The Marketing Strategies I'm Using in 2026 (And Why You Should Too)
- Clare Patterson
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
I'm already planning for 2026. Not because I'm ahead of myself, but because the marketing landscape has shifted so dramatically that waiting until January means you're already behind.
These are the marketing strategies I'm implementing for myself and my SME clients in 2026. Not theory. Not what works for enterprise brands with six-figure budgets. What actually works for businesses like yours.
But First: The Foundation Still Matters
Before I get into the new marketing strategies, let me be clear: the fundamentals still apply.
You still need to:
Network (in person and online)
Send emails and optimise them
Keep your website updated and conversion-optimised
Attend events (industry conferences, local meetups)
Make genuine connections on LinkedIn
Use tools like ManyChat to respond quickly and capture leads
These aren't going away. They're your baseline. What I'm sharing below are the strategies that layer on top of your foundation—the ones that give you an edge in 2026.
The Big Shift: Search Isn't Just Google Anymore
26% of searches now end without a click. Instagram sees over 6.5 billion searches every day. YouTube? Over 3 billion. And ChatGPT is about to launch adverts.
Your customers aren't finding you the way they used to. And if you're still marketing like it's 2024, you're already behind.
But here's the good news: as an SME, you can adapt faster than the big players. You just need to know what to adapt to.
Marketing Strategy 1: Build Your YouTube Presence (Regular Videos + Going Live)
For years, SEO meant "rank on Google." Not anymore. People are now searching on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, ChatGPT, and LinkedIn. If you're only optimised for Google, you're invisible on the platforms where your customers are actually looking.
Why I'm focusing on YouTube in 2026:
I literally only started my YouTube channel last week. I'm posting another video this week. And I'm committing to doing one video per week for the next 12 months, then measuring and analysing the results.
Why? Because YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. And unlike Instagram or TikTok, your content doesn't disappear after 24 hours. It compounds.
But here's what's interesting: raw, authentic videos are performing better than polished, produced content. People are tired of AI-generated videos and overly produced content that feels like an advert. They want real people, real insights, real conversations.
You don't need a studio. You don't need a production team. Phone camera, natural light, you talking to camera. That's it.
The power of going live:
YouTube reports that nearly 30% of users watch at least one live stream every week. And very few brands are going live.
When you go live regularly:
Your audience sees you as a human (not a logo)
Your engagement spikes
Your organic reach expands
Your content multiplies (one live stream becomes dozens of clips)
And here's the best bit: YouTube now auto-generates both horizontal and vertical clips from your live streams. You go live once on desktop and the platform creates vertical versions for mobile automatically.
One action you can take this week: Record one 5-10 minute video answering a question your customers ask repeatedly and post it on YouTube. Or schedule your first live stream for next week where you teach something, answer questions, or walk through a case study.
Strategy 2: Keep Lead Capture On-Platform
If you're posting on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook and telling people to "click the link in bio," the algorithm is throttling your reach.
Platforms want people inside their ecosystem, not bouncing out of it. So when your content tries to move people off-platform, your distribution gets killed even if it's good content.
What works instead:
Instead of: "Visit our website to download the guide" try: "Comment GUIDE below and I'll send it to you"
Then use tools like ManyChat to automatically send the resource.
Why this works:
Reduces friction (people don't have to leave)
Boosts engagement signals to the algorithm
Gives you higher-quality leads (you're tracking behavioural intent, not just form fills)
One action you can take this week: Change one "link in bio" post to a "comment below" post and manually DM the resource to anyone who comments.
Strategy 3: Use AI to Extend Your Reach (Not Replace Your Thinking)
Here's the problem with AI right now: overwhelm. AI-generated videos, AI-generated content, AI-generated everything. And people have had enough.
They can spot AI content a mile away. It's generic and lacks the nuance and insight that only comes from real experience.
Users start to trust the answers that AI tools give because they look correct, but with reasoanle regularity I have seen that the information provided by AI is incomplete, outdated, or simply false. For example, I asked Manus AI to provide the latest best practice on writing LinkedIn posts. The advice it gave was incorrect. I don't want to disparage Manus AI as this is a problem with all AI tools.
So here's what I'm doing in 2026:
I'm not using AI to replace my thinking. I'm using it to extend my reach.
Here's how:
First drafts, not final drafts - Let AI write the skeleton. I add the personality, the real examples, the insights only I have.
Cross-reference everything - If AI gives me a stat or claim, I verify it. Always.
Ideation, not execution - I let AI brainstorm content ideas, subject lines, post angles. But I make the strategic decisions.
AI doesn't replace your judgement. It multiplies it. But only if you use it as a tool, not a replacement.
One action you can take this week: Use ChatGPT /Manus /Claude to generate 10 content ideas for your business. Pick the best 3 and write them yourself (don't let AI write the final version).
Strategy 4: Optimise for ChatGPT (The New SEO)
ChatGPT isn't just answering questions anymore. It's evolving into a full discovery engine. And just like Google, it's starting to prioritise trusted sources.
Here's the pattern: listicles get cited constantly, structured pages get pulled into answers, and websites with consistent formatting show up more often.
What this means for SMEs: You don't need a massive content team. You just need to be strategic.
Create listicles in very specific niches:
Not "Top 10 Marketing Agencies."
But:
Top 10 marketing agencies for tech scale-ups
Top 10 affordable marketing consultants for SMEs
Top 10 lead generation strategies for professional services
The more micro-categories you own, the more ChatGPT cites you.
Get other people to talk about you (digital PR):
ChatGPT will eventually build its own authority system. It won't just believe you because you say "we're the best" on your own website. It'll prioritise sources that other trusted sites mention.
So: get featured, get quoted, get listed. Reach out to industry publications. Offer to be a source for journalist queries (use platforms like HARO). Write guest posts. Get on podcasts.
This takes effort. But it compounds.
Format your content correctly:
Use clear headers, bullet points, and tables because this makes it easy for AI to extract and cite your content.
Add "last updated" dates to your pages because AI engines favour fresh, current information.
Use schema markup because this tells AI engines exactly what your content is about.
This is the new SEO. Almost no one is doing it yet.
One action you can take this week:
Write one listicle in a micro-category you want to own. Format it with clear headers, bullet points, and a "last updated" date.
Strategy 5: Repurpose Content Systematically (Create Once, Distribute Everywhere)
Most SMEs create content once and post it once. That's leaving 90% of the value on the table.
The smartest marketers create once and distribute everywhere.
Here's how it works:
One 10-minute YouTube video becomes:
5-10 short clips for Instagram Reels, LinkedIn, TikTok
A blog post (transcript + your insights)
3-5 LinkedIn text posts
Email newsletter content
Podcast episode (audio only)
Lead Magnet (downloadable template)
You create once. You distribute everywhere.
This isn't just about efficiency. It's about showing up where your customers are. Because they're not all on the same platform.
One action you can take this week: Take your last piece of content (video, blog, podcast, case study) and repurpose it into 3 different formats. Post them on 3 different platforms.
Strategy 6: Build Your Personal Brand Through Consistent Visibility
In 2026, people buy from people they know, like, and trust. But they can't know you if they can't see you.
Consistent visibility across platforms isn't optional anymore. It's the competitive advantage.
What this looks like:
Showing up regularly on LinkedIn with valuable posts
Commenting meaningfully on others' content to build relationships
Sharing your insights and expertise generously (don't hold everything back for paid offerings)
Being genuinely helpful in your network
Your personal brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. And in 2026, your personal brand is being built whether you're intentional about it or not.
The question is: are you shaping it, or is it being shaped by your absence?
One action you can take this week: Commit to posting on LinkedIn 3 times this week and leaving 5 genuine, valuable comments on posts from your ideal clients or peers each day.
Strategy 7: Think Globally (Language Is No Longer a Barrier)
YouTube can now auto-dub your videos into dozens of languages using your own voice.
This means your next video isn't limited to one country. It can reach the entire world instantly.
Creators are getting 30-50% of their views from languages they don't even speak.
What to do:
Enable multi-language audio on YouTube. It's in your video settings. Turn it on for every video you publish.
If you serve international markets or want to expand, this is a game-changer. And it costs you nothing.
One action you can take this week: Enable multi-language audio on your next YouTube video (it's in Settings > Audio tracks).
The Bottom Line for SME Leaders
You don't need a massive budget to win in 2026. You need to be intentional about where you show up and how you show up.
Keep doing the fundamentals:
Networking, email marketing, website optimisation, attending events, making LinkedIn connections, using ManyChat for LinkedIn to respond quickly.
Then layer these strategies on top:
1. Build your YouTube presence - One video per week. Raw and authentic beats polished and produced. Go live once a week. Let the platform auto-generate clips.
2. Keep lead capture on-platform - Stop sending people away from social media. Capture them where they are using tools like ManyChat.
3. Use AI intelligently, not blindly - First drafts, not final drafts. Verify everything. People want authentic content, not AI-generated generic stuff.
4. Optimise for ChatGPT - Create listicles in micro-categories. Get cited by others. Format your content correctly. This is the new SEO.
5. Repurpose content systematically - Create once, distribute everywhere. One video = 20+ pieces of content. One case study = 5+ formats.
6. Build your personal brand - Show up consistently on LinkedIn. Comment genuinely. Share your expertise generously. Be visible.
7. Think globally - Enable multi-language on YouTube. Your content can reach far beyond your local market.
The marketing landscape has shifted. But as an SME, you're more agile than the big players. You can adapt faster. You just need to know what to adapt to.