Let’s assume that we can agree that a social media presence is no longer optional for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives. Your online presence impacts your current and future employees, customers, investors, peers and even your family. In fact, 92 percent of people say they are more likely to trust a company if its senior leaders are active on social media.
While having an active and strategic social media presence is essential, that alone will not be enough in 2026. As AI continues to dominate search, consistent messaging and authentic content need to be a priority. Heading into the new year, these are the three biggest trends in social media that will impact both businesses and their leaders.
1. Focus on leaders’ reputation management
Nearly half of those using AI search see it as their chief source of information, more than traditional search tools. This shift matters to leaders because the old way of searching involved people clicking links and reading multiple sources to find the information they were looking for. Now, they are getting a narrative generated by AI and are likely never clicking a single link to satisfy their search query.
With this change in search behavior, a leader’s reputation is so valuable that it must be curated and protected. Focusing on REO (reputation engine optimization) will help you control what AI is learning and sharing about you. Feeding these large language models with information through an active, strategic social media presence, earned media articles, thought leadership blogs and awards will help establish, manage, control and improve your online reputation.
2. Empower employees to be influencers
As consumers lose trust in company messages, they are looking at real people as sources of information. In fact, the ultimate influencers on social media for brand impact are consumers, executives and employees. Yes, customer reviews and recommendations are powerful. Your executives need to have a social media presence. And your employees are likely your greatest untapped resource for brand impact.
Statistics show that content shared by staff members on social media leads to eight times more engagement compared to content the brands share themselves. As internal communications teams realize the power employees have on how the public perceives the business, the struggle they often face is how to empower, educate and equip employees to show up on their social media platforms, specifically on LinkedIn.
Training employees as social influencers has a real impact. One of our clients, a large Midwest bank with locations in multiple states, enlisted our team to lead three training sessions with its employees. In the three months following our training, employees showed greater activity on their LinkedIn accounts, including more frequent posting, commenting, and interaction with their networks. The company’s LinkedIn followers grew by 5 percent, and 80 percent of its trained employees are actively engaging with its LinkedIn content, helping boost visibility and reach.
When I talk with leaders about social media and controlling results, I am often asked how to handle negative reviews from employees or customers that can harm a business and its leaders. At Media Minefield, we often help clients navigate these crises and advise thoughtful consideration and risk assessment before deciding whether and how to respond. Rather than just reacting to what is posted, I challenge you to proactively implement strategies to empower employees and customers who want to make positive comments to share their messages and stories online.
Empowering employees to be influencers for your brand is one of the best ways to make an impact on social media in 2026.
3. Prioritize authentic content
While AI is making it easier to churn out content, it isn’t the answer for your final product. Utilizing AI tools can help you get out there and be found, but in 2026, it’s about getting out there, being found and adding value. Authentic content and having a unique voice are critical as algorithms suppress AI-generated content.
No one shares the same unique insights, expertise and stories as you do. Harnessing your unique voice on social media and in your thought leadership are some of the best ways to ensure everything about you online is real, true, and reflects what you want others to know. Social media can be a negative, toxic place, but it can also be a place for positivity, purpose and community. Sharing authentic content helps spread positivity and helps others.
Kristi’s article was originally posted in Inc. on December 22, 2025.