Marketing in 2026 looks very different from even a few years ago. Consumers are savvier, search engines are smarter, and AI-generated content is flooding every media platform. For businesses, this means old tactics won’t cut it. To stand out, you need a strategy that leverages data, engages audiences across multiple channels, and turns every interaction into an opportunity for growth.
We work with businesses every day to build strategies that adapt to changing markets and evolving consumer behaviors. Below are 6 marketing strategies you should consider in your marketing plan in 2026.
1. Optimize Your SEO for Voice Search
Smartphones and watches, smart speakers, in-car systems and other devices have made it easier than ever to search with a voice prompt. Instead of just typing keywords, users are asking conversational questions to find local goods and services.
To succeed in 2026, your SEO strategy should go beyond simple keyword lists. Focus on long-tail, question-based keywords to capture the way people speak. While you might type in “marketing agency in Wichita” on a Google search bar, you might use your voice speaker to ask “who is the best marketing agency in Wichita” instead. Content hubs, FAQs, and educational blogs help to educate potential clients and provide great data for search engines to scrape.
In addition you should ensure your listings are updated across all platforms with accurate hours, address and phone numbers. When someone searches for something “open now” these listings are critical. BCC has programs to help ensure these are updated for smart speakers like Alexa, as well as Apple Maps, Bing & Google.
2. Help AI Understand Your Content with Smart Structure
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the next step in making your content discoverable in AI-driven search results, like Google’s SGE, ChatGPT, Copilot, or Perplexity. By thinking about how AI sees and summarizes your content, GEO helps you stay visible as search evolves.
Your website should use short paragraphs, headings, and bullet points so AI can quickly pull the key information. Work backward from the questions or queries your audience might ask, and craft content that directly addresses them. Your site should also use schema markup to highlight key details like services, products, or reviews so AI can better understand your content. BCC builds websites to stand the test of time, using Search Engine Optimization to ensure lasting visibility as search technology advances.
3. Create Video That Connects with Real People
Video continues to dominate digital marketing—and in 2026, the format matters. Vertical videos (for Facebook, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts) have become the default for mobile-first audiences.
Meanwhile, long-form YouTube content remains one of the best long-term tools for SEO. Videos that answer customer questions, explain your services, or tell your business story can work as sales tools for you, 24/7.
Don’t overlook storytelling. In an era of information overload, sharing how your business is different can make the difference when customers are comparing local options. Consumers are already tiring of AI-generated content and inauthentic “influencer” marketing and are looking for genuine information. BCC isn’t anti-AI but we strive to keep the technology in its own lane. We shoot real video, we record with real VO artists and we take real photos. This stuff matters because at the end of the day your business serves real people, not machines.
4. Go Multichannel for Maximum Reach
Gone are the days when TV or radio ads alone could deliver results. Today’s audiences are spread across multiple platforms, at all hours of the day, which means your business should be too. In 2025 Streaming TV overtook broadcast TV and cable’s combined viewing for the first time. Businesses relying on broadcast or cable ads alone are missing out on reaching the consumers who have shifted away from traditional television to online or streaming channels. Similarly, relying only on traditional radio misses the growing audiences tuning in to streaming audio and podcasts, which offer new ways to reach listeners with targeted messaging.
Multichannel advertising can include:
- Streaming audio ads
- Advertising on Podcasts
- CTV/Streaming TV campaigns
- YouTube advertising
The advantage? These channels allow precise targeting by location, demographics, and even user behaviors online. As a local advertising agency, we help Wichita-area clients reach their ideal audience without wasting ad spend.
5. Collect Customer Data Ethically for Better Marketing
With third-party cookies under pressure, businesses need to take control of their data. First-party data (collected directly from your audience) and zero-party data (information customers voluntarily share, such as preferences or survey answers) are now essential.
Think loyalty programs, post-purchase surveys, or interactive experiences where customers choose to share details. Not only does this data help you tailor your messaging and segment lists, but it also builds trust because it’s ethical and consent-based.
Our Wichita marketing firm helps local businesses strategize on systems to gather, organize, and use this data to improve retention and long-term customer loyalty.
6. Create Memorable Customer Experiences Face-to-Face
With dozens of options only a click away, it’s easy for your business to get lost in the noise. That’s why direct engagement can be such a powerful way to engage new customers.
When a customer interacts with your brand face-to-face it creates a level of trust and memorability that online channels alone can’t match. These moments of human connection can often be the deciding factor that sets your business apart from competitors offering similar products or services. Consider trade shows, community fairs or festivals, or creating your own event or in-store demo.
From assisting with trade show booth design to creating banners or strategizing about promo items, we’re happy to help take your event marketing to the next level.
Our Marketing Agency Can Help With Your 2026 Marketing Strategy
The businesses that thrive in 2026 will be the ones that embrace change instead of resisting it. By focusing on how to create and organize content for AI readability while maintaining a human touch in marketing and customer engagement, local Wichita businesses can stay ahead of the competition.
If you’re looking for a partner to help you navigate the changing marketing landscape, our team is here to help. We specialize in building future-ready strategies that connect with the right audiences to grow your business.
Contact us today to start building your 2026 marketing strategy.