There are only a few weeks left until the end of the year. With that in mind, I want to help you, as a modern marketer, prepare and plan your marketing for 2026 so you can start the new year with clarity, momentum, and direction.

I recommend starting this work already in November, so you can leave the office and the year with a clear plan and structure to return to after the holidays.

Here’s what I recommend as you prepare for a new year of effective, modern marketing:

• What have you gained from this year’s marketing investments?
  Evaluate whether time and budget should be reallocated to other activities or channels.
  
  

• Are there new channels worth testing and evaluating?
  It’s easy to focus solely on Meta and Google because everyone is there. But your audience may also be on other platforms, such as Bing, Pinterest, Reddit, and more. With modern marketing evolving so rapidly, it pays to keep an open mind and experiment.
  
  

• Analyse trend reports alongside your own data
  Combine social media trend reports with your own channel data, both performance and engagement. This provides a solid foundation for planning your 2026 content. What should you do more of, and what should you stop doing?
  
  

• Review your reporting and update KPIs for 2026
  Based on what is now possible to measure.

   

  New metrics to track on Instagram:

   

  • Saves: The number of times people save your post to revisit later, a signal that your content provides lasting value.

     

  • Reels Skip Rate: Shows the percentage of people who swipe away from a Reel within the first three seconds.

     

  • Repost counts (content level): The number of times your original post or Reel has been shared by other users to their own feeds.

     

  • Repost counts (account level): Provides an aggregated view of how often all content from a specific account is reposted by others on Instagram.

     

  • Instagram Profile Visits: Shows the total number of times users have viewed your profile within a specific time period, indicating deeper interest beyond individual posts and helping businesses assess audience curiosity and content effectiveness.

     

    While you can’t see exactly who visited your profile, unless they follow you back and view your stories or posts, this metric reveals how often people click through from your content or searches to learn more about you or your brand.

     

New metrics on LinkedIn:

• • Saves: The number of times people save your post to return to it later, a signal of long-term value.

     

  • Sends: The number of times people send your post to others on LinkedIn, highlights the conversations your content sparks behind the scenes.
    
    

• Content repurposing
  This year’s content can be reused across more channels and touchpoints, built upon, or reworked into new formats for the coming year. I always look at what has performed well in one channel and explore how it can be adapted for another where the audience already exists. That’s why I consistently recommend building a clear, well-structured content library. It saves time and increases the impact of your content.
  
  

• Increase reach on LinkedIn with Thought Leader Ads
  Boost employee posts to increase credibility around key messages. In 2025 and even before that, LinkedIn reduced organic reach for company pages, making paid support necessary to reach audiences. Sponsoring employee posts is one effective way to build trust and capture attention.
  
  

• Update your SEO strategy
  Ensure it aligns with your social channels and that your website is optimised for LLM and AI-driven search.
  
  

• Finally, take a break
  We marketers, are creative people. It’s in rest, stepping away from an always-on world, that new ideas emerge and energy is restored. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, your creativity, and your cognitive capacity. You’re human, not a machine 💛
  
  

Of course, there’s always more to do, and it will look different depending on your organisation and circumstances. But if you want to work data-driven and keep pace with an industry that’s evolving at breakneck speed, here are some hygiene factors I recommend to prepare for the new year.

For those who want support navigating the rapid development of modern marketing and AI, there’s Konsulten Tipsar (only available in Swedish right now), my monthly newsletter and trend digest. It helps modern marketers stay informed, make sense of what’s new, and keep up with the opportunities being launched. You can subscribe here.

Image by: Jess Bailey