Top 5 Trending Marketing, Digital & Social Topics — Week of February 23, 2026
Marketing moves fast, and the week of February 23, 2026 is no different. There is a lot happening right now across search, social, and digital that has real implications for how brands show up and connect with their audience. From a new discipline called Generative Engine Optimization to platform shifts that are changing where your content actually gets seen, the landscape keeps evolving.
This roundup covers the five topics worth paying attention to this week. Whether you are running a small business, managing a brand, or just trying to stay current, these trends matter. Each one includes a summary, key takeaways, and links to the original source so you can dig deeper.
What You'll Learn from This Week’s Trends:
Why Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is becoming just as important as traditional SEO
How algorithm changes have shifted the focus from reach to retention
Why first-party data strategies are now showing real, measurable ROI
What YouTube becoming the top AI-cited platform means for your content
How the creator economy is growing up and why follower count no longer tells the whole story
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Is the New SEO
Source: February 2026 Marketing News: Key Trends and Insights — Seafoam Media
Summary
GEO is no longer a buzzword. It is a real discipline that brands need to pay attention to right now. As AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews handle more and more search queries, people are getting answers directly from AI summaries instead of clicking through to websites. Traditional SEO still matters, but it is no longer the whole picture.
The shift is significant. Gartner projected a 25% drop in traditional search volume by the end of 2026, and that number is now looking conservative. The brands getting cited inside AI-generated answers are the ones with structured, credible, well-organized content. Early data shows that content built for AI citation sees a 43% higher mention rate in generative responses. A UK regulatory consultation closing February 25 could also limit what content AI engines can pull from, which would make being a willing, high-quality source even more valuable.
Key Takeaways
GEO works alongside SEO, not instead of it, but it requires a different approach focused on authority and structure.
A 43% higher AI mention rate is a real competitive advantage, and it is available to brands willing to put in the work.
Regulatory changes could shrink the pool of content available to AI, making early investment in GEO smarter over time.
Start asking not just "will Google rank this?" but "will an AI engine cite this?"
Well-sourced, clearly structured content is what AI wants to reference.
Algorithms Now Reward Retention, Not Just Reach
Source: Top Marketing & Social Media Trends: Week of February 2, 2026 — B2the7
Summary
This is one of the biggest shifts happening across every major platform right now. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn are all measuring success differently in 2026. It is no longer about how many people see your post. It is about how long they stick around and what they do after.
Watch time, rewatches, saves, comments, and follows after viewing are the signals algorithms care about most. That changes the strategy. A hook alone does not cut it anymore. Content that wins is built with a clear beginning, middle, and payoff. It educates, entertains, or solves something within a single piece. Audiences are also splitting by generation. Gen Alpha gravitates toward chaos and absurdist humor. Millennials and Gen X want nostalgia and content that feels grounding. Knowing who you are creating for has never mattered more.
Key Takeaways
A smaller, engaged audience that saves and rewatches your content will outperform a large passive one every time.
Nostalgia, emotional connection, and community-driven storytelling are beating generic content right now.
Different generations are responding to very different signals. Know your audience before you create.
Every piece of content should give the viewer a reason to watch all the way through.
Community building is replacing broadcasting as the primary growth model on social.
First-Party Data Strategies Are Delivering Real ROI
Sources: February 2026 Marketing News — Seafoam Media | February 2026: Digital Marketing Industry Updates — Verkeer
Summary
Third-party cookies in Chrome are essentially gone by mid-2026. The brands that saw this coming and built first-party data strategies early are now seeing the payoff in real numbers. Organizations using email lists, loyalty programs, gated content, and CRM relationships are reporting 2.9x better customer retention and 1.5x higher marketing ROI compared to brands still depending on third-party data.
Social platforms are also playing a bigger role here. Lead gen ads, DMs, gated live events, and subscriptions are all generating direct, consent-based signals about what your audience actually wants. Verkeer puts it well: control has not left marketers' hands. It has just moved upstream to how clearly intent is defined and how cleanly data feeds the systems doing the work.
Key Takeaways
The cookie era is over. Brands without a first-party data strategy are already behind.
2.9x better retention and 1.5x higher ROI are documented results, not projections.
Social platforms are now legitimate first-party data tools when used the right way.
AI-powered social listening helps you adjust strategy in real time instead of waiting for post-campaign reports.
This is a business infrastructure decision, not just a marketing one.
YouTube Surpasses Reddit as the Top AI-Cited Social Platform
Source: Social Media Marketing News: February 2026 — Mean CEO Blog
Summary
This one caught a lot of people off guard. YouTube has overtaken Reddit as the most frequently cited social platform in AI-generated outputs. According to Adweek data, YouTube now accounts for 16% of citations in large language models over the past six months, compared to Reddit's 10%. That is a complete flip from where things stood before.
The reason makes sense when you think about it. YouTube content is loaded with transcripts, captions, timestamps, and keyword-rich descriptions. That structure makes it easy for AI engines to read, understand, and reference. YouTube is now functioning as both a social platform and an AI reference engine at the same time. If you have been treating YouTube as optional, it is time to rethink that. Meta's expanding ad targeting and TikTok's privacy-first approach are also pushing brands to find the right balance between personalization and consumer trust.
Key Takeaways
YouTube is no longer optional for brands that want to show up in AI-generated search results.
Accurate captions, descriptive titles, timestamps, and keyword-rich descriptions are what make video content AI-friendly.
The shift from Reddit to YouTube in AI citations signals that structured, accessible video carries more authority with AI engines.
Diversify your platform presence. Relying too heavily on one platform is a growing risk.
Balance targeting sophistication with ethical, transparent data practices as consumer awareness keeps rising.
The Creator Economy Is Growing Up
Sources: Social Media Trends 2026 — Hootsuite | [7 Social Media Trends to Know in 2026 — Sprout Social
Summary
The days of chasing follower counts are fading fast. In 2026, ROI, audience alignment, and storytelling quality are what brands actually care about in creator partnerships. Both Hootsuite and Sprout Social's research confirm it: follower count and surface-level engagement are no longer reliable indicators of real marketing impact.
Brands are moving away from one-off creator posts and toward long-term partnerships that build trust over time. Employee advocacy programs are also picking up serious momentum. People trust other people more than they trust brand accounts, and they trust employees more than paid influencers. As AI-generated content floods every feed, human authenticity is the scarcest thing out there right now, and audiences can tell the difference.
Key Takeaways
Stop measuring creator partnerships by follower count. Focus on storytelling quality, audience alignment, and actual conversions.
Shift budget toward ongoing creator relationships rather than one-off posts.
Your employees are one of the most underused content assets you have. An advocacy program is worth building.
Human, community-driven content consistently outperforms AI-generated content when it comes to building trust.
The micro-drama format is an emerging category worth watching as traditional media and digital creators keep converging.
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and should I be focused on it right now?
Yes. GEO is the practice of structuring your content so that AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews cite it in their responses. With traditional search volume declining and AI handling more queries every month, showing up in AI answers is becoming just as important as ranking on page one of Google. If your competitors are building for GEO and you are not, they are going to keep showing up in places you are not.
How do I start building a first-party data strategy if I have not done it yet?
Start with what you already control. Your email list, your website, your social DMs, and your CRM are all assets you own. Give people real reasons to share their information with you directly, whether that is through gated content, exclusive offers, newsletters, or live events. Consent-based data collected straight from your audience is what you are building toward. Even small progress now will matter a lot more as third-party options disappear.
Do I need to be on YouTube even as a small brand?
You do not need a full production studio. But given YouTube's role as an AI citation engine, even a few well-structured, keyword-rich videos can go a long way. Start with one solid video per month, caption it properly, optimize the description, and build from there. Volume matters less than quality and structure when it comes to AI discoverability.
How do I know if the algorithms are rewarding my content for retention?
Pull up your analytics and look past reach and impressions. Focus on average watch time, saves, and follows per view. If people are watching all the way through, saving your content, and following your account after watching, you are winning with the retention model. If reach is high but those other numbers are flat, people are seeing your content but not finding enough value to act on it.
Are micro-influencers still worth working with if follower count does not matter anymore?
Absolutely. The shift away from follower count actually benefits micro-influencers. Their audiences tend to be niche, engaged, and closely aligned with specific interests. What matters is whether their audience matches your target customer and whether they can tell a real, authentic story about your brand over time. That is worth a lot more than a massive follower count with passive engagement.
B2The7 Final
The week of February 23, 2026 reflects a marketing landscape that keeps moving faster than most brands can keep up with. The thread connecting all five of these trends is the same: what worked a couple of years ago is not enough anymore. Reach without retention is noise. Followers without alignment are just numbers. SEO without GEO is only half the picture. And data without consent is a liability waiting to happen.
The brands that will win are the ones paying attention to how their audience actually discovers, evaluates, and buys. Meet them where they are. Create content that earns their attention. Respect their data. And keep showing up with something worth reading, watching, or sharing.
See you back here next week.
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