Hey honeys and hustlers,

Trends come and go, but a well-curated moment can last a lifetime. On the internet, that is. I’m starting my creator economy predictions for the new year a little early. Instead of just talking about the trends I see becoming more prominent, I’m also going to share the trends I think are headed out the door. These will be applicable to brands, organizations, and indie creators alike. If you’re already planning your marketing strategy for 2026, I hope these are helpful!

P.S. I’m co-hosting a live virtual event to help you develop your podcast interview skills this Thursday evening at 6PM! I’m sharing my tips, journey, and fails as a podcaster and documentary filmmaker. Stay until the end to learn more and RSVP for free!

Interview-based podcasts. The podcast industry got its sh*t rocked. It’s tired. All bets are off. We’re not investing in shows that don’t fulfill us, and let’s face it, many audio professionals aren’t excited by 1:1 interview shows by non-journalists. If they do stick around, I think they will take the format of an I’ve Had It (co-hosted show) or a take on Actors on Actors (less host-centric and more leveraging name recognition and unique moments). Colin and Samir tried a version of this with Creators on Creators. The questions are curated by a producer, which gives the actors an out for tricky questions, since they’re equally curious to hear the response.

The caveat: “I'm not asking for me, I'm asking on behalf of my audience. Curious minds want to know.” Is a slippery slope for podcasts. Creator journalism is on the rise, and so is progressive media. Guests and audiences are increasingly seeking “good faith” conversations where they can connect with a consistent host or a group of hosts.

Reach is not the new resume. Resonance is the new resume. I think your follower or subscriber count will get you in the door, but your capacity to keep creating (i.e. creators and in-house teams with creative workflows and gear infrastructure for high-quality productions and formats), audience engagement, and the quality of your output will be greater factors in determining brand deals, collaborations, and sponsorships.

Paid ads on Meta and Google. While Meta and Google traditionally get a majority of digital ad spend (to the tune of 70% of all digital ad spend, I believe), I think small businesses and creators will see greater ROI from investing in podcasts, newsletters, UGC creators (think your local foodie short-form video creator), and local media channels. While it might be easy to nitpick these two conglomerates, I think the greater reality is that we’re seeing a fracture in the consolidation of media, where no single target audience exists in a single place on the internet.

Brands will stop trying to create their own Discord, Reddit, Slack, Instagram Broadcast Channels, and Substack chats simply for community sake. Don’t get me wrong, community is still important. But indie creators simply do it better. Many startups and brands that offer access to their private communities often struggle to maintain the resources to monitor them, track engagement, and foster the intended connection and engagement. I think instead of trying to create their own with murky metrics for success, they’ll invest in ones that already exist with their target audience.

Long YouTube video intros. Now that YouTube is favoring longer video times (20 min+), there’s less patience for the first 30-60 seconds if they don’t immediately confirm why someone clicked on the video. Having cool motion graphics and music that was probably slightly too loud is no longer the hallmark of a good intro sequence for a video. In general, I think fancy motion graphics are becoming less of a necessity in the way they once were on YouTube. The content can be produced much more simply, as long as the story is good and the value for the viewer is there.

Which of these do you agree with? Which of these do you disagree with? Which trends do you think we’ll see more of in 2026? Comment or reply and let me know!