Get Personal On Social Media In 2026!
When I was thinking about goals for the New Year, do you know what wasn’t on the list? Spending more time talking to robots.
I’ve been seeing this trend online a lot lately where people have been using captions directly from a Chatbot to support their branding and it got me thinking: ‘is anyone out there really asking for this?’
The answer is no.
The general consensus is that people would rather talk to a person instead of a Chatbot when interacting with a brand. And the more it becomes available, the more people will be able to tell when you’re using an AI program to do your social media for you as well.
The fact of the matter is that if you ask the average person if they notice when someone is using a chatbot to write for their brand, the answer is yes. And it makes them feel icky. They don’t want brands that feel faceless or scripted. They don’t want content that feels empty, even when it’s polished to perfection.
So to kick off the year, I wanted to come in with a reminder about what Social Media is for! And that’s so people can get to know the person behind the brand. Because if they know you and they like you, they will buy from you!
Personal Content Is Working For Brands Right Now
While much of social media used to be showing the most perfect side of a brand, it’s not like that anymore. If you haven’t been posting your personal stories to your business accounts, now is the time to start!
Sharing your personal stories is a great way to connect, even without it being related to your business.
For example, when working with Quarterdeck on Staycation content for my influencer brand, I was able to help them talk about their brand in a way that wasn’t salesy by sharing my personal stories behind the scenes. Nothing was overly polished (as you can see by checking out my Instagram), so it reflected the real experience behind the brand.
And yes, I do this as my job, but if they wanted to replicate the same feeling, they could have their staff enjoy the experiences and share their unpolished version of how it went for them as well!
Anything you can do to share personal stories of your brand can make your business shine on social media right now, since so much content we’re seeing is AI-generated. When a human posts, it’s so much easier to connect and enjoy that piece of content!
You never know what kind of reach your brand can get
Another example of personal stories working for your brand is my friend Jennifer of Simple Local Life. Recently she shared a grocery challenge geared toward using what you have in the house already. She challenged her followers to only spend $100 this month on groceries.
That ended up getting me thinking about it, and then I shared about participating on my stories. I got messages back from people all over saying they were going to join as well.
This is a great example of someone taking a personal challenge they’re giving themselves and sharing it online. It isn’t directly connected to her brand, outside of her brand being about her life, but it gave her an amplified reach by how many people resonated with having extra groceries in their pantry after the holidays.
Your challenge for this week
This week I’m going to challenge you (and myself!) to share your personal side. I don’t mean turning things into an online Diary, but take a moment to share a story, a post or a reel that:
Talks about your experiences
Shares what’s happening behind the scenes
Let’s people see what you’re up to as the human behind the brand
Show your face or voice in your stories or posts!
The overall goal is to work on your personal relationships using social media, rather than being totally focused on reach.
Audiences these days want to know who they are supporting, and when they feel connected with you, that’s where you start building trust. And THAT leads to new customers, referrals and long-term buyers.
In 2026, the brands that stand out aren’t cutting corners using AI to craft every interaction they have. They’re also not spending the most money on ads. The brands that stand out are going to be the ones showing up regularly to connect with the people who support them!
If you’re not sure how to get started, consider booking an audit to review your online presence and give you a clear outline of what’s working and what’s not to kick off the new year.