Digital Marketing Update January 2026

Welcome to The Marketing Den’s digital marketing update for January 2026.

It’s day 182 of January 2026. Just me? Okay then. 

January always feels like we should be tucked under a duvet. But despite the month dragging on, digital marketing has (mercifully) stayed relatively calm. Here’s what did change…

Social Media Updates from January 2026

Facebook’s quiet clean up

Facebook has continued simplifying its interface, with clearer navigation and increased visibility for Reels and Marketplace.

As a result, I’d imagine visibility of newsfeed posts will reduce. If your strategy relies heavily on standard feed posts, now’s a good time to diversify. Short-form video and commerce-adjacent content are where I think attention is heading.

Instagram hashtags

Instagram are formerly limiting the number of hashtags to 5 per post or reel. This move encourages more intentional hashtag use – and for me, officially signals the end of broad hashtag strategies (which admittedly feel like they died long ago). 

Your Algorithm

Instagram has also rolled out “Your Algorithm” controls to English-speaking users globally, allowing people to influence what Reels they see more (and less) of.

Relevance has never mattered more. Clear topics, consistent themes, and content that actually answers user intent will perform best.

Story sharing

You no longer need to be tagged to reshare a public Instagram Story — any public Story can now be shared to your own.

I’m interested to see the extent to which this move, extends the reach of stories for brands – particularly those creating share-worthy content or working with communities, partners, or creators.

Snapchat x Perplexity

Snapchat has integrated Perplexity as its default AI search assistant, bringing AI-powered answers directly into chat and search.

This means context, clarity, and usefulness matter more than ever. Content is now being surfaced as answers inside platforms, not just via traditional search. 

AI Updates from January 2026

ChatGPT Go

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Go, a mobile-first AI assistant designed for on-the-go use, packaged in a low cost subscription. It gives users access to ChatGPT5.2 at a lower price point. It was tested in India back in August and has now been rolled out to 170 countries.

Siri meets Gemini

Apple and Google have finalised deeper integration between Siri and Gemini within iOS.

This means Gemini now has enormous mobile reach, subtly reshaping how users discover information on Apple devices. Anyone else see a battle for the mobile markets incoming?

Advertising Updates from January 2026

Google lowers remarketing audience limit

Google has lowered its minimum audience size for remarketing from 1,000 to 100 users across Search, Display, and YouTube.

This is a genuine win for smaller organisations. Remarketing is now viable even with modest website traffic or campaign reach.

ChatGPT ads arrive

ChatGPT has begun showing sponsored product placements to free users (and ‘Go’ users) in the US. It’s early days, but this marks a shift away from keyword-led ads toward intent-led, conversational placements.

This is an interesting space to watch. Ads are starting to follow conversations, not just searches.

Apple App Store Ads

Trying saying that fast!

Apple has added more ad placements in App Store search results. I think this means the days of being able to scale app installs organically might be numbered. It also means that more advertisers will be fighting for the same users. 

LinkedIn gets premium

LinkedIn has launched Reserved Ads, offering fixed-price, top-of-feed placements for guaranteed visibility.  Reserving a projected target number of impressions at a fixed price helps you avoid the variability of the auction system. I would imagine these come with a premium price tag. They’re currently only available to LinkedIn managed accounts with a dedicated representative.

LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads

LinkedIn published some useful guidance on thought leader ads. I thought this was timely given our recent conversations about Employee Generated Content. Whilst EGC is an organic approach, I can see how sponsoring content from individuals in your organisation could really increase reach and bolster efforts in this space. You can read the guidelines here.

Analytics Updates from January 2026

Google Search Console gets smarter

Google Search Console now includes AI-powered insights that automatically surface trends and issues, making analysis more accessible for non-technical users.

Other useful additions:

Weekly and monthly performance views

Improved first-party data integration via Google’s data manager API

This means less manual analysis, and more actionable insights. Another reminder that first-party data really matters.

View From The Den January 2026

Whilst AI continues to dominate the conversation, this feels like a slightly slower (dare I say that) pace of change, compared to what 2025 had in store. Best not get complacent – I’m pretty sure we’ll see things ramp up faster than we’ve ever known as we go through 2026.

It’s unusual not to share any major search updates – aside from the obvious that discoverability is now happening everywhere not just in search engines – there’s not much to report. There’s been plenty of recent chatter about volatile rankings through January, but as far as I’m aware no core Google updates since the big one in December.  

So that’s your lot for this month. If the festivities kept you away from reading your emails in December, you can see what you missed here.

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Here’s to getting to the end of January (almost!)