In April, the herd attended SocialNext: Toronto, an annual conference that brings together digital marketing and social media professionals for a day of presentations, breakout sessions, and networking.
There’s always a lot to learn at SocialNext, and after a day of listening and note-taking—and after a few weeks of processing and reflecting—we are ready to share our top 10 takeaways!
Social Is the New Search
No, traditional search engines like Google have not gone the way of the dinosaurs. But when it comes to search, social is making a run for the top spot. According to one presenter, social is already the #1 discovery channel for B2C brands, and it’s a close second for B2B brands.
People search on social to find information and opinions. Maybe they’d like to learn more about a specific service you offer, or maybe they’re checking the comments for customer feedback to help them decide whether or not to take a chance on your business.
The key is to anticipate the questions your audience might have, and structure your content in such a way that contains the answers.
The Robots Aren’t Coming For Our Jobs
AI in marketing continues to be a hot topic, and at this year’s conference, there was no shortage of talk about the role of AI in marketing. In short, marketing is still very much a human-powered industry. Integrating AI can simplify processes, save time, and generally make our jobs easier, but it can’t replace human knowledge, experience, and creativity.
Taste Over Tech
Would it surprise you to know that copy written by humans still beats AI-generated text? This goes back to what we were saying about knowledge, experience, and creativity. Storytelling and authenticity always beat AI slop.
AI might be able to generate a month’s worth of content for you in seconds, but what it can’t do is express your unique point of view. And remember: you’re marketing to humans. Humans who crave connection and respond to empathy.
AI can be a tool that helps you along the way, but you’ll always need a human touch.
Disclaimer: This blog was written by a human.
It’s All About Authenticity
If you’ve spent any time scrolling on your phone—especially video-based apps like TikTok—you’ve probably noticed a shift from highly produced, sophisticated videos to less polished, DIY-style videos. And this trend isn’t going anywhere.
Time and time again, presenters emphasized how much audiences value authenticity and reality. That’s not to say you should abandon all of your beautiful, branded content. But try to balance it with real photos, unpolished videos, and behind-the-scenes content from your team and your clients.
Social is the Creators’ World, and We’re Just Living In It
Creators are the engines that drive social media. They are the ones who start the trends, build communities, and interact with followers. Brands, on the other hand, are guests in the social media ecosystem, and as such, it’s their responsibility to adapt to the platforms they join and behave as good guests should.
So if you’re planning to explore creator/influencer marketing, start by cultivating genuine relationships, and remember that creators aren’t there just to amplify your messaging. Creators are interested in working with brands that share their values and respect the unique skills they bring to the table.
Think of it as hiring a creator to participate in your content vs. hiring them to create an ad for you. This way, working together will feel authentic and collaborative instead of merely transactional, and so will your content.
Community Is Key
Content fatigue, declining organic reach, and shifting consumer expectations are a few of the reasons the “old ways” of marketing are failing. The alternative? Community-led marketing. This approach is conversational, emphasizes co-creation, and focuses on building trust and long-term relationships.
Measuring The Right Metrics
How can you tell if your campaign was successful? We’re all used to tracking reach, impressions, and link clicks, but those metrics alone may not be giving you the full picture.
For a more robust understanding of what’s working and what isn’t, consider mentions and sentiment as new KPIs.
Sure, it’s great to have thousands upon thousands of people seeing your content. But it’s even better if they’re talking about you—ideally in a positive way—and recommending your brand to their own networks.
Do I Have Your Attention?
One of the most important things brands can learn from creators is to optimize for attention, not approval. For creators, being “on brand” means something is worth their audience’s attention—and with so much content out there, your audience’s attention is one of the most valuable resources they can offer you.
Instead of approaching content creation from the perspective of, “Will this information be useful to my audience?”, ask yourself, “Is this worth my audience’s attention?” If the answer is no, go back to the drawing board and try a different angle.
Hook, Line & Clickthrough
Speaking of capturing your audience’s attention, one of the best ways to do this is through entertainment. But first, you have to hook them. Whether it’s a visual effect, the latest trend, or the opening line of your caption, it needs to make them stop scrolling and keep watching or reading.
If the content is entertaining and delivers value, your audience is more likely to take the next step and click to learn more about your brand.
A Canadian Quirk
Canadians really don’t want to feel like they’re being promoted to. When they feel that a brand is being too aggressive in how they sell to them, they are prone to disengage. We assumed this was a universal thing, but apparently it’s a uniquely Canadian phenomenon! Who knew?
For us, this reinforces the need to ensure that we create balanced marketing and social media content plans for our clients, that don’t only focus on boosting sales.
(O Canada, we stand on guard for thee… against overly aggressive marketing!)
And there you have it—the herd’s top 10 takeaways from SocialNext Toronto 2026! (There was A LOT more we could have written about, but we didn’t want to go overboard. This is a blog, not a treatise!)
We hope you find this useful, and we highly recommend looking into next year’s conference if you’re on the hunt for professional development opportunities for yourself or your team. Our team had a great day, and left feeling energized and excited to start implementing new ideas!