approach and instead focus on community groups to make your marketing content really click with the right people. Interest-based groups and small clubs can be targeted with programs and services that pertain to their membership audience, especially when it comes to email marketing. Tailor your messaging for different groups like parents, students, or small business owners. Partner with local organizations to reach these groups or even create pop-ups and promotions. Doing the research and speaking directly to your community encourages two-way interaction and is a more intentional way to connect with patrons.

Visual Over Text

Another trend that isn’t going anywhere is visual engagement over plain text. Infographics, carousel posts, and simple visuals will speak to followers more than a block of words. Using photos or graphics to relay information not only breaks it down to be better understood quickly but also makes it much easier to share with others. All the information that you promote should be visually appealing so that followers can share, save, and revisit. Examples include library statistics, lists of recent reads or favorite books, a monthly snapshot of events, and visual explainers like how to use a database, how to borrow a book, etc.

Social SEO

More recently, people have been using social media platforms rather than traditional search engines when they’re trying to find quick information, recommendations, and how-to guides. For libraries, that means sharing helpful content with keyword-rich captions. Want to brush up on your SEO keyword techniques? Check out this Guide to Social SEO and learn how to reach more people through strategic writing.

Face-to-Face Interaction

It might seem odd to have a blog focusing on social media list face-to-face interaction as a trend. But surprisingly, the shift back to in-person events and programs is here. People have gotten fatigued by all the digital, remote, and virtual opportunities that were created to keep the world running during the pandemic. Now, physically bringing people together is the best way to increase your community engagement. If your library is still doing a lot of virtual events, try making at least one a month at a physical location for an offline experience. After all, the most traditional form of marketing is word of mouth and printed materials! As people are responding more to in-person, local, and tangible connections, try hosting more small events, workshops, and experiential programs. Authenticity and community engagement build loyalty in ways algorithms can’t.