Paid Social Predictions for 2026: Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn & More

Meta (Facebook & Instagram) 

Meta will become AI-first. Creative optimisation, audience expansion, and placement decisions all currently have some form of AI managed input, whether it’s machine learning targeting or generative AI backgrounds though these will become better suited to marketers needs and more widely adopted. Shoppable experiences across Instagram Reels, Stories, and Explore will continue to evolve and we may even see live shops adopted in a tiktok form across IG. 

UGC has dominated performance through 2025 though marketers should focus on developing modular creative assets that AI systems can mix and optimise at scale, combining offers, USP, dynamic overlays all working together.  

TikTok 

TikTok will fully mature into a performance marketing channel in 2026. Improvements in conversion tracking, bidding strategies, and partner integrations similar to Meta’s GA4 connection will drive greater lower-funnel investment. Creator content will play an even larger role as tiktok expands its video creation suite. TikTok Shop and in-app checkout will continue to develop into it’s own ecosystem driven by content. 

TikTok is where paid social really shows up as a discovery channel. People aren’t opening the app to shop they’re there to be entertained and the algorithm is increasingly matching meta in accuracy/ slipping products and brands into that experience when the content feels right. Organic content sets the rules on TikTok with humour,  trends and creativity standing out as UGC becomes more saturated and difficult to show genuine personality. Instead of heavy targeting, brands are leaning on the algorithm to figure out who should see what, using paid spend to scale videos that already feel native to the feed. 

LinkedIn 

LinkedIn has always been one of the most expensive places to run paid social the premium professional audience comes with premium CPMs but in 2026 it’s doubling down on smarter audience signals to help justify that spend. Because competition for B2B audiences is intense and costs have crept up year after year. LinkedIn has already began its move away from older targeting like lookalike audiences and is pushing advertisers toward AIdriven signal audiences and audience expansion tools that use real conversion and engagement signals in the hope of better matching the likes of meta and tiktok, not just those who look like your existing contacts. These smarter signals, combined with better automation recommendations aim to improve relevance and reduce waste, so even if CPMs stay high, the value you get from those impressions should be better.  

Pinterest will continue to lean into helping users discover and explore ideas. The platform’s visual first format makes it a natural place for top of funnel browsing before they make a purchase. This means Pinterest remains a top and mid funnel feeder. Organic engagement and saved content still guide what users see, so advertisers need to focus on highly visual, aspirational creative that feels native to the feed. 

At the same time, Pinterest is doubling down on commerce and lower-funnel capabilities. Tools like Performance+ and Top of Search ads, combined with AI-driven targeting and product catalogue integrations, make it easier for brands to drive conversions without losing the platform’s discovery focus. Essentially, still nudging users toward purchase, creating a hybrid channel that blends engagement and measurable performance. 

Snapchat 

In 2026, Snapchat is making a come back, leaning heavily into augmented reality (AR) and AI-driven experiences. The upcoming launch of Snap’s AR glasses, combined with its revamped Snap OS signals a future where ads and brand interactions aren’t limited to a phone screen. Paid campaigns could evolve into immersive, real-world experiences, letting users virtually try products, explore branded environments, or interact with content directly. Organic content will continue to set the tone, but paid media will increasingly scale these interactive experiences to reach broader audiences. 

At the same time, Snapchat is expanding its role as a discovery platform through AI-driven search and conversational experiences. Users may soon be able to ask questions, explore topics, and uncover products or trends entirely within the app, creating new touchpoints for paid social. This positions Snapchat as a hybrid channel in 2026 and one that drives top of funnel awareness through entertaining content, while also providing opportunities to influence intent and performance outcomes in interactive ways. Brands that embrace these shifts will be able to turn engagement into meaningful action without disrupting the app’s playful, discovery-first experience. 

Final Thoughts 

In 2026 paid social is no longer just about reach and clicks it’s an evolving discovery engine powered by AI and experimental formats. Platforms are leaning heavily on machine learning to optimise creative, target audiences, and predict outcomes, meaning the campaigns that succeed will be those that give algorithms strong signals and compelling content to work with. Brands are moving away from rigid audience definitions and static ad formats, instead treating paid social as another form of organic. 

Almost every paid social platform is testing new experiences that could reshape how we look at impressions from AR try-ons by Snapchat, to shoppable Reels on TikTok, to interactive search and commerce layers on Pinterest. These innovations have huge upside, letting brands connect with users in ways that feel native and immersive, but they also carry risk not every experiment will land, and early adopters may face steep learning curves or wasted spend. In 2026, winning in paid social is as much about agility and creativity as it is about budget brands that embrace AI-driven optimisation while testing bold, platform-native experiences will set themselves up for growth. 

Speak with the Summit team today to start working with our Paid Social team of experts.