As a small business owner, keeping up with the latest marketing trends can seem like an impossible feat – especially when competing with larger brands that have the budgets to create polished, wide-reaching marketing campaigns. But in 2026, it’s less about shine and more about reaching and connecting with those who make your business tick in an authentic way. Today, consumers are scrolling past perfection in search of brands who aren’t afraid to show off their personality, a trait that is intrinsic to all small businesses.
VistaPrint’s recently released 2026 marketing trends report details how entrepreneurs can capture that attention by embracing imperfection and authenticity to drive impact. From cheeky stunts to self-aware humor, next year’s most talked-about trends share one goal: breaking the routine of the marketing we’re accustomed to.
Show Your Depth
Gone are the days when superficial, short-form content satisfies consumers. After years of being inundated with seconds-long videos, they’re craving something substantial. Stories they can get lost in, told by real humans that they can relate to and connect with. This shift is evidenced by the rise in popularity of podcasts, YouTube videos and Substacks. Consumers are resonating with brands and creators who can hold their attention for a prolonged period of time, whether that be while they commute, exercise, cook or take time for themselves.
This marks one of the biggest digital marketing trends in 2026: long-form influencer marketing. Smaller businesses can find success by partnering with niche, industry-specific creators for deeper, authentic storytelling that goes beyond one-off posts and reaches consumers in a space where they are most engaged.
These longer formats allow small businesses to speak directly to consumers in a way that feels honest and intimate – reaching them in their ear buds, inboxes and/or screen of choice without feeling like a typical ad. These tactics have the potential to build lasting loyalty and drive awareness by aligning brand with trustworthy creators and peeling back the curtain to humanize your story. .
There are endless opportunities to deploy this longer-form storytelling, from sponsoring a niche newsletter to reach target customers, to partnering with YouTube personalities with a cult following on a product tutorial or review, or collaborating with an on-brand podcast to appear as a guest or feature a product in an episode. And if you want to branch out on your own, there is always the option to create your own channel to showcase your passion, expertise and customer stories through platforms with very low barriers to entry. Entrepreneurs can get creative and have fun experimenting with different storytelling formats.
Get Cheeky
Speaking of creativity, the next trend is all about thinking outside the box and grabbing customer attention via shock factor. Mischief Marketing centers on creating shareable, memorable experiences that spark conversations online and offline. From cheeky, real-world stunts to unexpected activations, small businesses can catch customers by surprise and generate buzz that cuts through the clutter of shiny, overdone campaigns.
Consider physical marketing to make this approach work. Think noticeable props in high foot-traffic areas that create a fun and memorable photo opportunity for customers. For example, a bakery creating a hilariously oversized croissant to display outside their storefront.
You can also find ways to make it interactive with hidden elements that require scanning, scratching or peeling to reveal something special. Engaging customers in ways they least expect it is key to the success of this trend, making it more impactful and more affordable than a big ad buy.
Make sure to encourage customer reactions so they can be shared across your social media platforms.
Mischief Marketing tactics like these allow small businesses to make an impression on customers without a flashy budget and to show your brand’s personality in a way that’s playful, tactile and shareable.
Embrace Your Imperfections
Where Mischief Marketing succeeds by creating unexpected moments to grab attention, another trend to look for is small businesses embracing their imperfections by spotlighting them in their marketing campaigns to humanize themselves and join customers in poking fun.
Radical Self-Awareness is about disarming skepticism through raw humor. Brands that aren’t afraid to be self-deprecating present as honest and relatable, a refreshing change from stuffy, overly produced marketing. This trend builds customer trust by demonstrating confidence in your brand and that you’re paying attention to their feedback.
A good example is a popular beverage company turning negative online comments into albums of various genres available on Spotify and as vinyls. While some brands may have ignored the criticism, they turned it into a viral moment that bolstered their visibility and resonance among customers.
Other ideas to leverage the Radical Self-Awareness trend include turning industry tropes into content to help your brand stand out, sharing behind-the-scenes bloopers or projects that didn’t go as planned to show imperfections, and getting creative in the comments by engaging in clever conversation to help shape brand voice.
Experimentation is at the heart of Radical Self-Awareness. Try different approaches to see what sticks and show customers you don’t take yourself too seriously.
Be Silly, Act Quickly
While Radical Self-Awareness requires an element of planning, the next trend requires moving fast to capitalize on fleeting, out-of-the box ideas. Reactive Absurdism is similar to Mischief Marketing by creating unexpected moments, but in this instance, they’re happening on TikTok and Instagram and are usually the product of an impulse decision.
Most small businesses know this well: sometimes the best ideas come out of nowhere. Instead of trying to build a marketing or brand awareness concept into a fully baked, manufactured campaign, this trend finds strength in the ‘just go for it’ mentality. Reactive Absurdism thrives on the quick pace of social media and taps into consumers’ hunger for content that breaks the monotony of their feed. This requires being nimble and quick-witted – two things small business owners excel at.
Think tongue-in-cheek limited edition products, such as a popular cookie brand dropping a Thanksgiving Dinner flavor, quickly sharing an unusual yet compelling take on a current trend, or even in-person stunts like making outrageous claims about various objects in your shop and sharing customer reactions online.
There is no rhyme or reason behind Reactive Absurdism tactics, and that’s what makes it work. The absurdity sparks curiosity among customers and leaves a lasting impression without requiring big budgets or months of planning. Best of all, it allows small businesses to let their creativity shine.
Use AI to Scale Creativity
Most small business owners are already using AI to automate and optimize processes, and while it remains a controversial topic, there is no denying the opportunities it presents to augment creative efforts. Accessible AI tools are helping small businesses personalize campaigns, generate content, and engage customers more effectively without huge budgets.
In this trend, small businesses are using AI as a creative partner to create unique experiences for customers at scale that may not have been possible otherwise. For example, integrate AI into your website to allow customers to design custom products, share AI-generated poems that weave in brand personality and values as an add-on to purchases, or allow visiting customers to create keepsakes as part of an in-store activation.
Using AI for creative purposes presents new ways for customers to interact with small businesses and build stronger connections. However, it’s important to be transparent about the use of AI to further deepen trust and protect your brand’s credibility.
Looking Ahead
These trends exemplify that breaking from the norm and thinking outside of the box will pay off in 2026. Experiment boldly with the different creative strategies presented by each trend to see what works for your brand and resonates most with customers. The main takeaway is that you don’t need a massive budget or a full marketing team to make an impact in the year ahead – stay true to your brand’s personality, take risks and have fun.
Erin Shea is the Senior Director of North America Marketing at VistaPrint, the print and design partner to millions of small businesses. VistaPrint helps small business owners bring their ideas to life through custom print products, easy-to-use digital tools and expert design support.
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