Ep 32. 2026 Marketing Trends: What I’m focusing on as an introvert in business

Shall we talk about the trends I’m seeing for 2026?

There’s some real shifts I’m noticing in what people are craving. So let’s talk about it.

If you’re new here. Hello and a very warm welcome. I’m Anita Popat, and this is Quiet Confidence, the podcast for introverted entrepreneurs who want to market their thing.

Today I’m gonna share what I’m seeing as trends for 2026, because there’s some real shifts I’m noticing in what people are craving. (Spoiler alert: less AI and more human).

Once I’ve spoken about them, I thought I’d share what I’m focusing on in 2026, including making myself do the thing that still feels cringe. But hopefully I’ll get over it.

Then I’m gonna give you some reflection points to help you look back at 2025, and plan 2026 with more intention.

So grab a cuppa, get comfy, and let’s have a proper end of year chat.

[00:00:55] Right. So let’s talk about the shifts I’m seeing in what people are craving.

The first trend is more connection in the world of AI.

Now, this isn’t gonna be a surprise, but the more AI generated content there is, the more people are craving real human connection and depth. We can all spot AI content now, right?

It’s got that particular overly polished, slightly generic tone and those telltale phrases that just sound really off, and people are getting tired of that because everyone’s starting to sound the same.

What I’m seeing is people wanting more of the human stuff, like more of your personality, behind the scenes and just more realness. I’m noticing that more and more in my feed online and offline. And this is actually brilliant news for us introverts, because we’re naturally good at depth and authenticity, right?

We’re not trying to perform or be someone that we’re not. We wanna show up as ourselves.

So in 2026, I’m seeing a real shift towards people wanting to see more of you as a person, not just you as a business.

I don’t mean you need to share your whole life online because I know that’s cringe, but people wanna know things like what kind of things do you read? What do you do in your spare time? How do you think about a certain thing? What makes you laugh? What winds you up? What do you care about just beyond your business?

Because that’s what builds real connection and makes someone think, oh, I really like them. Instead of, oh, she knows her stuff.

And that’s how we generally connect in real life right?

I need to do more of this in my socials because I do share behind the scenes stuff, but mainly in my emails.

That’s where I share what I’m thinking about, some of the more personal stuff going on, what I’m doing in my business, and stories of like things I’ve been up to.

So if you’re not on my email list, you’re missing out on the good stuff. Sign up here.

On socials I guess I do show my personality through B-roll because I just share little snippets of my life, but I’m not actually talking in them.

I think that’s the piece I need to bring more of in 2026 because there’s something about hearing someone’s voice, and seeing them talk, that builds that connection faster.

I’m gonna try really, really hard to do more talky videos, even though they still make me cringe, which is the whole reason why I started this podcast so I could just talk, but the point is, in the world of AI and generic content, your humanness is your competitive advantage.

I mean, you’ve heard me say this loads of times.

People don’t just wanna know what you know. They wanna know who you are. And the more you let them see that, whether that’s through your emails, your B roll or talking to camera, the stronger your connection is gonna be. So think about how you can bring more of that into your marketing in 2026.

The final trend I’m seeing is that in-person events are making a big comeback.

Now this one’s really interesting because in-person events have always been there, but I think we’ve all been online for so long now that people are craving that in-person connection again.

I definitely felt this when I went to Atomicon this year, I talked about it in, I think it was episode six, like the actual content from the speakers was great, but the real value I got was in the conversations in between sessions.

It was in the moments where I shared random coffees with strangers, shared Ubers with people I didn’t know, having hot chocolate with a group of people in the hotel lobby at midnight. I mean, you can’t replicate that online.

And so I’m seeing more and more people hosting in-person events and more people showing up to networking and wanting to actually be in a room together. I know for as introverts that might sound exhausting and trust me, I get it. But there’s something really powerful about being in a room with your people.

You just have to do it in a way that works for your energy. So maybe you could start with smaller local events in your local area, and be strategic about the ones you want to carry on going to and build in those recharge cushions that I talk about in between so you don’t feel peopled out.

I used to do a lot of networking when I first started, and that’s pretty much how I got my business off the ground. I’m definitely gonna be doing more of it next year.

And as an introvert, I love it. So if you’ve been avoiding it, maybe it’s time to dip your toe in because you never know, unless you try. the connections you meet when you’re networking are often different to the people that you network with online. And sometimes they can turn into the best client relationships or collaborations.

You just never know until you put yourself in the room. So I’ll definitely encourage you to do that if you don’t already.

So those are the trends I’m seeing now. Let me tell you what I’m personally focusing on next year. And honestly, it all comes back to one thing. Depth over reach. So I’d rather have 500 people who really get what I’m about than like 50,000 people who scroll past my content without a second thought.

I’m gonna focus on long form searchable content, which means that I’m taking transcripts from my podcast and turning them into blog posts on my website. So Google can find them. And I’m also gonna put them on Pinterest as well, because I’ve had an account for ages and used it for personal stuff.

But I know that it’s another place people go when they’re searching for solutions. So I’m gonna give that a go and see how that works out for me in New Year.

And I’m gonna use email and my podcast for really nurturing my relationships and building that connection with you. Like these are my two non-negotiables for staying connected with my audience email, because it’s where I can have proper conversations.

I can share more of the behind the scenes stuff that doesn’t need to be public on social media. And I love this podcast because you actually get to hear my voice, hear how I think, and hopefully you feel like you know me a bit. Both of these are deeper than a 32nd reel and the more time you spend with me, the more connection is gonna happen. If you’re not on my email list yet, that’s where you get all the good stuff.

Then the other thing that I’m not really looking forward to, but I know I need to do is more talking to camera videos. Like I still find them so cringe. But the thing is, as much as I love B roll and text post, there’s something about seeing someone actually talk that just builds that connection faster.

So in 2026, I’m gonna commit to do more of them. Not every day, let’s be realistic. Um, but regularly enough so it stops feeling weird. And if they cringe, like whatever, At least there’ll be like authentically cringe. but no, seriously, like everything feels cringed when you start, right?

So it’s just a matter of putting the reps in until you find your way.

And I literally teach people how to show up as themselves online. So I kind of need to walk the talk, right? I’ve let myself off for too long. And I’ve told you now, so. I need to make it happen. Right? So they’re the things that I’m focusing on in 2026. Notice. It’s not a huge long list. Like I’m a big believer in doing a few things, but doing them well.

So now you know what I’m planning on doing. Before you jump straight into planning for 2026, I thought I’d give you some questions to look back on 2025, because I think it’s good to reflect rather than making. Big list of goals straight away. So I’m gonna give you five questions to sit with, and I know it’s New Year’s Eve if you’re listening in real time.

So I’m not expecting you to answer them all right now, but save this episode and take a moment to come back to it when you’ve got some quiet time so you can really get some clarity on how you want to go into 2026.

Here we go.

Question one, what content connected this year?

What stuff got the most responses and had people DMing you saying, oh my God, this is exactly what I needed to hear. Have a look back through your content, because that content’s telling you something about what your audience really wants to hear from you and we wanna do more of that in 2026. Yeah.

Question two, what felt good to create versus what felt like a slog?

Now this is a big one, and I’m not saying everything’s gonna be good to create, but there’s probably content that you created that flowed easily and content that felt like pulling teeth.

Do more of the stuff that flowed and the stuff that felt hard. Maybe it’s time to let that go, or if you can’t, then think about how you can make it better.

For me, I know podcasting feels good. Writing emails feels good. Doing this talk to camera videos, it still feels cringe, but I’m gonna do it anyway because I know they work. And that’s my kind of stretchy goal for the year. So what’s your version of that?

Question three, what boundaries did you set or wish you’d set?

Now, did you say no to anything this year? Did you protect your energy or did you say yes to everything and burn yourself out? What boundaries do you need to set or keep in 2026? for me, alternating client call weeks and building in char cushions around events has been a game changer because it’s given me so much head space and time to focus on my business rather than being reactive to clients all the time. What’s your version of that? 

Question four, who are your best clients and why Not who paid you the most, but who was an absolute joy to work with and got amazing results, and who made you think, yep, more of them, please. Because that’s telling you who your sweet spot client really is, and maybe your messaging needs to speak more to them and less to everyone else in 2026.

Question five, what did you learn about yourself? What did 2025 teach you about? How you work best about what you need and what lights you up? Maybe it was that you needed more white space in your calendar, or that you actually love in-person events, even though you’re an introvert.

Or it could be that your business can run just fine with less content than you thought. Whatever it is, take note, because that’s the stuff that’s gonna help you make better decisions going forward.

And one bonus question. Sorry, I had to add this in. If you could only do three things in your marketing in 2026, what would they be?

Not 10 things, not everything, just three, because I think that’s where the magic happens when you get really focused and stop trying to do it all.

For me. It’s this podcast and blog for searchable content, email for connection, and more video on social. What’s yours gonna.

That’s it. That’s what I’m seeing for 2026, what I’m focusing on, and some questions to help you figure out what you should be focusing on too.

If any of this resonated with you, I had love it if you could share the episode with a business friend or on your socials. And I just wanna say thank you so much for being here and listening to the podcast this year. Honestly, it’s been my biggest achievement and most fulfilling marketing channel this year.

All the reviews you’ve left, the fact that you keep coming back every week means so much to me and keeps me going. So thanks for all the love for listening, for implementing, for sharing the episodes with your network. I do not take it for granted. I’ll be back in your ears next week.

Until then, I’m raising a glass to you for getting through another year in business.

And remember, your quite confidence is already making a loud impact. So let’s do more in 2026. A very happy new year to you, and I shall see you soon.