6 Quick Tips for Marketing in 2026
I'm usually not a fan of funky little lists, but this year felt smart just because so much of online marketing is being thrown on its head.
Here’s the quick hit:
Optimize for AI
Use AI marketing tools - hire fast, fire fast
Search optimization for social (especially if for younger customers and clients)
Eliminate old systems & platforms
Leverage ALL content types - long, short, lists, video, etc.
Get your marketing & tech stacks in order
My first client got a legit lead out of AI this week. AI is generating traffic, but most of the leads attribution picks up on appear to be bots or spam. But this one was in the “they needed our services” category. That was neat ... but given the volume of traffic we supposedly get from ChatGPT, it was more of an “it’s about time” realization on my part.
Regardless, 2026 is the year you are required to optimize for AEO (answer engine optimization) and AI or Generative Search (all of that is basically the same, but people love to try and term bandwagon … so here I am).
AI optimization is just as much a part of your marketing program as SEO and content marketing. If you aren’t doing something about it, tracking for it, and ensuring your website has the right technical tools to serve the AI overlords, you are missing the boat (probably have missed the boat). This is a core service for the Eightfold team now, but we were planning for the eventual AI ramp up in 2024, so it’s time the rest of you start figuring it out. Will it net big numbers for your business? Probably not yet, but soon.
AI marketing tools are fast and cheap. If they don’t work, cut ‘em. If they do work, figure out how to maximize their value. I highly recommend looking into data analysis tools from AI platforms. The products are a dime a dozen, and you’ll have to figure out what works for you. Or, better yet, pay a company (like Eightfold) to build you something unique and semi-custom.
Social is becoming a secondary search engine. Your content, your brand, your products and services should all be searchable and have a discovery component. If you can, pump out video content like there is no tomorrow.
If it's not working, get rid of it. Too many companies cling to marketing methods of the past, or tools that feel familiar, even if they don’t function well anymore. CRMs, CMS for content that are old and outdated, and generic contact forms need to be quickly reassessed and eliminated if they just aren’t providing the value anymore (I’m looking at you, Salesforce).
The mindset of content marketers has shifted dramatically over the last half decade. Google wants short form content. No bulleted lists. No, Google wants long form, robust, well-developed content. Forget Google and its nasty little wants. Your money or your life? Build content, and your website, for the user. The user needs variety. You aren’t Axios. You aren’t the New York Times. You aren’t Wikipedia. Figure out what works, and test other things.
I’ve preached the importance of good tech for years. Many companies and organizations have a pretty large mess on their hands. Some haveof some excellent pieces, orsome core elements that excel in their delivery. And then there’s all of this “stuff” floating around that they don’t have any particular value or use case. They may have or content that exists, but no definition of its purpose. Start with your technology. Clean up your profiles, platforms, and services. Eliminate bloat of all kinds, and pay to have your things audited and assessed for performance (another thing AI actually is pretty good at doing).
Most companies can’t get out of their own way. Marketers are paralyzed with the old things, afraid change will decimate, and typically they aren’t even sure what to do about the new (like … AI).
Good luck in the rest of ‘26. Everytime I think we’ve reached stability, someone throws a new wrench in this thing and we have to retool the whole engine!
