If you’ve been anywhere near the internet lately, you’ll have seen the usual noise: “new platform!”, “48-hour hack!”, “the algorithm has changed again!”. But the Metricool Social Media 2026 Study cuts through that and looks at what people really did and what performed, based on 39,762,999 posts from 1,059,949 accounts
1) Video still rules… but “more” isn’t the answer anymore
Across the big platforms, video is still the best bet for stopping the scroll and building reach and interactions. The report’s conclusion is pretty blunt: video is the best-performing format on most platforms, and the challenge now is how to use it in a sustainable way, not whether you should.
The headline stats back it up:
- TikTok is top for average impressions per post and interactions per post, and also shows the strongest “growth potential” in the study’s snapshot view.
But (and it’s a big but): TikTok’s average views and reach dropped year-on-year, which the report links to simple reality—more content, more competition, thinner slices of attention.
My take for small businesses: don’t panic-post. Build a repeatable system where you can create short-form video without it swallowing your life.
2) Facebook isn’t dead. It’s quietly printing results (especially with video)
Facebook gets written off constantly, yet the data shows the opposite. Average reach on Facebook jumped +51% year-on-year, and interactions rose +56%.
Even better: Facebook video is booming. The report notes video leading on reach, impressions, interactions and comments, and shows big increases in video posting compared to the previous year.
What this means for UK local businesses: if your customers are local (beauty, trades, cafés, tourism, retail), Facebook is still a serious player—especially when you pair it with short, human videos.
3) Instagram is saturated… so quality (and format choice) matters more than frequency
Instagram activity increased (more accounts, more posts), but reach dropped—including post reach (-31%) and Reels reach (-35%) in the study’s year-on-year view.
Here’s the twist though: carousels seriously overperformed on Instagram, driving higher reach, impressions, and over 3x interactions compared to single-image posts—and they were also the least used format.
My advice: if you’re a small business and you’re tired of dancing for the algorithm, carousels are your best “work smart” move:
- “3 mistakes people make when buying X”
- “Before/after + how we did it”
- “Pricing explained (without the awkwardness)”
- “FAQ carousel (saveable = gold)”
4) LinkedIn is more competitive, but carousels + polls can cut through
LinkedIn impressions per post dropped year-on-year in the report’s figures, alongside other per-post performance softening as more people and businesses post.
But format matters a lot:
- Polls and carousels stood out for impressions,
- and carousels were strongest for interactions in the platform format comparison.
Practical play for service businesses (especially B2B):
- 1 carousel weekly: “Here’s what I’d do if I started again”
- 1 poll weekly: “What’s your biggest blocker right now?”
- 1 human post weekly: a lesson learned, a client win, or a behind-the-scenes story
5) Don’t sleep on Google Business Profile (it’s basically your digital shopfront)
This isn’t “social media”, but it’s where local buying decisions happen. The report shows bookings from Google Business Profile up +13%, with other local-intent actions also rising (like direction requests).
If you do nothing else this month:
- Refresh services + categories
- Add new photos (real ones, not stock)
- Post weekly updates
- Ask for reviews consistently (and reply to every one)
6) YouTube is growing (and it’s not just for full-time creators)
The study shows average views per YouTube video up +76% year-on-year, alongside increases in posting volume.
Small business angle: YouTube is brilliant for “trust content”:
- walkthroughs, FAQs, “how it works”, behind-the-scenes, local guides And you can chop one video into: Shorts, Reels, TikToks, and a carousel.
A simple “Donut Pig” strategy for 2026: less chaos, more conversion
Think of your content like a donut (go with me here):
The glaze (reach): short-form video
- 2–3 clips a week that show your product/service in motion
- Keep it real, not perfect (the report even highlights how authenticity often beats polished “trend-chasing”).
The filling (trust): carousels + value posts
- 1 carousel weekly (Instagram + LinkedIn)
- 1 “helpful post” weekly (tips, FAQs, myths, pricing explained)
The sprinkles (action): local proof + next steps
- Google Business Profile updates + reviews
- one clear call-to-action: book, enquire, message, or visit
And remember the report’s bigger point: platforms are crowded. Winning isn’t reaching everyone—it’s resonating with the right people.
Want me to turn these insights into a content plan for your business?
If you tell me:
- what you sell,
- who you sell to (local? UK-wide? B2B?), and
- which platforms you’re using now,
…I’ll map out a simple 4-week plan (posts + video ideas + carousels + CTAs) in a Donut Pig-friendly style, based directly on the report’s findings for only £99
