As we move closer to 2026, the digital marketing landscape in the Baltics continues to mature. Companies are shifting away from short-term campaigns and focusing more on long-term brand value, trust, and clear communication with their audiences.

Based on market data and hands-on experience working with both B2B and B2C brands, three key trends are expected to define marketing in the Baltics in 2026.

Instagram will dominate long-term brand building

Instagram will continue to strengthen its position as a core platform for long-term brand building. More than half of the Baltic population actively uses Instagram, with over 50% of users aged between 25 and 44 — a highly solvent audience whose purchasing power is expected to remain strong for at least the next decade.

Video content will remain dominant, but the format will evolve. Audiences will increasingly move away from overly polished, artificial or heavily designed content. Instead, they will trust real people, teams, founders and behind-the-scenes stories.

At the same time, a well-maintained profile will become increasingly important. Users are becoming more critical of brands with inactive, unclear or visually inconsistent Instagram accounts. A clean, structured and actively managed feed will be a key trust signal.

TikTok will remain the leading platform for small businesses

In 2026, TikTok will continue to dominate among small and medium-sized businesses, mainly due to its low advertising costs and ease of reaching large audiences.

The cost per view remains low, making it easier for companies to test content and scale reach quickly. However, content will become more selective. Businesses will need to be very clear about who they are speaking to, both in their messaging and spoken communication.

Generic content will lose effectiveness, while targeted, honest and audience-specific communication will perform better.

YouTube advertising will bring new energy to brand awareness

YouTube will play an increasingly important role in brand promotion across the Baltics. Currently, there are approximately 4.6 million YouTube users in the region, with an average daily viewing time of at least 20 minutes per user.

The most effective ads will be simple, recognizable and direct. Within the first five seconds, viewers should clearly understand:

• who the company is

• what it offers

• why it is relevant

Jingles, consistent color palettes and simplified messaging will perform well, while overly complex concepts will give way to clarity and repetition.

“I see a clear shift in how brands are managed across both small and large companies. In the Baltics, we’ve taken a significant step forward in understanding the role of marketing in business. While larger brands have always invested in consistent communication, smaller companies are now rapidly gaining visibility and momentum by actively using new platforms. This is reshaping the competitive landscape and raising the overall quality of brand communication in the region.” - Kirils Stepanovs, Founder of Wild.Creative