PR, SEO & Social Media Marketing Tips for 2026

Are you looking to up your marketing game in 2026?

Whether you’re aiming for a light refresh or a complete overhaul, we’ve outlined some top tips to help your PR, SEO and social media marketing efforts achieve greater impact over the next 12 months.

As digital marketing becomes even more competitive across all channels, our team are sharing their advice on the bad habits to leave behind and the best habits to embrace for the year ahead.

Read on for small, actionable marketing tips across PR, SEO and social media.

PR tips for 2026

Newsrooms are busier than ever and journalists are inundated with stories. For our PR team, it’s all about understanding how to cut through the noise while making life as easy as possible for both the journalists and the clients we work with.

Don’t force the narrative

If you have a story to tell, make sure you have a strong news angle and ensure that angle is immediately obvious to the journalist. And cut the fluff. Journalists don’t have time to look for the story, you need to make it jump out to them from the get go.

Keep it simple

A basic one, but something that’s often forgotten when you know the ins and outs of your business – keep it simple! Always assume the reader and journalist has no idea what it is you do, and keep explanations to the point.

Nothing is more frustrating for a busy journalist than having to research jargon used across different sectors, and this can make or break whether a press release becomes a news story. 

The need for speed

Want a member of your senior leadership team quoted in an article on a top tier news site? You need to think and act fast. In 2025, the top tier coverage and backlinks we secured for clients relied on equal parts high quality comment and speed of delivery. Journalists need responses quickly so being prepared and quick off the mark are key if you want to make reactive PR part of your 2026 strategy.

Focus on what makes you unique

Everybody’s challenge in the media sphere and across their internal and external comms is to cut through the noise. Offer something different, be individual and show something of interest. Homing in on what makes your business special is a huge factor to consider in 2026 as the never-ending stream of content across continually-growing platforms and outlets rolls on.

Avoid decimal points

Journalists round figures up or down – for example, writing 56.3 per cent rarely makes much of a difference to the copy – or to the reader. Instead, keep it clean and write 56 per cent – or ‘more than half’ if your content is already quite number-heavy. This can also make it more relatable for readers.

Don’t be scared about AI

Just learn to use it well! Lots of people will tell you that AI will replace your job, but a quote we spotted last year felt far more accurate – ‘You won’t lose your job to AI, but you might lose it to someone who knows how to use AI properly’.

AI can speed up so many repetitive tasks and free up your time for more important work. As long as you can ‘feed the beast’ with your own knowledge and thoughts and you don’t expect AI to think for you, then it is a powerful tool for all of us in the PR and communications world.

Read our AI in PR blog for more insight.

SEO tips for 2026  

Feeling overwhelmed by the never-ending changes happening in SEO? Here are our tips to keep on track and delivering impact in 2026.

SEO is a marathon, not a sprint

Whether you’re an SEO specialist, a marketing manager or a business owner, it’s natural to want to see quick results, especially when budgets are tight and under increased scrutiny. Trust that having the right team and strategy in place will deliver long-term results and don’t treat SEO like a one-time project, it’s ongoing. Google never sleeps and neither should your SEO.

Build trust and authority

SEO is not just about rankings. To deliver real, long-term impact, your SEO strategy should also be building trust in your brand and demonstrating your authority in the sector you operate.

Stop chasing every new SEO hack

It’s easy to get your head turned by the latest SEO hack, but don’t get your head turned by unproven tactics. The core SEO tactics are the still that ones that drive results: sound technical foundations, quality keyword research, high quality content and backlinks gained through PR.

AI content is not finished content

AI tools learn from existing content, so using them to write your content means you’re recycling other people’s work. To create content that is valuable and helpful for users (and Google) make sure you are adding the human touch along with insight and personality.

Social media tips for 2026

Are you looking for a better return on investment from your social media marketing? Our team share the tactics they’ll be concentrating on in 2026.

Rethink video content

Short-form video continues to dominate, but success comes from creating content designed for the platform, not repurposed from elsewhere.

AI vs. authenticity

As AI generated content becomes more widespread, audiences are getting better at spotting what feels real. And that means authenticity will matter more than ever. The brands that win will use AI as a support tool, not a shortcut. Keeping genuine voices, real people and honest storytelling at the centre.

Social search

From Instagram to TikTok to LinkedIn, users are actively searching for recommendations, answers and inspiration. Finding ways to optimise captions, hashtags and on-screen text for search is a priority in 2026.

Scroll stopping

If the content you are creating wouldn’t stop you scrolling, don’t post it. And don’t post just to stay visible. When it comes to your 2026 social strategy, choose quality content over quantity.

Ditch vanity for engagement

Focus on engagement metrics when measuring the impact of your social media activity – shares, saves, comments, watch-time, dwell-time… Not vanity metrics – leave counting likes, followers, views and impressions in 2025.

Creating conversations

Talk with your target audience, not at them. 2026 is all about creating conversations and emphasising the social part of social media. Your posts shouldn’t just shout about your business, they should entertain, inspire and engage. Understanding who your audience are and what makes them tick will make content creation much easier for the year ahead.

Three second rule

Add value in the first three seconds of your reel or risk losing your audience. Attention spans are short, show your hand or wave goodbye to those all-important engagement metrics.

Want more social media advice? Check out our guide to paid social media marketing campaigns and learn how to reach a wider audience on social.

Do you need help making your PR campaign stand out in 2026? Talk to our team to find out how we can achieve headlines for your business or learn more about our PR, SEO  and social media marketing services. 