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2026 Marketing and Social Media Trends

2026 Marketing and Social Media Trends

Marketing and social media are both huge undertakings that require expertise and significant time commitments. Let Parkland help! We can create social media content for your library, plan campaigns, write press releases, and collaborate on a strategy tailored to your needs. Check out this video that we helped film at Olds Municipal Library, or this one from Sylvan Lake Public Library.

Reach out now!

Zero Click Marketing

Zero Click Marketing is a trend in behaviour that has been bubbling up for the last year or so. People are becoming less likely to click on content that takes them outside of the content they’re currently viewing. With this in mind, we can create content that provides all relevant information within a post or platform without requiring users to click out.

Authenticity and Originality

Being human in front of your audience is great for libraries with little/no marketing budgets! People are sick of the polished and professional content; they’re looking for real photos with real people with flaws like the rest of us! You can use this to your advantage and stand out in a world of AI-driven marketing by tapping into the personality of your brand and people

Experiential Marketing

Experiential marketing is when you create an experience (event, program, experience in the physical library space) to market your services. Screen fatigue is real, so you can’t rely only on digital methods to communicate your services. Things like book displays, merchandising, and customer service can go a long way with experiential marketing!

Video First

Video remains the most engaging form of social media content, with record-breaking users on TikTok, Instagram/Facebook Reels, and YouTube Shorts. It can be time-consuming, but if you batch-create content, you can make several videos that will last for months!

Avoiding Burnout

Creating for social media is a lot of work. Especially when you are doing it off the side of your desk. Managing the different platforms, content types, and posting schedules can be overwhelming. Ensure that your posting schedules are manageable, you don’t take on platforms you don’t have time for, and reach out for help when you need a break.

Accessibility

This isn’t a trend per se, but it is extremely important to include accessibility processes in your marketing. Consider your font type and size, capitalise each word in hashtags for screen readers (Ex. #LibraryLove), and add alt text when possible.

Here are some resources for further reading!

6 Predictions That Will Shape Social Media Strategies In 2026

Zero-Click Content: What It Is and Why You Should Create It

40 social media post ideas when you’re fresh out of inspiration

How to measure and increase social media engagement in 2025